Following Your Artist Dream: Don't Quit Your Job Yet!

What I Wish I Knew Before Trying To Go “Full-Time Artist” - A Short Guide for New Independent Musicians

A lot of artists dream about quitting their job and going all-in on music. I did it too. And while I don’t regret it , I learned more than I ever expected, I also made mistakes that made the journey way harder than it needed to be.

If you’re just starting out as an independent artist and trying to figure out how to navigate the industry, here are the lessons I wish someone had given me on day one.

1. Don’t Rush Into Making Music Your Only Income

When I started earning money from streams, I quit everything instantly. It felt like freedom, until it didn’t. My business wasn’t stable. My income depended on playlists, algorithms, and trends I didn’t control.

If you’re just starting out, keep a job a little longer than your pride wants you to. Use that income as a safety net so you can make creative decisions without panicking about rent.

Your art is better when it doesn’t have to pay your bills immediately.

2. Build a Real Foundation Before You Build a Lifestyle

When money first comes in, it’s easy to think it’ll always be like that. But if you spend everything you earn, you can’t reinvest in better music, better tools, marketing, or growth.

If you treat your music like a business from the start, even while working a job, you’ll grow faster, with way less stress.

3. Don’t Create Just for Numbers

When my music started streaming well, I got hooked on the dopamine. I stopped creating from passion and started creating to “get” playlists.

That’s the quickest way to lose your spark.

Yes, learn the business. Yes, understand strategy. But don’t let the numbers take over your identity. Your creativity is an asset , don’t burn it out trying to feed an algorithm.

4. Document Your Journey, Especially When You’re Small

This is one of the biggest things I’d do differently.Don’t wait until you’re “successful” to show the world what you’re doing. Document how you work, what you’re learning, the mistakes, the process, the experiments, everything.

People don’t connect with perfect. They connect with the climb.

Start documenting now, before you feel ready. It’s the most powerful way to build an audience that actually cares.

5. Build Skills, Not Just Songs

If you’re an independent artist, you’re not just an artist, you’re a brand, a marketer, a manager, a storyteller, a strategist.

You don’t need to be perfect at everything, but you do need to understand the basics:

• How to release music

• How to pitch

• How to market

• How to build a story around your art

Every skill you learn makes you less dependent on luck and more in control of your future.

6. Keep Your Life Simple While You Build

If your lifestyle depends on your next release doing well, you’ll rush the creative process and stress yourself into mediocre work.I lived like that for years, and it drained my creativity.

Keep expenses low. Keep expectations low. Keep your head clear.Give yourself space to make great music, not desperate music.

7. Don’t Do This Alone, Build Community

Your network will take you further than any playlist ever will.Collaborate, meet other artists, join sessions, talk to people online, learn from others, share ideas.

You don’t need industry connections — you need a community of people on the same path.

That’s where opportunities come from.

Final Thoughts

I’m not telling you not to chase your dream. I’m telling you to build it the smart way, the stable way, the long-term way, so you don’t lose your passion halfway through the journey.

If you stay focused on growth, document your process, and keep your life simple while you build your foundation, you can create a career that’s actually independent, one you control, one you’re proud of, and one that lasts.

And if you’re at the beginning: you’re not behind. You’re right on time.Just start where you are, learn as you go, and keep showing up.