Your music is great – and no one knows it.
Here’s the thing – music lives on attention.
Period.
You need people to hear you.
Also, stop with all the complaining about what’s being played on the radio.
You can’t change the mainstream way of doing things, but you CAN change your behavior and your actions.
Think of yourself as a business.
If you want to sell music there are ways you can put YOURSELF on.
1.) Set up your OWN channel on YouTube.
2.) Record on FB Live. Let people hear your talent.
3.) Set up a Mailchimp account to collect email addresses. Every time you play, ask people to comment and leave an email address to hear more original music.
4.) Set up a way for people to BUY your music in a way that THEY want to consume it.
I no longer use a CD player – but I will buy your song on iTunes.
I will also SHARE your video on FB/YouTube – if I like it.
So will most other people.
Get distribution by doing the following:
5.) Set up an account on Tunecore.com and get your music on all the streaming networks.
6.) Set up a Musically account and get your music on there so that it can be discovered.
7.) Play live music everywhere you get a chance. Even for free…
8.) Go to a restaurant where you KNOW people go, meet the owner – negotiate your OWN feature night.
9a.) Negotiate a portion of the food/liquor sales. Maybe 20-25% of sales.
9b.) Ask the restaurant/club owner what night they’re the slowest – and ask can you play there and feature other local artists.
9c.) PROMOTE YOUR ASS OFF.
If you’re good – people will notice.
If you invite someone else to play, and they’re good – you shine right beside them – because you’re featuring them.
10.) Ask them to promote too!
Then, people will notice you and come support you.
11.) Distribute your music there at your live event.
12.) Tell the people who showed up to follow you and share your music with others.
13.) Sell your merchandise everywhere you go – but be creative with your shirts.
13a.) Create a cool shirt that people will wear, and integrate your logo into it.
14.) Create your own podcast. Talk about music. Talk about the creative process. Interview other musicians. Talk about your struggles. Talk about sh!# that’s intriguing to your audience.
I keep hearing all the complaining about rappers who mumble and how they suck, and on and on and blah and skippy.
I don’t like it, but it’s not MADE for me. It’s made for the people who buy it. And play it in the clubs.
Seasons change.
People change.
Industries change.
Remember the Sunday paper?
Well… NEWS is still distributed… but it’s distributed DIFFERENTLY.
Journalism isn’t dead – it’s just different.
So is the music industry.
You. My creative friends. Are in the CONTENT business.
Music. Is. Content.
Create content – that people love – and you WILL generate income.
The rules have changed.
Adjust.
