Everyone who’s ever worked in music has dreamed of stardom. From medieval minstrels hoping to catch a Duke’s ear, to folks posting YouTube music videos online while Tweeting at producers: Everyone wants to achieve fame, but in the meantime, we’re still having to work day-to-day!

Learning how to sell music is tough, but you gotta do it if you hope to succeed. And it’s all about catching people’s ears with a new hook; finding that next catchy tune; mixing that next beat that finds its way into the clubs. You gotta have original tunes if you want tunes that’ll sell!

Of course, knowing that original tunes are the key to how to sell music doesn’t really help much. That creative spark is what we all want. So, we wanted to put together a few tips for how to find inspiration, and create those new tunes you need!

How To Sell Music: The Art Of The Tune

Here are four simple tips for discovering great new material. It’s all about seizing opportunities when they happen, and finding ways to collaborate with your inspirations to find something original!

1. Always Keep Something Around To Hum Into

In Ye Olden Days, musicians had to deal with bulky recording equipment. Today, anyone’s smartphone or music player likely has a microphone built in. Use it! Like a writer and his notepad, pull out your phone and give a hum into it whenever inspiration hits.

Maybe you’ll be able to do something with it later in the day, or maybe you’ll just build up a collection of ideas waiting to be expanded on. Either way, it’s a great way to capture an idea when it hits.

2. Listen To Your Environment

Music really is all around us, and we can find it anywhere. When you find yourself having a quiet moment, like sitting at a cafe, just close your eyes and listen. As was once said: Listen to the music, not the words.

Everyday street noise builds rhythms. The up-and-down inflections in two lovers’ conversation can be a melody. Hey, Pink Floyd even once tried to record an album built of nothing but noises from around the house. But you don’t have to be cosmic about listening to the music of the Earth; just close your eyes and let your mind wander a bit while you hear your surroundings.

3. Noodle On V-Instruments

Another great thing about having a smartphone or tablet: They are absolutely full of free, or extremely inexpensive, virtual instruments. No matter what your focus is in music, you only have more to gain from learning about other instruments and musical styles.

So go download a few apps and experiment! Pull out your music player and tap out a few beats, or play with a virtual guitar, while you’re waiting around. Explore the possibilities of virtual music!

4. Study The Greats

Every genre has ’em: the giants that everyone looks up to. Whether your musical idols are named Mozart and Beethoven, Peart and Portnoy, or Jagger and Bowie, every kind of music has folks at the top that people respect.

Don’t just look up to them; study them! Watch videos of them live; look at how they perform. Jam along with them when songs play. Can you come up with counterpoints or rhythms that come out of their work? Often, you can discover incredible new material just by jamming with the greats when you get a chance.

Finding how to sell music isn’t easy, but with some great tunes at your back, your musical dreams can still happen!