If you’re an artist trying to break into the industry, you’re going to make acquaintances and friends along the way, and whether you like it or not, that’s going to be your competition. Some are going to break through and make a name for themselves faster than you will. Don’t worry, don’t let it deter you either, success looks different on everybody. Conversely, you will see that some are going to wither away and give up entirely.
That’s where you should be worried.
You never want someone to give up on their dreams. For starters, it’s depressing to watch, but having more artists succeed in an area raises the standard and competition in that market; demanding new styles and higher quality. That alone will help sharpen your versatility as an artist. Root on the competition. The harder the competition, the better you become. That will prepare you for the big leagues.
When an artist gives up, that artist could have had multiple factors in his career that may have deteriorated his motive, passion, and drive. In the industry we call this “burning out,” and I would be willing to bet that any artist in the electronic music scene knows at least one person who fell victim to this. You want to avoid artist burn out. Not only because of the competition factor, but also because of the amount of potential that is lost every time this happens. Imagine if your favorite artist burnt out and didn’t reach the level to where they are today.
We’ve analyzed a handful of cases and will discuss the many ways to avoid burnout to have a long fruitful career in the music industry:
An artist may be tired of the workflow that he is too accustomed to. Some examples could be the way he develops tracks, the digital audio workstation he is used to, or the environment he works in. An artist can reach the threshold of their tools and find themselves unable to create new tracks.
Artists are often told or are under the impression that they HAVE to use a specific VST or a DAW. the way he was originally creating music can be very boring and dull. Not everyone has to use the same DAW or the same VST; not one shoe fits everyone. The fun aspect of making music may have gotten lost over time. When this happens, an artist can push away projects and or lose drive to get new ideas down on tracks.
It’s time to switch it up. The way that an artist use to make music should be discarded. One key piece of advice is this: No one can ever tell you how to make music. There is an elitist type of thinking that goes as follows: “if you don’t make music the way I make music, you’re doing it wrong”. Music production is so subjective that there is no wrong way. Although, if you want ideas on how to start new tracks, we talk about 9 Ways To Get New Track Ideas.
Artists are going to evolve. Even in this day and age you will see popular mainstream artists like Deadmau5, Coyu and Porter Robinson taking on new horizons. New aliases like Testpilot and Virtual Self are marketing strategies to try out new styles; Often done to separate the two aliases to avoid confusing their fan base. An artist will try new things after saturating or getting tired of their current sound. Always remember: you are not stuck in the lane you’re in.
Often artists are scared to stray away from their path of success creatively and will beat a dead horse until they don’t want to produce music anymore. This is a mentality issue, one that dictates that the momentum that they’ve already created for themselves will dissolve. Everything they’ve worked on will be for nothing. There’s a problem with this way of thinking because it promotes saturation. It could be genre, it could be a niche that the artist made. An artist has to evolve into new territory or the artist will become dated and bland.
Try something new, put something out that doesn’t fit your demographic. If it sounds good to the you, than other people will like it as well. It is very unlikely that an artist will create a sound that literally no one else likes. Ultimately, you never know what that new sound could turn into. That’s how every artist begins, by creating something that they liked and that in return, others loved. Never be afraid to try something new. That maybe the new sound that will push your career further than ever before.
This could be the hardest pill to swallow: the problem could come down to the team that the artist conducts business with. Becoming an artist is equivalent to becoming a business. The artist being the capital of the company, there are other working entities in place to ensure success. So, with that perspective, a company needs employees. This can apply to any type of artist; ones that are just starting out, to international icons. The people you surround yourself with are absolutely essential in your career.
These are people who are going to influence an artist’s career choices. Bad decisions or lack of control can lead to an artist burning out and giving up. The management perspective of a business can position themselves where the artist abides by their decisions. A good trusting manager will understand what’s best for the artist. These managers know what is necessary not only to further the artist’s career, but also to ensure the wellbe