How to Network: 3 tips for networking in the music industry

/ Music Business, Networking / By

Why is networking so difficult? What is it about others making networking look so smooth and easy? Where the heck can I find people to network with anyway?

There is a particular art to putting yourself out there, and it isn’t something you do once, and boom! You have thousands of friends. Nope, to master networking, you have to go out there, get to networkin’ and figure it out along the way.

Let me give you a few tips to help you gain confidence, wisdom, and maybe a new shirt to help you master your networking skills.

I arranged these tips into 3 easy topics, but remember there is so much more that goes into networking. Let these tips give you a foundation to begin mastering your networking skills.

  • Appearance
  • Location
  • Conversation

What is Networking

 

Before we begin how to network, you need to know what networking is. Many people overthink what networking is and end up bringing a swamp of anxiety into their life.

Google says, “the action or process of interacting with others to exchange information and develop professional or social contacts.” 

so basically…

Aim to make Friends 

 

 

Don’t be embarrassed or annoyed if “making friends” seems like something everyone should know. You will be surprised how many people don’t know how to make healthy relationships; even extroverts struggle in this area. 

Building a relationship with someone can take days, weeks, months, or even years. So keep putting yourself out there, maybe you will find a great mentor to help guide you in your music career. 

 

Appearance

 

First one up! Your appearance, which I broke down into two points, hygiene, and clothes.

Unfortunately, your appearance is the first thing people notice about you. How you present your physical aspect is the first thing that can bring your confidence up or down.

Now I want you to think about this. My goal here is to make you realize that people can tell when

 A) you are someone who takes care of yourself and thus can be reliable with taking care of professional projects and…

B) you are someone who takes the time to look good and thus will take the time to make a project look, sound, and feel amazing. 

Psychology…. ain’t it awesome. On to our 2 points! 

 

Hygiene

 

Don’t smell like a ham sandwich and Cheetos when meeting people. If you like to avoid taking showers, at least take one before meeting people at an event.

I am not giving this tip to just to say it. Hygiene speaks a thousand words! When you smell good, people will like being around you and won’t struggle to talk to you. 

Are you overdue for a haircut? Go get one. Do you tend to have bad breath every time you drink coffee? Start carrying tic tacs or gum with you. Are you are naturally sweaty person, like yours truly? Start bringing a small towel or handkerchief with you. 

Keep yourself clean, and take care of your physical being. It will do wonders with your confidence. 

 

Clothes

 

Now you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on shoes and clothing but spend a bit somewhere to help boost your appearance. If you are going to a formal event where you will meet a recruiter, then buy a dress shirt and tie!

Don’t stop yourself from attending an event if you don’t want to dress up. Put a little effort into making yourself look good; you’ll be surprised at how your attitude and confidence will change. 

Also, remember to make it appropriate for that event. If it’s a nighttime jazz club, don’t be wearing a Speedo or a two-piece bikini. If the event is more of a casual attire, then wear something casual. Capeesh?

If you start seeing improvement in your confidence just by wearing good-looking shoes and using a bar of soap made from cocoa butter, continue to use those small things in your appearance.

 

Location

 

So now that you got yourself a new shirt and a bar of soap, it’s time to get yourself out there and start chatting it up!

 

Where to find networking events

 

The handy dandy Internet is the number one networking tool that will never fail! Googling it up and researching events, shows, conventions, and anything attracting other musicians, audio engineers, songwriters, etc., will help find networking places.

Think of events that pertain to you. For instance, if you are a composer for film and video games, check out game jams, film festivals, Game Developers Conference aka GDC, GameSoundCon, and anything that will attract film or video game people. 

If you are a musician looking for other musicians to form a band, check out web forums, local clubs, and open mic nights at a local coffee shop or bar.

There are so many places to network you can’t say, “It’s hard to get into the industry because I don’t know anyone.” At that point, you are giving excuses; if you like to do that, it will be tremendously hard for you to succeed in anything really. 

 

Here are places that helped me connect with others.

 

Another great way to get yourself out there, get your music heard, and get feedback is to sign up for musical competitions. 

