Hey Friends & Composers, Mike here, and today I have amazing news to share with you. Something I have been working incredibly hard on, for several months. I created this for composers with high goals, and big dreams. Composers like you. Watch the Video, or Continue Reading.
Let me Motivate You first
But before I share my big news, I want to give you some Tips & Motivation for your Journey and Adventure in Music. Specifically how to become a professional composer. Are you ready? Let’s do this!
First let me Motivate you: If you are like me, and have true passion for music that goes deep into your very heart and soul. Then doing actual hard work in the field of music, doesn’t really feel like an impossible mission. Because we get to do, what we love to do. So here’s lesson 1…take action, every day.
Lesson 1: Take Action Every Day
I have learned the hard way, from many years of mistakes, failures and the experience that life gives you: That to advance in any field, you must take action. Consistent action. It took me many years to realise this fact, but I finally came up with kind of a recipe to success in music.
Recipe to Success in Music
- Learn every Day
- Practice every Day
- Create every Day
Basically this means that you should focus on active learning, like taking courses, reading books, watching tutorials and so on. Then Practice your craft every day, like improving your keyboard skills on the MIDI keyboard and any other instruments you play. Practicing writing chord progressions, melodies, riffs, hooks, rhythms and beats. Practicing ear training, chord inversions, voice leading and so on. Practice every single day. And finally create every day, meaning actually making something, even if it’s just an 8 bar loop, a chord progression, or an expressive melodic theme. Create something as a composer, every single day.
Lesson 2: Business over Products
Whether you like it or not…as a professional composer you are running your own business. Which means you should focus your time and energy on every business aspect of your professional journey: like networking and connecting, branding and marketing, promotion and sales, content creating and sharing..and so on. The products is your actual music. But I have found that focusing more time and energy on the business side of your career as a composer, will be far more beneficial for you in the long run, than spending most of your time composing new music.
Business can mean many things, like phone calls, emails and meetings, going to events and gatherings, reaching out to industry people, nurturing the relationships and friends you already have in the music industry, and so on. Also having a professional looking website with your own brand, that you keep fresh and updated. Being active on social media, and in online communities. The list goes on, with business related tasks and projects you need to focus on, because that’s what you are as a composer…your own boss, and your own business.
Lesson 3: Multiple Streams of Income
Composing is not the ONLY path. I know we all love to compose new music all the time. But, let’s be honest. Doing any type of client work, like custom music for example, means that you will always have pauses in between projects. I learned this the hard way from my first business in media production. So lesson 3 of becoming a professional composer, might sound a bit surprising to you, but it is actually this:
Create other streams of income that are not composing custom music. It can be within music production, for example mixing and mastering other artist’s music. It can be writing music for licensing companies, to build up a more passive income stream. It can be sound design project, or even creating your own sample collections or sample libraries to sell to the market. It can also be in education, which I found passion for…you can make courses, write books, blogs or articles, and so on. The main point is that actual composing projects should not be the only way you make an income, even if you label yourself as a composer.
Summary – How to Become a Professional Composer
- Take Action Every Day
- Business over Products
- Multiple Streams of Income
Awesome. Now Are you ready to hear my BIG announcement? Here it goes:
I have just launched a new brand, called Professional Composers. A website, resource, network, and alliance for composers with BIG Dreams, and High Goals. Composers like you. In fact, if you read this on a website (compared to email or watch the video), you have landed on the website I am talking about! =)
The Core Vision of Professional Composers, is to:
- Level Up your Skills
- Level Up your Music
- Level Up your Career
On Professional Composers you will get:
- Amazing Motivation
- Insightful Education
- Incredible Inspiration
I invite you to go to become a member of Professional Composers right now. It is Free to Join.
Friendly regards,
Mikael “Mike” Baggström
Founder of ProfessionalComposers.com