The Best Advice For Musicians Starting Out, 2014 – 2015 Edition

At the beginning of 2014 I posted a blog which showed our 10 most helpful guides for musicians in 2013. A single place where you can get a good year in review of what's happened on this site, and some of the most important things you would have learned from the last year.

As this post went down well, I've decided to do the same again this year. So, here's the best advice for musicians starting out (and also those who have been making music for a while now). Please note that there are a lot more guides on this site, but you should definitely learn from the ones below if you want to be a cut above the rest.

In no particular order, apart from number 1 and 2 which can have a huge impact on your music career if you implement them properly (so read to the end):

10. 86 Music Promotion Tips That ALL Musicians Should Know!

One of the key things you'll learn from this website is how to promote your music. Most guides are full an in-depth, giving you many of the skills you need to be successful in this area of your music career.

That said, many requested that I also do one epic overview post with may different types of promo they could use when marketing their music. This guide is the result of that. Look at it for lots of ideas.

9. Things Which Devalue Your Music, And Much Better Alternatives.

There's lots of bad advice for musicians out there. While much of it might sound good on paper, in fact it can often devalue your music and make others see what you're doing as cheap or not worth much at all.

Want to know what those things are so you can stop doing them? Then have a read of the above guide.

8. 5 Music Business Secrets That You May Not Know.

Ever felt like there was a select insider group in the music industry? A place where the best advice is shared with only a select few and all others are left to run around like headless chickens?

Well I've got your back! While the above might be an exaggeration, there are many secrets in the music business. Read the above to see five of the biggest revealed.

7. How To Deal With Negative Feedback For Your Music (And Haters).

No matter how good a musician you are, there will be people who end up giving negative feedback about your music. At some point, if you get big enough, you'll also have to start dealing with haters.

There's not one big musicians in the world who hasn't gone through this. The more people you get in front of, the more these people will come out and voice their opinion on you.

Want to know how to deal with this? Read the above guide.

6. Should You Change Your Stage Name? The Answer Might Surprise You…

Warning: Your name might be making your music career a whole lot more difficult!! Choosing the wrong name can hinder you in a number of ways, so much so that even if you've had it for the last few years, there may be a chance you should change it.

Want to know if your name is one of those really bad musician's names? Have a look to find out.

So those are five guides with some of out best advice for musicians starting out or already established. That said, the next 10 are even more helpful and have been used by many to start making real moves in their music career. So read till the end to do the same.

5. 6 Steps To More Newsletter Subscribers For Musicians!

Newsletter subscribers are one of the most important things you should be collecting as a musician. That said, it's not always easy to know how to maximize the amount of subscribers you get.

This guide will show you some advanced (but easy to implement) ways of getting subscribers. One of the most important guides of the year.

4. 3 Things Most Musicians Feel Aren’t Important, But Really Are!

Sometimes, just knowing what's important to do in your music career is half the battle. Too many times I've seen musicians put a lot of work in, more effort than their average competitor. Yet they spend their time doing the wrong things and don't think the things that will make them bigger moves are important.

This guide helps show you what you should be focusing on, and why they're important. A must read.

3. How A Membership Site Can Bring In Consistent Income For Musicians And Music Companies.

Now, here's something that many musicians don't put into practice. Having a membership site is both a way to keep you on fan's minds, have them be interactive with you, and make your income from music that bit more consistent.

While this isn't something a beginner musician will need to put into place, if you have a growing fanbase you should definitely get a membership group for your fans to join.

2. Music Business Concepts: Using Compounding To Create A Successful Career In Music.

Ok, so while the above guides aren't generally in order of importance, these top two are. If you only read two guides on this site, these two should be them. They will both help you stand out above most other up-and-coming musicians in your genre.

The idea of compounding is a proven one that will have your music career steadily progressing. I won't go into all the details here, simply go above and have a read.

1. How To Make Your Music Stand Out By Niching Down.

This is a guide I wrote not too long ago. It's about how you can make building a fanbase easier by narrowing your target market, or targeting a new one alongside your existing genre.

This is an idea that's proven to help you find your target audience much easier (and them find you), yet a lot of people don't take advantage.

Big mistake!

This is one of the biggest things you should take on board if you're currently struggling to build a fanbase, as this technique will make things a lot easier for you.

Conclusion

I hope you've enjoyed the 100+ guides I've posted on this site over the last year, and that these above most important ones help you in your music career. There will be a lot more great guides coming in future, so make sure you have access to them all.

I hope 2015 (or whenever you're reading this) be a great year for you, feel free to let us know your aims for the next 365 days in the comments below.