Diary of the unexplained - Personal Blog

To all…

 

We’re making changes all the time to improve things. We just more than halved the page load speed, so our Google rank will improve once again. For the last age we’ve been putting together a number of improvements. For example:

 

One key thing for indie music is reaching an interested audience. The trouble is Songstuff is largely artist facing. Most indie OMD’s have the same issue. That means artists build fan lists from other artists, who are unlikely to be genuine fans. Indeed, most will never have listened to your music. It makes for large numbers of disengaged followers, giving you the impression that people just don’t like your music. Artists can be good supporters, most are not. If they encounter you as a listener, they can be like any fan. If they encounter you as an artist, there is a “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine… maybe” vibe.

 

So, here is just some of what we’ve been looking at so far to help get our boards more lively…

 

we’ve been repurposing Songstuff UK as SSUK, and created the Independent Music Stage (IMS). Both are intended to be fan facing.

 

We will maintain playlists that largely mix the best indie music with mainstream music (about 80:20) with the aims of:

• 1st we are creating an active music platform with great music, but importantly by promoting the playlists to mainstream and indie music fans we blur the lines and hopefully introduce fans to awesome music they might never have encountered otherwise.
• 2nd, the IMS provides an active outlet with a high quality target standard for Indie artists to aim for. Most playlists and opportunities are open to all indies. Some are open to Songstuff members only.
• 3rd we are targeting some high flying indies to become members of Songstuff.
• 4th we are adding a talk based podcast for Songstuff, and for SSUK.
• 5th we are drawing up some basic legal docs to enable us to protect artists and ourselves to do live streams including interviews, performances, workshops and more. These will be fan facing for IMS and artist facing for Songstuff.
• 6th We have created a media company incorporating a record label, publisher and PR, registered in Texas (Red Circle 7 - RC7) initially for staff to release recordings, but later to help artists release their music properly, based on a short term contract for label, publishing or PR (or all 3) or sub services eventually.
• We have been creating products to aid indie artists and help fund the community properly. A few of these products will have a user community based directly here.
• We have an intention of creating a few music blogs, recruiting writers, hosts, illustrators and video makers and creating an awesome media channel on the Independent Music Stage channel on YouTube and distributing podcasts via Soundcloud, Spotify, Apple Music and more.
• We also plan direct community based events like workshops and challenges.
• We will support fan products like merch and who knows maybe paid for streams, and access to advertising and more for artists to get their products out there.
• We plan to also get Songwriters and performers out there, not just the artists. Helping raise the profile of songwriters and performers we hope will be an awesome add to our platform.
• We are looking into interviewing mainstream artists as well as emerging indies, just like the playlists, we hope a mixed audience will really help indies.
• We also hope to interview team members of bigger artists and organisations and get their take on recording, production, performance, release, distribution, management, PR, copyright and more…
• Lastly (now) we plan to build community on each social and media platform, all connected to Songstuff or Songstuff UK. 

Some of the above is in an advanced stage of implementation and others are still at the research stage. There’s more going on, but that gives you a flavour for our work level and ambition for Songstuff and our members. We’re in a great position to help Indies, and have a history of doing so. Still, lighting a fire under our own asses has helped us begin to transform our community into something we feel contributes, is relevant and will be sustainable.

 

So please, as you see us launch initiatives like the IMS, please follow, like and share our accounts, and playlists with your friends, fans and connections. A popular IMS is useful for all indies and music lovers, and that is pretty rare.

 

All of this will have corresponding community activity, here and on our social media portals. All should help make Songstuff lively, and supportive. Importantly, I hope to maintain the culture of the boards as a friendly, useful community.

 

Is this enough?

 

In all this, we need your support. Not just in promoting this place, but also in helping to shape our community into the kind of large community you would want it to be. We have clubs to facilitate sub areas that members can directly control, so that if you want to build a virtual, active music club, you can, or if you want to create a quiet corner, to talk with like minds, you can do that too.

 

So please, please, be active, get involved, enjoy your music. Help us to help you.

