You Have Some Tunes. What Should An EDM Artist Do?

edm artists

As an EDM artist making music is fun. The only teeny tiny issue is that the barrier to entry- the level at which other players enter the game, is incredibly low.

You are up against yourself and you are up against the other people who also like to make EDM.

That is the realisation of the game.

A lot of people do not understand this:

  • they give up in frustration or 
  • they get annoyed that no-one is listening to their tunes and they stop making music.
  • they rely on subscriptions to services- which other musicians are also subscribed to

That is OK.

Competition is going to be present where ever you go. The problem comes in that you are running after the same people.

You don't need that many people to make something successful. EDM is awesome because there are so many sub categories that the amount of competition for sub sets of music is much less that the original genre. For example. There are tons of people looking for EDM. There are less looking of NIN inspired EDM.

Niching is the most obvious way to separate yourself out from the crowd and then start to make headway into an industry that is competitive. Unfortunately most artists don't figure this out until they have created a tune. It is much...much easier to create a tune based on peoples preferences then to create a tune and find people to like it.

Then what?

Then create more.

As time continues you will learn what people like, what techniques you like, what instruments feel good, what instruments can you really learn the heart out of. When you create tunes they give you something that no book can every give you. Data.

Data is your secret weapon that no-one else will know. You will know each and every track that you submit online gives you tons of data about it. If you couple that data with comments then that is extreamly powerful:

  • what tracks people like more
  • which ones they really didnt like
  • feedback on what they did and didnt like
  • ideas to what tracks to create

All this comes from the public. Now, some musicians rely on other musicians to tell them how their music sounds. This is OK as they can spread your music to their fans. But it also can be bad in the fact that they are relying on what they like and what is in vogue rather than what the listening public like. These two ideas can be very different from one another.

Now, if you enjoy pop music then you will listen to all the pop tunes out there and create something similar. Problem? Why you? Why should someone listen to your songs? You could on the other hand use pop music as a base and then create something different. Time and time again this has happened commercially- then people jump on the bandwagon and then music sounds similar again.

Remember Gotye- Somebody I Used To Know? If you forgot, here's the song:

According to Wiki: By 22 February 2013, the song became the tenth longest-charting song in the history of the Billboard Hot 100, at 59 weeks on the chart.

A very different song than what was on the chart. Other artists in the chart? Jay-Z, Bruno Mars. Swedish House Mafia, Taylor Swift...

Your point online

edm point

Now many people would say get money wealth and money and a bit more money. Which is not a bad thing at all- but that comes secondary to most things.

What you really want to see happen is for someone to:

  1. Download
  2. Buy
  3. Listen…to your tracks.

This is your Targeted Response (TR). This is what you want from your site. And once you have got that idea firmly attached then everything that you do on your site is to obtain that specific Targeted Response.

Your TR might be to “get the word out about your music". This ultimately means spreading of your music. So you can filter down to what that actually means. It means to make your music:

  • Freely available
  • Freely accessible
  • Available on popular platforms
  • Be spreadable within the musical niche

So every idea that you will have will be based upon one thing- is this going to spread my music?

If you want money then you have to create something that people want to buy. They won’t buy something from you that they don’t want. Simple idea but so often overlooked.

Every marketer, every business person on the net knows this and that is why they succeed, they have a focused idea in what they want. So they can target their energies towards this goal.

So if I was selling a $10,000 music studio I very much doubt that I will get a sale straight away.

However my TR is to get interest, to get a question in an email- my site therefore will be targeted to get that response and would be choc full of information to prove my worth. But if I was selling tracks or even trying to get people to actually download a free track those two would be my TR. Therefore, links to the tracks would be a necessity and I would not expect to get question emails.

Do you know the similarities between these two ideas?

They are both measurable. I can count the emails in example one and give people special reference numbers embedded in the email to then count the conversion of question to buying.

In the second example I can count the downloads for the various pages.

