When I work with musicians, it’s usually because they’re at one of four stages in their career.
They have an established Music Brand and want to reposition it, refresh it or take it to the next level.
They’re preparing to release an original single or album.
They’re developing a project, such as a tour, a new show or a promotional campaign.
They need help establishing the business structure, systems and infrastructure to support their music and whatever commercial direction they intend to pursue.
But what if none of these are where you are right now? What if you are standing at the edge of a cliff trying to figure out your first step?
I’m going to assume you’re starting from scratch. And here’s where I’d begin.
1. Get Your Music Together First
Before you approach anyone in the industry, build a catalogue of your original material. Ideally, I’d be working towards 25–30 songs. That’s not a requirement for releasing music, but it gives you enough material to properly assess your songwriting, identify your strongest work and develop a meaningful catalogue.
For each song, prepare:
A recorded demo with a clear musical arrangement.
A strong vocal performance, whether that’s yours or another vocalist’s.
A properly formatted lyric sheet.
Accurate songwriter and ownership information.
A record of when and how the song was created.
In Australia, copyright generally exists automatically when an original song is created and recorded in a material form. You don’t need to purchase copyright registration. What matters is documenting ownership, any co-writing arrangements and the rights associated with the work.
Once you’ve assembled your catalogue, listen to it as one body of work. And ask yourself what stories these songs are telling? Is there a common thread? Do they represent a particular musical style, emotional experience or audience?
More importantly, ask yourself what you actually want to do with them?
2. Decide What Business You’re Actually In
There are several different directions you can take.
You might want to become a recording artist, releasing and performing your own music.
You might prefer to be a songwriter, pitching your compositions to established recording artists, publishers and music supervisors.
You might want to develop a live show built around your original material.
Or you might want to build a catalogue that generates income through publishing, licensing and other commercial opportunities.
These are different business models. Each requires a different strategy, different relationships and different investment.
If songwriting is your primary interest, investigate reputable songwriting, publishing and sync licensing platforms where you can submit material for consideration.
If you want to be the recording artist, start developing your strongest demos into properly produced recordings. AI-assisted production tools may help you explore arrangements, instrumentation and production ideas before committing to studio costs. Just be careful about the ownership, licensing and commercial-use conditions attached to those tools.
The point is to establish a professional representation of your music before you begin pitching it.
3. Understand That You’re Selling More Than Songs
Every songwriter believes they’ve written a hit. Every artist believes their story deserves to be heard. And perhaps it does. But the music industry is not short of songs. It’s drowning in them. What makes someone stop, listen and eventually spend money is the complete proposition. And that is your Music Brand.
Your brand is not simply your logo, your photograph or your artist name. It’s the identity, story, positioning, audience, experience and commercial potential that surround your music. It’s what makes you recognisable and gives people a reason to care.
Record labels, publishers, promoters, sponsors and investors are all looking for opportunities that make commercial sense. They’re asking questions such as:
Who is this artist?
Who is their audience?
What makes them different?
Is there evidence that people are connecting with their music?
Can that audience be reached and developed?
What products, experiences or rights can generate revenue?
What investment is required, and where is the potential return?
You need to understand those questions before you start approaching people for support. Because they’re not simply investing in a song. They’re evaluating a business opportunity to leverage the value of your brand to sell products.
4. Know Where the Money Comes From
The economics of the music industry have changed dramatically. Streaming provides enormous access to music, but for most emerging independent artists, streaming royalties alone are unlikely to provide a sustainable income. Physical products still have a market, particularly among dedicated fans, but they’re no longer the primary commercial opportunity for most developing artists.
Recording music professionally, releasing it and building an audience can also become expensive very quickly. At the major-label end of the industry, recording, marketing, publicity, distribution and audience development campaigns can involve substantial six-figure or even seven-figure investments. That doesn’t mean you need half a million dollars to record a single. Independent artists can produce excellent recordings for a fraction of that amount.
It means that recording a song and establishing a commercially successful artist are two very different financial exercises. The cost of creating the music is only one part of the equation. Getting people to notice it, listen to it, remember it and eventually pay for something is where the real challenge begins.
There are opportunities in songwriting, publishing, licensing, merchandise, fan subscriptions and digital products. But for an artist who can perform, live entertainment remains one of the most practical ways to build an audience, generate income and create genuine connections.
5. All Roads Lead to Live — If You Can Perform
If you can perform live, you have an opportunity that recorded music alone cannot provide. You can create an experience. People have access to almost every song ever recorded, sitting in their pockets, available whenever they want it. What they can’t download is the feeling of being in a room with other people, experiencing music together.