 

 Love n stuff

 

John

 

 

1 hour ago, john said:

One key thing for indie music is reaching an interested audience. The trouble is Songstuff is largely artist facing. Most indie OMD’s have the same issue. That means artists build fan lists from other artists, who are unlikely to be genuine fans. Indeed, most will never have listened to your music. It makes for large numbers of disengaged followers, giving you the impression that people just don’t like your music. Artists can be good supporters, most are not. If they encounter you as a listener, they can be like any fan. If they encounter you as an artist, there is a “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine… maybe” vibe.

 

I know you are addressing everyone, but id like to say something about this. First and foremost, I am happy to hear you guys are putting this much effort into this place! and whats more, I consider this forum as being the absolute best of its kind! there is no other place id rather be. I`m not sure if you noticed, but I have been here at least a year. This place is actually the only music forum I frequent

 

One thing is. I cannot speak for everyone, but as I have mention several times in the past, I personally did not come here to promote my music. My interest has always been simply to talk to fellow musicians, check out their stuff, help where I can, and make friends. I never really wanted more than that. I mean, sure, if someone wants to know more about me or my music, they are welcome to ask me about it. Though I can tell you that only a handful of the people I met here ever really asked me anything 😅 but that`s okay. I understand that most artists come here for promotion and to improve their craft. Its not their fault that my interests are so different from theirs.

 

I`m just saying... it gets lonely sometimes. I wish we had more people in this forum. I don`t care if people here don`t “scratch my back". Finding business opportunities and servicing fans is a part of my job. I just want to make friends, you know? my life outside of work is incredibly boring and the vast majority of the people in my life are not musicians. I`m old, John. And you know what I see when I come here? tons of cool people id like to get to know better. Problem is... alot of folk have this.. tunnel vision. "Music music music, feedback feedback, hear me hear me!". And i`m like... O.K. Chill 😅 so you make music. That`s great. So do I 👍 But... is... that it? what i`m trying to say is.. I enjoy getting to know people BEYOND just admiring their talents. I just wish more people in here would take a break sometime, and just talk like normal people. Or am I simply that one lunatic that wants to get to know people, as actual people, and not just as artists. I`m a social creature, I can`t help it 😂

 

1 hour ago, john said:

So please, as you see us launch initiatives like the IMS, please follow, like and share our accounts, and playlists with your friends, fans and connections. A popular IMS is useful for all indies and music lovers, and that is pretty rare.

 

My social media portals, and various other mediums of feeds and product placement, are not operated by me. The account I have in this forum plus my account on Soundcloud, are the only two places where I am the exclusive owner of the account. Meaning, those are the only two places where I can share and link whatever I want. You could say, that by all modern accounts, I barely exist on the internet as an individual.

 

I can link this place in my SC if you want me too. But I don`t believe that will be very effective. For one, I haven't uploaded in years, and I mostly use that place as a means to keep in touch with certain people. Its... more like an email, really lol. Though I did actually tell a few people about this place. None of them joined though 😞

 

1 hour ago, john said:

In all this, we need your support. Not just in promoting this place, but also in helping to shape our community into the kind of large community you would want it to be. We have clubs to facilitate sub areas that members can directly control, so that if you want to build a virtual, active music club, you can, or if you want to create a quiet corner, to talk with like minds, you can do that too.

 

So please, please, be active, get involved, enjoy your music. Help us to help you.

 

 Love n stuff

 

John

 

 

 

I consider myself as being fairly active. Though now that you mention it, if my Blog gets lively than yeah I might open a club too. Not sure what i`ll do with it, but we`ll see.

13 hours ago, Popthree said:

i'm out here, i'm reading, and i'm honored that you would include a newbie like me in your 'favorite people' here!  

 

I`m glad your here and I hope to see you often! you should know, I don`t judge people by how long they have been here. "Newbie", "veteran", "moderately active". These are just silly little words and they mean nothing to me. A person is a person. Period.