So, in full your TR should be measurable so you know what works and what doesn’t…and if it doesn’t work you can then move onto something that does. Never waste your time chasing after a losing idea.

This is the main reason that many people fail when they just start out on their music journey.

Your online platform will either make someone download or it will not. That is the main idea of you being on the internet- to achieve that download, to achieve the sale or to get someone to listen to a track. To do your TR.

Facebook, when they first started wanted to become big. Their TR was growth- not to earn money as such. Every idea that they had went through the TR filter- did it create growth or not?

One hit wonders...are a long time in the making

one hit wonders

So how did mega hits like Baby Shark do so well- in the tune of 3.3 Billion video views at the time of writing?

babyshark

What would you like to see happen from your presence on the Internet?

It wasn’t their first song. The company behind Baby Shark has released over 4000 songs so far with a range of child friendly themes. So they originally had an audience. Baby Shark was around 5 years before it hit the big time.

  • They knew the audience- small kids of 3yrs old who can copy the music, copy the vocals and copy the dance moves
  • The video shows kids doing the dance moves- not adults
  • The demographic is large and don’t care about production quality, repeating choruses
  • The music is loosely based upon old childrens rhymes and songs
  • The videos are super kid friendly with minimal expense
  • The videos have a mini message and story attached to them
  • The company employees started the dance moves according to the dance on the video- they shared it with their friends. At the time it was successful but the song took off when an adult influencer started to do the “shark dance” on TV, hash tagged the “babysharkchallenge” and then similar influencers go in on it and their audiences shared it.

Then we have Ylvis- The Fox song. To date they have over 800million views on their official Youtube video- forgetting all the other home made videos.

fox song

So what made this a hit?

  • They already had a large and loyal audience. The 2 comedy brothers were initially talk show hosts (3 seasons in) who wanted to release something fun for their Norwegian audience
  •  It seems to be focused upon fun for teens/ younger adults with easy to sing lyrics, the video is played as serious which is fun, it is also well produced
  • It is catchy
  • It got big in Norway first and then started to rapidly spread with the brothers doing interviews (they were then signed by the Norwegian arm of Warner Music who probably gave them access to PR but did little in the way of marketing and radio plays), then live performances on American Talk shows which then fuelled the views

How about Tones and I?

They were the creator of Dance Monkey (over a billion plays on Spotify. As a side note with that many plays equals around $4million with 1 play = $0.00397). Dance Monkey supposedly came out of nowhere from a street busker. But the song and the artist have different origins according to Wiki (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tones_and_I):

In 2009, as Toni Watson, she created a YouTube page and posted acappella cover versions. She performed local gigs and festivals, including the Let Go festival. Tones was the vocalist for a duo in 2014, and remembered: "I started out singing in small pubs and bars in Mornington, I was singing along to a guitarist until I ended up branching out on my own." She explained her shift to a solo career: "I actually got made redundant from my retail job and with that money I bought an RC300 (loop station) and just started to try figure it all out." She busked "up and down the east coast with her synthesisers and loop pedal, she has been building a loyal fanbase and captivating crowds with her genre-diverse style."

In 2017 Tones and I found a talent manager. In 2019 signed to a record company.

Have you heard about the 10,000? This ultimately means that if you have a very loyal and core following of 10,000 people then they will be your everything. They will promote you, buy things from you and give input when needed. That is all you need, 10,000 people. It’s why it is so hard for one hit wonders and bands without a loyal fan base and just materialise to do well

Sure, upload your music to Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud, and Bandcamp. But you have to funnel people to those sites to make the best of them

32 ways Youtube can help you

youtube

According to Statista.com, the Global Digital revenue through downloads in 2018 was $2.3 Billion. Through streaming? $11.4 Billion. The most popular audio streaming service in 2017?
Youtube.

Youtube is a megaphone. That is all. It cares only about you because you will bring it traffic and in response will help you get more traffic. That is it.

