How to build a solo career in the music industry?

Abstract

Building a solo career in the modern music industry is a highly popular and competitive business, which lacks clear guidance in achieving a successful solo career. The purpose of this thesis was to give an overview and guidance on how to build a solo career in the music industry. The thesis researched why certain individuals become professional solo artists and how they pursue and sustain their careers. The goal of this study was to find different methods for musicians to build a career as solo artists. As the research method, professional artists were interviewed to gather qualitative data. In addition to the interviews, the material was gathered from books and articles related to the music industry, music business, and functional medicine.

The results indicated building a solo career is a lifelong process, a lifestyle, and a calling for the profession. According to the results, becoming a musician and a solo artist is a matter of being highly intrigued by music and having the urge to implement one’s vision autonomously through music.

The conclusion indicates that certain individuals have become musicians because of influences from their lives. To gain success and remain relevant in the music industry, solo artists were required to update their music, marketing methods, and image constantly. The findings could be developed further into more detailed steps as a guide for building a solo career in the music industry.