If you’re a part-time musician, you know the struggle. You want to make music, but you run out of time in a day. Or you lose heart. Or your music time is not as efficient as you want it to be.

Every day, it’s an uphill battle of sticking with it, being productive, and not losing your mind.

But there are practical things you can do today — right now — that can really help you keep going and be happy along the way.

How to stay motivated

Motivation is something that can be difficult to hold onto when music is your side gig. We get overwhelmed with all of the things we could or should be doing to move our music careers forward.

Hustling day after day with little progress can suck the go-getter-ness right out of you. So here are some tips to combat that temptation to lose motivation.

Just do one thing a day

This idea has changed my life as a part-time musician (I’m not exaggerating): do one thing today that will move your career forward, even the least little bit.

Don’t think of all the things you want to be doing — all the things that could boost your career. Just think of one of those things. Then do it.

Take a big task — like building a music website — and break it into steps. What part of that process can you do right now with the time you have? Then tomorrow, you can do another step in that process.  

If you only have 15 minutes to do something, get something done in that 15 minutes. Then you can go to bed knowing you pushed your music career a little further forward.

Remember the big picture

When you’re in the trenches every day, it’s so easy to forget where you’re headed. When you see your friends or other musicians on social media growing their fan base like crazy, remember the big picture.

Take a few minutes every day to zoom out and look at where you, specifically, are going. What does success look like to you? What is your ultimate goal here?

Write it down and tape it to your wall. Then look at it every day and remind yourself of your goals and your finish line.

Join a Facebook or Reddit group of fellow musicians

You know that we humans rely on each other. And I think this is especially true of the music community.

DIY musicians, whether part-time or full-time, are generally a welcoming and helpful bunch of people. In my experience, they’re encouraging, motivating, and want to see you succeed. That’s why it’s a great idea to connect with them in Facebook groups or subReddits.

Here are a few music-related Facebook groups that are super helpful:

And if you’re a Redditor, here are a few subs I’d recommend subscribing to:

How to be efficient

Maybe you had a stressful day at work. Maybe you just got the kids to bed and you’re exhausted. Or maybe you’ve got school work that’s due tomorrow.

In each of these scenarios, you’re not left with very much time to do music. And getting stuff done in the little time you have is so difficult, so here are some tips for staying efficient despite the lack of time.

Schedule stuff

If you know you’ll have Tuesday nights free, then take that opportunity to call it a “music-making night” for yourself. Or if you have early mornings open, schedule that time for your songwriting sessions.

These are just examples, but you get the point. Find the free time in your calendar, pull out your phone, and put stuff in your calendar app (or a paper calendar if you still use one of those). And don’t forget to set a reminder on your phone.

This way, you’re holding your future self accountable to be efficient with your music time.

Make a to-do list

Staying organized is a huge aspect of being efficient. And one way to keep your shiz together is to make a to-do list.

Using whatever format you want — spreadsheet, notepad, stickies — write down the things you want to get done, say, this month. That way, when you sit down to write songs, record music, email a music industry pro, or whatever, you know exactly what you need to do next.

Plus, as you cross things off the list, it’s a little encouragement that you’re making progress.

Set a timer

This tip is especially useful if you’re super strapped for time.

When you sit down to do a thing — something that will move your career forward — set a timer. Whatever time you have. Fifteen minutes, an hour, two hours — set a timer to help you focus 100% on the task at hand.

For some people, this may sound like a stressful idea. I get that. But maybe this tip can help you break through that stress and get stuff done.

Keeping your sanity

If you lose your sanity as a musician — especially when music isn’t your full-time career — everything else goes down the drain. The whole thing relies on you taking care of yourself mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Don’t compare yourself to others

I’ve learned this tip from experience. I’ve compared myself to other more successful (“better”) musicians and gone into a deep hole. The type of hole where I’m discouraged all day and don’t get very much done at all.

So instead of wishing you had some other musician’s success or opportunities, put your blinders on and remember that you are you. Your story of success will look different than every other artist’s.

Close Instagram. Stop watching YouTube videos of musicians you think are better than you. Re-focus your attention on you and how far you’ve come.

Get sleep

Sleep is super important. When I don’t sleep enough, I’m like a different person. And not a nice person.

Many artists brag about getting very little sleep because they’re so committed to winning. And that’s great. Good for them.

And, yeah, you may have to go through seasons where you’re not getting a ton of sleep. Maybe you’re working on a project that you’re super passionate about and it’s taking some time. That’s fine, but give yourself a break every now and then.

For the sake of your own sanity and your music career, don’t forget to get a good night’s sleep.

Caleb J. Murphy is a songwriter-producer based in Austin, Tx., and the founder of Musician With A Day Job, a blog to help part-time musicians succeed.

