You're an independent musician trying to get your music heard. How can you stand out from the crowd?

The best way to stand out is to do something new & different, which is also often the hardest thing to do. That means creating a new idea and executing it, showing your audience something they haven't seen before. But the best way to find what that "new thing" is is to find ways to tell your story that will resonate with them and accurately reflect you. Being an artist is dependent on being authentic and true to who you are because it's the one thing that cannot be taken away from you or truly replicated. Dig deep, define what being an artist means to you, and tell that story. Give your audience a reason to connect with your music and your brand. Tell your story and share who you are and what you represent to make a name for yourself.

The best thing you can do as a music artist is to understand one thing: you're NOT just creating and distributing "music". You are creating an emotion. Distributing a worldview. Presenting to your audience a way to feel, talk, and express. In short, you're creating a WORLD for your audience to live in. So really take the time to craft that world. Define how one lives in that world with you. This is WAY more than just creating melodies and rhyming words. How do people LIVE in your world? What are the "norms" that they'll soon adopt? The artists that last the longest are those with fans that can communicate to you (sometimes better than the artist!) what that artist's world is because they're CITIZENS. The music is just their passport.

Fans want more than just your music! They want to feel part of your journey and have an emotional connection to the artist as much as the art. Rather than defining your 'brand', think about ways in which you can showcase who you are... The connection with fans will be so much stronger if they can relate to who you are as well as what you make.

Just be you. Escape the noise and engage with your audience, give them that moment to remember you, your music, your brand in all it's authenticity. Create some unique space for your audience to sing with you or connect with you and the crowd. Make it a crowd surfing type of moment. Something they will resonate with but also make their own.

Story. The best way to stand out from the crowd is work on your story. Who are YOU? Once you have that defined, everything else gets alot easier. Think about it, the ONLY thing that you can leverage as an artist is your uniqueness. No one else can be you the way you can. So focus on that as your main assett and stay true to yourself. Really dig deep and reveal your inner self. Look at any successful artist . You'll see they have tapped into their inner self and unearthed something that is fresh, interesting and just engaging. Once that's dialled in, the way will become and you'll have more energy for your art.

I read something a major label A&R posted today on Linkedin. He suggested artist put out a song a week for 6 months and I HAD to comment. I personally believe that's the WRONG WAY to go about things. I said, "Unless you are Daddy Warbucks or you're MARRIED to Daddy Warbucks, an Independent artist can't spit out music that quickly and expect it to be any good." It's true! This guy is not taking into account the time your distributors need to do their job. It's NEVER been about quantity over quality. A top notch producer, songwriter, and engineer are what you need to make a lasting impression.

Many musicians hesitate to release content due to perfectionism. It's crucial to convey your story through videos like "How I wrote the chorus for (song)?' or 'Get ready with me for my show at (venue).' When artists openly discuss their struggles and victories, it creates a connection, making fans feel like they can relate.

Know the platform, know the audience, know yourself. Come for the network, stay for the attention. Reach out to people and strive for potential not perfection. Your content tells your story, tells your message and is a peak into the life of you and those around you the most. Quality is a ground that can only be nurtured if you open up to people around you and tap into technology that's there to be used as a tool. What is happening in the tech world for creatives is important and it's impactful, efficient beyond measure.

To stand out as an independent musician, it's crucial to know your target audience and understand what they want. Start by making a name for yourself in a specific niche, strengthening your brand in that segment before expanding to other markets. In the digital world, be present on all social networks, but prioritize those where your audience is most active. Use tools like the BCG matrix to identify the most relevant platforms for your audience and where you should focus your efforts. Remember, success starts locally: become a well-known name in one area before aiming for national recognition. Progress step by step, building your career with focus and strategy.

As a musician, it can be tempting to just focus on music release posts, or talk about a release in general. It's easy to forget that YOU are the creator. Content may be king, but use that to create "connection." Connection with your friends. Connection with your fans. Connection with others in any industry you are in. Your music is one part of you. You are the whole part of You. Sharing more of YOU in your content overall, will make those connections.

It is crucial to get sufficient feedback from your peers to confirm that your music is of industry-standard quality before distributing it. Comparing your music's quality against that of your peers who may be submitting for similar opportunities is essential, albeit challenging. Uploading music to streaming services has become increasingly competitive, and the DSPs are starting to retract their streaming royalties and impose minimum stream thresholds for payment. Therefore, it is crucial to prioritize quality over quantity. You should always strike a balance between distributing your best ideas and distributing them consistently.

In my experience, distribution is the easy part. There are a variety of distributors that will send your music to DSPs for a nominal fee or for a percentage of revenue. To have impact, it's a combination of best practices and of course, the quality fo the music. Be sure to support your releases with a paid media and content creation. Continue to test and iterate on content throughout the lifecycle of a release including post-release. Consider your music a living breathing piece of IP that can always be activated against. When you find momentum - double down!

As an independent artist, there are so many avenues and ways to have your music heard. With DSPs like @Pandora, Spotify, Amazon, Apple, Tidal, the list goes on. You never know where someone will hear your music. Your reach is huge, take advantage of it.

At our record label, we use the LogLine concept to structure releases. Organize a sheet of paper into five columns: Pre-launch, Launch, Validation, and Post-launch. Use post-its to detail specific actions in each stage, ensuring a more effective release. Also document who participated in each phase, highlighting each team member's contribution. Careful planning is crucial; it not only streamlines the process but also maximizes the success of the release. Remember: a well-planned release is a release with the potential for high performance.

