Artist

The dream of performing on stage in front of thousands of cheering fans is what spurs on so many amateur recording artists in their quest for stardom.
The adulation, respect and love of fans can be intoxicating, but those emotions are usually only reserved for real talent. If you have the talent, but you’re not sure exactly how to let the world know, there are several stages to achieving fame and fortune as a recording artist.
1. Work on Your Skills: A multi-million dollar marketing budget and the very best music executives are no substitute for talent. For some people, musicianship and singing come easily; for others, it involves hard work and lots of practice. A great way to develop your ear and learn the fundamentals of the industry is to write your own material. Not only will this improve you as an artist, it will gain you enormous respect among fans and peers. And when you finally release your work, you will be able to earn royalties from it.
As well as writing, constant practice is an essential part of becoming a famous recording artist. You can start to perfect your craft at home, but it will be necessary to gauge the reaction of others at some point. Offer your services as a performer to local bars, coffee shops and clubs, as there is no substitute for performing live. Ask for feedback on both your performance and your material, and use it to improve yourself. Whether you are looking for a record label or want to be an independent artist, perfecting your art is essential.
2. Record Your Music Professionally: Unless you are adept at the technical nature of music recording, hiring a local studio to record your songs could be a wise investment. Prepare your songs and recording schedule in advance, as studios are rented by the hour – and they can be very expensive. Most studios are available with a technician on hand, so you should be able to record some professional tracks for independent release or submission to labels.
3. Choose a Marketing Strategy: Once you have written and recorded what you believe is your best work, it’s time to get it listened to. For many artists, this will involve performing live gigs almost every night, sending tracks to record labels and trying to attract the attention of agents and Artists and Repertoire (A&R) executives. Most of the world’s leading groups and recording artists rose to stardom in this way, but the advent of the Internet has given people a different route to fame and fortune.
Instead of offering your music to mainstream labels, you can now create your very own music label with the expert help of music distribution services. These organisations will submit your music to online stores – such as iTunes and Amazon – for a flat fee. In some cases, they will also offer other services aimed at promoting your work online. Along with live webcasts, posting videos on YouTube and communication through social media, you could follow in the footsteps of Justin Bieber and Ed Sheeran by rising to prominence on the Internet.
4. Submit Your Work to International Music Charts: Despite the emerging dominance of the Internet as a medium for recording artists, rising to stardom still requires chart success. You will need to register your singles and albums for consideration with each country’s respective agency. For example, the Official Charts Company in the UK.
However, most music promotion companies will offer this service for a fee, ensuring a speedy and accurate submission to most of the world’s major charts.
The road to stardom and international acclaim is usually a long one for recording artists. But if you have the talent and determination, anything is possible.