Do you want to learn how to become a successful full-time musician in the music industry? To begin, disregard all of the ‘conventional wisdom’ you’ve been told by those who have NEVER achieved great success in the music industry. It is true that the majority of musicians who attempt to succeed in the music industry fail… but YOU do not have to be one of them!

Musicians who build and sustain successful music careers, on the other hand, use an entirely different set of skills, thought processes, and values to achieve music business success. These are not music business secrets that only rock stars and music industry executives have access to; anyone can learn and apply them (this includes you). Throughout the rest of this article, I’ll go over these various qualities and show you how to apply them to your personal music career.

Contrary to popular belief, learning to play your instrument at a “professional” level is not included in the list below. Why is this so? Because it is a ‘given’ that you are already working toward that goal on a daily basis. Furthermore, your musical abilities will not be enough to guarantee your success in the music business on their own. The truth is that there are countless musicians who can play extremely well but fail to build a successful music career… demonstrating that musical talent alone can only take you so far.

The majority of the characteristics I’ll be discussing have to do with how you ‘think’ rather than the specific actions you take. It is difficult to find someone who possesses all of these qualities and has the right mindset. However, you can be ‘trained’ to develop a success-oriented mindset, greatly increasing your chances of success in the music industry.

The following are the most important qualities to cultivate in order to build a highly successful music career:

(1) Mentality for a Good Work Ethic

Of course, it goes without saying that you will have to put in a lot of effort if you want to have a successful music career. However, most musicians are unaware of the ‘type’ of working mentality required to truly’make it.’ The level of dedication required necessitates more than just putting in long hours at work. It necessitates:

1. Recognizing the ‘correct’ course of action to take in order to advance. This entails not just ‘working a lot,’ but also focusing on the ‘right things’ that will lead you to your desired destination.
2. Working as efficiently and productively as possible. Many people are kept busy throughout the day but never accomplish anything significant. You don’t want to be like these people.
3. Being aware of how everything you do affects the long-term growth of your music career.
4. Having the patience and commitment to do all of the hard work “up front,” long before you receive any kind of payoff. A common example of this is recording a full-length album in the studio before making any money off of it.

To cultivate the right work ethic mindset, work to clearly understand your long-term music career goals and find a mentor who can help you determine the steps you need to take to achieve them.

(2) Consistent Loyalty

You will not achieve great success in the music industry if you work alone. Music companies, musicians, promoters, managers, and other music industry professionals will all act as business partners for you at some point in your music career. These individuals will all invest their time, energy, and resources in you, and as a result, they will expect your loyalty (as you will likewise expect it from them). Musicians who are not loyal are frequently barred from future business ventures and opportunities in the music industry. The majority of musicians take loyalty for granted and only ‘pretend’ to be loyal until they have an opportunity to take advantage of at the expense of their partners.

Although there are many definitions of ‘loyalty,’ in general, it refers to not pursuing opportunities that will benefit you while bringing down those with whom you collaborate. Of course, being loyal does not imply allowing others to take advantage of you. As you work in the music industry, you must learn to strike a balance. Without this balance, you will find it difficult to achieve long-term success.

(3) The ability to create value outside of skills related to instrument playing.

You will benefit greatly from knowing how to negotiate, book shows, build a fan base, put together a tour, communicate effectively, think of profitable business ideas, and much more, whether you work as an independent musician or with a music company.

You don’t have to be the ‘best’ at all of these things (find others who are strong in the areas where you are weak), and it’s not always a good idea to try to do everything on your own. That being said, if you can do these things yourself, you will be able to add a lot of value to any situation. This allows you to do the following:

1. Become the “best choice” for any band in need of a new member.
2. Determine various ways to make a living in the music industry.
3. Lower the amount of money you need to spend on hiring others to do tasks you can’t do.
4. Earn significantly more money as a result of the added value you provide.
5. Significantly improve your chances of success in any musical project you pursue.

The central idea is that highly successful professional musicians are multi-dimensional individuals who do more than just ‘play an instrument.’ This is why other musicians and music industry professionals are constantly eager to collaborate with them (increasing their chances for success).

(4) A ‘Everyone Wins’ mentality

The majority of musicians are always concerned with themselves, with no regard for the impact their actions have on others. Of course, you will need to meet your own needs, but you do not have to do so at the expense of bringing others down. The musicians who become the most successful and gain access to the most opportunities in this business ALWAYS get what they want while ALSO finding a way to help the people with whom they work do the same. In almost every situation, there is a way to achieve a positive outcome for everyone involved. To accomplish this, you will need to think in a completely different way than most musicians (and people in general).

(5) The Ability to Pursue Opportunities in the Music Industry

When you are free, it is much easier to pursue any music industry-related opportunities. Gaining this freedom while pursuing a music career is a critical factor in achieving success in the music industry.

(6) Being Able to Work Well in High-Stress Situations

In the music business, you will need to tour, complete recording sessions, and work on multiple projects at the same time – all while collaborating with musicians who all have different personalities, desires, and ways of thinking than you. This will cause a great deal of stress, but it is an unavoidable aspect of working as a professional musician. Most musicians struggle with being able to move a project forward without becoming overwhelmed by everyday stressors.

Musicians who achieve the greatest success in the music industry have an uncanny ability to remain calm in high-stress situations. When I mentor musicians on how to be successful in music, I help them develop and apply this skill while working on new music projects with others. This gives most musicians a whole new perspective on their personality, allowing them to eliminate any flaws that would limit their music career success.

(7) The Capability to See the ‘Big Picture’

Whatever path you choose in your career, the music industry is full of opportunities and challenges. Furthermore, no matter which path you take, you will always have a limited amount of time and resources to work with. To make matters even more difficult, you will frequently have to do the majority of your work well before reaping the benefits of your efforts.

If you don’t have a clear vision of where you want to go in the music industry, it will be difficult to avoid being pulled in different directions that will lead you far away from your original goals.

Musicians who achieve success in the music industry are constantly striving to align their actions with the end goals they most desire. This enables them to judge what is best for their music career and make the best decision whenever a potential opportunity presents itself. They are able to achieve their objectives more quickly and effectively this way.

Now that you’ve learned about the important qualities required for success in the music industry, here are four things you should do to begin building a successful long-term music career:

1. Educate yourself on how to become a successful professional musician and avoid the pitfalls that will prevent you from pursuing the successful music career you desire.
2. Gain professional insight into how the music industry works and prepare yourself to succeed in it.
3. Using the results from step 2 above, devise a strategy for improving your weaknesses and progressing in your music career.
4. Get trained by a mentor who has already accomplished what you want to achieve in the music industry in order to achieve your music career goals faster.