Lots of people hit on some stuff already but you need hooks in your music. Not cheesy pop stuff, but it can be a sound, a melody, a sample…it just needs to catch people’s ear. The most liked music in about every genre and underground sub genre has hooks of some sort. It’s no surprise that many of the top electronic songs ever all have a vocal performance on them. You don’t have to go that route, I sure do not, but I do sample singers all the time.
Also we don’t really know what music you make. If it is ambient or noise style, then you probably will not get a huge audience unless you combine high quality visuals and branding with it. Of course you could get a career going as a soundtrack composer, which could be better in the long run than having popular underground tracks.
Also you need to find your niche and market to them. So not just being on a label but getting your music played by youtube channels and blogs that are in your genre.
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Holon
43
Valid concern, the apparent methods coming from simply doing one’s best don’t always work in business. You need to develop relationships with people that can get you gigs, and no two are alike. There is no surefire method and you seem to have made a good effort too. Don’t give up, spending time is necessary both for connections and skills. I don’t know anything about your music, it does need to fit the venue. Can you play a set without anyone -noticing- major mistakes?
We should try opting for being born with great family connections and generational wealth next time.
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I make music videos with abstract graphics for this reason, or grab a camera or your editing software and make cool imagery/sequences. Yes, nobody is interested in synthesizers except other synthesizer users, and tbh they are often listening to the synthesizer rather than your music.
Who’s your imaginary audience? Where are they listening to your music? In a forest? At a party? In space? What else are they doing? Identify some non-musical thing(s) that seem to fit with your music (or just that track), then build your marketing for each around that. Look at how Florian on Bad Gear makes these great mini-videos for one of the sample tracks in every episode, recycling bits of footage from old anime or documentaries or science lessons.
Great thread, I’ve been sitting on a track too lately due to similar anxiety so it was good to have to ask these questions of myself.
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Fin25
45
Facts.
I’ve just started a new project with a vocalist and we haven’t even recorded anything yet and people are already way more interested than they ever were in my other shite.
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I think this is also about time investment. Friends are happy to look at visual art because you can take in the whole thing in a glance. A song takes several minutes just to experience the whole thing, much less process it.
(Writers have it just as bad, if not worse)
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tomes
47
Can also attest to this. The human voice seems to transcend other elements.
Folks who may not have a deep interest in the position of your cutoff knob will respond innately to the sound of a human.
Some resonant element there which isn’t too simply replicated.
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A man said to the universe,
“Sir, I exist!”
“However,” replied the universe,
“The fact has not created in me
A sense of obligation.”
– Stephen Crane
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Never said I have an innate naturally entitled right to being acknowledged. Just want to know the tips and tricks for earning that privilege.
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It’s just a poem I like a lot and is tangentially related.
Personally I have very low expectations and don’t expect anyone to listen to my output, so put very little into that effort these days. It’s really just an activity I do for myself and one or two friends.
For a brief stint I had some people paying attention to what I was doing, which really just came from a lot of networking and sharing new stuff consistently. Just so happened I made online friends with some people running small labels who were willing to include me in their ranks. That’s the best I’ve got for actionable advice.
Otherwise, just keep making and try to care less if anyone is paying attention. Think of all the artists throughout history who never had any fans. In some ways attention can be corrupting so maybe you’re better off in the void.
Bogdan Raczynski has a lot to say about shouting into the void.
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What are your goals? To generate a liveable wage from music? To have a hit song(s)? To master your instrument(s)? To become famous?
Interestingly, it seems that people that have achieved those goals all have one thing in common… they can emotionally move people through the performance of their music.
Humans love a good story. Tell a good story with your music and you will find your people.
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Omar
52
My expectation is surely not to become famous or whatever, but I’m a bit in the same situation as the OP.
The route I’m trying to take right now is to publish short videos showing the most performative parts of my liveset - while, I agree, seeing somebody turning knobs is not fun.
The idea is just to publish them regularly, and wherever I can - which is not a lot because I’m quite restrictive about social media etc.
In the process, I’m realizing even this low level goal requires a lot of work for me, as I’m no Liberace with my machines.
But 1) this is actually a good way to take a step back and look at your own music/performance with a more critical eye (when it’s boring, you realize it yourself the second time you watch the video), and 2) each video requires a lot of practice, and this never hurts.
I’m only starting with this, and my expectations are not high, but I’m already happy to have some sense of achievement with these short videos. A bit like when, as a teenager, I managed to play a difficult guitar part after some practice. And anyway, I’m having fun in the process so it’s not a waste of time.
In terms of “impact”, I am happy with the amount of nice feedback I got so far. Which doesn’t mean it was a landslide, but I hope this will increase as I regularly publish videos (at least monthly if possible). I don’t know anything about how this all works - I come from the past - but I imagine you have to publish regularly to increase your web audience.
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I agree with this as a good approach. I recorded and shared some performance videos during Jamuary 2023 and had a lot of the same outcomes & realizations you describe.
Unfortunately in the algorithmic social media age we live in, the trouble is it requires posting constantly and that sort of feedback loop can be unhealthy unless you have the fortitude for it.
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Sad fact: There aren’t enough eyeballs and ears in the world to provide the needed attention to all the attention-seekers in the world.
Worse, the attention-economy paradigm splits people into two groups: Influencers and…what is the opposite of influencer? Influenced? The whole thing has icky, anti-democratic, zero-sum connotations.
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Similar to sports.
No matter where you go to college, if you’re that dude, the scouts will find you.
If the music’s good, people will find it…
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DoS
56
Mostly I do a radio show. It’s the main reason I started it, so I would actually have to do something to a self-imposed deadline; but it’s also been amazing for engendering a real sense of community too, making some great friends along the way…
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szzdz
57
some other thoughts -
as a producer, your main commitment needs to be channeling a lot of energy and motivation into constantly improving and evolving your craft. you should be able to listen to demos from 2-3 months ago and a hear a noticeable improvement in the ‘sound’ you’re going for. this involves constantly listening to your work outside of the studio, comparing to references, making notes on tracks/strengths/weaknesses, and hitting the ground running on what you think the weaknesses are in your sound.
also, many folks have said it, but get involved in your local community (or move somewhere that has a thriving community for what you’re into). show folks that you are really about this. make friends who dj and produce and show up for their gigs. invite people over to your studio
space that are in the scene. volunteer for events until you start getting booked.
it really takes a lot of energy and commitment to get to the point where multiple elements collide and you start getting traction. finding creative ways to deal with discouragement is a huge one (can be meditation, therapy, exploring new approaches in the studio, inner reflection, speaking with peers who are where you want to be, etc)
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Just be handsome like Tycho.
We all know Van Gogh only ever sold one painting. Had zero recognition for his work until long after he died. Now considered a genius.
I think the point in art is to make it. If people like it or dont like it doesnt really matter. Just keep doing it. Eventually it will be found by people that appreciate it.
Happens to me all the time, Im always finding obscure bands that sound so fresh yet their music was made decades ago and they have since split up or just dont exist anymore.
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Exactly. I feel like I’m starving for good new music. I haven’t heard anything that’s blown me away in a long time. Every label no matter the size, every booking agent, promoter, dj, writer, fan, are all on the hunt for anything that stands out.
What do you feel is missing in the world? What kind of music are you starving to hear more of? Make that.
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