Become the Musician Every Band Wants to Hire

Breaking into the music industry is tough, with only 71,000 of 1.3 million new artists in 2023 making it to a “career” stage. Learn how to build your personal brand and become the musician every band wants to hire.

Become the Musician Every Band Wants to Hire

by Charlie Fletcher

Image Source: Unsplash

Breaking into the music industry is difficult. Whether you’re looking to make some extra money by working freelance or to secure yourself a full-time gig, getting paid to make music is a dream that many strive for, but few achieve. This is primarily because there’s such a large number of people looking to make it in the industry, but few opportunities are handed out. Data from Chartmetric shows how difficult it is to make it in the music industry: While 1.3 million artists launched on streaming platforms in 2023, only 71,000 made it to what is considered a “career” stage.  

Making it as a musician is about presenting yourself as the best option among many, making your portfolio attractive to hiring bands, whether you’ve officially “made it” or not. In this article, we’ll dive deeply into how to make yourself a real “band magnet,” whether you’re looking for a full-time position with a career band, collaborating with more established artists, or making some extra money playing part-time. 

Creating a Personal Brand

First, you have to ask yourself: What makes you unique? What personality traits, characteristics, or skills do you have that will help you stand out amidst the competition and will also be attractive to hiring bands? These elements can then be assembled into a cohesive whole, or in other words, can be portrayed as your brand.

Brands are public-facing, marketable distillations of what makes them special, and they take time to build and develop properly. Elements of your brand include your presentation, your music portfolio, your social media presence, and your skills – all with a twist that is uniquely you. For example, while any Joe off the street can play guitar, do they play it with your range, your versatility, or your speed? Can you pick up on beats and construct complementary riffs on a dime, or improvise when equipment breaks down? 

Once you’ve identified the special selling points that comprise your brand, you need to know how to build it into a public-facing image. There are three steps to creating a personal brand:

• Positioning: Understanding how to present your strengths with confidence, and taking special care as to how you use words and visuals in person and online.
• Creating: Carving out a niche of your own online, a sort of headquarters for your brand to grow and develop. Posting frequently on social media, creating your own website, and consistently producing content are great ways to allow your brand’s roots to deepen and spread.
• Promoting: Getting the news out there, telling the world, “This is who I am and what I do.” This usually involves creating a content strategy, developing a social media calendar, and carefully curating your presence for your target audience.

You can then use the presence you’ve developed to craft a virtual portfolio, network with people in the music industry, and grow your audience over time, accumulating connections. These connections expose themselves and others to your brand by engaging and resharing, potentially opening up windows of opportunity that would have been otherwise closed.

Be Dependable

A key aspect that bands are looking for in musicians is rather straightforward: dependability. Bands want to know that when musicians have committed to play, they’ll play – and you would be surprised how hard that is to find. In fact, bands have communicated that a musician is more likely to get hired if they show up on time, ready to play, and with all the proper gear than someone with natural talent who shows up unprepared – that someone in the latter category is more likely to get fired. 

Therefore, your goal should be to present yourself as a prepared professional who always shows up on time and always has their personal business under control. We’ve all had personal issues crop up that threaten to impact our responsibilities, and knowing how to manage those challenges when they occur is one of the best ways to get hired and stay hired. Let’s break down how different issues can impact your performance and give you some tips on how to manage them:

• Burnout: Musicians often work multiple jobs while they’re trying to make it, a reality that can cause them to feel overwhelmed and burnt out. As a result, their performance at rehearsals and their energy at concerts may be slightly lacking. Taking time to disconnect, promoting physical well-being, and re-prioritizing tasks will help you overcome burnout and present your best self. 
• Stress/anxiety: Persistent anxiety can cause you to have difficulty concentrating while playing, cause interpersonal conflicts with other members, and even take you to the extreme of absenteeism or tardiness. Learning relaxation techniques, limiting caffeine intake, and delegating responsibilities can be helpful, though if the problem persists, remember that there’s no shame in seeking professional help.
• Sleep deprivation: Sleep deprivation can impact your ability to learn, focus, and communicate, as well as cause mood swings that affect your ability to collaborate. Avoid screen time before bed and set a regular sleep schedule. Refrain from large meals, nicotine, and caffeine for at least a couple of hours before bedtime. 

Managing these conditions will help you be the consistent artist you want to be and establish a reputation for dependability with current and future employers.

Marketing yourself as a musician is all about understanding what bands are looking for and what makes you unique. Combine the two, and you’ll stand head and shoulders above the competition, portraying yourself as the unique, hireable artist that you are.