That’s what live entertainment delivers. It’s physical. Emotional. Immediate. Audiences want to feel something. And if you can create that experience, you’ve got something worth selling.
This is also why so many original artists supplement their careers by performing covers. Cover music has an established commercial market because audiences already have an emotional relationship with the songs. They recognise them. They remember where they were when they first heard them. Those songs are part of their personal soundtracks. That familiarity makes the entertainment experience easier to communicate and sell.
It doesn’t mean original music has no commercial future. It means that if you want to earn a living while developing your original material, performing live — including covers where appropriate — can provide a practical financial foundation. You can build your original Music Brand while generating income from a separate live entertainment product.
The two don’t have to compete.
6. Your Brand Gets You Noticed. Your Audience Gets You Taken Seriously.
A&R representatives, publishers, promoters and managers receive enormous volumes of unsolicited material. Most simply don’t have the time to listen to everything. Sending an email with an MP3 attachment and hoping someone discovers you is not a business strategy. You need to give people a reason to pay attention.
That means developing a distinctive Music Brand and communicating it intelligently. Be creative in how you introduce yourself. Understand who you’re approaching and why your music might be relevant to their business. Don’t send the same generic pitch to everyone. More importantly, build evidence that your music has an audience. Your live performances, social media, mailing lists, streaming data, ticket sales and fan engagement all contribute to that evidence. A thousand followers who genuinely engage with your music may be more commercially useful than ten thousand who never buy anything.
When you approach a label, publisher, promoter or investor, you’re in a much stronger position if you can demonstrate that people are already responding to what you’re doing.
Don’t just tell the industry you’ve got something worth selling.
Show them.
7. Be Prepared to Fund Your Own Development
Don’t build your business plan around the assumption that somebody is going to discover you and pay for everything. The days of substantial recording advances being handed out to unproven artists are largely behind us. Advances still exist, but they vary enormously and are generally recoupable against future earnings. Even established artists with successful recording histories can face difficult commercial negotiations. You need to approach your career with the understanding that, particularly in the early stages, you’ll probably be funding much of your own development.
That means establishing a realistic budget for recording, production, branding, marketing, content creation, distribution, live performance and ongoing business administration. It also means being selective. You don’t need to do everything at once. You need to understand which activities will move your business forward and which are simply costing you money.
And you’ll need a thick skin. There will be plenty of unanswered emails, rejected pitches and opportunities that go nowhere. That’s the business. Don’t take it personally, but don’t ignore what the market is telling you either. Learn, adjust and keep improving your offer.
8. Start With the End Goal and Work Backwards
Before you spend another dollar, decide what success actually looks like for you. Do you want to be a professional songwriter? Do you want to record and release your own music? Do you want to tour Australia or internationally? Do you want to make a full-time living from live performance? Do you want to build a catalogue of intellectual property that generates income over time? Or do you simply want to create music, share it with an audience and enjoy the process without the pressure of turning it into a full-time business?
There is no wrong answer. But there is a considerable difference between wanting to make music and wanting to build a music business. Once you know the outcome you’re working towards, you can work backwards and establish the steps required to get there. That becomes your business plan. Your Music Brand gives that plan its identity. Your audience gives it a market. Your products and services give it commercial value. And your systems, financial management and long-term strategy give it a chance of becoming sustainable.
My Recommendation
At this stage, I wouldn’t be spending money chasing labels, managers or promoters. I’d concentrate on getting your music catalogue organised, deciding which commercial pathway you want to pursue and developing a Music Brand that properly represents you and your work.
Then I’d look at how you can begin building an audience, ideally through live performance if that’s something you’re interested in doing. Once you’ve established some traction, you can begin approaching the right people with a professional pitch supported by actual evidence of audience interest.
The music industry is a business. Creativity is what gives you something to offer. Understanding the business is what gives you an opportunity to make a living from it.
So keep it real. Nobody is going to build this for you. You need to know what you want, understand what you’re selling, identify who’s likely to buy it and develop a realistic plan to get there. Then be prepared to do the work. For as long as it takes.
Nichola Burton has spent more than 35 years in the Australian music industry as Co-Founder and CEO of The Pushworth Group, working across artist development, live entertainment, music branding and the business behind the music. She’s seen plenty of great songs, big dreams and expensive lessons. Her philosophy? Talent gets you started. Understanding the business keeps you going. Through Musoverse, Nichola is sharing the industry knowledge, practical tools and commercial know-how that musicians need to build their own Music Brands, make informed decisions and create sustainable careers. Because making music is one thing. Making music your business is another. Copyright 2026
