No matter which industry you make a living in, the reality is that you will end up networking whether you like it or not. There are few exceptions of individuals who have made their way without meeting the right people.Â
If you’re looking to make your way as a paid musician, networking is a powerful skill that will lead to opportunity!Â
Take every opportunity
Sometimes there are so many things happening at the same time, it can be difficult to prioritise. The best advice is to take every opportunity, no matter how small – you never know who’s listening…
Play for free (sometimes!)Â
This is discretionary, but if you have the opportunity to play for a large or key event with great exposure, it adds value regardless of pay. The people you meet may lead to better opportunities down the line. Often free events can have other perks too, such as complimentary drinks, professional photographers, and more!Â
Don’t be afraid to reach out
The biggest barrier to our success is ourselves – we have a natural fear of rejection, which takes tenacity to break through. In sales and marketing, the highest achievers believe that a decent product can be sold to the right person for the right price.
In order for people to know about you, you need to reach out in a professional manner:
- Personalise the email
- Â Research your contact
- Tell them why you chose themÂ
- Tell them why you’re passionate about your project
- Â Ask them to play your song/consider you for a show/will feature you
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You may will not hear back from a lot of your outreach – this is normal. Keep persevering, follow up and people will get back to you. If they don’t, move on! You’re looking for the right people and they’ll answer when you least expect.Â
Always be open to learning
People often have their passion same as you – if you can get them talking about their passion, you’ll pick up so much helpful information that you can pass on to others down the line.
Respect their talent and they’ll respect yours!
Be true to your wordÂ
If you commit to something then stick with it, as people will remember you. If you drop out of events or miss them, you’ll not be seen as a great candidate for future events. People may also find it disrespectful if you pull out last minute, as they’ve often worked hard to put together their event.Â
Lead with integrity
Be humble. There are are a lot of players in the game and no matter how talented you are, people will choose to work with you based on your reliability and likability. When it comes to creativity, the right people can make the magic happen.
People will respect and respond to you well when they like you and can see your passion for your craft!Â
Bring value to your peers
When you do get the opportunity to work with someone, whether it be venue owner, recording engineers, producers, radio hosts, agents, or others – make sure that you are valuable to them. Again, this means being:Â
- Reliable
- Responsive to messages
- Co-operative and compromising
- Hard working
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Remember that most of these people are far more experienced in their area than you are as a musician. Over time, you will learn to see who has the most value and who you work best with. Those relationships will often lead to further connections and subsequently more opportunities.Â
Open every door that comes your way and if one closes, don’t be afraid to step through the next. That one door could lead to the corridor – then the house is yours!
We’ll discuss specific examples of networking and how they were successful in future newsletters – sign up now to hear more!Â
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