5 Proven Ways to Stand Out as an Independent Musician

First things first: release good music, and put even more time and money into making each song better than the last.

If your music isn't good enough yet, skip this article and go work on that!

If your music meets industry standards and could make Olivia Rodrigo a little nervous, there's no reason this can't be your breakthrough year. Here are 5 proven ways to stand out in a crowded industry.

1. Find your unfair advantage

Success doesn't always come from working harder. A lot of the time, what you need is to use your talent and your luck.

That's your unfair advantage. It can be having more money, being smarter, living in a better place, having a good education or having more connections. Focus on what you have that others don't, and use it to stand out. The key word is leverage.

You're already better at something than most musicians. Use it.

Billie Eilish is a good example. Her brother, FINNEAS, wrote, recorded and produced most of her songs with her, and together they built a hit machine and a pop star. Billie had all the talent it takes, but without her brother's talent next to hers, I'm sure she wouldn't be where she is today.

2. Think outside the box

You need to be more original with your music and your content than other musicians.

I keep hearing people say you should choose quantity over quality. There's some truth to that. When you focus on quantity, you might grow faster, but people will leave as soon as they realize your music and content are average and there's nothing new about them.

The songs that stand out to me the most blend two or more genres into one. And a lot of the content ideas I share went viral because they had one "outside the box" element.

3. Be yourself, all the way

People like it when you're honest and open with them. They don't like it when you pretend to be someone you're not.

Share more about your personal life and how you make your music. People who don't like who you are might stop following you, and that's okay. It's better to let the haters go and keep the true fans around. Being honest can be a huge strength.

My favorite example is one of my favorite singers, Clairo, who became popular after a music video she filmed in her bedroom went viral. Another artist I like, Audrey Mika, often films herself eating food alone.

Music videos and content with fancy gear, dancers and heavy editing can push your audience away, because so many people make them that they start to feel fake.

If you feel confident enough to let your audience into your private and messy bedroom, that's a great way to stand out. Keep your chin up and ignore the haters.

4. Combine your skills

A monkey is okay. A unicycle is cool. A monkey on a unicycle? That's awesome (unless it's AI).

You're an artist, and you have skills most people don't. Maybe you're good at acting, dancing, photography or filmmaking. Combine a few of them, and you become so unique that nobody can ignore you.

If you're good at acting, act out your lyrics. If you're a good dancer, make a dance routine for your song. If you're good at filmmaking, make amazing music videos.

A lot of singers also became famous as actors, like Ariana Grande, Donald Glover, Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez. And independent musicians like Elise Ecklund and Daniel Thrasher are great content creators and actors too.

Don't be a monkey. There are enough monkeys in this world. Be a monkey on a unicycle.

5. Collaborate more

You can't be the best at everything. But what if you're the best at songwriting, and you work with someone who's the best at singing? What would happen if you made a song together?

Charlie Puth, Halsey, Dua Lipa and SZA all got massive career boosts from great collaborations.

What if your mission this year was to make a song with the best songwriter, the best producer, the best singer and the best content creator you can find? What if you spent more time sending emails and DMs to potential collaborators?

Pick your way and go all in

Each of these takes a lot of thinking, work and patience. You can go 100% on one, 50% on two, or 20% on each.

But you have to find a way to stand out. There are millions of musicians out there, and music is not enough.

Aim to be more than enough. If it's your dream, go all in, or go out.

And if you're not sure what your unfair advantage is, we can find it together on a coaching call.

A content idea to try: "In your 20s you will..."

This trend kept reaching over a million views on Instagram. It's a good reminder to spend a few minutes each week looking at what the algorithm is pushing. You can spend hours on an idea that goes nowhere while a simple 5-minute trend is right there waiting.

A musician shares a message about their journey in their 20s, over clips from moments in their career.

How to make one:

• Use this text template: "In your [20s/30s/40s/50s] you will [...]. It's so important that you [...]." For example: "In your 30s you will feel like it's too late to start. It's so important that you ignore that voice." Or: "In your 20s someone will ask you to join their band. It's so important that you say yes."
• Find 3 to 5 clips that connect to your message.
• Put the text over your videos, and keep it readable with good contrast.
• Use the trending sound that goes with this format. Search the template on Instagram and you'll find it.

Why it works so well:

• The algorithm already rewards the format, so it helps your content get pushed further.
• It's relatable, because people see themselves in what you say.
• It builds a deeper connection, because your audience gets to know you through the story and the clips you share.