Five Ways To Future-Proof Your Career As An Upcoming Dancehall Reggae Artist

The competitive nature of Jamaica’s entertainment industry has made it difficult for the average upcoming Dancehall Reggae artist to breakthrough without experiencing a few bumps and bruises along the way.  The reason for this is not necessarily due to a lack of talent, but the end result of poor management, lack of personal accountability and failure to take a business approach to entertainment. 

Sadly, there are no guaranteed ways to avoid industry hurdles, but to safeguard yourself from becoming a statistic during your quest to achieve success.  It is recommended that you take a proactive approach with matters concerning your brand, image, social media presence  and finances.

Below you will find a list of five ways to future-proof your career as an upcoming Dancehall Reggae artist. 

Create a meaningful stage name for yourself

If you were to ask the average ‘veteran’ about the origin of their stage names, I can guarantee that it was given to them by either a music producer or childhood friend.  Luckily, some of their names were catchy and marketable, but unfortunately, a selected few had to return to the drawing board years later because it had a negative connotation or simply violated registered trademarks.

Register dedicated email accounts

Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook are three reputable email service providers that you should consider using to host your email accounts.  So to maintain some level of professionalism, it would suggest that you create at least two: one to conduct personal affairs and another to receive booking inquiries. By doing so, you are not only demonstrating that you are serious about your career, but provides the opportunity to build your own list of industry contacts over time.

Claim your social media handles

Once you have successfully created a marketable stage name and professional email accounts, it is important that you secure your handles on social media platforms such as Youtube, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.

Register a Website Domain name

Believe it or not, creating an artist website is not a “thing of the past.” In fact, it is a great way to have ultimate control over your brand, keep your fans informed about upcoming shows, make announcements, connect with fans and sell merchandise.  Domain name registrars such as Godaddy and Namecheap are two of the most common ones that will allow you to register your own .com for less than $20 USD per  year.

Reliable payment options

As an upcoming Dancehall Reggae artist, it would be safe to say that most of your financial transactions will be conducted in person and with cash.  However, in the event a promoter wishes to pay you electronically, having access to payment services such as CashApp and Paypal puts you in a better position to receive payment in a timely fashion.