How To Create an Extensive Musician Network
People need people. You can only get so far alone, especially when it comes to making music.
You need people to help you continuously improve your musical skills and, if you want to make a name for yourself in the music industry, to help you build a fanbase. A strong network can help your music career by opening doors to collaborations, gigs, learning opportunities, and more.
Building a music community can feel intimidating, especially if you're new to the industry. But with proper guidance, this doesn't have to be the case. Here, we’ll look at the importance of networking and provide tips to help you create a valuable music network to support your goals.
Benefits of a strong musician network
We’ve all heard the phrase, "It's not what you know — it's who you know."
No matter how talented, knowledgeable, and committed you are, you'll likely face more challenges when working alone. Collaborating with other musicians and industry experts like promoters and managers can make all the difference in your career development. Here's how:
More musical opportunities
It's never been easier to get your music out to the world. There are roughly 120,000 songs being uploaded to streaming services every day, making the barrier to entry minimal. But a strong network can help your songs circulate!
Word of mouth is still quite powerful in the music industry, as artists tend to recommend people they know whenever opportunities arise. So, a robust music network can open doors to collaborations that can propel you to new heights and performance opportunities to help you grow your fanbase.
Improved learning and growth
Making music alone limits you to what you already know, like, and feel comfortable with. Unfortunately, this doesn't always result in a lot of learning and growth. To continuously improve your skills, you need people to provide alternative views and ideas.
Interacting with other musicians can provide mentorship opportunities, new insights, and exposure to varying music styles and techniques. This can help you hone your skills and become a better musician.
Improved support systems
Navigating the music industry can be a challenge — more so if you're new to the music scene. Just when you think you've got the hang of it, something changes to make you question yourself. How do you survive in the industry? By leaning on your music network.
A network can provide emotional and logistical support to help you navigate the music scene better and push you to the next level.
Other musicians can offer feedback on new music or projects and provide fresh ideas to keep your fanbase interested. And industry professionals can handle music marketing to reach new fans and advise you on ways to earn ancillary income through music.
How to build a musician network from scratch
Ready to build your network and explore the various ways music brings people together? The following tips will help.
Identify your networking goals
Goals are important, as they'll guide you on the kind of people to include in your network and how to approach them. Do you want a network to help you gain exposure, collaborate, share knowledge, find gigs, or mentor you?
Determining the why will help you make the best networking decisions. For example, if you primarily want to collaborate, you'll want to connect with fellow musicians. But if you want to gain exposure and find gigs, you should look for industry professionals like managers and promoters.
Set both short-term and long-term goals to guide your networking efforts and ensure the goals are SMART so you can assess your progress and stay motivated.
Engage with local musicians
Local musicians can help you understand your local music culture and fanbase, making it easier for you to navigate the music scene. They can also introduce you to local promoters, event organizers, and other industry professionals, allowing you to build connections faster.
So engage with them! Attend local music events and open mics, and join local music communities or groups to meet and interact with fellow musicians in person. You never know — they may be able to help you secure collaborations or even book gigs.
Take advantage of online platforms
Want to reach a larger audience than local music events allow? Leverage online platforms to engage with professionals beyond your immediate reach. Some platforms to consider include:
- Social media sites like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook
- Music forums like r/WeAreTheMusicMakers and r/Songwriting on Reddit
- Websites specifically for musicians, like SoundCloud
- Online music learning resources like those offered through Trala
For the best results, create a compelling profile that highlights your networking goals and directs visitors to some of your work to help them determine if your goals and sound align with theirs.
Also, stay active and engaged on these platforms to increase your visibility and find fellow musicians quicker. You can contribute to conversations, message other musicians directly, and, if your platform allows, participate in group music activities like recitals.
Find ways to offer value to others
Reciprocity is vital in networking, as it fosters long-lasting relationships. So don't just be on the receiving end — find ways to offer value to others to cultivate strong connections.
You can offer to collaborate on projects, provide feedback to help other musicians improve their skills, share gigs, recommend networking events and opportunities, and more. When you help others, they'll be more willing to help you.
Communicate consistently to maintain connections
The last thing any musician wants is to lose the connections they worked so hard to build. How do you prevent this from happening? Follow up with your contacts after networking events and maintain consistent communication to keep your relationships active and foster continued engagement.
You could schedule regular check-ins or updates, send personal messages, provide social media updates, create newsletters, or even plan music activities or events.
Look at your network to determine the best form of engagement. For example, you could send personal messages if you have a small network of individuals who value a personal touch. But the social media or newsletter route might be better if your network is too large to engage each person individually.
How Trala can help you meet fellow musicians
Trala gives you access to lessons from world-class instructors with years of experience and their very own musical networks. But that’s not all — Trala’s built-in free-to-join community comprising all Trala students (over 400,000) makes it easy for you to interact and network with fellow music enthusiasts.
Trala offers both instrument-specific and instrument-agnostic benefits, so it’s not just for violinists but for all musicians. Whether you're an aspiring guitarist, pianist, or violist, it’s the perfect place to meet other like-minded individuals.
Community features
Trala offers plenty of tools to help students connect with one another. For example, user profiles in the Student Stories section provide details on students' skill levels, locations, and motivations. So you can find other students to connect with based on your interests, goals, and needs.
The platform also offers direct messaging and a forum on Discord, so you can easily reach out to other students, ask questions, and find musician friends. Plus, it holds a monthly community Zoom get-together, giving students even more opportunities to interact with each other.
With these community features, you can freely participate in discussions, share playlists, plan collaborations, and more.
Events and social networks
Community is a big part of the Trala Method. So you can expect to focus as much on learning music together as you do on developing your skills independently.
Trala holds various online community events where students can showcase their skills, share ideas and feedback, and network freely. These include recitals, concerts, live sessions, and even jam sessions. At these events, you can meet and interact with other musicians with similar interests and goals, building the foundation for strong relationships.
The best part is that all these events are free to join, even if you’re not a Trala student, and completely virtual, so you don't have to worry about additional costs. If you’re interested, you can find more information about upcoming events on the Trala Discord Community.
Well-rounded resources
Trala is more than just a community or educational platform. It blends both to create a more well-rounded music experience. So it’s the perfect place to not only network with fellow musicians but also improve your violin skills and develop a greater appreciation for music.
Curious about how Trala works? Our teacher-matchmaking professionals find the best violin instructor for you based on your interests, motivations, and preferred learning styles to ensure you get the best learning experience. Your teacher can be a vital part of your network, as they can help you learn and grow by offering valuable instruction and advice.
Trala also offers a free practice app to help improve your playing skills. Plus, there are plenty of paid courses to help you explore your potential and collaborate with other students in the learning journey.
The goal is to not only provide opportunities for musicians to meet but also to prepare them to maintain the relationships they build through expert music instruction.
Build an amplified music network with Trala's vibrant community
A music network is valuable for any musician, regardless of experience or skill level, as it facilitates continuous growth, offers support, and opens doors to more musical opportunities. To create a reliable network, start by defining your networking goals and leveraging local community events and online music platforms like Trala.
Trala has a wide range of features designed to cater to musicians looking to network with peers, mentors, and collaborators. The platform pairs you with world-class teachers who can act as mentors. And our community events, live sessions, and collaborative courses connect you with fellow musicians who can help elevate your music career.
Ready to build a strong music network? Get started with Trala today to access our diverse and spirited community!
