Q: I want to break into the music industry either as a singer or as a producer, but I have no idea where to begin. There are so many different labels, venues, and TV shows, I'm not sure how to find the right place to start out. What should I do?

A: The music industry in the United States is a many-headed beast. In today's internet and reality television soaked world, it seems like musicians can come from anywhere and everywhere. Puff Daddy can put together a boy band on Making the Band, while American Idol thrusts regular people into the spotlight, while underground hip-hop artists gain exposure through MySpace. It's very difficult to see through all the media hype if you're a serious artist and want to build a legitimate music career.

While there are more music talent search reality shows on television than ever, the odds of getting onto one of these shows and succeeding are very small. Moreover, the talent is rarely the point, and most of the contests are disposable. Even out of the American Idol winners very few have gone far with their post-show careers. You'll be better off building your music career more traditionally. It can take years, but the most consistent and successful musicians working today put in the time to do it right. You need to polish your skills, write new songs, and start out by doing free shows on open mic nights to get your feet wet. Over time, if people respond well to your music, you'll build up fans and start gaining attention from talent agents and record labels. They can help get you bigger gigs and more publicity. The more venue owners, schedulers, and artists you network with the better. Also, with home computer music tools becoming more and more accessible, you can record or produce your own tracks and post them on the internet. Many new artists and established bands use websites like MySpace and InstantCast to spread the word about their music to new audiences, or people outside their region.

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