Los Angeles is an excellent city to live in, especially if you are an artist, as there are plenty of amazing opportunities. However, many musicians often struggle a lot when they move to this big city. Breaking into any new scene is quite challenging and often intimidating. The following is a few smart tips for any musician seeking to move to LA and have a successful career.

Don’t set unrealistic expectations – A common mistake amongst many musicians when making the move to a bigger city is expecting overnight success. Instead, you should have a long term plan and continue working smart every day till you reach your goal. Even the really successful musicians took some time to really get noticed in LA.

Ensure you have enough savings – It is always good to save some money before moving to a large city since it might take a while to start earning money from paying gigs. Furthermore, you will also need to invest the money in attending shows and events among others. The money will also be important for paying for <a href="http://pitchfork.com/features/article/9894-the-dark-art-of-mastering-music/" target="_blank">mastering</a> services, especially if you want your music to sound professional.

Find your own niche – To succeed in LA and get work quickly, you will need to choose one genre of music and specialize in it. This is not to say that it is bad to have the ability of playing multiple styles, but you need to find what you are strongest in and then target that specific scene.

Adjust your look – Looks do really matter when you are in LA. For example, if you are trying to penetrate the rock scene, there is a way you should be dressing so that people can easily associate you with your exact brand of music. You must look the part if you want to succeed as a musician.