 

You might be wondering why I like you. I`ll tell you. Do you remember your first thread? I do. Your not afraid to express your actual feelings, and you say what`s on your mind. I like that. Also. Your not obsessed with your music. You show that you have an interest in a wide array of subjects and i`m always happy to read your insights. And, yes, I know that I am only scratching the surface. We haven't spoken all that much. But I have a good eye for people. And I usually get along with individuals that have a touch of "darkness" in them. Melancholy. Madness. Odd birds. People of an interesting substance. Whatever you wanna call it. And I don`t think that your the type of person that goes around throwing fake smiles at everyone. That`s something we have in common. As... you can tell from my blog lol. Maybe you should open one as well.

Glad to see this post VoiceEx!

 

This would be fun to get a little bit more of each other's quirks through these blog posts!

 

 

6 hours ago, VoiceEx said:

 

I know you are addressing everyone, but id like to say something about this. First and foremost, I am happy to hear you guys are putting this much effort into this place! and whats more, I consider this forum as being the absolute best of its kind! there is no other place id rather be. I`m not sure if you noticed, but I have been here at least a year. This place is actually the only music forum I frequent

 

One thing is. I cannot speak for everyone, but as I have mention several times in the past, I personally did not come here to promote my music. My interest has always been simply to talk to fellow musicians, check out their stuff, help where I can, and make friends. I never really wanted more than that. I mean, sure, if someone wants to know more about me or my music, they are welcome to ask me about it. Though I can tell you that only a handful of the people I met here ever really asked me anything 😅 but that`s okay. I understand that most artists come here for promotion and to improve their craft. Its not their fault that my interests are so different from theirs.

 

I`m just saying... it gets lonely sometimes. I wish we had more people in this forum. I don`t care if people here don`t “scratch my back". Finding business opportunities and servicing fans is a part of my job. I just want to make friends, you know? my life outside of work is incredibly boring and the vast majority of the people in my life are not musicians. I`m old, John. And you know what I see when I come here? tons of cool people id like to get to know better. Problem is... alot of folk have this.. tunnel vision. "Music music music, feedback feedback, hear me hear me!". And i`m like... O.K. Chill 😅 so you make music. That`s great. So do I 👍 But... is... that it? what i`m trying to say is.. I enjoy getting to know people BEYOND just admiring their talents. I just wish more people in here would take a break sometime, and just talk like normal people. Or am I simply that one lunatic that wants to get to know people, as actual people, and not just as artists. I`m a social creature, I can`t help it 😂

 

 

My social media portals, and various other mediums of feeds and product placement, are not operated by me. The account I have in this forum plus my account on Soundcloud, are the only two places where I am the exclusive owner of the account. Meaning, those are the only two places where I can share and link whatever I want. You could say, that by all modern accounts, I barely exist on the internet as an individual.

 

I can link this place in my SC if you want me too. But I don`t believe that will be very effective. For one, I haven't uploaded in years, and I mostly use that place as a means to keep in touch with certain people. Its... more like an email, really lol. Though I did actually tell a few people about this place. None of them joined though 😞

 

 

I consider myself as being fairly active. Though now that you mention it, if my Blog gets lively than yeah I might open a club too. Not sure what i`ll do with it, but we`ll see.

certainly in-site engagement tasks, events and challenges should be part of encouraging social activity and relationship building.. which is all good with or without some direct music connection. Encouraging general and off-topic chat will help aS well 

17 hours ago, Mahesh said:

Glad to see this post VoiceEx!

 

This would be fun to get a little bit more of each other's quirks through these blog posts!

 

 

 Exactly I think that people take themselves WAY too seriously, at times. Its good to unwind. Besides. I know that this place means alot of different things, for different people. But its also a forum. You know what I mean? when I see people advertise themselves, i`m like, yeah that`s cool you do what you gotta do. But the average song is, like, what, 5 minutes? what am I suppose to do next? buy the album? sure, why not. Support the artist. And then what? 😅

18 hours ago, john said:

certainly in-site engagement tasks, events and challenges should be part of encouraging social activity and relationship building.. which is all good with or without some direct music connection. Encouraging general and off-topic chat will help aS well 

 

