Sienna Bentley
Sometimes – a lot of the time – being an independent musician is really fucking hard. These are some of the key things I personally struggle with on my journey as an artist.
1. Being your own team
Most independent artists are entirely self-managed, and there are two prongs that shoot out from this. One is funding, and the other is fatigue. When you are your entire team, naturally, everything is coming from you. You can only devote what you can afford or are willing to devote to music, and most of the time, it’s not as much as you want to. That goes for both finances and energy. These are not mutually exclusive.
Most independent musicians cannot yet afford to make music their day job, so need another one to earn a living. This has a direct impact on the energy required to create music. Being your own team means that you often do everything from recording, to producing, to social media marketing, to creating cover art, to booking gigs, to promotion… you get the picture. This can take a huge toll on your energy levels and your bank account.
Most of the time, hiring a studio isn’t an option financially, so you need to set one up in your own space. You need to buy decent recording equipment, production software, interface, et cetera. You need to pay for distribution services, which actually gets your music out there onto streaming platforms like Spotify or Apple Music. Again, it comes down to how much you can afford and are willing to spend. It’s a commitment, but I think you know that already.
It also seems to be expected that you will just know how to do all of these jobs. You just want to make music, you don’t have any training or experience in managing various social media accounts. It can be difficult to take on so many different (but all necessary) jobs when all you wanted to do was make art.
2. Not being taken seriously (especially as a woman!)
As I’ve mentioned above, most people can’t afford to focus on music full-time. Until then, it’s hard to get people to see it as much more than a hobby. And that feels shit, sometimes, when you’re putting in a ton of effort and are dedicated to your craft.
However, it’s even more shit when you’re a woman in the industry. It has happened multiple times where I receive DMs from men saying how impressed they are with my music, or that I have real talent. I’m gassed that someone is interested in my work. Then, as soon as I say thank you, they ask for my number, my snapchat (is that even still a thing?) or whether I’m single. It was never about the music at all.
This sucks because it makes me wonder whether my music is even good enough to spark a normal conversation with the focus solely on the craft.
3. Insecurity
That segues rather nicely into the next point. Insecurity. Even the biggest stars get insecure. Everyone has times when they wonder if they’re good enough at what they do. I am so insecure about my music sometimes that it hurts and I want to stop entirely.
While there is nothing good about feeling insecure, the good thing is that nobody else knows. In other (cheesy) words, fake it till you make it. Insecurity is purely internal and completely of our own making. Once you realise that, you’ll hopefully see that your own doubt (that only you are feeling) should not be enough to stop you from continuing to do something that you love.
Let the feelings wash over you, allow yourself to feel them and then let them pass.
4. Building a brand and marketing
People always emphasise the importance of building a brand, but they don’t often tell you how to do it properly. I thought it would be easy, because I thought I knew who I was. As it turns out, I have no fucking clue.
As I mentioned before, independent artists are usually their whole team. It’s almost expected that you should just know how to build an entire brand by yourself and know how to market your music. How do you stand out from the ever-growing crowd?
It’s a personal thing, in the end; do whatever works for you and feels authentic. But a lot of the time, it’s hard to know what that is.
5. Keeping consistent
When I was on TikTok, I was very aware of the fact that I lacked consistency when it came to posting. I would say things like, “here I am to promote my new song… You probably won’t see me again for another couple of months” because I knew I was so terrible at keeping the momentum going. It’s SO HARD to stay consistent with both releasing music and posting content on social media, especially keeping up with this social media content when you’re not actually releasing music, which is likely most of the time.
“Consistency is key.” Yes, it is, but they never think to mention how fucking hard it is. And because this phrase is getting thrown around – consistently – it becomes difficult not to compare yourself to others. Comparison is the thief of joy.
Get into a rhythm of what works for you. If you don’t have time to create a new song every month (as I have seen people do), that’s fine (more than fine; I don’t know how they do that!).
I would like to suggest a new phrase: “Just keep creating.” Consistency is obviously important, but the most crucial thing is that you stick with your art – remember why you do it and what you love about it and you won’t want to stop.
When people advise on how to stay consistent in music, it’s more on the social media side – plan your content in advance to tide people over while your music is still in progress. This can be in the form of covers, snippets of new songs, behind-the-scenes shots or even just rants (being up front and honest about your struggles goes a long way and connects you to your followers in a more intimate sense – and can also be really validating when others feel or are experiencing the same).
It’s also important to choose the right platform. When I would post my TikTok rants, the reason I was so inconsistent was because short videos just aren’t my thing. I can’t stay consistent with them, because I don’t enjoy making them. One video now and again was fine, but one per day was too much for me to wrap my head around. Instagram, on the other hand, works much better for me. In order to be consistent, you have to like the platform you’re working with. And the good thing is that you can choose that platform.
6. Staying motivated
With all the challenges that come with being an independent musician, it can be difficult to stay motivated. It can seem like there are so many hurdles to clear that the race doesn’t even seem worth entering.
I’m going to say something quite corny now; but the main thing is that when this happens, remember why you do what you do. We make music because we have a love for it, and because we have things to say. It’s not for anyone else. I make music because it helps me work through shit, because I love creating something from nothing and because I want to connect with people through sound. I lose motivation when I let myself get carried away with thoughts of not being good enough at producing or a talented-enough singer, the sheer competition out there, or expectations of flopping. But then I remember that none of that actually matters.
From a more surface level standpoint, my motivation to actually get shit done peaks and troughs in waves. I tend to be most motivated when I’m near the finishing point on a project and I’m excited to just get it out into the world. After it’s out, I just sort of retreat back into my hole and hibernate. I’m not really motivated to pick up my guitar or open my laptop and start on something new. This is stressful because of the whole ‘consistency’ thing. I think it’s okay, though. It’s natural to have lulls. We make music because we have a love for it, and because we have things to say – so ultimately, we always return to it.
A good way to combat a lack of motivation is to set attainable goals, and taking small steps towards meeting them every day.
The road ahead
No one ever said it was easy. And it won’t get easier straight away. But when you start to feel a bit like you’re drowning, just remember that you are achieving so much just in persevering, and you know so much more than when you started. And although you may be a singer-producer-manager wrapped in one, you’re not alone in feeling this way.
