Moving to a Major City as a Musician – 3 Things You Need to Know Before Making the Move

If you want to make it big in the music industry, then there’s a chance that you’ll have to move to a big city. You may even have to move out of the country if the demand is elsewhere. However, you can’t just pack up and leave; you need to have a solid plan in place so that you won’t be too disoriented when you get to your new city. You also have to do your research on any city you are thinking of going to so you can make the right move for your career. Here are some of the things you need to know before moving for your music career.

Don’t Get Stuck on One City

One thing you shouldn’t do is just move to a city simply because you assume it’s the place you need to be. If you go where everyone is going, then you will have to deal with a lot more competition. A lot of people will go to a city like LA when they want to start a music career when cities like Austin, Memphis, and Seattle all offer great opportunities as well. So, don’t limit your options and look at the cities that would be best for your genre of music first, and then look at the competition.

Moving Can be a Logistical Nightmare

Another thing you shouldn’t do is underestimate how much of a logistical challenge relocating to another city or country can be. You will have to find a way to move every valuable thing you have with you, and consider either storing, selling, or giving away some of the things you have right now. This is something you will need to pay very special attention to if you have a lot of expensive instruments and equipment.  

One thing you should know, however, is that you also have the option of buying new equipment from your new city instead of carrying everything with you, but you have to be very careful who you buy that equipment from. Before you buy from a supplier, you should ask what they do to insure their shipment. Ask if they use shipping insurance software and what kind of measures they have in place in case your package gets lost.

Buying new equipment could be a good option if your current equipment is getting old but you can still extract some value from it. This way you could sell it, save on transport, and get brand new gear so you can kick start your career in your new city the right way.

Build a Network Before Going

Do not move to a new city without having established relationships there. You should at least try to network with some of the people there through social media before you make a move. We also suggest that you go on non-music business-related sites like City-Data and start asking questions about what it’s like to live in a particular city. You can mention that you’re going there for your music career. There’s a chance that someone who’s in it will give you some pointers.

Moving to a new city for your career is a serious move so take your time and have a solid plan before leaving. Also, know the challenges you’ll have to face once you get there.