Release Music - Genres

[Richard Tracey]

On the getting a fan base front - there are blogs out there who specialise in certain types of music. Send them your songs. If they like them, they will feature you, post a stream of a song or songs and more than likely interview you if they really like your stuff. A lot of these blogs have a decent number of viewers now. If they like your stuff, they will search for it. Other blogs subscribe to each other, so they may hear the song(s) and want to put it on their site, again with an interview. If you come over well during an interview, it may also help to get people interested.

 

If I ever decide to do anything with my music, this is the route I will go. I am not interested in gigging and don't need to make lots of money, as I have a job with a decent pension at the end of it. If I made any money it would be a bonus, but for me I would just like people to say they liked my music. I will probably go,down the route of an EP release and give one of the songs away for free and hope that someone might buy the rest. To do this, the whole EP needs to be full of good songs and no filler like I have heard on some EP's.

 

If you ever want to see an interesting video about how things should be for new bands, watch Midge Ure's video 'Fragile Troubadour'. He decided to tour America alone and video everything. He booked everything himself, drove to each city, stood and sold merchandise himself. He wanted to see if it was still something an up and coming band could do to cost save and make a profit from gigging. Interesting watch.

[MonoStone]

7 minutes ago, Richard Tracey said:

On the getting a fan base front - there are blogs out there who specialise in certain types of music. Send them your songs

 

Spill the beans then  I wouldn't mind having a look at these blogs that might take an interest....

 

If there are bands making sales just from that, I mean more than sales to mates + 10 non-mate sales in a year, without performing live or engaging with potential fans on YouTube (or similar), I really want to know about them. I've just never found any. If you know of them, post a link? It's the kind of thing many need to see...

 

 

 

[Richard Tracey]

43 minutes ago, MonoStone said:

 

Spill the beans then  I wouldn't mind having a look at these blogs that might take an interest....

 

If there are bands making sales just from that, I mean more than sales to mates + 10 non-mate sales in a year, without performing live or engaging with potential fans on YouTube (or similar), I really want to know about them. I've just never found any. If you know of them, post a link? It's the kind of thing many need to see...

 

 

 

 

Dek, to be honest you just need to google for them based on what style of music you think you do.

 

For me, liking Electronic music, there is The Electricity Club, Modern Synthpop, Rusty Egan does a weekly radio podcast and invites people to send their music to him and he does play what he likes. There are others, The Quietus and a few I can't remember the names of at the moment. If Rusty plays something, or TEC reviews and streams your song, you are getting heard by quite a lot of people who like that kind of music. I have discovered countless bands from them and have bought the albums.

 

It just depends on how you categorise your music... is it Indie? Is it Alternative? For me, I think your music is more along the Alternative path.

[MonoStone]

26 minutes ago, Richard Tracey said:

It just depends on how you categorise your music... is it Indie? Is it Alternative? For me, I think your music is more along the Alternative path

 

Honestly no idea. Perhaps that's one good reason to aim for a very specific style. I can imagine that if you fit very neatly into one, and especially if it's kind of niche, then it could make things easier in that respect.

 

... which knocks onto another topic and I shouldn't steer John's thread down a new road. 'Does success come easier if you fit neatly into a very specific genre?'... I'd guess yes.

[Richard Tracey]

7 minutes ago, MonoStone said:

 

Honestly no idea. Perhaps that's one good reason to aim for a very specific style. I can imagine that if you fit very neatly into one, and especially if it's kind of niche, then it could make things easier in that respect.

 

... which knocks onto another topic and I shouldn't steer John's thread down a new road. 'Does success come easier if you fit neatly into a very specific genre?'... I'd guess yes.

 

I think a niche is probably a good idea, as there are people out there who search based on that genre. All streaming apps base everything on a genre and so does iTunes.

 

I think it would be easier to be successful if you stick to a genre. Maybe not huge, but enough to keep you wanting to make music to put out there.

 

Nowadays, word of mouth means more and you get that from being the spotlight on blogs.

 

I think Synthpop is the genre to aim for at the moment. It is very much in vogue, with lots of established acts giving it a go. It is also why a lot of the 80's band are still held in such high regard.

[MonoStone]

John, Is there a way to shift the 'genre' conversation over to a new thread? It interests me, and sounds like it interests Richard...maybe others... 

 

If not I'll start a new thread.

7 hours ago, john said:

Mainstream radio remains an almost impossible nut for indie to crack

 

although you're touching on it here...I feel like I'm going off topic a bit...

[Just1L]

3 hours ago, MonoStone said:

Honestly no idea. Perhaps that's one good reason to aim for a very specific style. I can imagine that if you fit very neatly into one, and especially if it's kind of niche, then it could make things easier in that respect.

