There certainly is no dearth of reality shows for wannabe singers - The Voice, The X Factor, American Idol, America’s Got Talent and several other shows. Some of those winners have gone on to do quite well, thank you very much.
But other winners sink like a stone two seconds after the last episode aired on TV.
Even some of the “losers” do quite nicely whereas others really fade off fast.
On the flip side, there are lots of singers who seem to come out of nowhere and suddenly get one hit after another…and never had to have some “celebrity judge” comment on their looks, attire and music choices.
I am not in the market to become a singer - but was wondering, what would be the fastest, easiest route to becoming a solo singing star with a lucrative career?
Reality show, or go it on your own (small clubs and hoping to get “the break”?)
Youtube is becoming a big factor. Look at Justin Bieber. (Sorry, I can’t believe I just said that.)
Get yourself a viral video. It’s better than working all the little clubs in the world. Then work the reality show circuit for added exposure.
Lindsey Stirling is having quite a successful youtube-oriented career. She was a quarter-finalist on America’s Got Talent. She said that she was advised that coming in first was a bad idea because then the producers own your soul for a full year after that. She’s done pretty well for herself aggressively self-promoting and touring and setting up her own record label.
A fantastic film I have to recommend - Twenty Feet from Stardom, which is a documentary about backup singers. Some of these backup singers try for a solo career, only to go bust. Some of them got ripped off in their careers. Some of the stars for whom they sing ponder this very question - ‘What is the difference between stardom and a working career?’
What RealityChuck said: there is no one best way. It’s as much to do with luck as with anything else.
Oooh, I love music documentaries; especially ones about singing. The DVD hasn’t been released yet so it’s not available on Netflix streaming, but I’ll have to remember to check out this YouTube link sometime. Thanks!
“Profi” means professional - as someone who can make a better than decent living, only singing full time. Little stuff like buying a new car when needed, buying a house/condo, health insurance, travel, raising family, etc.
This could be a successful back up singer, I suppose - but I was basically looking for a way for someone who could break into the business and be a fairly well-known performer who could at least tour and get good size theaters and perhaps have a few hit singles…
Not to be too snarky, but as someone who knows several professional musicians socially, I might suggest dropping the word “profi” from your vocabulary.
At one time, a legitimate approach was to form a band, write some really good songs, play as many gigs as you could, and hope to get discovered. Does this still work?