Youtube is social sharing of videos. Obvious right? So the centre of Youtube is the basis that fans matter and should be engaged with. Almost all tips/ tricks and techniques will have that theme running around. You want to engage and you want that engagement to be forwarded on.

It isn’t that hard either. What you have to remember is that someone who wants to be engaged will always have in the back of their mind- what are they doing for me?

Please note: when someone who isn’t a subscriber is on Youtube they must have every opportunity to find a way to get more information about you on a regular basis.

  1. When someone asks a question through the comments, answer it.
  2. Don’t use Youtubes background. Have your own custom one- one that has your branding. Or have a fun one. Check out MrBeast and his backgrounds. One had “subscribe or I’ll take your Fortnite account”. Fun and different.
  3. Set your channel type to “Musician”. When you’re logged into your YouTube account and go to your channel, click “Settings” and you can select musician as your channel type.
  4. Add a link back to your website for “more information on XYZ and daily updates” Also remember that Youtube is also based upon links back to it. So write some articles relating to your songs- especially covers. This will help increase video rank. 
  5. Google owns Youtube. Google uses keywords to help its search engine find certain sites. Youtube has the same feature using tags instead of keywords to figure out what a video is about. Use tags wisely. The most important first and make sure it is in the description and title. 
  6. Your title (and thumbnail picture) is going to be thing first thing people see of your video. Don’t lie. But don’t think people are going to click straight away “Bobs keyboard solo of my favourite group”.
  7. Video is video and after a while of seeing the same music video people get bored. So try to shuffle up the videos. Add other types of video.
  8. Start to interview fans and turn those into videos. Maybe as a subscription bonus (random selection).
  9. Use YouTube annotations. Video annotations allow you to add comments and links in your video. 
  10. Playlists enable you to tidy up your videos and aims to help the search engines find you. It helps fans by grouping similar videos together without having to go through every single one. Enable the Series Playlist option and when you share a clip or a video, it’s always shared from a playlist so maximise watch time on your channel.
  11. Finding your own influences and creating covers of those helps their fans ind similar artists. You will also appear on the “similar artists” side bar and search results. You also. This is a tried and trusted method to get fans early even if you are just starting out. Just be careful not to sound too similar to the band or you might get flagged by Youtube- 3 strike and no more channel. Contact the artist or see other tracks online and if they have been flagged.
  12. A twist on the covers tip (11) is to create covers of songs in your own style that are popular. There are too many times when someone has created an ambient version of a rock song etc- but the twist was really cool.
  13. Never be wary of Youtubes stats on your videos. Within a few clicks you will be able to see what videos people enjoyed the most, likes, subscriptions, how long they viewed a video (was your music boring etc at a certain time on the video?), shares etc. This way you will see what people liked and then create more. I have seen youtubers actually say “my audience likes these videos but I want to do some different ones”. They were getting on average a million views per video. When they changed? 50,000. 
  14. Regardless of what you hear, over night success is very very rare. What you usually don’t hear is the years on grind building an audience and then directing that audience to more Youtube videos which then rapidly rises to fame. It will be a grind, but if you post regularly (like be spot on schedule) and listen to your audience then you cant go wrong.
  15. Always remember the social aspect of Youtube. Answer private messages, comments- even with a video :)
  16. Publish content regularly so that you audience can anticipate you. Once a month might not do it, daily could be too much if the quality of content is poor (not video quality but content quality. )Not all have to be stunning quality- some can be hand cam/ phone. It adds to your story.
  17. Similar to point 11, but if you can collaborate with other artists with a larger subscriber base then you can piggyback on their success. However they have grinded for those subscribers so you need to offer friendship. Comment on their work in a positive light, can you help their video? Take interest, offer to help, create videos about their tunes etc. 
  18. The law of content comes up when you publish regularly. Constant poor content will reduce future video views. Consistent good content offers consistent video opening and sharing. 
  19. Remember that Youtube is a cog in your machine of marketing. Don’t rely on it all the time, have back up plans- like your own website and subscriber list. If Youtube changes something you will be able to weather that storm because your own website would have housed your subscribers. No-one knows what is going to happen in the future. Please remember MySpace for a classic example. Spotify is another cog- it allows people to stream your music. Twitter, Facebook- they are all cogs that help the machine but should never solely run it. I can not over emphasise how important subscribers are and if you “own them” then that is gold. 
  20. Just music and “single/ album art” is something and better than nothing. At least it will get people to comment and then start a “conversation”.