This guest post by Brittany Brave originally appeared on the Soundfly Blog Flypaper 

There’s no denying the value of having a publicist in your camp. Today’s music publicists double as digital strategists, often serving a key role in the actual distribution of new releases (through exclusive premieres, for example). They have the pulse on how fans and industry alike discover and respond to artists, and keep an eye on that artist’s overall brand.

Over the years, though, paid publicity has earned the false reputation of being a be-all end-all device for how to achieve overnight success. Too many one-off stories of bands blowing up with just a few well-timed media placements, combined with a common misunderstanding of how the entire industry process — marketing, A&R, publishing knowhow, and growth strategy — even works, has led bands to invest in publicity campaigns too early, for too much money, or with too high expectations. And any kind of disappointing experience will often leave bands feeling like they’ve made a big mistake, and hesitant to try it again down the road, even at moments when they might really benefit from a publicist.

That’s why I wanted to demystify the process of hiring a publicist, and cover some of the considerations you might want to make before looking for one. But before I do, if you’re really serious about working on your next promotional campaign, your branding, and your media presence, Soundfly has a team of Mentors ready to help you with that, and get you prepped for undertaking your next big PR lift. Check out the Headliners Club, and tell them what your musical goals are here so they can help get you to the next level of your career!

[How to Get Publicity to Promote Your Music]

PR is called “earned media” for a reason.

Okay, so, unlike advertising, there is no guaranteed exposure when it comes to publicity. Influential print and digital media are notoriously limited, so the topics and faces that cut through the noise and make headlines do so based on qualities like newsworthiness, timing, and mass appeal. Yes, the internet has welcomed a rise in blogs and social media, and various other forms of “long tail” digital real estate that artists can occupy, but these principles still hold true. Not everyone can be covered. Not everything is ready to be talked about. Not every artist has a story — not yet, at least…

The subjective qualities for coverage are whether an editor or writer likes your music. This usually can’t be cheated. We’re asking journalists to connect with a recordenough that they’ll produce something about it, and that’s a hard sell. In general, it can’t be forced. The objective qualities that get musicians coverage are writing and production credits, touring and shows, unique traits, affiliations, existing relationships, doing things outside of the box, and often, traction in other areas (radio, sync placements, industry interest, your web presence, etc.)

For younger artists, or artists taking the plunge into their first-ever campaign, this can make securing coverage and seeing results frustrating at first. There’s no “head start” for publicists. While firms may put in the extra time and effort to ensure the media pays attention to the music, they still can’t guarantee the press will like it or act on it. That’s the job of the artist.

Music media, in general, is saturated.

The music PR playing field is jam-packed. You have to assume that editors and writers are simply flooded with pitches and correspondence, because they probably always are. If a publicist happens to hook one’s interest, sometimes there aren’t enough writers on staff or hours in a day for a publication to cover every song and album that deserves their attention. The best thing you can do to break through the noise is to hustle during the early stages of your career, send songs all the time (even if they’re unlikely to get airtime or coverage), and build relationships with as many journalists as possible.

The more connections and name-recognition you have among journalists, the more the right taste-making publicist will be able to do for you.

There’s no shortcut to building a story. The longer you’re in the game, the more there will be to talk about. At some point in an artist’s development, the ratio flips from chasing coverage to fielding requests. It takes signing up for the long haul, but that’s when press is the most lucid and effective.

“The more you have going on, the richer and more textured the editorial. Publications love that. Hire a publicist to communicate the conversations happening around you — not to single-handedly create it.”

A publicist can’t exist in a vacuum.

Publicists use talking points to create more talking points. If you’ve got an empty tour calendar, limited music and video content, low social numbers, or other glaring holes in your newsworthiness, it’s probably not the right time to hire a publicist. Many artists start PR campaigns, and then disregard deadlines to submit their album for distribution, or don’t have mastered files or even finished artwork at the ready.

Any one of those missing elements is a threat to your overall success and a chance for your growth objectives to be derailed. Your campaign is as productive as you are. And you’re ultimately responsible for staying on top of your product. Your publicist’s job is to talk about it.

Therefore, a publicist is best-suited to approach outlets when they’re armed with new music, tour dates, recent accomplishments, and a timeline. Publicists are chameleons, who, often to their fault, take on too many tasks they’re not designated to complete. I’ve helped book shows, update websites, and form release plans — none of which is really in my wheelhouse — just to help make sure my client stands a chance of being heard above the noise. Any of those tasks will pull your publicist away from the work you hired them to do — start conversations with media and influencers.

