If you have started making music that you feel has potential, you may already be thinking about how to make it heard. In the world of online music, it’s your mission to be heard. And as you are an attacking side, it’s you who needs to care about your promotion. Here are the 5 steps you should follow to get connected to your audience.
No One Needs Your Music… Until They Hear It
Be assertive! No: rather be aggressive! It takes some courage to tell the world that you exist, let alone deliver the message you put into your music. Maybe you will not be rated like you think you deserve. But how can you tell if no one has heard it? Don’t restrict yourself: step up and show it. As for the level of provocation in it, you define it according to your style and personality.
Stay Online and Use It
Being a musician in the XXI century means being online. Especially in the pandemic world. It’s not enough to have your tracks on Spotify or Pandora. Stream your jams, warmups, and rehearsals. Answer questions. Interview your fans yourself. Be present at any social media: YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, wherever you may find your audience. Again, priorities depend on your style and message.
Be Thankful to Those Who Help You
Soft skills are necessary for a musician like for anyone. You will meet lots of people on your way. DJ’s ready to play your tracks. Promoters and art directors willing to make your gigs. OST producers who consider your song good for shows or movies. Festival makers. Just fans who share your music around. All of them deserve good feedback. An invitation, a comment on Facebook, or earlier access to new tracks will make them happy and willing to help you again.
Listen to Others, But Follow Your Heart
To avoid copying stalwarts of your genre, you can listen to musicians outside your genre; to make sure your influences go beyond its roots. At the same time, you should not try to copy anyone (even if it’s creative copying, transposing ideas to a different style). The best tuner you have is your heart. If what you make evokes emotions in you, if it’s the music you’d like to listen to, then you’re on the right track.
Search. Create. Act.
It’s an attractive picture of a musical genius sitting and waiting for inspiration to come. And yet terribly erroneous. Waiting will get you nowhere; only established stars can afford to tease the public this way. If you are at the beginning of the road, you need to work hard and do more.
Rehearsals? Necessary. Mixing and mastering? Perfect your technique if you do it yourself. Singing? Rehearse. Never stay idle. When the idea comes, it won’t catch you by surprise. You’ll be the one who catches it, writes down, performs, and records. No need to wait for inspiration: just work to make it come.