9 affordable ways to get "heard"

[GregB]

It just requires a steady water-on-rock approach when you have a spare moment

 

What singer-songwriter would ever consider themselves to be rubbish?  Although “good” is a contentious concept, I still like to think that I make good music and interesting music videos.  But not in a million years could I be considered ‘popular’, nor do I even try to follow modern styles and trends. My only idea about songwriting, once I wrote my first, was that it needed to keep ME interested intellectually and emotionally, be pleasing to ME musically, and that any listener (whether or not they like it) would at least appreciate the songwriting quality and effort.  In addition, I wanted my music to be heard beyond my few friends and small family.  All these criteria have been met.

 

Firstly, I need to stress that I’m a nobody from nowhere who doesn’t play in public, has no fan base, manager or agent, and does not subscribe to any service that purports to ‘promote’ my music.  I’m totally at peace with the ‘amateur’ label and have no desire for stardom, fame or striking it rich.  I’ve always been the most comfortable in my own company, in being a jack of all trades, and not having to ask or rely on others for anything.  I’m hopeless at socialising, networking, brown-nosing in general, and I’m very sceptical about the music industry ... because it IS an ‘industry’.  Also, apart from my very first album having to be squeezed into a normal busy working life, all the subsequent creative activity has been conducted once I semi or fully retired ... a life phase in which I have no ‘spare’ money to spend on myself, but I DO have the luxury of time to think and also time to act. I’ve been forced to use guerilla tactics because I simply could never afford what the money the chimps were demanding! [PS. That was a joke ... the chimps will do anything for a banana 😄]

 

So, keeping all this in mind, I am surprised but also very pleased that my tracks have exceeded 960,000 clicks across all digital media platforms. It’d be great to say “a million”, a nice milestone number, but I’m not quite there yet ... but hopefuly in January 2024!  This article describes the marketing I’ve done to have reached this point, and the out-of-pocket costs. There’s no proof that any of my self-marketing techniques actually CAUSED the numbers stated but the marketing was free/cheap and low effort.  Perhaps the broad-brush approach was the key?  Big-dollar digital marketing only benefits the platforms like Google, Apple, Amazon, eBay, Spotify etc. who operate the servers that deliver online services. 

 

I’m not flexing my ‘achievements’ here, which are paltry.  Writing articles ‘lubes’ my mind, an exercise that comes in handy when searching for lyrics.  Also, being at the tail-end of the bell curve of life expectancy, I’ll likely be dead in 10 years, so I’m freely sharing what I know with anyone else struggling to get their music heard.

 

The marketing areas that I’ve personally employed and are covered in the attached 13-page illustrated PDF are:

 

1. Website 
2. YouTube Channel
3. Music Videos
4. Facebook page and Facebook groups
5. Reviews
6. News articles
7. Managing Statistics
8. Competitions and Festivals
9. Some other things to think about

 

It'd be great if YOU have a trick or two up your sleeve to share them here.

 

Cheers,

Greg

 

9 affordable ways to get your music heard.pdf

Edited December 7, 2023 by GregB

[TheGarageJump]

Very decent and generous of you to post this attachment about your journey here Greg. Impressive numbers. The other impressive thing I found was your ability to be strong, solvent and confident enough to run your own show over the past 20+ years.

I am endlessly interested in  (to quote yourself) 'not striking it rich' v making a living out of your hobby, discussions. There is a motivation for doing music no doubt - i.e. because you can, because you believe it's good and the hope that others may like it. So that boils down to you want to be recognised for your talents and for the music you create perhaps? Or other personal reasons 'stick it to the man' etc🤩- I find the psychology aspect of this fascinating. 

This document is most definitely worth a read and used for reference.

....Let's hope that you make it to the million hits soon Greg...cheers.