Being successful in the music business is a career in itself. I have several tips but as well as a lot of you know, One day your huge the the next day *poof* you star in the next episode of "Where are they now". I will contribute my tips as this in my opinion.

1. You have to be aware of your financial status, meaning in sorts SIGN YOUR OWN CHECKS....Oprah couldn't have said it better, There is nothing worse than you working till your tongue hangs out and finding out years down the line that your personal assistant is worth more than you, it will give you a better sense of direction and will make you captain of your own ship

2. You have to continuously re-create yourself. Now this one can be tricky because fans are finicky, but if you can do this without totally making a change it will definitely benefit you. I am not talking about your Uncle who is 59 years old and just got cornrows and a tattoo just to show that he is still "down". But be open-minded to the other genres and age groups and you will definitely be able to satisfy your core audience while attracting a new following

3. Stay in the publics eye. I know this one is a pain due to paparazzi and over-zealous fans but there are ways to reach out to your audience and not get mobbed every time you step outside to breathe. You have to show everyone that you are the same person you were when you started back then and now, for example, fund raisers, support up and coming artists, charity foundations things that will show that you are giving back to same community and others that helped get you where you are now. This can be achieved by a good publicist with morals (I know there are some out there...lol)

4. Always take your time to negotiate your deals. If they are interested in you in the first place they can wait for you to fully understand what are the parameters, make sure everyone you need is in place and don't overextend yourself meaning if a company wants to sponsor you and requests that you do a 27 city tour in 10 days to promote their item and you have other obligations give them a realistic time line for you and come to a compromise, understand that they will pile it on as long as you agree to it and after that it is all binding, so make sure you can handle it.

5. Lastly pay attention to the feedback that you get from the public because every artist has people that like them and dislike them, listen to all their feedback objectively because the ones that have negative feedback a lot times only request something minor that you may have overlooked, like your sessions on stage are too short, or you might charge too much for your tickets or simply the style that you are using doesn't quite fit the mold, a lot of this is trial and error but it all must be digested in order to grow, it is a part of re-creating yourself (just like point#2)

These are the core things I feel will continue to make an artist successful in the industry, I am sure there are a lot of other points that I may have overlooked but if you use this as a base I guarantee everything else will begin to make more sense and you can devise your own plan of attack....

Learn more about this author, Vincent LaCroix.
Click here to send author comments or questions.

---

Add your voice

Know something about Image tips: How to have a successful career in the music business?
We want to hear your view. Write now!