LinkedIn may be the last platform you think you need to be on as a creative or music artist. However, LinkedIn isn’t just for people in the tech and finance industries. This professional networking platform offers a wealth of resources, opportunities, and people within the music industry that can help you advance your career as a music artist.
This article will go over ways that music artists can take advantage of LinkedIn to help boost their careers. However, even if you aren’t a musician and instead work in an industry doing something else, the platform and tips may still benefit you.
How LinkedIn Can Help Advance Your Career as a Music Artist & How to Utilize it
Connect with People in the Music Industry
Networking is the main focus of this platform and why we highly suggest it for all music artists. It doesn’t matter how much talent you have; this industry is all about hard work and knowing the right people. You may have heard the saying, “your network equals your net worth,” before, and this statement is even more accurate about the music industry.
There is an array of people you can connect with on LinkedIn in the music industry, including publicists, record label executives, journalists, booking agents, marketers, lawyers, fellow artists, and much more. Think about the companies and record labels you may want to work with; then, search those company names and connect/follow some of their employees. Also, consider connecting with fellow artists and showing your support; this may even lead to a potential collaboration or help in the future.
If you want to build a deeper connection or collaborate on a project with someone, directly reach out to them. Additionally, engage with these people consistently so you stay on their radar and they see your support. In return, they may show support back.
Post & Stay Active
Building a network is an essential first step when using LinkedIn, but just as important is creating a professional profile and staying active. First, make your profile by adding a profile and header picture, work experience, a biography, and more. Once you have built your professional online image, start posting regularly. LinkedIn is similar to Facebook; the posts are essentially the same, which means it includes a place for text and different media such as pictures or links.
LinkedIn Post Ideas
- Updates on projects
- New releases
- Collaborations
- Working in the studio
- Music advice/game
- Events such as concerts or meet-and-greets
- Questions that open up a discussion
- Polls
- Professional or on-brand pictures of yourself
Find Opportunities & Resources
Once you have built a network, you will see your connection’s posts on your feed (the home page). Additionally, you’ll see some posts that your connections have interacted with, recommended posts based on your relationships, and more.
On this feed, you can find an abundance of opportunities such as performance gigs, jobs that are hiring, collaboration opportunities, media coverage opportunities, contests, and even financial support (such as artist relief funds or scholarships). You may also find playlists or record label submissions, deals or trials on valuable tools or resources, educational panels, and much more.
Free Advice from Professionals
In addition to the mass of opportunities and resources that will come across your feed, you will also encounter a ton of quick lessons or free advice from industry professionals. You can recognize the posts by the thousands of likes they may receive for relevant or relatable content.
These posts include advice for independent musicians, marketing tips, how to get booked for shows, life lessons, motivational words, personal testimonies, how to put together a press kit, and much more.
See Successful People’s Journeys
On top of seeing posts from professionals, you can also analyze their journeys and see what they did to get to where they are today. From their LinkedIn page, you can view their profile and see what positions they have held, organizations they are involved with, people they’ve connected with, and more.
Seeing someone’s prior employment history that leads up to your dream job can help you on your journey in many ways. For instance, their records can serve as a blueprint for reference to craft your path to success and motivate you to realize your dreams can be a reality. Review their profile and see what positions they have held, organizations they are involved with, people they are connected with, and more.
Learn About the Industry
In addition to gaining opportunities, resources, connections, advice, and more on LinkedIn, just being on the platform regularly can teach you a ton about the music industry. You can learn a lot from articles you will encounter on your feed on top of the various posts already mentioned. These articles, along with the other kinds of posts, can offer information helpful to your career or current news in the industry. Either way, this will build your filing cabinet of industry information and help you navigate your career. Additionally, it can allow you to interact with professionals more confidently and competently.
Build Your Professional Image and SEO
As a music artist, having a profile and being active on LinkedIn is beneficial for your professional image. It shows that you are serious about your craft and career.
Furthermore, having more social profiles adds to your SEO value. Meaning when people search your name, websites directly related to you (such as your social profiles, streaming platforms, and blog coverage) are more likely to come up on the first page of the search engine. Ranking well on search engines also helps verify you on social media platforms.
Reach Potential New Fans
LinkedIn is not the best place to “beg” for fans (as in, cold DM’ing your new music to professionals likely won’t work). However, if you are consistently active on the platform and engage with others, you may naturally gain new fans. Even better, these fans likely appreciate music more than the average internet user.
