Discover Your Area of interest within the Music Industry

Let’s face it; the music industry is one of the hardest to break into. Especially today, the competition is fierce since streaming has decentralized the need for major record labels. Anyone with enough skill, talent, time, and practice can make a name for themselves in the music industry. Still, many aspiring producers and musicians wonder how they can stick out in a creative industry so saturated with talent. It’s easy enough to pay for music distribution and promote your releases yourself, but the way to really stick out among a sea of aspiring creatives is to find your niche and refine it. 

Your niche in the music industry could be anything. It could be a unique sound that you haven’t heard someone try before, it could be as an engineer or producer, it could be as a songwriter; and the list goes on and on. The music industry is an extremely multi-faceted world with an infinite number of roles and genres to work in, so it makes sense that new musicians starting out might have a hard time finding their niche. In this article, we’ll talk about a few crucial things to keep in mind when exploring your unique skills and talents. As a professional in the music industry, you want to get the most of your music distribution. Keep reading to learn more! 

Cultivate a Wide Range of Skills 

Possibly the most important aspect to keep in mind in the modern music world is that you must cultivate a variety of skills to initially make it work. Many artists, songwriters, and producers starting out act as the composer, producer, engineer, PR, marketing, and managing for live shows. That’s a lot to put on one person’s plate! It’s key to remember that developing these skills takes time, and there’s no need to stress yourself out. The reality is that anyone trying to make their own music is more than likely doing many of these things already. The more you explore new areas as a musician, the more you’ll learn about your craft, and more likely than not, you’ll discover some skills that you didn’t know you had! This can be fundamental in finding whatever it is your niche is in the industry. 

Don’t Focus On Genre 

Don’t get it wrong. It’s not that genre isn’t an important aspect of getting listeners to latch on to your music; that’s definitely an essential part of connecting to any audience. However, too much focus on genre can result in some not so genuine results. Take rock bands for example. There are tons of rock bands out there and some of the least compelling to see are the ones that lean heavily into the tropes of the genre. Making rock music is great, but it’s worth  exploring some other styles within your primary wheelhouse. This adds some variety and possibly widens your taste and your audience. The best way to cultivate experimentation in a genre is to listen to new styles of music whenever you can. Make it a weekly habit! 

Social Tools 

No one likes to admit it, but social media is a large part of marketing yourself as a musician these days. While it might not be everyone’s favorite way to promote themselves, it does present some interesting opportunities for musicians to create new and compelling content that simply wasn’t possible in the early days of streaming. Instagram Reels and TikTok have introduced video editing to the masses; there’s now a slew of unique promotions for bands and independent artists to get their names out and find niche communities of like-minded individuals. 

Create Your Own World 

When thinking about your unique skills and styles to make original music, you’re essentially creating your own world for listeners and audience members to experience with you. Lean into that experience as much as possible as your niche is ultimately going to come most genuinely from within you. The more honest you can be with what you want to make and go for it wholeheartedly, the more that will come across in your performances and recordings. 

Finding your niche in the music industry is tricky because it’s about navigating a system of trends while simultaneously putting your most unique and vulnerable self forward. Creating art and presenting to the world is scary, but the best ways to find your niche and own it are by cultivating a variety of different skills such as recording, setting up microphones, and basic production skills, to name a few. You should also ensure you’re listening to as many styles of music as possible to widen your vocabulary as a music listener and fan. You’ll be surprised at how much your music will change with these simple steps.