Hey i`m all for encouraging social activity. That`s why I try to make interesting threads 😅 though I will admit, there are places in the form itself, particularly in the lyrical department, which I avoid like wildfire. Why? well for one that area is a kinda boring, sometimes. What, it is! 😂 also some of the folk there seem so... uptight. I understand why, and some folk there do have credentials. But.. its just.. well.. no 😅

Edited August 29, 2021 by VoiceEx

On 8/29/2021 at 1:13 PM, VoiceEx said:

 

Hey i`m all for encouraging social activity. That`s why I try to make interesting threads 😅 though I will admit, there are places in the form itself, particularly in the lyrical department, which I avoid like wildfire. Why? well for one that area is a kinda boring, sometimes. What, it is! 😂 also some of the folk there seem so... uptight. I understand why, and some folk there do have credentials. But.. its just.. well.. no 😅

We all have what floats our boat and what triggers us. For some it might be a broken couplet, for others it might be using a TR-909 for a handclap on a Hungarian Polka.

 

Uptightness usually relates to taking comments personally and a need to be right. The flip side is of course a lack of ability to learn from others and often high stress levels.

 

Critique is a skill to learn. It’s a discussion and a mutual interest in exploring possibilities. Perhaps the site could do more to help there, training wise, and there’s definitely an opportunity for members to help encourage a healthy attitude within their fellow members.

 

Forums go through phases, often dictated by influxes of new members. They may or may not have previous critiquing experience, or no critiquing experience. Some forums mistake positive critique with only saying nice things about critique. It’s not. Critique is not about mutual back patting. That’s the reality of a forum that is pretty good at delivering honesty, and positive clique is about discussing ideas and exploring workable solutions/steps forward. Some other forums encourage an “only nice comments” policy, creating users who don’t know how to handle criticism or how to offer it in a healthy way. Meanwhile other forums create an almost combative environment which do little to discourage aggressive criticism, creating users who don’t know how to offer effective critique. In both cases, there is a tendency to focus on bringing up lists of perceived faults or compliments, without discussing why they feel that is significant, what the impact is, and importantly discussion about what the author can do to address issues and lessons to be learned.

 

You are completely right VX, it is far more of an issue with lyrics critique. I’ve considered this before. My conclusion then was that we consider language more intrinsically connected to our personal identity. We do the same with singing versus playing instruments (where an object is involved in making music) or with dance. People are more likely to take them more personally. Maybe we need a compliment board, an insult board and a critique board!

 

Of course sometimes our forums can be a little less than perfect (Okay, okay… keep cool... it’s true!). We all do what we can to keep our boards healthy

On 9/1/2021 at 2:02 PM, john said:

Uptightness usually relates to taking comments personally and a need to be right. The flip side is of course a lack of ability to learn from others and often high stress levels.

 

Critique is a skill to learn. It’s a discussion and a mutual interest in exploring possibilities. Perhaps the site could do more to help there, training wise, and there’s definitely an opportunity for members to help encourage a healthy attitude within their fellow members.

 

You know me well enough to know that I would never say anything to offend someone intentionally. Not unless they give me a reason. Which is why i`m not very good at communicating with people that cannot handle constructive critique. In my case there is also the matter of the language itself. As a none English speaker, the way that I perceive structured sentences is strongly affected by how certain words sound to me. Also. In terms of grammatical structuring, I sometimes have a tendency to make suggestions based on my academic studies of English literature. Which is something that is not always fitting for a song.

 

These are... too many mine fields. I could name a few people who I would rather not interact with, if that was relevant. Though as a general rule of thumb, I would only leave someone a comment about their lyrics if its a person I already know. Its cool though. The majority of people don`t really care about my opinion all that much, anyway 😂

 

On 9/1/2021 at 2:02 PM, john said:

Forums go through phases, often dictated by influxes of new members. They may or may not have previous critiquing experience, or no critiquing experience. Some forums mistake positive critique with only saying nice things about critique. It’s not. Critique is not about mutual back patting. That’s the reality of a forum that is pretty good at delivering honesty, and positive clique is about discussing ideas and exploring workable solutions/steps forward. Some other forums encourage an “only nice comments” policy, creating users who don’t know how to handle criticism or how to offer it in a healthy way. Meanwhile other forums create an almost combative environment which do little to discourage aggressive criticism, creating users who don’t know how to offer effective critique. In both cases, there is a tendency to focus on bringing up lists of perceived faults or compliments, without discussing why they feel that is significant, what the impact is, and importantly discussion about what the author can do to address issues and lessons to be learned.

