john

Hi guys I am building a few electronica playlists covering: Experimental EDM Trap 80's Alternative Chill Out Electro pop Platforms: YouTube Spotify Soundcloud Playlist Opportunity For consideration for a track, or tracks, to be included on a playlist: Please reply here with a link to your suggestions including the genre of playlist you think they belong to. Feature/Interview Opportunity If accepted for the Playlist Opportunity, I might want to Feature You across Songstuff platforms (Songstuff.com, Songstuff.co.uk, Songstuff Independent Music Stage social media, Songstuff Social media, our Community newsletter), and/or interview you (video, audio and text). To do so I will be looking for: A bio (500 words-ish) 3 Photos Artist + Release artwork E-signed copyright permission relating to the above (I will send this to you) E-signed work-for-hire agreement (video interview only, I will send this to you) Please let me know when replying here if you would be interested in both opportunities. Please follow me here (click follow on this blog), follow me on twitter, @Musomox1

The coffee is strong in these here parts! Here there be dragons! The staff have teeth. Literal. Figurative. Metaphorical. Apparently we also make for great jousting apparel! Who knew? Some good lists! Keep em up. Well done Cody on a fast turn around on list progress. Can it be beaten? Let’s see.... I should state my aim to finish this post.

Joel, oh magnanimous one.... You responded to my topic titled “Promoting Your Music On The Web”, advising other people to hire someone to promote their music, highlighting how distasteful promoting made you feel. Your post quoted me, but it was not strictly for me, it was largely for others reading this topic. My reply was at least partly in that same vein as the feeling of distaste is not something unique to you. For the record, I never mentioned digital or otherwise in that previous post (though I did in the original posts when talking of tools). The post you responded to by suggesting to others to just hire someone... a perfectly valid suggestion but then I think I am entitled to counter the negatives you raise, if only because they can have an effect others. Were this topic yours and titled “Hire people to promote your music and don’t even try to persuade me otherwise, I don’t want to know” then you might well be completely within your rights to respond to me like I am the snake whispering to Eve about the apple or a pusher selling a drug. Mailing lists were around waaaaay pre-internet. Still I respect that you don’t want to use them, so I didn’t mention them. Nor in my response did I mention any specific tools. I tried to address the feeling of distaste as being about talking to the right people, and to a degree talking to them in the right way, so that it is not a sales pitch because it is the pitch that mostly makes it feel like self-promotion. Incidentally, talking to the right people speaks as much to the live gigs you book, the radio shows you appear on as it does to any other part of communicating with fans. It’s about fishing where the fish you want to catch actually swim. If you already do this quite successfully, I will highlight that my response was not just for you. Either way it is for all the ways you put your music and your message in front of an audience. The biggest change in the tatters of what is left of the music industry? The switch from relying on others to self-reliance. That’s not entirely accurate. Larger labels and publishers now represent far far fewer artists. However, various aspects of what they do are more widely available to artists as services, from marketing and promotion to pr, publicity, booking, administration etc. The issue there is that many of those services require up-front flat fees, or a payment scheme with that as a significant component. They are not interested in taking a punt with a royalty or percentage. This is VERY true for marketing, promotion, pr etc. For cash-strapped musos. That leaves two options: do it yourself or don’t do it at all. If you choose the latter option there are of course consequences, no choice is consequence free. You can of course break up the marketing, promotion and pr tasks as a DIY. That can be done at different levels. You generally pay a mixture of cash and your own time and effort. Commonly the best option is pay for close to what you use, but it is up front.... and the lessons in talking to the right audience in the right way. As far as paying others to do stuff for you goes, beyond them taking preprepared marketing messages and mailing them out to their own unqualified mailing list costing you about $50 - $500 for the single shot privilege, you are talking up front fees in the region of $300 - $600 for help preparing a single mail out message and sending it, to $3000 per month as a rolling budget for more encompassing tour support. Human bums on seats... cost. I don’t set the rules, Joel. In many ways I don’t like playing by them and where I don’t have to, I frequently don’t. Others, I simply have no choice. I either pay, or I don’t get. By all means, keep doing what you do in the way you do it. But the world has changed around us all. We all either adapt or we don’t. You have every right to say that is what you do and why you do it that way... However, and I say this with no hint of animosity and with the best will in the world, please don’t tell me off for responding kindly to a post that advises contrary to the entire premise of the topic, while at the same time raising new restrictions and perspectives others may well experience, as if I am personally badgering you (however nicely) to follow my proposed solution. You raised questions in my topic by offering alternative advice. I responded with reasonable consideration of the points raised. I absolutely welcome you to the debate, Joel. You have genuine issues and perspectives that should be discussed. You are, however, not the only one who will feel that way.

