Ten Skills Every Indie Artist Needs
Here are 10 must learn indie artist skills to push your music career forward.

If there's one thing I've learned about indie music, and I daresay this applies to the entire music industry, it's that a good voice isn't enough. As an indie artist, you must be multi-skilled. Talent is one thing, but if you're to succeed, you'll need to build the right set of skills. These skills are what will separate you from a multitude of talented indie artists like yourself.

Of course, not every skill applies to you, and learning a skill that's not applicable is ultimately a waste of time. So what are the skills you would need as an indie artist? I have a list of ten for you.

Walk with me.

Ten Skills You Need

Social Media

The arrival of social media and the internet is one of the best things that's happened to the indie music industry. That all means nothing if you don't know how to use it to its full potential. When used properly, social media can propel you from obscurity to stardom. So it's a must-have, and I do not say that lightly.

Learn about social media. Learn how to navigate the different platforms. Once you understand how each of them works, you can make an informed decision on what platform to focus on, and how exactly to make the best use of it.

Songwriting

Some of the biggest artists in the world have their songs written for them. All they have to do is learn the melody and get in the studio. But you can't afford it. That means you have to write your songs by yourself. Otherwise, you'll have nothing to sing except covers, and that can only take you so far.

Songwriting is not only a skill that will help you with your music career, it can be an extra source of income. Some people make an entire career out of it.

Financial management

This is a skill everyone needs, regardless of their career. Rich and celebrities probably have accountants handling all their money issues, but again, you probably can't afford it. This means you have to pay attention to what's going on with your bank account. Are you spending more than you're making? Are your taxes up to date? What's your credit score?

These are all questions you should have answers to. Learn how to make sure you don't run into trouble financially because you'll learn quickly that music is not just a passion or an art, it's a business.

Branding

One of the most important things I see young indie artists get wrong is their public image. Big celebrities know that their public image, or personal brand, is super important. This is why they pay tons of money for professionals to help them polish their personal brand. I've probably said this too many times, but the odds are you can't afford it. So you must learn about personal branding.

Sure, you can hire a professional later in your career when the money starts coming in. But your personal brand begins right now.

Audio and video production

There can be no music without recording and production. At first, you'll do more audio but eventually, you'll need to start making video content. Getting an expert to handle recording and production for you can be expensive. So unless you have the money or a friend willing to do it for free, you probably have to channel the producer within you.

It saves you a ton of money and like most of the skills on this list, it can be an extra source of income for you.

Negotiating

As a beginner, you're probably a one-man team. As you make progress, you'll eventually have to start negotiating deals. If you don't know how to do it, you'll end up getting the short end of the stick. Everyone is looking for the best deal for themselves, but you have to make sure it's not at your expense. Negotiating is a skill that will come to your rescue time and time again. Whether it's a record deal, a singing gig, or a tour opening, you'll need good negotiating skills.

Graphic Design

Song arts, album design, and social media content among others are all applications of graphic design. It's by no means the most important skill on this list, but it's a handy skill to have. As trivial as it may look, you do need eye-catching designs for your fliers and music art. Without graphic design, your chances of grabbing the attention of new potential fans will be limited, and you don't want that.

SEO

While this may not be as essential as skills like social media growth, writing can be a helpful extra to have in your arsenal. SEO writing especially is a valuable skill to have, and I'll tell you why. SEO stands for "search engine optimization". So when you master SEO, it means your content is more likely to be on top of the list when someone searches. And the higher you are on the list, the more likely people are to click.

That aside, SEO writing is a skill many people build a career on, so that can be an extra source of income for you.

Networking

There's a popular saying I like. It says "It's not about what you know, but about who you know". To be honest, big celebrities are not always the best singers. You probably have a better voice than some of them. So what's the difference between you and them? It's who they know. If Pepsi is looking for a headline act for the Super Bowl halftime show, do you think they'd come to you or go for Bruno Mars?

Chances are, they know Bruno Mars, but they don't know you. So as much as you develop your ability, never miss the opportunity to make a new friend in the music industry. Relationships open doors that would otherwise be closed.

Learning

This is one of the most valuable skills you'll ever develop, the skill of learning. Without this skill, every other thing I've listed out is useless. You need to learn different skills to help improve your career, you need to learn from whatever mistakes you make, you need to learn continuously. Learning never ends, and if you know how to do it, you're already ahead of everyone else.

Final Thoughts

You have your work cut out for you, don't you? As tasking as it may seem, these skills will make your life much easier and your career much more fruitful. My favorite part is that most of the skills on this list can easily become alternative means of income while you strive for recognition.

Remember, a skilled man is never without options.