 

Finding what genre my music fits into is also a problem for me. I know it's rock, but what kind of rock? 

 

4 hours ago, Richard Tracey said:

On the getting a fan base front - there are blogs out there who specialise in certain types of music. Send them your songs. If they like them, they will feature you, post a stream of a song or songs and more than likely interview you if they really like your stuff.

 

Thanks Richard. I do think this is a viable option to try out. It led to two things I need to figure out. 1) What genre would I pick and 2) What songs, if any, do I have where the recording quality would be acceptable. 

[Richard Tracey]

52 minutes ago, Just1L said:

 

Finding what genre my music fits into is also a problem for me. I know it's rock, but what kind of rock? 

 

The the best way to identify is go onto iTunes, and look at the music you think you want to sound like. iTunes will have attached them to a genre. That is the easiest way to do it.

 

52 minutes ago, Just1L said:

 

Thanks Richard. I do think this is a viable option to try out. It led to two things I need to figure out. 1) What genre would I pick and 2) What songs, if any, do I have where the recording quality would be acceptable. 

 

Yeah, I think to have them picked and streamed they would need to be fairly high standard. Most of the ones I've listened to are of a standard for release.

[Just1L]

14 minutes ago, Richard Tracey said:

The the best way to identify is go onto iTunes, and look at the music you think you want to sound like.

 

Thats the thing, I don't really care to sound like anyone but I have went searching for rock bands that sound similar. I've had comments on my songs ranging from Joe Walsh, to Ozzy, one Arcade Fire reference, Cheap Trick a few times and several punk rock comparisons. So what the hell do I do with that. LOL  Maybe it's called Mishmash Rock.

[Richard Tracey]

5 minutes ago, Just1L said:

 

Thats the thing, I don't really care to sound like anyone but I have went searching for rock bands that sound similar. I've had comments on my songs ranging from Joe Walsh, to Ozzy, one Arcade Fire reference, Cheap Trick a few times and several punk rock comparisons. So what the hell do I do with that. LOL  Maybe it's called Mishmash Rock.

 

'You could try Alt Rock or Alternative & Punk!!!

 

There is Post Rock - Post Punk - to name a couple more.

 

I would say Arcade Fire come under Alternative though and not Rock.

[MonoStone]

7 hours ago, Just1L said:

Finding what genre my music fits into is also a problem for me. I know it's rock, but what kind of rock? 

 

I wouldn't know how to pigeon hole yours either. It's rock... lol ... really no help is it. That's the problem. And it's maybe more of a problem because if you aim for ROCK blogs or radio, often that will be at the heavier end...and your music isn't heavy rock (from what I've heard).

 

If I take my last song... So far people have commented it has A BIT of - Pink Floyd (as always, no idea why), Tears For Fears (really?), Robbie Robertson (I wish), Talk Talk (yeah, if only), Duran Duran (Eh?), Gorillaz (Well at least that's nearer the present day)... who knows... When I uploaded it to Soundcloud without a genre, Soundcloud did the automatic genre suggestions thing it does these days (seen that?) and told me it was 'Smooth Jazz'....

 

Basically, we're both making different music to each other, both have our own sound I think, but both are lumped in the generic Rock/Pop rack in the record store... the biggest sprawling rack there is... 

 

So I have to question myself... Is it worth doing something niche just to be in a smaller pond? The knee jerk answer is no we should all do what comes from inside... but... I suppose the deeper question is, am I just generic...meh...? Could it be interesting to actually aim to fit in a small space? Might it make my music cooler... am I missing something, a special ingredient... And that's why I thought this thread might be interesting.

 

I'm not looking for other people's opinion on my stuff, or answers to the question 'am I meh...', but rather...is finding a niche maybe a good thing artistically AND in terms of getting noticed?

[john]

If you look at larger artists, they use niche music artistically to grow their style but also to grow their fanbase. Back with Bowie it was on an album by album basis. A more modern approach is to co-write and guest perform with niche artists to introduce you to new audiences.

 

I think, no matter how much we enjoy doing what we do, nothing is lost by trying new things. Even if only for the buzz of trying and learning new things, for me that is worth it.

 

That said, even if your music is compared to Pink Floyd... then you can target soft rock, progressive rock and of course sites and communities where Pink Floyd fans exist... if only because people who like music similar to yours already hang out there. Try contacting the site owners and see if you can interest them in your music. Hopefully they can blog about you or include you in a newsletter. This is a good approach for all the artists you find yourself compared to.

