Hello, fellow music lover. You’re reading these lines right now because we share a similar interest; similar passion or a similar desire. We share a love for music. If I’m wrong, I’m not sure what your reason(s) are for reading this book, but I hope we at least share a love for music. Music is a divine, universal language. You’re reading this because you’ve taken a step past music appreciation, and delved into the world of music creation. Expressing your personal life story, your desires, your goals in the form of a song is something like magic, isn’t it?! You’re like an experienced wizard (I’m assuming you have at least a few finished songs in your catalog, if not, What have you been doing. You’re packing a lot of power in the form of art right now.
Have you ever pictured your music going viral? Have you ever imagined a world where you released a song and woke up the next day to tons of notifications from people loving it? Have you ever imagined being interviewed on radio shows, contacted for gigs, and offered paid opportunities in your career? It does happen for some. What’s stopping this type of success from happening for you? I’m sure you’ve been making music for a while. It’s become a part of who you are. A part of your identity. When will it be your time to get the shine and exposure you deserve from it?
You’ve tried a few tactics before. Think ‘em over. Maybe you found a Facebook group where people post music and you’ve added yours in hopes of being seen. Maybe you’ve sent music to a few people you know through connections that have claimed to be able to get you heard by important people in the industry. Maybe you tweet your songs to strangers every week in hopes that someone will love your latest song, although they don’t know you. You’ve tried a few ideas, but nothing is getting your music the results you really need. Not enough people click your links. No one is paying enough attention to your art.
My name is Yona and I’ve been making music for over 10 years. Musical talent runs in my family; I’ve been surrounded by it for so long that it become something like my first love. A few years back, just like you, I didn’t have enough of the answers. I had passion, I had creativity, and I was even consistent in my music efforts, with almost 100 songs in my back catalog.
I also had people yelling at me on Twitter, like “GUESS WHAT, NO ONE CARES ABOUT YOUR SONG, I’M BLOCKING YOU!”. Look, I was determined, okay?! I was one of those people on Twitter, popping up in everyone’s mentions, like “Hey, check out my song.” “Hey, I have a new track, plsssss listen!?!” “HEY, CAN YOU DO ME A FAVOR!?” Yes, I was a bit annoying. But I was passionate, you see. I had so many songs to share. I had collaborated with so many people in my area. I had ‘connections’ and high hopes. My family, coworkers’, my babysitter’s neighbor knew Chris Brown, so I had a way to submit songs directly to Chris Brown, in my head. The producers I worked with had ties to some A&R at Atlantic Records and all we had to do was pass it along and we’d get our feet in the door, according to them. And I believed, and believed, and believed, and I was naive. I was getting more experience in my craft, thankfully, but I felt like I was just running in circles.
I was in college at the time, studying as a Vocal Performance major. It was a great experience to learn about singing, but we were all just singing to each other and planning future auditions to grad school with foggy hopes of making it big somehow, somewhere. There was no solid groundwork for the process of how. I decided to switch my major to Music Business with a concentration in marketing. I had studied music performance and music theory throughout my entire youth and figured it was time to study the hidden magic that makes it all work in a real-life setting.
The information was pretty great, but it was also dated as hell. It covered little to no info about the new wave of music streaming, music apps or the Indie artist boom of the digital era. Some books were still mentioning vinyl as a main channel of music consumption. I was happy for history info, but I was tired, bored, and still lost on how to get more people onto my Bandcamp page. It might have even been my Myspace page depending on what year we’re talking. I needed to know all about music business post-year 2000, with information on how to market online, so I nerded out over the subsequent years and researched my hands off until I found the answers. I found so many answers. Some answers took a while to dig up, while some where right in my face, making me feel a bit slow.
Some answers in the music industry world are even still, a bit rocky. Want to know why? Well, the whole music industry is flipped on it ass. Really. Labels are going bankrupt. Streaming apps like Spotify and Pandora have yet to make a net profit, but technology has allotted millions of Indie artists the ability to create music in hopes of being discovered online. It’s a mess, really. Don’t feel bad if you’re lost. The only reason you should feel bad is if you’d like to stay lost. In the midst of all the confusion, there are a few artists and musicians who spend a little extra time on their vision and release magic that actually gets noticed.
For a successful vision to become reality, you need to have the right information.
The more of the right information I retained as a music maker, the better my music started to sound. The smarter I worked. The further my music reach got. The more I started getting paid. Fans were popping up from across the globe, telling me how my musical creations actually brightened their days. People were contacting me for interviews and performances. Retailers were using my music in advertisements. I remember the first royalty check I received from Pandora spins. I felt like my own mini label. I truly felt like a business. Like a brand.
In this day and age, that’s what you and your music need to be. And to become a successful brand and business, you must first learn the business! With the help of a muisc company by the name of Push Power Promo, I’ve been able to research and develop an awesome DIY music promotion and PR schedule for myself. Push Power Promo can help you too! Boost your knowledge and reach with me today. Start promoting your music here for free.
No comments:
Post a Comment