How to Start Your Career as a Singer

Evolving Your Singing Skills

We live in a world that doesn’t stop for a second whether technology is concerned or socializing is. In a world like this, artists themselves are given a chance to not only work on their own and create a brand but also a chance to launch themselves more easily which is something artists in earlier days were deprived of. But this naturally means that the artists trying to make a name for themselves in our fast evolving world have a lot of expectations hanging over their heads which means that they have to do a lot more than just simply being discovered by the “big fish” of the music industry. The main thing that we are trying to tell you here is that it takes a lot more than dedication to be successful in this line of profession. You have to be in love with it if you are adamant on getting somewhere as there won’t just be one hurdle in your way but rather many. Here we will help you figure out precisely what it is that you need to do in order to get your act together and then in turn be on your journey to be the successful singer that you have always dreamt of being since you can remember.

Your Singing Style and Type
Before we start off we need you to understand that this will be one of the most crucial part of your journey as this will determine your future. What you need to do right now is to figure out what kind of a performer you aspire to be. For most people this step of the journey is fairly easy to take but for some it is rather difficult as they haven’t yet thought their decision all the way through. We are here to help you in both cases, you must figure out your niche before we go any further with your singing career. Part of this also includes finding out what your vocal range is like and knowing what kind of singing you are actually capable of. This will just save you a lot of disappointment in the future.

Singing is not something that you can just do from the inside of a studio because there are many aspects involved. Part of figuring out further about what your skill set entails is to find out what type of a singer you want to be first like we mentioned earlier on. Whether you aspire to be a solo artist, a lead singer or a backup one, you need to know this beforehand. Like we mentioned that there are a lot of factors that are involved which you need to consider first like your ability to perform in front of different crowds or your ability to perform in front of anyone at all. Many other factors include the following.

• Your ability to differentiate between good and bad music.
• Your ability to sing to the tune.
• Your ability to feel the rhythm.
• Your ability to sing accurately what you hear only once.

Singing Lessons
Despite you thinking that you have all the basics covered when it comes to singing, it doesn’t ever hurt to hire a professional coach that is capable of taking your singing abilities to the top to explore new possibilities. With the help of the right vocal coach you can improve your techniques and focus on your weak spots in order to eliminate them in their entirety. You will not only get a chance to practice different vocal ranges but will also get a proper chance to experiment with it and see what it is capable of doing that you otherwise could not do on your own. When you do this you will not only see visible changes in your vocal range but will also see improvements in your confidence levels.

Relax, we don’t mean that you jump right into finding a vocal coach especially if you are not comfortable with it because we also have an alternate solution for you. What you can do is take online lessons that are available online abundantly so you can have your pick from the litter. Do this as long as you are being careful as the internet can be a scary place for people who don’t know their way around because they can often find themselves becoming targets of malicious sites with little time to actually prevent them from causing actual harm.

Sheet Music
What you need most in the music industry is to not be passed over because you are an amateur. You need everyone to treat you like a professional which is precisely why it is so important for you to be ready to sing whatever material is put in front of you which obviously means that you need to be able to read sheet music and that our friend, is no easy task but it is one you must accomplish. It is always better to be cautious than to be sorry and embarrassed in an industry where it is all about the first impression that you make. This is why it is important that you do everything in your power to learn how to read sheet music whether you have to take help from a friend or hire a professional to teach you.

Your Instrument
An artist that can’t play an instrument is an artist that is co-dependent on other artists who can actually play. You must have seen in talent shows that judges always prefer artists who bring their own instruments to play and this is precisely why you need an instrument too so that you can be known as a multi-faceted artist that can perform solo without anybody’s help. This won’t only give you an advantage over your competitors but will also make your performance comparatively more enjoyable.

What you need to do is find out what you need for a live performance. Can you perform without a piano or a guitar? If not then you need to pick one that you find most suitable to your singing style and learn to master it with any means necessary.

Your Research
In any line of profession research is the one thing that helps you figure out precisely what it is you need to do in order to get ahead of the people that are your competition. In order to do this, you need to watch as well as thoroughly analyze the performance patterns of your favorite artists with the help of their live performances.

