So you want to make your own music, you want that music to be heard and you do it because you love it but there is one snag in your master plan, regardless of the love and effort you put into your production you just can’t seem to make this thing make you a dime. There is no 5-step recipe for success, if it were that simple everyone would be rich however these are some useful suggestions to get the ball rolling, and yes … this is mainly about marketing … don’t run from it.
DJ as a means to an end
Yes..yes… I know we just ran those guys that want to be DJs so wtf is this! How can tip 1 be to DJ? We’re not saying to DJ, we’re saying DJ as a means to an end just to keep you fed. It’s hard for a Trini to get paid as a dance music producer, the radio isn’t playing your stuff, no one is buying your music, bigger artists only want soca riddims (mostly) So yes … continue to DJ, but only on the side so you can eat a burger rather than flip them while you create your masterpiece. At least it’s some way to make some cash while building your reputation and the best part you can throw some of your own stuff in that mix so the audience starts getting accustomed to hearing your original music.
Focus
You start making a track, it’s wicked, you spent the last few hours on this and you love it. You throw it on to Youtube and move on to your next track. You return and over two months you see 36 random views 5 views from your friends, 3 from your neighbor and Dutchy366 commented “02:03 Amazing!” so you rinse and repeat. Yea….don’t do that. Don’t just spend a few hours making your track, you’re just getting started, even the most renowned producers occasionally don’t release a song for years. Take your time and make it perfect then let someone critic it, no not your best friend or your mom they will tell you it’s perfect, you need someone who will be very blunt and tell you when to go back and tweak. Do this over and over until you are confident it’s the song that a complete stranger would love, think it’s something unique and they will remember it and want to hear it again and again. That’s how you get your first fans and Dutchy366 won’t be the only comment on your next upload. Good is good … believe in that and be that, there are no shortcuts.
Market yourself
You probably can’t afford a fancy marketing team to get your music played over every other radio station or slab posters of you for your next hit single all over some billboards, if you did you would not be reading this. Where your story should begin is by exploring the host options you can use to put yourself out to the world. There are endless ways to get your name out, seriously just Google how to market a small business and start learning because yes, believe it or not you are running a small business. I won’t bullshit you into believing it’s easy because it definitely not, you’re going to have to take time ways from producing to start building your name and your brand. So now gigs are starting to be more regular and maybe you have some mixes completed, now that you have a base it’s time to think about this next part. What do you want people to think of when they hear your name … When someone hears Skrillex … they think (Aliens, the Ill symbol, crazy drops, futuristic, dubstep, freaky) this is completely different to what people would think about when they hear Armin Van Buuren, what you need to do is figure out what you want people to think about when they hear YOUR name.
Find ways to get your music out there
Sure you can sell a CD … to whoever still buys those things or make a few dollars off of iTunes or maybe play at a few shows but maybe, just maybe you can think bigger. Think about it, unless you go out there and sell your music, who is really listening to it? Get your stuff to the right ears and you may find the niche that suits your music.Some of the options you have are:
Agencies/Media Houses - Submit samples of your best tracks to advertising agencies, make some friends in there and you just might just get some bigger payoffs for actually creating the music you love.
Media - We may not have the largest film and animation industry in Trinidad but look in to it and you will find many talented independent film makers and animators that would kill to work with a talented producer such as yourself.
Podcasting -Another up and comer is podcasting, this is a 50/50, if you do your research and pull it off right you can acquire a moderately sizable audience which you can use get your name out there and maybe make some cash in the process.
Youtube – PUT YOUR MUSIC ONLINE, people can’t like your music if they can never find it, in addition after a specific number of subscribers you can become a YouTube partner and start making cash off of ads on your channel.
Social Media- Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram easiest way to connect with your fans and make new ones.
Although variety and the “new thing” wins in this EDM world (for the most part) it isn’t all just the Jack U, Major Lazer, Skrillex or Garix sound that works, that may be the craze right now, but the in the world of Electronic Music that’s just the peak of the iceberg. Remember they got there because they were the different ones at that point.
Don’t just make what’s popular, expand your understanding of EDM, dive into the history of dance music, foreign music, local music, cultures, sub cultures and find something truly unique that you can breathe life into. There isn’t anything wrong with dropping some tassa on a track.
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