 

Oh I know what its like in other places. Which is why I have no problem saying f*ck other forums 🤣

 

On 9/1/2021 at 2:02 PM, john said:

Maybe we need a compliment board, an insult board and a critique board!

 

I think that would be very interesting! 🤣I can see totally see it:

 

"Megalomaniacs board". Give it sub categories like:

"unanimous stroking of ones Ego. Open ended"

"I am the sun, and you are my locust"

"Everyone else is wrong. Confessions of a prodigy"

"How am I not rich and famous?!"

 

Top it off with handing out "Eternal Praise" awards for people that genuinely leave an impression that this is what they do for a living.

 

For the insulting boards: "Trolls Galore board". Sub categories:

 

"You suck. Here`s why"

"DDTC - the Daily Death Threat Commission board"

"The Perpetual insult comity"

"Stalkers Unite"

"Give up on music"

 

Exclusive monthly Doxxing for subscribing members only!

 

On 9/1/2021 at 2:02 PM, john said:

Of course sometimes our forums can be a little less than perfect (Okay, okay… keep cool... it’s true!). We all do what we can to keep our boards healthy

 

Hey if you have some magic formula for pulling the stick outta certain people`s asses, than by all means! do it!

17 hours ago, VoiceEx said:

I would only leave someone a comment about their lyrics if its a person I already know.

 

Oh lord, I can totally relate to this! 😄 Lyrics are such a personal thing at least for me & I tend to get very objective when considering critiques with lyrics especially when something is being advised without enough context. But I really don't see it as a bad thing though! It allows me to test my own judgement when any advice comes along (just as with audio production mixes & masters). 

 

17 hours ago, VoiceEx said:

Hey if you have some magic formula for pulling the stick outta certain people`s asses, than by all means! do it!

lmfao!

On 9/3/2021 at 5:30 PM, Mahesh said:

 

Oh lord, I can totally relate to this! 😄 Lyrics are such a personal thing at least for me & I tend to get very objective when considering critiques with lyrics especially when something is being advised without enough context. But I really don't see it as a bad thing though! It allows me to test my own judgement when any advice comes along (just as with audio production mixes & masters).

 

Normally I would not upload sketches onto the internet because that takes away the "splash effect". Dishing out a half baked product will have a detrimental impact on the official release. However. On the few rare occasions where I decided to just throw in a sketch or two, an action which I had planned for, than my approach towards receiving constructive criticism is quite simple. If someone wants me to consider their advise in a serious manner, they must do the following:

 

1) Be relevant and be respectful. Without those two elements, we will have nothing to discuss. If I don`t like a person`s attitude, and if I find their opinion as being offensive, I will either ignore them entirely or switch onto full sarcasm mode. At which point, I might consider that persons opinion as entertainment. And, no, I am not "above" verbally bitch slapping someone 😅

 

2) Provide sufficient context and demonstrate your point. I mention that because If random people think that I am patient enough for playing guessing games, than they obviously haven't been paying much attention.

 

3) A person must give me a reason as to why I should listen to them.

 

If I chose to upload something, even a sketch, its base structure and basic compounds (composition, sound quality, choice of instruments etc etc) will be in a relatively decent condition. Obviously it will be no were near being fully polished. Far from it. But it will be "relatively presentable". So with that in mind, I am more inclined to listen to a person which has a similar or higher production value. I want people that give me critique to show me that their opinion goes beyond just their own musical preference. I want to see for myself that they have the knowledge and musical expertise required to provide input which is beneficial to me. Not to mention... that their own songs would have to reach a level of performance and ingenuity that peeks my interest. Why is that relevant? because if I don`t like they things they do for themselves, than I why would I want their ingredients in my songs? even if a person is the best at what they do, that does not necessarily mean that what`s best for them, would be best for me.