Aspiring musicians have a lot of options as far as where they can live, but the idea is to live in a place with a vibrant and visible musical industry. When you’re heard, you can maximize your potential and make a living at it. If you get discovered by the right label, you could one day be a star.

Image via Flickr by Elvert Barnes

Chicago, Ill.

One of the reasons that apartments for rent in Chicago go for such a premium is because the area is in such high demand. If you’re a professional, this is a great place to try to “make it.” With the entire midwest available within a day’s drive, you can do a lot of touring without having to abandon your home base for a long time. You also have a host of different musical styles around that you can tap into.

London, England

London has a robust music scene, as well as a long history of producing musicians of the highest quality. Of course, the music scene is so established that breaking into it is tough. Finding a venue isn’t too hard, but to find one where you can get noticed is a true challenge. If you’re hungry to find a great place to perform and are willing to work hard at it, this is an awesome place to grow your early career.

Nashville, Tenn

Nashville is one of the great musical meccas of the world. With bluegrass and other styles of country forming a nexus here, this is an amazingly inspiring place if you want to perform in this genre. Do you want to walk in the footsteps of someone great, and in so doing become great yourself? You have decades of performers to inspire you and a long tradition to become a part of here.

Los Angeles, Calif.

Los Angeles is a huge economy with a strong basis in the entertainment industry. When you get into this scene, be ready for a level of competition that you won’t find in London or Nashville because of the sheer number of people wanting to succeed. Granted, success in this area isn’t easy and is never guaranteed. But with so many record labels being based in or near this area, you’ll have a hard road trying to get to the top.

Brooklyn, N.Y.

Brooklyn  is a bit like Manhattan in that there is a robust music scene, but there are definitely differences aplenty. For one thing, Brooklyn is a good deal cheaper to live in. For another, Manhattan carries a higher concentration of orchestral music, with so many symphonic groups being based in the city.

Brooklyn has its own unique vibe, though, and the two boroughs aren’t mutually exclusive. A short train ride is all that keeps you from performing in both, which makes this a doubly great place to explore your career options.

There are many great cities for growing your music career. The above are just some of the best.