There is no definite test that can predict how your career will ultimately work out, but as an up-and-coming artist, there are three questions you should always ask yourself(1) Do I truly have passion for music?
(2) Am I imitating the styles of established stars? Or do I sincerely have a unique style that would make me stand out in a competitive entertainment industry?
(3) Can I boldly beat my chest and say, “Regardless, I’m ready to give it all it takes to attain stardom?
The above-outlined questions can save you untold headache down the road.
Dear upcoming artists, while there are no hard and fast rules to becoming a successful artist, working hard, staying focused, and having a plan is always good routes to take. Here are some basic tips you should follow to ensure that all the hard work you put in the studio pays off.
KNOW YOURSELF AND YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE
“To thine own self be true,” the saying goes. Know your strengths and focus on them; the truth is that not everyone is going to become a superstar, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make a career in the music industry. You don’t necessarily need to have the best voice before you can sing to impact the audience.
Davido understands his audience and gives them the type of music they want. What he doesn’t have in a good voice, he has in a good team who understands the importance of songwriting and hard work. Same thing with an artist like Brymo; he doesn’t have the numbers, but he makes amazing music and understands his audience.
DON JAZZY’S PROMOTION STRATEGY
If you’ve been paying attention, you’d notice something about Don Jazzy—he doesn’t just run Mavin Records, he is also one of the biggest influencers in Nigeria.
But here’s the catch: it’s not just benevolence. It’s strategy.
Don Jazzy consistently appears in skits of both big and small influencers.
He engages with viral social media personalities, including those still upcoming.
In 2023, he hosted a private dinner for top Nigerian Twitter (X) influencers.
Why is he doing this? Because it’s a business move.
These influencers automatically feel like they owe him a favor.
And because they can’t afford to pay him back in cash, they repay him in the best way possible—by pushing his artists for free.
Think about it:
Oftentimes you’ve seen content creators using Rema, Ayra Starr, Crayon, or Johnny Drille songs in their videos?
It’s not accidental; that’s Don Jazzy’s influence at work.
STOP EXPECTING ORGANIC GROWTH. BUILD STRATEGIC RELATIONSHIPS
As an upcoming artist, you don’t have Don Jazzy’s resources, but you can learn from his strategy.
Stop sitting back and expecting your music to “blow organically.”
Start building relationships with influencers in your circle.
The same way Don Jazzy taps into influencer marketing, you can;
Engage smaller content creators who need music for their videos.
Collaborate with up-and-coming influencers who are also looking to grow.
Offer value in return (e.g., promote their content on your page).
Be intentional about networking; don’t just spam links. Build genuine connections.
Trust you know streaming platforms are the new radio. If your song isn’t on Audiomack or Boomplay, you’re invisible to most listeners.
These platforms give you access to free promotion, artist dashboards, and playlist placements.
The goal is simple: make people feel like they have a reason to support you.
BE PATIENT
Sorry to burst your bubble, you are not going to blow up in a day; you are not going to go viral in a week or month. The truth is it’s going to take a lot of hard work and patience. Some artists get it right from the first single and some don’t. You don’t have to get it right with the first single or the first album.
Build momentum, build a fan base, and grow from there. Have a plan and stick to it; be open to new ideas, be open to criticism and grow from there. For example, all you may know about Wizkid is that he’s the most decorated African artist of all time, amassing over 200 international and national awards throughout his career, including a Grammy for his contribution to Beyoncé’s “Brown Skin Girl” and 5 Guinness World Records.
But do you know Wizkid spent 7 years as an upcoming artist performing at local events? His breakthrough into mainstream prominence didn’t happen until year 2010, when he dropped his debut hit single “Holla at your Boy”
HAVE A TEAM
As the popular Nigerian saying goes, ‘don’t tie the world to your chest.’ If you think you can do it alone, I’m sorry you can’t! You really can’t! Definitely you need a team of trustworthy people to make it far in the music industry. There is no successful artist that has done it alone.
You need a good lawyer to help you negotiate and go through your contracts, a good manager to help you make the smartest decision, a good producer to take your sound to the next level, and a photographer and videographer to help make your brand visible. Surround yourself with highly motivated people and see how far you’ll go.