Publicists rank in importance with a band’s manager and agent — the three forming a trifecta of table-turning roles that, when entering into the picture at the proper time and under the right conditions, can accompany, not carry, an artist from point A to point B. The music industry has seen many new moons in the last two decades, but persistence, hard work and talent will always be a winning formula. You’re probably not going to be one of the 00.00001% of artists who get famous overnight.

The more you have going on, the richer and more textured the editorial — publications love that. Wait until the moment that you have a story to tell and conversations happening around you, and the right publication will help spread that story to the world; but they can’t single handedly create it for you.

Made of coffee and chord progressions, Brittany Brave is a NYC writer, comedienne and founder of BRAVE PR. She’s also tiny, powered by ideas, always talking loud and walking too fast. Follow her at @BritBrave

This guest post by Kenneth Estrada y Santiago originally appeared on the Soundfly Blog Flypaper 

Over the last 15 years, I’ve been part of seven different musical projects. I’ve played in all kinds of bands: a shoegaze trio, an experimental metal duo, an electronic pop group, an indie rock band, an ambient octet, a punk rock quartet, and a German teen pop group.

I ended up leaving all of them. Why? For various reasons, sure, but all with the same thread of ambition attached: I had a vision for myself and my own music making that these projects weren’t entirely satisfying. I wanted to write my own songs. But most importantly, I didn’t want to fight for every single idea I had in my head anymore.

Writing music together, in collaboration, and compromising on your vision in order to make space for a variety of ideas and voices, can lead to an incredible creative output. It’s one of the great joys of being in a band, and it’s a fascinating process to watch and become involved in when it works. But there comes a time when every artist should seek to be able to transmit their vision and voice without compromise. For artists who start craving that freedom, it will always feel like something is missing when they show up to band practice. That’s how you might realize it’s time to think about starting your solo career.

Before you make the move

Don’t get me wrong — just because you’re looking to start a solo project, that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to leave your band right away. There are special bonds in every long-term band relationship, and you should always try to keep them intact. You’ve shared so many memories, and you’re probably closer with your bandmates in some ways than you are with some of your best friends.

So don’t drop everything at once unless it really is time to do so. The creative gap can be filled without having to replace one with the other. Take time to explore some ideas on your own and really think, “Would this sound better with the other members playing, or just myself?” Perhaps some of the ideas you come up with will suit one project and not the other. See where it leads and feel it out — there’s no need to rush.

I had to form five bands until I finally realized that a solo project is the only way for me to do exactly what I’d wanted to do all along. And this isn’t even my first attempt at a solo career! When I first decided to go solo, I still had to decide what musical influences I actually wanted to emulate, and whether I should be writing songs in German or English. It didn’t take long before my motivation dwindled and I needed to retool for the project, so this is sometimes a slow process. That’s why I wanted to share with you the following thoughts on how to responsibly go about starting a solo project.

[What to Do After Your Band Breaks Up]

Tips for starting your solo project

The journey becomes much easier if your project is built on a solid foundation. Like a home, your solo project can become the familiar base to which you can always return, no matter how far away you’ve traveled. Take a pen and a piece of paper, and write it all down — all the stuff you’re thinking about when you ponder your solo music.

1.1 Define yourself

Step one is to draw out sketches and write down what you’d like to incorporate into your sound, your influences, and really anything that just interests you. Visualize yourself on stage, use colors, words, ideas, images, put it all in there. I guess this resembles the process of making a mood board. Essentially, you’re creating the building blocks of your brand — and a brand is nothing more than a set of characteristics that, when combined, readily define who you are and how people can connect with you.

What is it that you want to “say” or “share” with the world via this project? What is missing in the world of music, that you want to create?

1.2 Understand your goals

Sometimes the best way to start a new project is to think all the way through to the end of what you’d like to accomplish. Whether that project defines who are you or not, perhaps this project needs a clear end in order to function. If not, it’s still always helpful to develop a set of milestones through which you can test your progress.

1.3 Fit the pieces together

Now that you’ve got your “brand” identity, your influences, your message, and your goals all laid out, it has to come together in the music. That may sound like a lot of pressure, but it’s really not so dramatic. Think of it this way: whenever you write a song, you now have this incredible lens through which to examine its effectiveness, and you can tweak it as much as you want until it reflects that vision and identity you’ve already laid out.

Having that wealth of identity work already done also makes it much easier to conceptualize the visual artwork associated with your project, like album art, music video aesthetics, and artist photos.

1.4 Now give your baby a name

Are you going to use your real name? Or a version of it? Or call your project something entirely different? Perhaps something plural to give the impression that it’s a new “band?” Your project’s name carries the mood and image representing what you’re trying to do as an artist. Think long and hard, because changing the name of a project is annoying and complicated.