  21. Response videos. These are pretty awesome right now. Even “reaction” videos where people listen to the song, react and comment upon it. This works well for most music. Better still is for you to comment about a video. Find one that has some decent comments and views so at least your effort can pay off.
  22. Your subscribers. Once people subscribe to your list can you give them a free gift (exclusive remix, interview etc) and also advertise that gift. Some people also promote their other channels (Twitter, Facebook group etc). once you build up some rapport then start asking questions to your list to figure out where they hang out, what other artists they listen to. Find out things which are “general” in that people wouldn’t mind to answer yet informative for you to adapt/ configure your marketing plan. 
  23. Part 2 of number 22. Most people don’t utilise their video start or end. Advertise yourself- social sites, sign up pages etc. You are assuming that people will listen and watch your video. Most will let it run in the back ground and might only see the start or end of the video.
  24. Find people who have done it. You will find that after a while coming up with ideas can be hard, also how do you know if you on top of a trend? Most youtubers who are well known need to keep well known (outrageous stunts diminish over time). They have staff and try to figure out how to keep on top. Copy some of the video content, see how they promote and topics they cover. Some show off their charity work by giving X amount of stuff or money to different charitable organisations. They record those interactions. It just shows another side of you, what you are interested in.
  25. Remember to link to your music where people can find them. If you are hosting your own music then link to that on your site. If you are exclusively through a streaming service, link to that. But remember once you have linked away- would people find you again? Try your best to get them to subscribe or sign up for more info. Check your stats- are more people going through a certain link more than another link? For example, if 2 people are going through your Apple music link and 4000 are going through your Spotify link- you know which is best for your music. Yiou also need to figure out what they are doing on Spotify. Then you can promote and research more Spotify techniques. 
  26. Remember the call to action. It is odd, but if you don’t tell people what to do through a certain link they won’t do what you are asking. So “click here to download the latest club pumping hip shaking single from X”. Or. “Click here to subscribe to get updates, exclusives, competitions, interviews and cool fan stuff. Click now to get a free welcome bonus”. Rather than “click here to subscribe” or, “click here to download my latest single”. Add some reason why to click. I would rather click on a link if it would give me something rather than just some blah.
  27. Calendar. If you are releasing videos they are difficult to think of when you want a video. “Content block” kicks in. What most Youtubers do is to create a calendar and schedule events within it. Then they work backwards and write in when to start that video/ topic. If you want to produce a video then figure out how long it is going to take and then work back. If it takes 3 days then, roughly, you can release 2 videos per week. A schedule then creates anticipation- randomness doesn’t. Write down ideas somewhere and just keep on writing, each idea would be a video possibly separate to your music videos. 
  28. Lyrics. If you have vocals within your songs then posting a separate lyric video can double your content. People like official singles but rarely do they come with the lyrics attached. As well as a lyric video how about a reason behind the lyrics? Then, how about commenting on other peoples version of your song. Behind the scenes? Interview with the single picture artist? So from one video can spawn 6 other videos directly related to your single. 
  29. How-To. Going through comments will give you a list of content that can be a mile long. Sometimes people will ask- how did they make that sound, or how did they do XY or Z. Here is your new video. You could even ask people to remix your songs. One group- Snap! put the main samples on the album.
  30. The scene you are in. Your music style is part of a group. That group has a certain vibe that goes with it. In the old days it was the rave scene and they dressed a certain way, read similar magazines/ websites, listened to the same record labels. It was a community. Every style of music has one. You could create videos on this community- how fun it is, the attraction, the reasonings behind certain things. Celebrate it.
  31. Technology. If you have bought the latest or oldest equipment then you can create a video about that. Even the video, if created with new technology can show off that. The best example of this is the Matrix. The bullet-time slow mo around actors was revolutionary. Many people copied it, but it was fun. Some people interpret electronic music using orchestral instruments. Some people use household items (check out The Roots from Jimmy Fallon creating music from kids toys for a perfect example).
  32. Remember fan interaction. If you want to create a different video, remember fans. Ask them to upload short 10 second videos or so of them dancing to your music, or doing something that the song is based upon. Or you can have them upload a picture of themselves relating to that piece of music. Needs a bit of forward planning, but a shout out to your subscribers should garner interest. This was done well with the movie Bill & Ted 3. Alex Winter asked his Instagram fans to upload a video short of themselves for the movie. They were then placed on the end credits.

