In our article on the Top 10 Keys to Success for Independent Hip-Hop Artists, we listed creating realistic goals as the last, and arguably the most important point.
Being ambitious is one thing, having realistic goals is another. It’s great if you have ambitions to be the biggest rapper in the world, making the most money, winning awards, selling out stadiums, but having pragmatic, achievable goals is a much better way to approach your recording career.
For independent artists grinding hard every day, setting realistic, achievable goals is the best thing you can do for your career. Even though you’re super busy making music, doing promotion and marketing, engaging with your fans, etc., you need to take the time out and sit down to create your list of goals.
What are your goals as an independent artist? Is it fame and fortune? Is it to be rich? Is it to be on the radio all day? Is it to tour and perform around the world? Is it to make a living from your music?
It doesn’t have to a huge goal like winning a Grammy or selling a million records. There’s levels to this shit. Start off small with what’s in front of you and try to achieve that. Some examples:
Perform in front of a live crowd for the first time
Shoot your first music video
Release a mixtape on SoundCloud
Collaborate with an artist you like
Create your own merchandise and sell it on tour
It doesn’t even have to be music-related necessarily. It could be to do with your branding or marketing efforts, for instance:
Set up your own website
Re-design your logo
Get covered in media outlets (magazines, podcasts, websites)
Engage with your fanbase more via social media, newsletter or face to face
Always have a goal to work towards. It forms part of the overall vision for your recording career and will help you keep focused while at the same time make you feel like you’re making more progress.
Create a list of realistic, achievable goals, then tick them off as you accomplish them. Keep grinding, keep working, keep putting out dope product, keep engaging with your fans and your vision for your career will come into fruition.
- TheRealKingSimba
