How to make it in the music industry

Practice. There is no way around this one. If you want a career in music you must constantly practice.

This goes for even inherently talented musicians. To break into the music industry, you must practice every day, if possible.

Sign up for music classes. Once you have a good initial foundation of what type of musical career you want to pursue, take some music classes.

Many communities have small music workshops that are appropriate for beginners and these usually aren't very expensive. Music classes can also sometimes lead to unpaid and paid acting gigs.

Apply to a music program. This is not a requirement, however, many musicians do choose to go this route.

A formal music program will expose you to essential knowledge and skills needed to become a great musician.

There are many great music schools around the country, some are extremely hard to get into, Julliard is one example, so make sure you are ready if you decide you want to apply.

Take any musical opportunity you can find. As a beginner, it is important to not turn down most music opportunities.

This means playing open mic nights at bars and coffee shops. Or getting a gig at a local fair. You can also choose to play street music if you live in a big enough city.

Create music demos. To break into the music industry you need to have songs.

You should be constantly adding and subtracting to your music demo. This should be a compilation of your best work. If you can produce an entire album on your own, go for it, but you can also start small with just a few tracks.

Utilize the internet. This can not be overstated; it is absolutely essential that you use the internet to promote your music.

There are many different platforms you can use to post your music, such as YouTube and SoundCloud. You can eventually try to get your music on a large streaming platform, such as Spotify.

Establish a strong social media presence. Social media represents a unique opportunity for musicians in particular. Many can become self-made this way by gaining large amounts of followers or even paid subscribers.

Social media is critical to promoting yourself as a musician and getting noticed.

Move to Los Angeles, New York, New Orleans, Nashville, or Memphis. With the reach of the internet, this is not a requirement; however, it can help because these cities in particular have great access to the music industry.

Consider the type of music you play if you choose to make a music career-based move.

Go on auditions and get rejected. Auditioning is one of the hardest parts of being a musician.

You are liable to go on many auditions and get rejected sometimes. This isn't the case for every musician of course, but learning to deal with rejection and finding the fortitude to keep going is an essential skill.

Obtain an agent or manager. To excel in the world of music you need to find proper representation, this means getting an agent or manager.

This step is easier said than done. However, you can contact talent agencies and management companies, and provide them with your music demos or links to your website.

When you are just starting out, it's a good idea to look for smaller agencies and management companies, as they are more likely to respond to your queries.

Even if you can somehow get representation from a large-scale talent agency or management company, this isn't always the best option for new talent. These large companies tend to put a lot of focus on their premier clients, such as famous musicians and singers.

At a smaller agency or management company you are likely to find representation that is hungry for new talent and much more prone to help you promote and sell your music.