I am literally at the finish line and have just unleashed my new music out into the world. Why am I still so nervous even though I am so proud of what I have done.
Creativity is to be shared, not kept to yourself. So why does it matter what everyone thinks of the fruits of your labour. Well we wouldn’t be human if we didn’t care about the opinions of those we love and are closest to us, but we also do crave the honesty of someone with thoughtful appraisal who will provide opportunities for growth in the future.
Here are just some points that I have reflected on in the last 12 months as I am on the verge of releasing the first single from my upcoming EP.
Don’t sabotage yourself and create delays and road blocks. You need to set yourself a clear, achievable target date. Don’t rush this process, but when you can clearly see you will have everything coming together and you are finalizing your music, you need to decide on a release date. I am going to stage my release with a single first and then my EP will come later. If you do experience setbacks in the production process, don’t take it to heart, just reassess and revise what is practical and how you can get around any obstacles.
How do I get my music out there and accessible? Well as I found out with my first release back in 2014, you can’t directly load your own music onto Itunes. I then went on to find that you need to find an online music distributor and for a small annual fee you can have your music available for purchase. Ditto Music is my distributor and works well for me, but do your homework and you may find there are more of them popping up online.
What do I need to provide to my Online Music Distributor? First you will need to have artwork prepared for your music. You can do this yourself if you have your own photoshop software or you can hire someone to do it for you. I have been in both scenarios and I find it much easier to have someone else do this for me. Sure it will cost you more to hire someone but the results are much more professional. Danielle Kate is responsible for my latest artwork offering and the results are just amazing.
What does my artwork need to have on it? This is a question that comes down to how much is in your budget. If you want to have your face on the cover you may need to consider having a professional photoshoot. Your whole artwork overview needs to be a concept that reflects you as an artist and what your music represents. If you opt not to have your photo on the cover you can create some creative image using symbols, and a colour palette that you want the mood to convey. This may be more challenging on your own, but perhaps you have a friend who is quite artistic and can help you out. Be aware too that the electronic version of your artwork will need to be a certain size, eg at least 1450 x 1450 pixels and no larger than 5mb in size.
After artwork what’s the next step to uploading with an Online Music Distributor? Your online Music Distributor will have a process where you fill out all of the details of your track or tracks if it’s an album or EP. You upload your artwork and your music in mp3 format. You will be charged a small annual fee from this distributor to maintain your music to be made available on various platforms such as Itunes, Spotify, Shazam. It can take a few days for this process to be completed. It is also worth exploring registering your works with the national music/composing copyright associations, APRA AMCOS. You should credit any artist/producer/sound engineer you work with on this site.
How do I let everyone know my music is available? This is the biggest question. To make yourself known, you need people to be able to find you. You need to use social media to spread the word, set up an artist’s Facebook Page, look at all platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, Linked In and Pinterest. It is also a good idea to create a webpage. Keep it simple and you can use many create your own website templates that are available online such as WordPress. Many templates are free, however if you want your site to be hosted you do need to find a service provider and pay an annual fee.
Ask some people you trust to write you a review. This needs to be legitimate, you can’t just ask all your friends to sing your praises, you need some meaningful feedback from colleagues other artists and professionals in the industry that will entice someone who may be intrigued and want to know more. It needs to be heartfelt and honest. You can post testimonials on your website.
You can also still get CDs made up so you have a real live product in your hands to share with everyone. I decided to have my CD artwork printed and my music pressed to CD as I am a bit old school. I love how electronic music platforms make purchasing music so easy, however I still like to have something in my hands to say this is what I have achieved. You can find companies who can do duplications of CDs in small quantities under 500 copies so you don’t have to spend a fortune.
Decide on a way to mark the occasion of your release. A great way to proclaim to the world that your music is free for all to enjoy is to arrange a launch party event. It can be as intimate or as grand as you desire. Just be clear on exactly what you want to achieve. Spend time planning and rehearsing if you plan on performing a few or all of your new tracks. You need to give yourself time for this, don’t rush, but do choose a date and stick to it.
Give yourself a pat on the back Take the time to bask in the moment, and really reflect and be proud of yourself. For me it’s always about appreciating the hard work and how exciting it is to share this with the world. Being brave enough to share it speaks volumes. Sure it’s not going to be for everyone and that’s okay. Everyone has their own taste in music. Just respect that and concentrate on finding your true audience. Most of all, look at this as lessons learned and it is all helping you grow as an artist. You can only move onwards and upwards from here. For me, I am excited about what’s next…. There’s always another song in the works for me.