1.5 Don’t rush this process

Identities come together over entire lifetimes, not overnight. Give your project a bit of time to marinate, and make sure you feel comfortable performing within the guidelines you’ve set for it. You’ll feel more confident and able to clearly articulate your work — and the more honest it feels to you, the more honestly the music will come through to your fans (new and old).

1.6 Have fun

This is probably the single most important point. Don’t start anything if it’s not fun for you. Don’t force things to happen just because you think it’s the right move. Fun gives you the power to stay in action. It’s what fuels your car(eer).

Create your own singer website that’s mobile-ready and easy to update anytime! Try Bandzoogle free today!

Tips for promoting your solo project

2.1 Social media (obviously!)

Alright, you’re ready to go public with your new solo project now. How are you going to differentiate this new project from both your old band and your own self? Start by creating artist pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or whatever social platforms you regularly use. Through sharing information, content, imagery, and unique sounds, you can easily use this space to separate the brand identities so there’s no confusion. If you have social pages for your other projects, those are great places to announce the new project.

2.2 Know the audience you’re targeting

If you’re like me and speak a few languages and live all over the place, it can be kind of hard to actually communicate with your audience. But communicating through music is just as hard sometimes. In my case, I realized early on that fans of my kind of music probably didn’t live in Germany as much as in the U.K. and North America, so I wrote my songs and my social media posts entirely in English. It’s important to learn as much about the audience for your music as possible, and meet them where they are. Creating your art in a vacuum doesn’t really work unless you’re already super famous and people follow your every move, but don’t pander too much to a hypothetical fan community or you’ll risk leaving your identity behind.

2.3 Do whatever it takes to make your music as widely available as possible

Even if you only have one song recorded, release it! Get it out there and use it to your advantage. Now, go show people what your project is all about, later you can worry about releasing physical albums, touring, merch, etc. Once your song or EP is on platforms like Bandcamp, YouTube, and Spotify, start working on getting it into playlists. Getting your song into a Spotify playlist these days is like investing in stocks: sometimes it’ll stagnate and go nowhere, but every now and then you hit big and can see some serious returns!

You can also check out websites like Jamendo Music, for example, where creators are looking for free music to use for their videos. This option is pretty interesting and brings me to my next point.

[The Complete Guide to Selling Your Music Online]

2.4 Open yourself up to be seen

One powerful way to do that is to assign some of your tracks a Creative Commons license, perhaps with a clause about attributing credit. If someone stumbles across your music and wants to use it, this could potentially open up hundreds more opportunities for you. Of course, it’s entirely up to you about what you charge to use your music, and sometimes it’s worth waiting for the big fish to bite, instead of giving it away for free.

Check out this collection of articles, and learn more about licensing and the world of music royalties with Soundfly’s free course, How to Get All the Royalties You Never Knew Existed. 

2.5 Play tons of shows

It’s never a bad time to get in front of an audience. Don’t wait for your fanbase to grow — take all the opportunities you can to advance a new project forward. Especially if you don’t have a lot of recorded material out there yet, or you haven’t had the time or momentum to build your social following, playing gigs is a fun and rewarding way to start getting people familiar with your sound.

And on a similar note, if you still don’t have a physical album to sell after just starting a new solo project, make some DIY, handmade merch or cheap stuff to give away. The goal is to spread the word and spread the reputation that you put your heart into your work. Making sure people go home with a download code or something to remember you by, like a sticker or a button (especially if it’s made by hand), is the best way to start spreading the word at live shows.

Free Webinar: How to Book a Tour (Without a Booking Agent)

2.6 Talk it up

Be available to anyone and everyone interested to chat. When you first start out solo, there’s no hiding behind other members of the band; the spotlight is on you. So go plant yourself behind the merch table and make eye contact and connections.

Well, that’s it for now. From here, a circulation of daily practice will take over as you are used to doing what you always do — creating awesome music and watching out for new opportunities to present themselves. That’s what I’ve learned over the last 15 years. It has always worked, and still works for me as a musician today.

One last tip: Don’t give up! Fear and insecurity is normal, but don’t let it get the best of you. Those feelings are almost always temporary, and should never keep you from doing what you love. Take risks when you believe it’s worth it. There is a place for everyone out there!

Kenneth Estrada y Santiago is a producing songwriter, musician, and YouTuber, based in Berlin, Germany. In his YouTube channel, SHOEGAZER he reviews effect pedals, teaches guitar chords and interviews weller known bands of the shoegaze scene. He was the frontman of the band Downhill Willows and releases his own albums on Bandcamp.

1. Newspaper

2. Magazine

3. Alt weekly

4. TV and/or radio

5. Blogs