Focus on building a group of people who you can talk to about your music because THEY are interested. If you believe your music is any good, then surely you believe that there are people out there who are very interested in the kind of music you make.... it’s just that so far, you haven’t been great at finding them, contacting them or communicating with them. Mostly, you (and most artists, for that matter) engage with semi-interested to barely-interested people, only to be disappointed by their lack of response. The point is: the feeling of pimping out your music, pushing it on people, being uncomfortable talking about your music is a chronic symptom of promoting to the wrong people. Promoting to the right people becomes a pleasure, because they are waiting for your message, interested in what you say, and importantly, passionate about what you play. Mixing up who you are talking to AND why you are talking to them is a very common issue.

Ayup!

Nope! It’s all good

Personal consultation? Direct?

Are you looking for feedback or just looking to promote your latest track?

Hey Jan Welcome to Songstuff! What is your music production set up?

Hey m00n, good to have you with us. Welcome to Songstuff! There’s loads here for you to explore, including a range of critique forums. It’s good to get into the swing of giving critique. To be honest you often learn more as there is such a diversity of styles, plus you are using your skills without any emotional attachment or connection to the work you comment on. Everyone here was inexperienced with critique at some point, so don’t let that stop you. Honestly the more critique discussions you take part in, the faster you will improve as a writer. Simple tips when reviewing: Be aware not everyone is experienced at getting critique so be considerate with language Observe. Analyse. Make Suggestions. Be constructive. Discuss. Be constructive doesn’t mean just say nice things, it means be helpful. Explain. Don’t beat people over the head with your opinion. If they don’t use your suggestion, it shouldn’t make any difference to you. It isn’t your song, and you do not own the vision for the song, you do not have to live with the consequences... so chill. Try to understand their viewpoint, their aims etc. Understanding perspective aids critique, but also aids our own writing. It is just your opinion. Don’t cry if they don’t agree. Put your big boy pants on and suck it up. Don’t make personal comments When getting critique: If your song has lyrics, include them in your original post. It makes it easier for critiques to make comment on the words, but also has handy markers. Critiquers are not invested in your work. Opinions might seem blunt but usually it just feels that way because you are emotionally invested in your work. They are not. It is not personal. Take time to respond to everyone who listened and left a comment. After all, they took time to listen and comment. Consider all opinions and suggestions. Take time to understand their perspective and reasoning... especially if you are discounting their suggestion. Discuss suggestions. Critique is not a simple opinion. It is a discussion. Explore their thinking. You make decisions about your song. If you disagree, don’t dismiss and devalue their opinion. Thank them and move on. Few are experts. Even if they come over as thinking they are a God. Even if they are an expert, it is your song and their opinion. That aside, have fun. Learn from each other. Talk. Listen. That aside there are loads of features on the boards. Listen to the music created by members. There are some awesome writers and artists out there. Enjoy yourself. There are some interesting and fun characters here. Take care and I look forward to getting to know you and your music! Cheers John

Hi there Alex! Welcome to Songstuff

Hey, welcome to Songstuff! Good to have you with us

Hey there Marco, welcome to Songstuff! Beat maker, rapper, or both?

You might find this EQ article a useful starting point: https://www.songstuff.com/recording/article/eq_frequencies/ I created that guide 20 years ago! Scary how time flies! As you can see, how you treat such frequencies depends on the problem. So use your ears and a few diagnostic techniques...

I did wonder about including DAW editors. In the end I decided to leave them out simply because they are part of a far larger product.

Hey Ok, so I created this blog with the best of intentions and then managed to forget all about it. Eek! There have been so many changes in the industry, that from a blogging perspective has been an embarrassment of riches, the embarrassment in this case has been my complete neglect of this blog, while such an array of interesting, industry and life changing events have drifted passed, I commented on. On top of the trend of changes we’ve had COVID-19 land on our laps. At a minimum it’s brutally forced through changes that were already impacting artists, writers and performers. We were already stripped back to live as a primary way to make a living because of piracy, compounded by labels and collection agencies etc caving in and negotiating pitiful royalties. Now this. Here, live-streaming has come to the fore, allowing companies who have long taken advantage of artists to appear to come to our rescue. Of course it locks us into their platforms, has us generating loads of content for their networks, all the while happy for the scraps off their tables. Yes it’s been pretty humiliating all round. Let’s not get too bogged down, it is what it is, but let’s at least agree not to granting sainthood status to these platforms. Songstuff has started the Songstuff Independent Music Stage in order to showcase independent music. I firmly believe that if we want independent music to be noticed, to be accorded some respect, then we need to be presenting the best independent music alongside the best mainstream music. We need to blur the lines between mainstream and independent music. That means creating and celebrating our own celebrities, with interviews and features in independent music press and media. That means creating our own, accessible platforms and showcasing our music. It has to be alongside mainstream music. It helps fans to draw the comparison between good indie acts and mainstream and see no difference in quality or style. It helps them to find both celebrated in the same way. Subscribe, like, comment, share: Songstuff.co.uk Songstuff Independent Music Stage group on Facebook Songstuff Music Stage YouTube Channel Songstuff Music Stage on Twitter and the very new Songstuff Music Stage on Pinterest Songstuff Music Stage on Instagram Anything we can do, right?