NASBOI IS ANOTHER PERFECT EXAMPLE
One artist who executed this strategy well is Nasboi.
He started as a content creator, so his content creator friends automatically helped push his music for free.
As of the time of writing this piece, he has over 220 million streams, a Headies Next Rated nomination, two platinum records, and a gold EP.
STRONG FAMILY STRUCTURE
When Burnaboy’s mom is his manager and two sisters are his PAs and members of management, do you think they don’t know what they are doing?
The music industry is deep, and to succeed, you need your trusted once to hold their fort on your behalf. This is what so many failed big stars don’t have.
If Mohbad had this structure, he would still be alive today and flourishing. I heard how Wizkid’s mom was a pillar for him when he left Banky’s label and how Davido’s father
was a fundamental pillar of his music career.
USE SOCIAL MEDIA
As an artist, you want maximum exposure for your work, and we know social media is the number one way of getting out your product in front of people. Your song doesn’t have to be on all the social media sites, but whichever popular one you choose, ensure it’s well known.
Social media is a big marketing tool; if used effectively, it could help you build a brand and build a massive fan base. By having a good-looking brand on 1-2 social platforms, your engagement and followers increase. And in this era where everything is social media numbers, it could translate to cashing out easily for you.
BE PROFESSIONAL
Have you ever stumbled upon an artist, and then you google the person and nothing pops up? Annoying right? In this modern day, some artists don’t even have a Google profile, let alone a Wikipedia page.
It doesn’t cost much to have these nowadays; yes, you can afford the cost, it’s affordable! In fact having a good website can be everything because you’ll be able to easily monitor and observe ongoing activities, such as how many people checked your biography and who is booking you for an event, among other interesting activities.
Nevertheless, as an up-and-coming artist, many of you fail to understand one very simple strategy of helping your music career. When you drop your official song on a blog, what’s next?
Of course promoting your song should be next, but many of you only upload your song, you don’t promote it, you think uploading your song on free file sharing websites and bombarding your friends on your social media page will help your career? This is what you are doing instead, roaming on a grassroots level, thinking you are making progress.
Rather, as you drop your song, this is what you should do:
Promote your music, rather than just uploading it. If you don’t know, search on the internet to know top notch blogs that have the potential to promote your career effectively, whose millions of followers don’t hesitate to download new songs from the blogs.
Dear up-and-coming artists, why not show a massive audience what you have? That’s a good way to promote your career.
Moreover, another important part is that a promo that has to do with financial capability is the way up in your music career, but if you can’t spend the little you have investing in your career, then, I’m sorry, you might remain an upcoming artist for a long time.
Please note that a free promo will take you nowhere. Now let’s examine it together; you’ll upload your song on free file sharing sites. Such platforms are good in terms of sharing files with people, but when it comes to music promotion, then you need to focus on the brighter side.
Perhaps you are in need of a very good record label to sign you, and you don’t want to promote your music. Sorry, you won’t get a very good label easily; instead, the chances will be very slim because, in case you don’t know, no matter how talented you think you are, you are in a perfectly competitive music industry. There are so many other up-and-coming music artists that are also very talented too.
So how do you get the attention of record labels and music lovers in Nigeria?
It’s very simple! By promoting your music on the right platforms. You need to know that the Nigerian music industry is the biggest music industry in Africa, as such, once you become a very popular music artist in Nigeria, you’ll be known in countries in the world you least expect. Your song would bring you wealth, and then you’d start enjoying the fruit of your labor.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Emeka Ogwu, known professionally as Mixta Marquez, is a Nigerian talk show host and media personality, gradually rising to recognition with his compelling articles and engaging talk shows.
His work has captured the attention of the crème de la crème; one of his talk show episodes got reposted by Nigerian Afrobeats superstar Skales.
He is a prolific writer whose articles have been published and appeared in various Nigerian publications. Letter To Upcoming Artists is Mixta Marquez’s most massively read article. Over the years, it has rapidly been gaining significant momentum that could launch him into mainstream prominence.
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