This can be beneficial to you for a couple of reasons. Yes you can figure out what your next move should be in your career but you can also figure out what are the right steps to take and what are the wrong ones because you have at your disposal examples of great artists that broke through the top of the Top Charts. How did they get to where they are today and how can you get there too? What obstacles did they have to face and how can you avoid them altogether? These are the questions you need to find the answers to with the help of this research.

As we mentioned that research is the key to success in any career, now you know why we said it. With the help of all the examples that you have you can make better career choices and achieve your goal faster than the ones that came before you.

Mastering the Art of Performance
When it comes to performance, know that mastering it can take some time as it is one of the finest forms of art out there. Following are some of the factors that will help you achieve your goal.

Frequent Performances
Practice makes perfect, right? What you need to do to get yourself on the right track in order to build your stage self-esteem and confidence is to perform as much as you can which will often mean taking up on gigs you don’t really care for. But what you do need to remember that this is just a piece of the very big picture which is your successful career as a singer. Therefore you need to expose yourself to all kinds of singing gigs whether it is as a lead singer or a backup one. Perform at nightclubs, bars and we will even go so far as to say that you should do some karaoke.

College and University Parties
Whether it is a frat party or a varsity game, colleges often look for fresh new talents to organize a concert with which is your way in. Figure out what you need to get in order to have a performance like that on campus and then go for it.

Backup Singing

Most singers and songwriters out there need singers to play backup on their demo albums. Use this opportunity to gather some much needed singing experience and exposure. While doing this, closely monitor the artist to see how they run things. Once you’re done, add this experience to your portfolio.

Don’t Shy Away from Auditions
This is a major part of anyone’s singing career. What we suggest that you do is audition as much as you can in order to get comfortable with the idea of it and to build up your confidence levels. By doing this quite regularly, you won’t have your wits scattered all over when it is time to audition in front of producers and managers that can potentially make or break your career. This practice will also get you the experience you need when it comes to performing in front of people and what is more is that you will also have built up a massive network of fellow artists and in this industry the more contacts you have the better.

Your Very Own Demo CD
Just because it’s the old fashioned way to do it doesn’t mean that it works any less better. It is important that you record a demo of your own and carry it around with you at all times so that you can present it to the right person at the right time. This could always come in handy when you are performing at college gigs as you sell it to those attending and increase your popularity amongst the youngsters and as you know, they are the trend setters. If they like what your demo has to offer then they will talk and there is a chance they might also share your demo around. They get good music, you get more fans.

Now coming to the technicalities of the matter. You obviously don’t want to put on every song you have ever recorded on to your demo. What you need to do is pick an average of 4 to 10 songs that showcase you to the best of your abilities and show what your vocal range is capable of.

Don’t think that you need professional help to record a demo as we are quite well aware that people are often short on resources when starting out. You can easily record a demo in the comfort of your home with the help of some quality applications.

How to Network
While it may seem like a harmless topic that can easily be overlooked it is actually one that requires your utmost attention if your goal is to be as successful as you have always dreamt of being. Following are a few factors you need to consider.

Linking Up with Fellow Artists
This is an essential step because if there are 10 musical events happening in your vicinity in a month you can’t possibly know about them all on your own. By making acquaintances you surround yourself with people who are constantly aware of one event or another. This way you can learn about all the events that you can take part in and benefit from. What’s an added bonus is that you meet some very likeminded people and form long lasting friendships and who knows, maybe even relationships.

What you need in order to be as successful as you want to be is to be constantly surrounded with people who are in the same line of profession as you because this will expose you to better opportunities and increase your chances of being discovered by someone that can help your career.

Booking Agents
This where your investigation skills need to kick in. You need you find a booking agent but not without your fair share of research first. Once you have found a reputable booking agent your next step is to perform whatever chance you get. In this career your popularity is solely based on how the audience sees you and perceives you. If they love you then naturally they will demand for you more which means bigger more prestigious gigs. But this can only happen once you start small which is why it is so important for you to get in touch with a booking agent.

Local Media
By now you probably know how important publicity is when a career in the light of media such as singing is concerned. What we suggest you do whenever you have a performance coming up is that you publicize it on all social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and even Snapchat. The reason for this is that these platforms give you a chance to connect with an even bigger audience and once they know about you they are going to come rushing to your performance with a bunch of friends by their side. Word travels fast which is why we need you to get a head start at it.

