6 steps to starting a music career

Little Rock, Ark., singer-songwriter-producer WordPlay T. Jay has been putting out music for 15 years, and he has some advice for artists who may just now be wading into the waters of the music world.

Here are his six steps to starting a music career:

1. Pick a name

It may seem obvious, but the first thing — and one of the most important things — you need to do is pick a stage name. It should be something original, unique and not difficult to remember.

It should also be easily recognizable and searchable, so people can find you easily through Google and you can begin to build a long-lasting brand around your name.

2. Make good music

Step two may also seem obvious, but you have to start making music people will want to listen to.

This may not happen overnight, and you may have to hone your craft over years or decades. But, you should wake up every day excited to create something new and to work on mastering your craft.

3. Distribute

Once the music is made, you have to get it out into the world.

You can start with free programs like YouTube or SoundCloud, but you can also work toward getting your work on streaming and download services, as well.

There are a couple strategies for distribution: releasing everything at once and letting people pick what they like, or releasing what you believe are your best works and pushing people to them.

You can also join distribution services like CDBaby, TuneCore or DistroKid to help get your works into the world.

4. Set up your payment system

Once your music is out, you’ll want to maximize ways you can get paid.

This encompasses everything from licensing to live performances to streams to downloads and more.

Joining a mechanical rights organization and a performing rights organization is also key, as that will allow you to register your music and collect royalties.

Another option is to use a publishing administrator, which will register your works with organizations and collect your royalties for you, then pay you after taking their cut for doing the back-end work.

5. Promote your music

A big thing artists can miss is promotion. You have to let people know your music is out there, and there are a couple ways to do so.

The first way is word of mouth, such as through social media or friends and family, pulling people to you and building an audience.

The second way is through advertising, pushing your music out to people who may be interested in it and getting exposure to a lot of people at one time.

6. Measure your growth

The final key to building a music career is to measure and assess your growth.

Join analytics sites through Spotify, Apple, etc., and see where your music is performing best. you can then use that information to tailor your ads or approach and begin building your audience more organically.

For more information about how to start a music career, check out WordPlay t. Jay’s video below!