5 Key Phases of Artist Development to Build a Strong Music Career

This post helps you get started, but that’s only the beginning. My Step Up to the Spotlight Artist Development Program will take you step-by-step through the artist development process to build your artistry and career. This is the same process I’ve used to help my clients win Grammy Awards, get featured in Rolling Stone, secure major licensing deals, get signed to management and labels, and live the dream. What would it feel like to be regularly performing to thousands of people singing the words to your songs and supporting your career by the end of this year? Grab a seat in my Step Up Program and find out how.

Click here to get my Step up to the Spotlight 6 Week Kickstart Artist Development Program

5 Key Phases of Artist Development to Build a Strong Music Career

Artist Development is the process an artist goes through to develop and hone their artistic talent (voice, songwriting, performing, musicianship) to step into their full potential as an artist.?

Labels typically would sign an artist as early as 10 or 11 years old (some Disney kids started even earlier – Justin Bieber, Christina Aguilera, Ariana Grande). These kids didn’t just pop up out of nowhere with that kind of talent.?

In today’s blog, I’ll lay out the stages and phases of what goes into artist development on a professional level and end with an outline of what an “Artist Development Deal” would look like from the industry perspective.?

While the industry transitions with so many indie artists in the marketplace it has made artist development almost obsolete and independent artists will find themself on their own with building their image and sound to getting their music out and up and running in the business.??

Artists are still being signed young and developed by the big labels, but as we heard from Chappell Roan at the 2025 Grammy’s, it’s not without its flaws and ultimate lack of support.?

Chappell Roan’s Grammy speech:

“I told myself if I ever won a Grammy and I got to stand up here in front of the most powerful people in music, I would demand that labels in the industry profiting millions of dollars off of artists offer a livable wage and healthcare, especially to developing artists. Because I got signed so young — I got signed as a minor — and when I got dropped, I had zero job experience under my belt and, like most people, I had a difficult time finding a job in a pandemic and could not afford health insurance.

It was so devastating to feel so committed to my art and feel so betrayed by the system and so dehumanized to not have health [care]. If my label would have prioritized artists’ health, I could have been provided care by a company I was giving everything to. So record labels need to treat their artists as valuable employees with a livable wage and health insurance and protection. Labels, we got you, but do you got us?”

There was a lot of push back from the industry, but I will say from my experience on the artist side as a mentor and artist developer I was surprised to find a lack of support for developing artists in the industry. And often, not a care at all for their voices or their mental health. I had a famous singer who was signed to Def Jam in my studio one day who told me that she had to pay for voice lessons herself and that her label didn’t care at all about her vocal health and longevity.?

However you cut it, artist development is a process and an art and every artist should have the opportunity to be developed. It’s where the gold is.?

An artist development plan is a multi-faceted process, covering years of development. From building musicianship, an image and brand, to songwriting, voice training, performance coaching, and? to developing the sound and direction, while also developing a strong stage show and performance skills. This step-by-step process is the very best way of turning musical talent into a successful career and even a profitable business.?

Let’s dive in.

Phase 1: Artistic Development: Honing the Artistic Talent, Preparations for the Making of a Star?

This Phase is an important part of the foundation but is also revisited with each album giving the artist an opportunity to level up their talent with each new project.

• Vocal Technique training to build the vocal instrument to its fullest potential. Singers start as early as 7 years old training their voices with technique to build a healthy vocal foundation and develop the vocal qualities needed for professional singing. That said, it’s not necessary to start that young to build a world-class voice. I started voice lessons at 19 years old after singing casually at coffee shops and farmers markets.
• Song Repertoire development to build out a catalog of cover songs that suit the singer’s voice. This is important to build vocal skills, and to develop the sound of the singer. Often exploring different genres will help develop the singers musicality as well as give a good sense of the right direction for that singer. In addition, it’s a great way to build a catalog of cover songs for performance and for video on YouTube as the singer is developing.
• Musicianship Training: Music theory is an important part of learning the language of music to build a professional career. Basic music theory knowledge empowers the singer early on in reading sheet music and also knowing how chords are built as well as develops knowledge for songwriting development as well as overall musicianship. Instrument: Piano or guitar or both. This is important to be able to accompany oneself and also for songwriting.Ear Training is a vital part of developing the singer’s ear and musicality. Interval training, sight-reading as well as improvisational ability helps evolve the singer’s vocal skills in performance.
• Songwriting Technique and Development: One of the things that takes the longest to develop is songwriting. A sophisticated craft, it’s good to give artists a lot of experience writing early on. There is a saying in the industry “if you want to be a great songwriter, go write songs in Nashville for 10 years and then you’ll be one.” Whether you write country or not, the idea is that in cities like Nashville, New York or LA it is customary for songwriters to write in back to back sessions and writing camps to develop their skills but also to write competitive catalogs. It’s how you get broken in as a real songwriter.

Check out our Signature Songwriting Circle where we elevate your songwriting craft and you have the opportunity to write with our pro writers when you are ready. Click here to learn more about the Signature Songwriting Circle.

Performance Technique and Development

• Open mics
• Songwriter nights
• Local solo + group shows?

For help with artist development many artists start out with our Step Up to the Spotlight Artist Development Program. Click here to learn more.

Phase 2: A&R (Artist & Repertoire): The Development of the Sound, the Themes, The Message, the Wild Card?

The next phase of development is building out the sound and direction of the artist. When this is done well it is a process that identifies and refines the artist’s aesthetic and taste in music as well as pulls from the themes in their lives to build the sound and direction.?

When done poorly it slaps an “idea” on top of the artist not paying attention to their likes or dislikes. A perfect story of the poorly done route led to initial success but didn’t last over time because it wasn’t really authentic to her.?