Marketing is a living hell for some people. It is an area that requires a lot of time and attention. If you can't do it all and cover it all - find someone to help you with this. He will be in charge of promoting your music material. This is important. We need a fan base - if it starts to grow, there will definitely be people who will want to buy something from you - services or music. The main thing is that you've been able to attract an audience

As an unsigned or as an independent artist. One of the first things that you must do is figure out how would you want the world to see you. Would you be an influential artist? An artist full of controversy? An artist that can heal others? Which? You see. Being an artist isn't just about you as an individual. It's about you and everyone that your music could impact in many different ways.

As an ind. artist, it's crucial to define your identity. Start by establishing a compelling "why", reflecting on the impact you want to create in the world. Identify your direct community, and listen to your inner gut –your inner mission– to guide your artistic journey. It's not just about you; it's about the how your music can resonate and influence others. Turn your problems into a work of art; each obstacle is merely a new color to add to your palette. Moreover, you should consider yourself as a company. You can benefit from making strategic partnerships, understanding your market (audience), and defining a unique value proposition (musical identity). It helps in making informed decisions that enhance your overall impact on the industry.

Busk, with a grip of self-produced CD demos loaded with contact info. I got several bigger gigs that way. Use a Roland Street Cube or similar battery powered PA.

Aside from letting your family know, friends etc. You can participate with organizations, share your music with the people you meet and be inviting to hear the other side. Listen to what others are saying and actively engage. You can stream, you can continue to make content around your music before and after the release. You can actively be involved in your community, serve in your community and get to know your neighbors. It's all in time and effort to really be a part of the network you want to build.

It takes a team to build any career, there are many developments in different areas and so team work is truly in networking. Being able to communicate, bring value, support others, applaud for others and remove the clutter. Simply put when you are networking, figure out how to not just get through the challenges but how to minimize the mistakes made. If someone or an organization aligns with your values, make a decision to get involved and stay involved. I always say come for the network, stay for the impact.

One time, I made an intention to try different ways of recording my music releases. I've experimented with different mics, different pianos, different approaches overall. Some of these experiments and releases didn't amount to much. In fact, I remember hearing from someone how my music was declining. It was hard to hear. But going through the process of experimenting, led to even more music, and more releases that would become even more popular. Why do I share this? Because Fear keeps us from trying new things! Allow yourself to get messy in the creative sauce. Who cares if a certain release doesn't hit the mark. What did you LEARN in that new process? What bits and pieces can you take from that? Give yourself the freedom to experiment.

In an already oversaturated market, it's ESSENTIAL to push the envelope on your sound if you want your artistry to truly stand out. It's so easy to copy what sounds are already popular, especially if you feel the pressure to match what already exists for playlist placements and things like that. However, to stretch yourself may also be the lane to create a whole new, unique lane that new and existing fans clamor over. When you have a lane of your own, and it's working for you, you'll soon. find other artists that want to mimic YOUR sound (how flattering!). Thus, experimentation and innovation must be CONSTANT and ever-flowing. You must constantly want to grow and expand. After all, isn't that what life's about?

Esto es un hecho, si quieres ser un músico exitoso debes innovar de manera constante, experimentar con nuevos sonidos, con nuevo mensajes, y con nuevas maneras de presentar tu trabajo al público para causar curiosidad y obtener su atención. Date la oportunidad de colaborar con artistas que hacen música distinta a la tuya, abordar tópicos nuevos que reflejen tus nuevas experiencias personales y visión del mundo, y atrévete a probar esas ideas locas que se te ocurran para presentar y promover tu música al mundo.

Experimentation and innovation are key components of staying relevant and standing out in the music industry. Trying out new sounds, styles, or genres can help you discover your unique artistic voice and attract a wider audience. Likewise, experimenting with different marketing strategies, such as unique campaigns, contests, or live streams, can generate excitement and engagement among your fans. Using data and analytics to measure the effectiveness of your experiments is crucial for optimizing your strategies and understanding what resonates best with your audience. Don't be afraid to take risks and think outside the box – it's often the artists who push boundaries and embrace innovation that leave a lasting impact on the industry.

The journey is the destination. It is very easy to get caught up in numbers, especially as they are a big focal point in industry discussions. As you're starting out, it is more beneficial to focus on the process of creating and quality of connections and not on achieving huge numbers by any means necessary. It doesn't make sense to hop on a trend that has nothing to do with your personality as any visibility and follower growth from that will surely wane once you start posting your "regular" content. Most importantly: never forget that there are humans on the other side of the screen. It's easy to forget that on the internet, and we end up losing our sense of empathy for our fellow person. Always lead with kindness and respect!

One thing I've found helpful as it pertains to being an independent artist in a noisy world, is to try and let go of those expectations that this "one" post, or this "one" song, is going to make the difference. Maybe it will. Maybe it will stand out and hit. If so, that's great. But also living into the understanding that being an independent artist is a long-term journey and aventure. The more fun you make it...the more you make it about your journey, and continuing to believe in yourself, over time you WILL stand out. Because your REAL you, will shine to the right people and you may be surprised that your music may be just one part of the formula that creates your success. Be You, and it will happen.

You have to be true to yourself. Embrace your own freakiness! Don't be afraid to do your own thing. Your true self is the only thing you have anyway so be courageous. It can take time to find your voice but it's your best hope of standing out.

Look into Sync Licensing opportunities to pitch your music for TV, Film and AD’s! You can make money + get discovered by many. It’s an Avenue a lot of indie artists don’t consider, but music supervisors often use indie music because it’s more cost effective for their project.

Your fanbase is one of the most important things you can build and focus on. As an independent musician the journey (however tough) is easier than it's ever been in the history of music making. You can reach your fans directly so utilise socials, live streaming, performances - anything you can, to build that initial fanbase... 1 fan turns into 10 which turns into 100 and then 1000 and more. Just keep going!