Are Battle of the Bands Style Competitions still a good way to get into the Music Industry.

These competition style events have been around for decades in various guises but are they still relevant in the modern era as a good way to break into the music industry? Competitions can be found in most countries and formats are broadly similar with differences in scale and size but are they worth considering for an up-and-coming artist.

There can be numerous benefits for up-and-coming artists to enter these competitions but with the easy availability of other channels that enable reach to audiences and industry individuals they should be considered as part of an overall strategy. Competitions should be thoroughly researched to determine if they are a wise use of time and effort by the artists, here are some key considerations for entering a talent competition. 

Exposure and Networking. 
If a competition is well organised with significant promotional backing it up it can help gain good exposure for the competing artists. It’s worth considering what deals the organisers have with media or TV companies and with music festival organisers. Aside from potential exposure to new music fans most competitions actively involve industry professionals who have links for potential recording deals. Competitions also often attract talent scouts and producers who are looking for the next best musical act. 

Prizes and Rewards. 
Although competitions can offer cash prizes of varying amounts sometimes the more attractive prizes can include record deals, studio or production time and even appearances at large music festivals. Aside from the obvious prizes competing artists gain experience in performing live to venue audiences and on broadcast media and this may be the biggest reward of taking part in such a competition. 

Competition. 
The music industry is incredibly competitive with only a tiny minority ever ‘making it’ and earning enough to commit to preforming as a full-time career. When considering entering a competition artists may want to assess the other artists taking part to see what their realistic chances are. If a competition is poorly organised taking part may be less beneficial than giving it a miss. Even winning a competition is no guarantee of future success, it still requires constant work to gain exposure in multiple channels and increasing their networking reach. 

Alternatives. 
Talent competitions may have lost some of their appeal over time, but they can form part of an overall strategy. There is now a plethora of channels that up-and-coming artists have access to like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Spotify which can attract global audiences. Building relationships with successful artists can lead to work as a support act on a tour providing relevant and consistent exposure. Artists should also review what music festivals are doing as most have stages and zones dedicated to unknown up-and-coming artists. These can be accessed by submitting work to curators or using any relationships that their managers have with organisers. 

For festival organisers planning their events using a software management platform like Festival Pro gives them all the functionality they need manage every aspect of their event logistics. The guys who are responsible for this software have been in the front line of event management for many years and the features are built from that experience and are performance artists themselves. The Festival Pro platform is easy to use and has comprehensive features with specific modules for managing artists, contractors, venues/stages, vendors, volunteers, sponsors, guestlists, ticketing, cashless payments and contactless ordering.

Image by RahulPandit via Pixabay

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