Lately I've been focusing a lot more energy releasing music that's not really geared for the commercial music world. Let me tell you, it's very different. What works well for licensing and publishing does not really translate all that well to the entertainment side of the music business.
I've wrote about the differences between commercial music and entertainment music in this article: Difference Between Commercial Music and Entertainment Music
Although there are many differences between commercial music and entertainment music, there is one very important similarity. You need people listening and giving a shit about the music you are putting out.
I don't think it's much of a secret that there is a ton of music being released every single day and a lot of it goes unheard. I think a lot of musicians hope to release a track; it will spark, hit a nerve, and go viral. Maybe for some that's exactly how it goes down, but that's far from the norm. That release strategy is kind of like saying I'd like to be very successful so I'm going to play the lotto every week till I hit the jackpot.
Getting your music heard is part of the work that goes into being a musician and it's not easy. The problem is there is a perfect storm working against you. Like it or not, you are competing in a saturated market with players that can and will out spend you for plays. That is a reality, but that doesn't mean there is no hope. This is a great time to be in music because you as the musician have all the resources at your fingertips to generate your own buzz, and buzz is what you need to get heard.
Buzz basically boils down to people talking about you, writing about you, following you on social networks, sharing your music, ect. I guess the question that comes up at first is how do you get buzz when no one is paying attention to the music? So before I get into that, I want to make sure to put this out there. Your music can not sound like shit. The quality of your music has got to be there or else nothing else matters. So if your music is solid and you are still not getting buzz the problem is in how you are marketing and promoting.
If all you are doing to market and promote yourself is blasting links and sending some bullshit generic email, then you are not doing it right. From my perspective, I get tons of emails from musicians every week. An amazing amount of them are just links to Soundcloud with a sentence saying something like hey, check out my track. Let me tell you, I will rarely if ever check out that track and I'm sure that is a pretty common sentiment for others as well. Same thing goes for the link spamming nonsense.
What you need to do is add the human touch and bring what makes you unique to the table. Great music is just part of the picture. There is only one of you on this whole planet and that is special. Don't be afraid to be yourself. Either people will like you or they won't but if you're lukewarm people will spit you right out of their mouth. Connect with people in a real way and be generous with the love you share with them.
Start off on a platform like Soundcloud, Reverbnation, Limebooth, YouTube or where ever music is shared and dedicate an hour everyday honestly listening and giving real feedback to other people, and do it without expecting anything in return. Join some of the music groups on Facebook and sincerely get to know other musicians and music fans. Once people get to know you as a person and not just another spam link, they will check out your music and maybe even start to dig it.
Touring is a great way to get heard but not everyone producing music plays live. If you are in that boat, it will be in your best interest to do something in addition to releasing music. Write a blog, create YouTube Videos, Podcast, something. Do something that adds value for someone else and it will help get your music heard.
Thanks for reading. Please feel free to share, like, and comment below.
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