Should musicians give up on their dreams because they feel like they are not progressing in their career, they are not getting the recognition they deserve for all the hard work they are putting in and because the road to “making it” is filled with rejection and corruption.

I have spoken with two friends this week who have told me that they are close to or have decided to give up on their dreams of being a professional musician or artist because they have not been given a chance or received what musicians call a ‘break’ even though they have been working hard at their craft for years. One in particular has been at it for more than a decade. They are both very talented.

Unfortunately, in today’s industry there are very little experienced record labels that are helping talent from the ground up and developing artists into superstars. What makes it worse is that distribution companies are also implementing processes where they will vet an artists music and social media before they will allow them to distribute their music through their platform.

In addition to that traditional media like radio and TV is also extremely hard to get access to and can often only be accessed by a lesser known artist if they have money to offer.

To add the final nail to the coffin, gigs are very scarce and given that entry to events are limited it makes more sense to promoters to book well known acts who attract higher paying customers.

With all roads blocked and a complete lack of income or potential income, an artists dream feels a millions miles away and can feel like it is getting even further away every time they are rejected.

This new and adjusted industry demands that the artist be the talent, the manager, the social media expert, the lawyer, the designer, the event promoter, the accountant, the publisher… and everything in between.

Getting help to do these aspects also requires money unless you have a knowledgeable and connected friend that strongly believes in your music and talent and will work for you for next to nothing, until you make it.

…all hope is not lost! The solution is to DO IT YOURSELF! This is a much harder route to travel but it is a reality for many of independent and developing musicians. If you are not managing to get gigs, then start to host your own events. If you are not getting your music on playlists, then start your own playlists and market those. If you are not getting your videos to TV then start your own YouTube channel.

It goes without saying, but I’ll say it. You should be doing it yourself anyway, this is how you learn how to do this industry and doing it all yourself with give you the expertise to know when someone is trying to shaft you when you do eventually “make it”. Most of all, just enjoy the journey and the learning process. Connect with other people and speak, don’t be scared to reach out to other more experienced acts for advise. Generally, advise is free and valuable.

Let us know your thoughts about this topic.