You can benefit from these platforms in more ways than one. We live in a world that is controlled by the internet and the applications that we have mentioned for you are used by most people in the world. Why do you think you find out what Taylor Swift had for dinner before even she has had a chance to see it? Internet works in fast yet somewhat mysterious ways that you can use to your advantage.

This will help you build a following before you have even had a chance to perform live. Wouldn’t that be something? Before you know it, people from all sorts of newspapers will be on your door begging for an interview. Good for them but also good for you because for an artist, exposure is never a bad thing.

Make Connections Inside the Music Industry
What you need to do next is to make sure that your demo is perfect and once you do that, you need to send it to all reputable record companies, manages as well as agencies. Don’t panic if you don’t already have their contacts and details at your disposal as they can easily be found online all you have to do is search.

Don’t assume that the best option for you is only to be discovered by big record labels. When distributing your demos you should also distribute them to smaller labels as they too can help you form the kind of connections that you need to take your career on the road.

Remember that the first impression you make should be a lasting one as it is how people will remember you for a very long time. It doesn’t matter what the position of the person you are meeting is, whether it is a musician or a manager you need to maintain a level of calm so that they can see who you actually are instead of the person you come across as when you are a nervous wreck.

Media Kit
It is first important that you know what exactly a press kit is. In this industry these are often known by media kits and these are a package that contains self-promotional material for not only an individual but rather the organization that they originate from. What you need to do is provide these kits to your audience whether they are local populace or potential managers. It will be simply a taste of who you are as not only an artist but also a person and this will help people connect with you on a human level. You will no longer be someone on a pedestal too far up to reach, you will be one of them. It is easier to relate to someone when you feel like they are a part of your environment and understand it just as much as you do. You need to use this emotion to your advantage. These kits are prepared rather strategically as only the qualities you want people to know and love you for are highlighted in these kits.

We would also like to say that if you are afraid that you might not get them right then you should hire professional help to help you make the perfect media kit for promotion.

Your Website
This is not only the most important but also the easiest step that you will take in your journey to success. What you need is a medium online that gives your fans access to your music and what better way to do that than to make your very own website?

It isn’t difficult to make a website in today’s world as it is free which is why the first thing anyone does when they are either selling their work or trying to be discovered is that they make a website so people know where to find them should the need ever arise.

Making a website would mean that you are marketing yourself in a rather economical manner. There are some things you need to keep in mind though which are your contact information, sample songs, and reviews. If you remember to include these on your website, it is good to go.

Social Media Platforms
As we mentioned above, if there is anything that keeps people glued to their phones and ever so connected with the world it’s the internet. But the internet simply can’t be fun on its own, can it? No. There are social networking applications that make the internet so addictive, apps like Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. On these sites people often market their brands and benefit like that so there is really nothing stopping you from doing it either. Here your Hail Mary will be the “share” button. Once somebody likes your song what they will do is that they will share it among their contacts which means that without having to put in much effort of your own your song will be getting marketed among people of all ages and countries.

These apps will help you in the longer run as they will publicize you before you even have had a chance to perform.

Agent
It’s a difficult career path which means that if there is anything out there that will ease it for you it’s an agent. This could potentially increase the number of opportunities that you receive in your career. The difficult part however is to actually convince a reputable agent that you are a worthy client to take on.

You need to impress the agent that you want to hire with commitment, dedication and skill because these are the only things that matter out there. Once you have an agent in your team then things will seem considerably easy to handle as they will figure out how to get you performance gigs while you can actually focus on your singing and on improving your vocal range.

Contract
This is the final step of the procedure. Once you are discovered by a record label, they will want to put you under a contract. Though to must people they aren’t open to negotiation of the terms of the contract but then again it all matters on aware the artist really is. You know of the struggle which is why we need you to pay close attention to the contract before you sign over anything.

There are numerous clauses and penalty fines that if overlooked upon can destroy your career within a matter of months. Talk to the agency and discuss all aspects of your contract before agreeing to anything and if the circumstances allow, negotiate to add some of the terms that you are comfortable with as well.

Remember that despite how glamorous the lifestyle of a singer might look from the outside, it is one of the most difficult career paths out there. The reason not many make it all the way through is that not many have the courage to stand back up on their feet after a bump in the road. Tread with patience and awareness and you too shall find your name written among the stars someday.