Hi Ok... I guess each person’s list can change, with odd tasks being completed, and new ones being added in a kinda bucket list.... If you are like me, you will have an ongoing list of things you keep meaning to do, but never quite get around to, skills I keep meaning to learn.... I thought it might make an interesting topic. Especially if they are super secret... or at least the kind of thing you do in the shower or sitting in the car on your own! You might only have one thing, or it might be read like a book.... it’s time to share with the world! Mwuahahahaha! So two skills make my list, born from curiosity more than anything: Rapping (especially freestyle) Beatboxing I don’t see me using the skills much. Don’t get me wrong. I’ve tried the odd bit of Eminem, or a few bars of “Boot ‘n’ Cats”, or sat making apparently random farty sounds with my mouth.... lol but I never seriously apply myself to learn. I know my list is longer than that if I gave it some thought... so I will post some more. I suggest that updates are new posts, but that you maintain your list in each of your update posts. So when I make a new update post, I will include my existing list in the new post, but add my new list items to the list. An update might also be a re-ordering of the list. So... what would make your list? An unspoken desire to learn street dance? Learn how to play the didgeridoo? Let’s hear it. Cheers John

Interesting. Can you explain a little more of what you mean. An example maybe?

A good answer Mike.

Hey Wave editing is an essential task in music production. You might be trimming a sample, tidying up a take or mastering your mix. You can edit on Windows, Mac, Android, iPad/iPhone, Web app and browser plug in... What do you use? We’ve included a 2 question poll. Question 1 is to help get an idea of overall editors used. Question 2 is about finding the most liked. If you tick “Other” in either poll, please tell us your choice in the comments. Please also feel free to explain your choices. Links to all of the editors in the poll are included below: Acoustica Basic (Windows) http://acondigital.com/products/acoustica-audio-editor/ Adobe Audition (Windows, Mac) https://www.adobe.com/products/audition.html?red=a Ashampoo Music Studio (Windows) https://www.ashampoo.com/en/usd/pin/1630/multimedia-software/music-studio-8 Audacity (Windows, Mac, Linux) http://audacityteam.org/ Audio Cutter Pro (web app) http://audio-cutter.com/ Audio MP3 Cutter Mix Converter (Android) https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.appzcloud.audioeditor&hl=en Audiotool (Windows, macOS, Linux (in browser)) https://www.audiotool.com Hya-Wave (Chrome) https://wav.hya.io/#/fx Nero Wave Editor (Windows) http://www.nero.com/enu/downloads/ Ocenaudio (Windows, Mac, Linux) http://www.ocenaudio.com.br/en/startpage Qtractor (Linux) http://qtractor.sourceforge.net/qtractor-index.html Soundation (web app) https://soundation.com/ Soundforge (Windows, Mac) https://www.magix.com/gb/music/sound-forge/ TwistedWave (web app, Mac, iPhone) https://twistedwave.com/ Wavelab (Windows, Mac) https://new.steinberg.net/wavelab/ WavePad (Windows, Mac, iPad, Android) http://www.nch.com.au/wavepad/ WaveShop (Windows) http://waveshop.sourceforge.net/index.html Wavosaur (Windows) http://www.wavosaur.com/

Hi Gang A quick poll on where we should position the critique boards... please register your opinion Thanks! John @Peggy@Mahesh@Lisa Gates@LadyStarkaryen

Hi Gang What does your space to make music look like? I just tidied my studio! Eek! It had been a complete mess. It's looking so much better now. A much better place to be making music! Cheers John

Hi gang When you write a new song, what sort of things are you trying to achieve? What is your purpose(s)? I get that you probably try to do more than one thing and sometimes an individual song has a clear purpose... but what sort of things and where does the balance lie? For example, for me, I try to connect with my audience. Not just in terms of understanding. An emotional connection. Something shared. Sometimes I might be trying to convey a very specific message, but mostly I just hope that listeners have a feeling that someone else gets them. Someone else is on a similar journey, or at least going through a familiar landscape. Other times it's just about that song, that moment and nothing else. What about you? Cheers John

Hi and welcome to Songstuff Blarj!

Hey Steve! Good to meet you! Welcome to Songstuff I’m looking forward to hearing your music.