I’m not saying to sign up for every American Idol audition or the Voice competition unless you want to, then by all means. But I mean consider sending your music to local or small competitions. If you don’t win, no harm done, most competitions will give you feedback which is a gold mine! If you do win, great! You’ll be meeting a ton of people, so prepare yourself.

One last thing about location scouting; you can network anywhere! You can network at your local pharmacy, library, birthday party, or even at your friend’s grocery store! I had a buddy of mine who met an artist in the bread aisle at his local Grocery. Who ended up helping him draw his first superhero for his comic.

 

The story went like this: 

Buddy (my friend) Cool Shirt Guy (the artist)

Int. Bread Aisle local Grocery

Buddy, an aspiring comic book writer, searched for his favorite loaf of bread at his local grocery store. 

He sees a man with a cool superhero shirt.

Buddy: “Hey man, cool shirt! Where’d you get it?”

Cool Shirt Guy: “Oh, thanks, man. I drew the art and made it into a t-shirt.”

Buddy: “Oh, sweet! You are an artist! That’s cool. Do you have an Instagram or portfolio of your work? I like to support artists.”

Cool Shirt Guy: “Yeah, let me pop it up on my phone…(pulls out his extremely small phone)…. Here it is.”

Buddy: “Wow, I like your work, man. You specialize in superhero characters?”

Cool Shirt Guy: “Yeah, I am a big comic book fan and love creating characters.”

Buddy: “Dude, how cool. I’m writing a story about a superhero and currently need an artist. Can we exchange contact info so we can talk more?

Cool Shirt Guy: “Yeah! I’m always down for a collaboration.

Buddy: “Awesome. I’ll email you this week.”

And they worked happily forever with comic books.

 The End

Okay. that wasn’t exactly how it went, and I have the worst scriptwriting you’ve seen, but you get the point. You are always networking—one more time. 

You. Are Always. Networking. 

 

Everywhere and anywhere you go, there will be someone already in the industry or on the same journey as you are. So be kind and down-to-earth to everyone because you never know who you’ll meet.

Make Networking Goals

 

When you finally make a list of networking events you want to attend, do your research and make a goal of why you are showing up.

  • Are you there to see the vibe? 
  • Do you want to meet and keep in contact with two people? 
  • Are you looking for a job? 
  • Do you only wish to learn and observe? 

Whatever the reasons, research as much as you can about the event or people you plan to meet.

 

Conversation

 

Here’s the part where many people get all Armageddon in their heads. We start freaking out and doubt our abilities, and imposter syndrome hits us hard!

Look, just be yourself. People want real people to talk to and have a bond with. That may sound cliche, but it’s true. There will always be another chance if it doesn’t go well the first time.

 

Conversation Starters

 

Start by writing down general questions you want someone to ask you.

This should take less than 10mins, so don’t overthink asking the right question. People will know when you are trying too hard or trying to get something out of them; just be fluent and natural when conversing.

Here are a few conversation starters you can take with you or change up to sound more like you. Also, remember to listen and be engaged with the person(s) you are talking with, nothing is worse than being ignored.

  • “What brought you to this event?” – This will bring up branches and branches of other questions you can ask to get to know them. 
  • “Do you know a great place to grab a bite to eat around here?” – A great “awkward moment” question if you have nothing else to discuss. You’ll also learn about the other person’s interests besides music. 
  • “Have you seen that new Avatar movie? … I thought it was pretty good. What did you think about the soundtrack or sound design?” – Getting them talking about a particular genre of music will always get a musician talking. 
  • “I am having trouble finding events for sound designers. Do you know any good conventions or a place where sound designers hang out?” – Simultaneously, making conversation and scouting locations will benefit both of you.

 

CONCLUSION: Aim to make Friends 

 

Networking connects and builds relationships in a big group or one-on-one setting. That’s it. Of course, these connections can help with mentorship, growing your contacts, and even landing you a job/internship.

For instance, when you visit an old friend or go out and talk to a barista, you are building a relationship. You are connecting and getting to know these people, whether on a personal level or not. 

What other networking tips should be on here? Leave a comment down below or email me at vpamela@vivardio.com