A (generally) younger diverse audience? Try Tik Tok

tiktok

Regardless of social media channel they all follow something similar. Interact with your fans, promote the platform.

Here are 10 ways to market your tracks on TikTok.

  1. Create Short and Catchy Videos: TikTok's format is all about short and attention-grabbing videos. Create engaging content that showcases your song in a unique and visually appealing way. Consider incorporating dance challenges, lip-syncing, or storytelling elements that align with your music.
  2. Use Trending Sounds and Challenges: Stay updated with the latest TikTok trends and challenges. Participate in popular challenges or use trending sounds to capitalize on existing viral content and increase the chances of your video going viral.
  3. Utilize Hashtags: Use relevant and popular hashtags that align with your music and target audience. Hashtags can help your content reach a wider audience and appear in the "Discover" section of TikTok.
  4. Engage with TikTok Community: Interact with your followers and other TikTok users by responding to comments, following back, and engaging with content in your niche. Building a sense of community can help increase your profile's visibility.
  5. Collaborate with Influencers: Partner with TikTok influencers or content creators who have a significant following in your music genre. Their endorsement can expose your song to a larger audience. Usually you go for someone who has a low audience and then when you more followers you target similar subscriber accounts.
  6. Cross-Promote on Other Social Media Platforms: Share your TikTok videos on other social media platforms like Youtube. This can drive traffic to your TikTok profile and help you gain more followers.
  7. Post Consistently: Regularly upload new content to keep your followers engaged and interested in your music. Consistency is crucial for building a strong presence on TikTok.
  8. Create Duet and Stitch Videos: Utilize the duet and stitch features to collaborate with other TikTok users or respond to their content. This can help you tap into new audiences and expand your reach.
  9. Encourage User-Generated Content: Encourage your followers to create their own videos using your music. User-generated content can increase engagement and virality, as well as foster a community around your music.
  10. Track Performance and Analyze Data: Pay attention to TikTok's analytics to understand what type of content performs best. Use this data to refine your content strategy and focus on what resonates with your audience.

Remember, TikTok thrives on creativity and authenticity. Showcase your unique personality and style while promoting your music, and don't be afraid to try out new ideas and experiment with different formats.

We hope this page has helped you. All the best and enjoy your musical journey.

Check out some more music promotion and making your EDM a little bit better than your competition

5 Surefire Ways Magnetically Get People To Download Your EDM

Should we listen to and follow out music mentors?

9 ways to improve your EDM...for free.

Should you use vocals in your dance music?

Is your EDM boring?

The EDM music making framework

Should people pay for your dance music?

Structuring of EDM- your first steps

How to add a little bit of pizzazz to your EDM

How do you make your synth sound just...better

10 ways to make your electronic music better

Enjoy this page? Tell your friends about it. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.

 About. Updates. Disclaimer. Privacy. Mission/ Vision. FAQ

Copyright © 2024- Jasonera.com  All rights reserved