Therefore, you are talented. You have recorded your first few songs. Maybe you have even dropped a music video or two. However, it’s possible that you’re making rookie mistakes that are preventing your career from taking off the way you had hoped, rather than a lack of talent.
Regardless of whether you are performing in Kumasi, Accra, or Volta, these are the top 5 mistakes made by up-and-coming Ghanaian musicians and what you should do instead.
1. Releasing Music Without a Plan
You dropped a banger, but barely anyone heard it. Why? Because just posting a song to YouTube, Audiomack, or any other streaming service isn’t a marketing tactic.
The mistake: Rleleasing a music with no promo, no teaser, no hype.
What to do instead:
- Tease the song weeks in advance
- Creat a content rolllout plan (snippets, behind-the-scene, countdowns)
- Schedule posts across platforms
- Pitch it to music blogs and playlists early
2. Ignoring Visuals and Branding
Your song might slap, but if your artwork is blurry or your Instagram looks like a meme page, people won’t take you seriously.
The mistake: Poor-quality visuals and zero brand identity.
What to do instead:
- Invest in clean cover art and music videos
- Use a consistent style or theme across your platforms
- Treat your artist page like a portfolio, not a dump
- Your looks also matters as much as your lyrics
3. Copying Other Artists
We understand that Black Sherif has a difficult sound. However, replicating someone else’s style in its entirety is the worst thing an aspiring artist can do.
The mistake: No originality. Just chasing trends.
What to do instead:
- Study other artists, but don’t imitate
- Mix influences with your own backgroung and voice
- Find your niche (Afro-trap with Twi? Dancehall in Dagbani?)
Being different is what makes you memorable.
4. Not Treating Music Like a Business
Many talented artists never go far because they treat music like a hobby, not a career.
The error: No budget, no goal, no business mindset.
What to do instead:
- Establish objectives (e.g., 5 performances in 6 months, 10,000 streams in 3 months).
- Monitor your progress using YouTube and Spotify analytics.
- Save and reinvest earnings into studio time, visuals, and promotion
Music is art, but it’s also business
5. Giving Up Too Early
Maybe your first few songs didn’t blow. Perhaps a show was canceled. That’s normal. It took years for most well-known Ghanaian artists to get any recognition. The mistake most of you make is expecting instant success, then quitting when it doesn’t come.
What to do instead:
- Focus on growth, noy just going viral
- Celebrate small wins (1k streams, 100 followers, first radio spin)
- Keep showing up; the consistency is the grind
Nobody becomes a star overnight.
Concluding remarks
Being a successful artist in Ghana takes more than talent. It takes vision, patience, consistency, and strategy. You’ll already be ahead of the majority of players if you can steer clear of these five mistakes.
Stay real. Stay focused. Your time will come.
Do you have any upcoming artists in mind that you think will definitely blow up if he/she avoids these mistakes? List them in the comments.
By: LATEX GH
