How To Start A Successful Music Career In Ghana

You will agree with me that many young people today both male and female want to go into the music industry in Ghana. So, if you fall under this category, we’ll show you how to start a successful music career in Ghana.

The Ghana music industry is evolving and in competition with that of other countries in Africa like Nigeria, South Africa and the rest. So, if you want to be successful in the entertainment industry, we’ll show you all you need to make it.

Who Is A Musician?

According to the context of this article, a musician is a person who sings and/or plays a musical instrument as a profession. Having said that, in the Ghana music industry, success, in this case, means fame and wealth.

The number of people venturing into the music industry is high. However, each of them has its own uniqueness. However, not all of them can become successful. This may not necessarily be because they cannot sing but because of other relevant factors.

However, that does not mean you cannot make an instant hit in the music industry. So, we’ll be taking you through all the strategies to start a successful music career in Ghana.

How To Start A Successful Music Career In Ghana

1. Create A Brand

The first thing that you need to start a music career is to know how to sing. You must have appealing content. Not only should you know how to sing, but you must also be a good listener.

You must also learn the art of branding. From the moment you begin to record music to sell to an audience, you must understand that you have ceased to be just a person.

The audience sees you as a brand and all your work as a product. As such you must consistently build a brand identity and image that fits the brand of music you make and how you want to be perceived as an artist.

In fact, your audience should be able to distinguish your brand from a pool of other artists.

2. Have A Source of Funding

This is where some musicians get it all wrong. They don’t have any funding package and as such, it takes longer before their vision materializes.

In fact, I will recommend you get a job so that you can foot your bills and even push your music. It is better to have an alternative source of income to accommodate and compensate you for any losses you make in your drive to become a successful musician.

To this end, the need to first get an education and a degree that is useful to you. Don’t relegate education for music on the grounds that some other musician did it and made it, you are not that person, so there is no guarantee that you will make it.

Get a job so when you need to record songs and pay for studio time, the whole neighborhood won’t have to organize a crowdfunding project on your behalf. Nothing reeks of discipline like independence.

3. Record A Hit Track

With your understanding of the Ghanaian music industry, you should be able to record hit songs. In fact, you’ll sell faster if your song becomes so popular in Ghana and spread to other countries like Nigeria.

In fact, if you want to break into the industry opt for hip hop, afro beats, dancehall, and so on. Don’t do a genre of music that is not making waves in Ghana. So, get to work in that area and ensure you give Ghanaians a danceable tune.

Having a decent and catchy lyrics is a plus, however, in today music, it is valued less in comparison to groovy instrumentals. You may also want to carve your lyrics around usual themes such as love/lust, passion, money, party, beef, life story, etc.

4. Get Interviewed

Once your song has hit the market and is being aired in major radio stations and other platforms, then you need to grant interviews. People connect with the music more when they connect with the artiste.

Interviews provide a platform to tell your story and endear yourself to fans and anyone who cares enough to listen, watch or read. Grab every opportunity for an interview by the horns. It’s not enough to just tell your name and how you started singing in Nursery One.

Tell the interviewer about the times you spent hustling. Every interview counts. Open yourself up to the audience and they will open up to you.

5. Collaborate With Other Artistes

As an upcoming artiste with at least one hit song, it is important to jump on as many songs as you can. Every artist has a fan base that you can borrow from and working with them introduces your sound to a new set of audience.

It also pushes your creativity and helps your development as an artist. Still, you have to be careful; some collaborations will do more harm than good and you must avoid them as much as possible. In every other case, bless the song with a hook or a verse and spread your reach.

6. Sign With A Record Label

Signing with a record label would be a serious boost to your music career. Record labels help manage and set you up for opportunities that you alone wouldn’t have been able to discover or create.

But to achieve this, you must have started out already, and the more talented you are, the more likely a reputable label will sign you.

7. Get Controversial

The entertainment industry thrives most on controversies. So to grow your fan base or get more famous, you can get a little bit controversial.

Some musicians are widely known today because of one beef or another or what they said or wore; the catch is to do something that triggers widespread commentary.

You may decide to yap a fellow artist in your song which is likely to incite a war of words between you two in subsequent record releases. You may even decide to dress weird to an event, rest assured it will spur discussions on various media.