As an artist, it can be difficult to balance artistic integrity with commercial success. On one hand, you want to create work that is true to your values, vision, and style, while on the other hand, you want your music to reach a wider audience and have a positive impact on your career. Also, you want to make some money!
The good news is that it is possible to achieve this balance–though not easy–and with the right approach, you can find both artistic integrity and commercial success.
In This Article:
- Define Your Values And Goals
- Prioritize Quality Over Quantity
- Know Your Audience
- Be True To Your Unique Style And Vision
- Take Calculated Risks
- Stay Informed And Remain Adaptable
- Stay Focused On Your Art
- Be Persistent
Define Your Values And Goals
Before you can start to balance artistic integrity and commercial success, it’s essential to understand what you want to achieve as an artist. Define your values, goals, and vision for your work, and use them as a guide when making decisions about your career. This will help you to stay focused on what is important to you, and to ensure that you don’t compromise your artistic vision for the sake of a few plays on the radio.
Some musicians want to top the charts and become stars. Others simply want to make the art they like. Whatever your goals, be honest with yourself. Otherwise, sticking to them won’t make much sense if they’re not genuine.
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Prioritize Quality Over Quantity
As an artist in any medium, it’s important to focus on creating high-quality work, rather than just churning out as much content as possible. Take the time to create music and art that meets your own standards, even if it means taking a more deliberate approach to commercial success. This will help you to maintain your artistic integrity and ensure that your work is of the highest caliber possible for you.
Know Your Audience
It’s vital that you stay in touch with your fans and understand what they want from your music. This will help you to strike a balance and can act as something of a north star as you continue to write and record. Whether you connect with them on TikTok, Instagram, or Tidal – take to your socials to ask for feedback from your fans and take the time to understand their preferences and opinions.
Be True To Your Unique Style And Vision
Maintain your unique style and vision, and avoid sacrificing your artistic integrity for the sake of top chart wins. This is what sets you apart from other artists and makes your work stand out. Be proud of your style and vision, and don’t be afraid to let it shine through in your work. If you chase chart hits too much, you’ll end up sounding like everyone else, and that’s not going to get you anywhere–even if it seems like the right thing to do.
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Promote Yourself With Calculated Risks
Be willing to take risks and try new things, but do so with a strategic approach and an understanding of the potential impact on your commercial success. By taking calculated risks, you can expand your reach and reach new audiences, while still maintaining your artistic integrity. Art is meant to be risky, so don’t play it too safe. If your indie band is looking for new listeners, professional college radio promotion might be a good move for you, or perhaps look to get your band featured in a Spotify playlist, or have a tiktok series where your band mates get to show off their personalities, or perform on a series of LA open mic nights. Nobody remembers those who don’t push boundaries or try anything new.
Stay Informed And Remain Adaptable
Stay informed about industry trends, audience preferences, and changing technologies. Be willing to adapt and evolve your work in response to these changes. This will help you to stay relevant and maintain your commercial success, while still being true to your artistic vision. Don’t be afraid of what’s new or next, because it’s going to happen anyway, so you may as well roll with it!
Stay Focused On Your Art
Stay focused on your art and your creative process, and avoid becoming overly consumed by the commercial aspects of your career. It’s easier said than done, especially when you;re waiting to find out if your new EP sells and streams well enough to chart, but this is really important. This will help you to maintain your artistic integrity and ensure that you’re creating work that is true to your vision. Sure, commerciality matters, but not more than you making the music that you need to make.
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Be Persistent
Remain persistent in your pursuit of both artistic integrity and commercial success. Don’t give up on your dreams as a musician, and stay committed to achieving both artistic integrity and commercial success. Don’t let others tell you that your music is too “out there” or that it can’t find an audience. Plenty of stars and legends have heard this before, but they kept going. Did David Bowie or Grace Jones stop creating, just because they didn’t always have a hit, or whenever someone said it wouldn’t work? Absolutely not, and you shouldn’t either.
