The live performance industry is undoubtedly one of the worlds largest economies. But how exactly do you as an independent musician get started? This article will give a few ideas on how to do it.

Prepare Content

Before you get on stage you should strategically lay out a catalog that will be suitable for the venues you want to perform at. One thing to keep in mind is you won’t always be able to have the artists you feature on your records come out to perform with you. Thus, you must have songs that you can perform by yourself. It’s also a good idea to curate family friendly content so that you don’t limit yourself to the kinds of places you can perform at. Finally, you’ve got to think about the audiences you want to be in front of—what kind of music will engage them? What messages will they relate to? Which performers have had a good response there and why? Consider all of these things while you are in the process of developing music.

Also, think about the flow of your set—the music has to blend smoothly both in style and content from one song to the next. You don’t want to switch things up too much in a set because it can confuse your audience. It’s always better to keep things simple and consistent.

You don’t need a whole lot of songs to get started—about 8-10 songs will do. Your first few shows probably won’t run very long so this should be enough for you to have a variety to pick from. Once you’ve done that it’s time to get out there and show off your stuff.

Open Mic Nights

No matter where you live there’s got to be a venue someplace having an open mic sometime during the week. This is the perfect place to get started since these kinds of shows don’t really have an audition or sign-up requirement for you to have your chance on stage. An open mic is usually, as it sounds, open to anyone who wants to perform. Open mics are a good place to try out new music to see how people react to it as well as develop your live performance skills in the process. If you do well at shows like these it can lead to bigger and better opportunities.

Collaborate

If you know somebody that does live shows, ask them to collaborate on a project with you. Let them know that you’re interested in getting into doing live performances and ask if it’s possible to have a chance to get on stage alongside them. Doing this should lead to you having opportunities of your own to perform.

Pay To Play

There are some promotions and venues out there that will let you perform at their show for a fee. If you’ve got the dough, this is not a bad way to get your foot in the door. However, if you’re going to pay to play, make sure everything is legit and worth the investment. You should only choose the events and promoters that have the best reputation and will get you the best exposure. Also, check that the venue has the right setup for you be able to put on a proper performance. If people enjoy the show you put on you will eventually end up getting invited to do paid shows.