Quote: Anybody can be a rapper but not anybody can be a classical artist.

In this day and age a lot of people are involved in music, and the internet has made it easy and accessible for everyone to get involved. The UK urban scene has flourished in recent years, especially last year. Drake co-signed Skepta’s shutdown song, not to mention the fact that he also featured Peckham’s home-grown talent Giggs on his latest album More Life, which is doing very well globally.

Listed below are a few steps on how to navigate the music scene if you are a new artist.

First things first, you have to create content.If you’rean artist, you have to have music which is of a good quality that you can present to people and also perform. The second thing you have to do is get out there. As a young artist with creative content it is important that you spread your music everywhere you go, and that includes your close friends and family. I would recommend going to open mic shows, where you can perform your music to an audience. Open mic shows can be found online via Google but they are mostly word of mouth. If you sit on your bum, nothing will happen; you have to get up and make it happen. In this day and age you can spread your music via the internet, and that’sa powerful tool. With one click of a button,your music can be accessed by millions of people all over the world. Here are a few places I would recommend:SoundCloud, Audiomack and YouTube. These are all free platforms that you can get started on. The third step is to know what you want: is music just a hobby, or do you want a career out of it?Deciding this will help you make better decisions concerning your music. It will also motivate you to take relevant action. For example, an artist who is content with local success will not push as hard as someone looking for global success. It is perfectly fine to pursue music as a career and also fine to pursue it as a passion;remember, music was around long before the music business.

Define your goals and targets. As an artist it is essential to set goals, and this helps you to stay focused. The main goal for all new artists should be to build a buzz in the music scene; this will bring attention, helping you to grow your fan base. In the creative industry, a fan base is everything. The fans are the people who support your art with their money by buying your music, listening to it and helping you spread it. A fan base is a valuable asset once it’s built.

Last but not least, it’s very important that you attend music networking events and meet fellow artists and executives in the music business. These are people you can learn from and take advice from. Remember the saying ‘your network is your net worth’. Meeting the right people can open doors for you and help you elevate your career. Most new artistslook for experienced artists in their genre to mentor them, and this can be very helpful.

To end the article I would like to advise young artists or providers of creative content that music is a marathon and not a hundred-metre sprint, so you need to remain patient and committed to the journey. Do not feel disheartened when things don’t go your way. Work hard, do your best and things will fall into place. The journey to musical success is not a straight and narrow road;it’s a weird road full of sharp turns and bends.

Article by Boy Nash