[john]

That is another category in our upcoming database

[MonoStone]

10 hours ago, HoboSage said:

There aren't only blogs/podcasts you could exploit, there are many internet radio stations also looking for material from indie artists - even terrestrial radio stations that also stream indie programs that accept material to play if they like it.

 

https://www.musicxray.com/interactions/browse?utf8=✓&clear_pages=true&q=radio&_commit_value=

 

Are you a member of Music Xray? Just wondering...if so...good??

[Just1L]

15 hours ago, MonoStone said:

Basically, we're both making different music to each other, both have our own sound I think, but both are lumped in the generic Rock/Pop rack in the record store... the biggest sprawling rack there is... 

 

Maybe we should change our names to AAAJust1L & AAAMonoStone, at least we'd be at the front of the rack. ;0

 

15 hours ago, MonoStone said:

So I have to question myself... Is it worth doing something niche just to be in a smaller pond? The knee jerk answer is no we should all do what comes from inside... but... I suppose the deeper question is, am I just generic...meh...? Could it be interesting to actually aim to fit in a small space? Might it make my music cooler... am I missing something, a special ingredient... And that's why I thought this thread might be interesting.

 

I'm not looking for other people's opinion on my stuff, or answers to the question 'am I meh...', but rather...is finding a niche maybe a good thing artistically AND in terms of getting noticed?

 

I used to look at it this way. Let's say on the off-chance I did start getting fans and started playing out and gained some momentum using a different style. Would I want to be playing what I love and feel, or would I want to play something I don't really care for but do it because it works or pays the bills? It's the same with a job. The less you like it, the harder it is to do everyday. So at some point I'd want to go back to the kind of music that I like, but my fans may not like it because they were "raised" on the other style, which is why they liked me in the first place. 

 

Then again, I've done a few songs here and there that aren't my normal style but I do like them. I dunno. At some point I'd like to do a musical. There's really a lot of options on what one could do, and normally when that's the case, you go with your gut.

[MonoStone]

11 minutes ago, Just1L said:

Would I want to be playing what I love and feel, or would I want to play something I don't really care for but do it because it works or pays

Yep... My thinking is more about 'would refining the sound down to more of a niche potentially make me like it more too' it would have to, and I wondered....just wondering out loud really.

 

I checked my stats on SC for the last year... the song people liked most was the one I wasn't singing on   So there's a hint for my new direction...

[Just1L]

5 minutes ago, MonoStone said:

Yep... My thinking is more about 'would refining the sound down to more of a niche potentially make me like it more too' it would have to, and I wondered....just wondering out loud really.

 

It's that special ingredient you mentioned. I feel it too with my songs. I recognize I've gotten better, yet there still seems something missing. If I personally had a tagline for my music it would be "Just trying to get Rock back on the radio and in the mainstream - since 2009." I hope at some point someone's able to do it. But to do it, I think there will need to be something "new" about it. What that is, I don't know.

 

Are there any particular niches you can think of you'd like to try? Are you talking about you're own niche? I think regardless, it may make it easier, but the hard work is still there. Getting heard, getting fans, getting the right people to hear it and like it and believe in it, etc… 

[MonoStone]

2 minutes ago, Just1L said:

 

It's that special ingredient you mentioned. I feel it too with my songs. I recognize I've gotten better, yet there still seems something missing. If I personally had a tagline for my music it would be "Just trying to get Rock back on the radio and in the mainstream - since 2009." I hope at some point someone's able to do it. But to do it, I think there will need to be something "new" about it. What that is, I don't know.

 

Are there any particular niches you can think of you'd like to try? Are you talking about you're own niche? I think regardless, it may make it easier, but the hard work is still there. Getting heard, getting fans, getting the right people to hear it and like it and believe in it, etc… 

 

I dunno...my problem is I like too many styles, but as you say...maybe it's about identifying something already there are refining down to that. Chucking out any wishy wash stuff, and maybe enhancing a certain element.

 

Not sure yet. Tricky one. I find it hard to be into anything so restricted but I am a bit sick of not knowing what genre to use. Still soul searching on this...dunno... The hope is that if I figure it out it might give me more of a buzz to make new stuff too.

[Just1L]

18 hours ago, MonoStone said:

When I uploaded it to Soundcloud without a genre, Soundcloud did the automatic genre suggestions thing it does these days (seen that?) and told me it was 'Smooth Jazz'....

 

I have not seen this. Is this something in the pay version? I've never not entered something in the genre though so I should give that a try.

 

Just tried it and there was no auto genre suggestion.

[Richard Tracey]

What you could do. Look and see which genre is getting the most hype just now and try and do one song in that style to see if you like it or not. Post it on SoundCloud and possibly YouTube and see what happens.