photo credit BC Music 1st
You want the money, money and the cars, cars and the clothes. I suppose you just want to be, you just want to be successful. Well, becoming a successful artist without being famous might not only be the best way to get there, but it could be easier than you think.
Licensing Music
Think about every TV show and movie you’ve watched during the course of the current pandemic. If you’re a gamer, think about the hours you’ve sunk into Red Dead Redemption 2, GTA 5, NBA 2K21, Madden NFL 21, Dragon Ball FighterZ, et al. Every last one of those forms of media are united by the fact that they have music. Not a single show, movie, or game can exist without music and there’s no reason why you can’t provide that music. Although we now know the names Lupe Fiasco, Ludacris, and others who have seen huge cross-over success after being featured in NBA Live and Madden respectively, you may be less likely to know Nobuo Uematsu or John Williams especially if you saw them in person. Using sites like MusicXray.com and MusicGorrilla.com allow you to submit to people looking for YOUR music for their next project. Just think, the next time you watch that next Nexflix original, you could hear yourself and cash in without ever having to show your face.
Song Writing
Before rocking that thing, the Dream was a Grammy award-winning songwriter for Beyoncé, Rhianna, Brittney Spears, and more. Before courting independent women, Ne-yo had his debut album delayed and later shelved for 6 years. Not until he gained notoriety as a songwriter for the likes of Mary J. Blige, Musiq Soulchild, Faith Evans, and others did he find himself sitting with L.A. Reid and getting a contract from Jay-Z. If you want to be a successful artist without being famous, being the man/woman behind the curtain is a tried and true way to do it. Though the previous two examples later stepped into the spotlight on their own, many of the lyrics behind some of your favorite artists never do. Most infamously, ghostwriters for hip hop artists typically remain unknown until there is an issue with money behind the scenes, but can still be quite monetarily beneficial. Another lesser considered bonus is the possibility of international work. Many labels and artists look to break into different markets and having songwriters who are native speakers of the target market are highly sought after. Imagine co-writing for an up-coming Jrock group or your favorite Kpop group. Songwriting can get you there.
Voice-Acting
Admittedly, this is a bit off the beaten path, however, consider this; if people are willing to pay to hear your voice rapping or singing, would they not enjoy it just as much when speaking? Also, consider Disney/Pixar/Dreamworks animated movies that feature the catchiest of songs made to sell everything from blu rays to figures. Why can’t you be that voice? Now that you have the vision, tell me this...who is the voice of Elsa? Exactly. Idina Menzel could walk right past you and unless you’re a big theater fan, you probably wouldn’t know it was her. This isn’t an indictment against her or her talent but stands as another path for those who want to be a successful artist without being so famous you can’t go to the local grocery store.
For more alternative paths for artists, tune into my blog and share with anyone you think might benefit from a different perspective.