by Jnmarseille13 (March 20th, 2024)
by Jnmarseille13 (March 20th, 2024)
You have just finished making a beautiful album. You spent hours composing it, you recorded it, had it mixed and mastered. You showed it to a few people and got really great constructive feedback. Now you know you’re ready to show it to the world. You distribute it to all streaming platforms and you wait for people to come listen. And then…
How disappointing. You open Spotify for Artists 2 weeks later and see that you only had 8 listens, not even on all tracks. Probably from your siblings and a few friends. And then you come across an article online and realize that being an artist in the digital era requires much more than just making good music.
Let’s go over 4 pieces of advice you need to know before releasing your next (or first project).
We are living in an era where the human brain is accustomed to getting any information almost instantly without much effort, and switching from one information to another in a matter of a second. Think about it for a minute. We scroll through one TikTok to another (and a lot of times, we don’t even finish the videos unless it’s really eye-catching). We can switch from one song to another instantly on Spotify.
My point is that those habits have made our attention spans much shorter. So if people don’t want to bother watching a 45 second TikTok completely, why would they listen to your 45 minute album completely, when they know nothing about you? So, I’m not telling you to never release an album or an EP. But it’s a good idea to release several singles all throughout the year before releasing a longer project, because you will have more chances of getting people’s attention on a short project when they don’t know you.
Social media is basically the number 1 spot for you to expose and promote your music. But, when you’re a new artist, you’re going to want to make yourself more interesting and give people a reason to follow you other than music. Do you have a message you want to share with the audience? A style, or visuals that can appeal to a group of people? Something original about yourself?
Whatever it is, use that to your advantage. Attract an audience that corresponds to your ideal fan, make them become loyal fans, and promote your music to them. This requires a study (of your ideal audience and your image) and a solid plan.
Of course, at some point, you might feel overwhelmed with all the tasks you have to complete for your music. Because being an artist nowadays isn’t just about making music. You have to work on your branding, your image, your connections… And you might think that having someone manage all of this for you while you just make the music will help.
But the truth is, whether you have a team, a manager, or no one, you still have to have control over every aspect of your brand. You’re just like an entrepreneur. You have a company, and people working with you to grow your company. But you can’t just close your eyes and let your employees do their thing and stop caring. You have to guide everything that happens!
Streaming platforms have, in some way, killed the record industry (or changed it, depending on the way you want to see it). People don’t buy CDs or vinyls as much as before, and streaming platforms pay very low royalties. So record labels have kind of stopped investing in an unknown artist who has not proved anything.
They would rather invest in an artist who already has a solid fanbase, which would lower the risk for them. So you have to follow all the previous advice.
Yes, being an artist nowadays has nothing to do with what it was 20 years ago. The game has changed. The industry has changed. Human habits have changed. And most artists nowadays have no choice but to start independent (and for many, stay independent). So, work on your craft, but also work on your branding. And trust the process!
You have just finished making a beautiful album. You spent hours composing it, you recorded it, had it mixed and mastered. You showed it to a few people and got really great constructive feedback. Now you know you’re ready to show it to the world. You distribute it to all streaming platforms and you wait for people to come listen. And then…
How disappointing. You open Spotify for Artists 2 weeks later and see that you only had 8 listens, not even on all tracks. Probably from your siblings and a few friends. And then you come across an article online and realize that being an artist in the digital era requires much more than just making good music.
Let’s go over 4 pieces of advice you need to know before releasing your next (or first project).
We are living in an era where the human brain is accustomed to getting any information almost instantly without much effort, and switching from one information to another in a matter of a second. Think about it for a minute. We scroll through one TikTok to another (and a lot of times, we don’t even finish the videos unless it’s really eye-catching). We can switch from one song to another instantly on Spotify.
My point is that those habits have made our attention spans much shorter. So if people don’t want to bother watching a 45 second TikTok completely, why would they listen to your 45 minute album completely, when they know nothing about you? So, I’m not telling you to never release an album or an EP. But it’s a good idea to release several singles all throughout the year before releasing a longer project, because you will have more chances of getting people’s attention on a short project when they don’t know you.
Social media is basically the number 1 spot for you to expose and promote your music. But, when you’re a new artist, you’re going to want to make yourself more interesting and give people a reason to follow you other than music. Do you have a message you want to share with the audience? A style, or visuals that can appeal to a group of people? Something original about yourself?
Whatever it is, use that to your advantage. Attract an audience that corresponds to your ideal fan, make them become loyal fans, and promote your music to them. This requires a study (of your ideal audience and your image) and a solid plan.
Of course, at some point, you might feel overwhelmed with all the tasks you have to complete for your music. Because being an artist nowadays isn’t just about making music. You have to work on your branding, your image, your connections… And you might think that having someone manage all of this for you while you just make the music will help.
But the truth is, whether you have a team, a manager, or no one, you still have to have control over every aspect of your brand. You’re just like an entrepreneur. You have a company, and people working with you to grow your company. But you can’t just close your eyes and let your employees do their thing and stop caring. You have to guide everything that happens!
Streaming platforms have, in some way, killed the record industry (or changed it, depending on the way you want to see it). People don’t buy CDs or vinyls as much as before, and streaming platforms pay very low royalties. So record labels have kind of stopped investing in an unknown artist who has not proved anything.
They would rather invest in an artist who already has a solid fanbase, which would lower the risk for them. So you have to follow all the previous advice.
Yes, being an artist nowadays has nothing to do with what it was 20 years ago. The game has changed. The industry has changed. Human habits have changed. And most artists nowadays have no choice but to start independent (and for many, stay independent). So, work on your craft, but also work on your branding. And trust the process!