That artist is Katy Perry. And by the time she finally got signed by Interscope after being signed and dropped three times, she just took the deal. The deal was to record the song “I Kissed a Girl and I Liked It”.? The offer was curated by the industry who had the song and needed a singer to put it out. While it led to massive success if you look carefully at Katy’s career, you can see that she got pigeonholed with that song and Teenage Dream and every time she tried to do something more meaningful like the album “Prism”, it tanked. There is a disconnect between Katy’s authentic self and the projected music icon. This leads to great frustration for the artist who feels homeless artistically and can drive depression and the frustration at never quite landing your true identity as an artist.?

This also happened to KISS, quite by accident. They became famous and known by their makeup and costumes. While fun at first, over time it eroded some of the band members who got tired of the “act”. Paul Stanley tried a solo act without the makeup but it just didn’t fly. So they went back to how they were known.?

The moral of the story is that it is best to do the artist development and A&R work ahead of time to really know who you are so you can build a long lasting career that is as aesthetically pleasing to you as it is your audience!?

You can experience our customized curated A&R Process developed by Cari inside her A&R Private Session or our Signature Songwriting Circle where we walk you through this process in a group setting.?Click here to learn more about the Signature Songwriting Circle.

To get a private A&R Session with Cari Cole where you’ll get a fully developed sound and direction as well as customized song concepts that fit you, click here to learn more.

Phase 3: Branding: Creating the Artist’s Visual Story, Image and Branding?

Some people in the industry say that branding is 80% of the success of an act. Whether or not that is statistically accurate in all cases, it makes the point that it plays a vital role in the ultimate success of an artist. Branding is what helps an artist stand out from other artists in their genre and helps convey the personality and spirit of the brand with more effectiveness.

As in all marketing, the perception of the brand says it all in a way that connects, or not.?

Try this:?

• Research other artists’ brands.
• Collect images and websites you like.
• Pick your color palette
• Pick a font for your name and logo
• Build an image that “looks like the music sounds.”?

Learn more about building the 22 Essentials of a Magnetic Music Brand inside Module 3 of my Step Up to the Spotlight Artist Development Program. Click here to learn more.?

Phase 4: Test Marketing: Taking the Project to the Street, Getting Feedback

Often during this phase, the artist starts performing and putting music out and test marketing starts taking place. How well will a song do? The artist is evaluated by the metrics and success of the project in engaging with fans.? This phase is about building the right marketing strategy to reach the right audience and place the artist at strategic places in the industry like SXSW and other conferences like Midem and festivals that lead to bigger bookings. If signed to a label they will be test marketed by opening up for bigger artists on the label.?

This phase is when management plays a big role in developing the artist’s career from the bones to getting them exposure as well as getting them set up in business to collect all revenue streams. This is a critical phase in a career that requires strategy and know how to take an artist to the next level in building a sustainable business and career.?

If you are here, we recommend Emily White’s book, How to Build a Sustainable Music Career and Collect All Revenue Streams. Click here to learn more.

Phase 5: Career Development + Management: Securing the Success of the Artist in the Marketplace?

If you make it to this phase, you know have either built your own team like James Blake (read his recent post about how he did it), or you are signed to a label.?

This phase is about securing the longevity of the artist’s career. Traditionally revenue is built from touring and merchandise. But artists today have other opportunities to build revenue with sync licensing, brand collaborations and developing other product lines or projects like books, artwork, or public speaking among others.

• Building Revenue
• Building Tours
• Brand Collaborations
• Building Great
• Merchandise
• Radio
• Sync Licensing
• Product lines
• Other projects like Kids Music, Spa Music or Books and Public Speaking – cultivating other interests of the artist

The 11 Pillars of Artist Development Every Emerging Music Artist Should Know

The “Artist Development Deal”

An artist development deal, also known as a demo deal, is a contract between a record label or music publisher and a recording artist that aims to develop the artist’s skills and public profile. In exchange for development support, the label or publisher receives rights to future high royalties or other desirable rights. These deals are often non-binding, meaning either party can leave if they are not satisfied, and typically do not include an advance payment.

The development company invests in various aspects of the artist’s career, such as creating master recordings, promoting live performances, managing publishing administration, and producing merchandise and other products. After the contract ends, the development company continues to participate in the income generated by the artist.

Artist development deals can vary widely, from mutually beneficial and artist-friendly arrangements to more exploitative ones. They often involve significant cuts of the artist’s revenue streams, including live and publishing revenues, and may include sunset periods where the developer continues to earn a percentage of the artist’s earnings for a set number of years after the initial term.

For example, a developer might invest in an artist for three years and receive 15% of all revenues generated during that term, and 10% of all revenues earned over the 10 years following the term.

It is important for artists to carefully consider the terms of these deals, as they can significantly impact the artist’s future earnings and career development.

JOIN OUR WEDNESDAY LIVESTREAM with Cari Cole: JOIN ME EVERY WEDNESDAY AT 12 pm Eastern for my Weekly Livestream: Join me on YouTube (and Instagram, Facebook) – where I discuss the Blog of the Week followed by a short Q&A where you can ask me questions.?

This post helps you get started, but that’s only the beginning. My Step Up to the Spotlight Artist Development Program will take you step-by-step through the artist development process to build your artistry and career. This is the same process I’ve used to help my clients win Grammy Awards, get featured in Rolling Stone, secure major licensing deals, get signed to management and labels, and live the dream. What would it feel like to be regularly performing to thousands of people singing the words to your songs and supporting your career by the end of this year? Grab a seat in my Step Up Program and find out how.