# So, Ya Wanna Be A Profi Singer: Reality Show Or Go It Alone For Record Contract? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 14, 2013, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-ya-wanna-be-a-profi-singer-reality-show-or-go-it-alone-for-record-contract/666199 "2013-08-14T07:31:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-ya-wanna-be-a-profi-singer-reality-show-or-go-it-alone-for-record-contract/666199/1 "2013-08-14T07:31:59Z")
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”?) ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-ya-wanna-be-a-profi-singer-reality-show-or-go-it-alone-for-record-contract/666199/2 "2013-08-14T11:12:23Z")
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](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHjpOzsQ9YI) 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. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-ya-wanna-be-a-profi-singer-reality-show-or-go-it-alone-for-record-contract/666199/3 "2013-08-14T12:28:05Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > TI 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? There isn’t one. What works for some fails for others. Great singers get overlooked, while mediocre ones become stars. And vice versa. You may be able to have a career, but making rockstar money is a crapshoot. So the best way to achieve it is work on your craft and don’t worry about being a star. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-ya-wanna-be-a-profi-singer-reality-show-or-go-it-alone-for-record-contract/666199/4 "2013-08-14T12:38:50Z")
A fantastic film I have to recommend - [Twenty Feet from Stardom](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWyUJcA8Zfo), 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?’ ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-ya-wanna-be-a-profi-singer-reality-show-or-go-it-alone-for-record-contract/666199/5 "2013-08-14T14:33:36Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > what would be the fastest, easiest route to becoming a solo singing star with a lucrative career? What RealityChuck said: there is no one best way. It’s as much to do with luck as with anything else. > [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > A fantastic film I have to recommend - [Twenty Feet from Stardom](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWyUJcA8Zfo), which is a documentary about backup singers. 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! ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-ya-wanna-be-a-profi-singer-reality-show-or-go-it-alone-for-record-contract/666199/6 "2013-08-14T18:37:29Z")
What does “Profi” mean? ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-ya-wanna-be-a-profi-singer-reality-show-or-go-it-alone-for-record-contract/666199/7 "2013-08-14T19:29:40Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > What does “Profi” mean? Proficient? Profitable? PROFessIonal? A singer for a [small retailer in Romania](http://www.profi.ro/)? (kids these days and their made up words) ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-ya-wanna-be-a-profi-singer-reality-show-or-go-it-alone-for-record-contract/666199/8 "2013-08-14T19:35:40Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > What does “Profi” mean? “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… ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-ya-wanna-be-a-profi-singer-reality-show-or-go-it-alone-for-record-contract/666199/9 "2013-08-14T23:12:12Z")
Not to be _too_ snarky, but as someone who knows several professional musicians socially, I might suggest dropping the word “profi” from your vocabulary. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-ya-wanna-be-a-profi-singer-reality-show-or-go-it-alone-for-record-contract/666199/10 "2013-08-14T23:23:36Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > “Profi” means professional Then what does “pro” mean? > [@](#): > > 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… 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? ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-ya-wanna-be-a-profi-singer-reality-show-or-go-it-alone-for-record-contract/666199/11 "2013-08-15T07:12:20Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Then what does “pro” mean? Prostitute. As in the “pro golf tour”. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-ya-wanna-be-a-profi-singer-reality-show-or-go-it-alone-for-record-contract/666199/12 "2013-08-15T13:50:30Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > 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? Sure. But there are other outlets today, too. It still best works if your goal is to make a living at it instead of getting rich doing it.