You can gain success in many ways these days. The internet is constantly unlocking new routes to become discovered and has opened doors for music distribution, discovery, monetization, and most importantly networking.
When I got my start in music production I had to physically put CDs with beats on them in the mail and sent them to artist and labels. Those days are gone! Every person is one DM, @, or contact submission form away. Although the ease of access has changed, the barrier to entry is just as difficult. Social media and the internet have changed the game for music but the internet is not a cheat code for musicians.
The same artists that sit online all day and who are too lazy to hit the streets will be just as unsuccessful as the artist who hustles in the streets all day and doesn’t understand the internet.
You can gain fame off Soundcloud, just ask Post Malone, Smokepurpp, and every current rapper with “lil” in their name.
You can also get famous off the streets, ask Jeezy, T.I., and most rappers from the South.
This further proves that work breeds success. The success of each of these artists can’t be simply chalked up to “the streets” or “the internet.” The success lies in the work done on the internet or in the streets. The common variables are working smart and putting in massive amounts of focused effort.
Artists have to do a lot these days. Now that the main excuse is out of the way, we can address the next popular ones.
Money and knowledge.
Thanks to social media and the internet, you can also learn just about anything in the world with a little time and a YouTube or Google Search. So now the lack of knowledge issue is taken care of.
Now we can address money. To make a national run, you need money. But to get a buzz started you don’t actually need a ton of money. You need time. Focused time to make money and personal sacrifice to save that shit for the right things. Don’t forget time spent on the hustle after you’re done procuring finances to learn your craft on YouTube.
So now we’ve addressed these three things and can now logically say that the only thing holding back an artist from creating some buzz is themselves.
Just because you put a bunch of time into something doesn’t mean you’ll be great at it. You can always improve at something, but to really be great you need to seek guidance, honest counsel, and constantly assess what you need to personally improve at. Much like shooting 300 free throws a day over a year will improve your shooting percentage, using social media the right way for one hour a day will greatly improve your audience over time.
How To Use Social Media The Right Way!
Demonstrate value. Say it with me…VALUE. Stop trying to “hack” the internet and put in real work!
Social media is essentially the creation and management of internet interactions. Think of it as the online version of your texting network along with the interactions between your friend groups, your work circle, and even your local music or foodie scene. While these interactions can be generally perceived as memes, biased sports opinions, and political debates, we ultimately get value from each interaction.
Much like real conversations in real life, social media is based on value. When walking through the mall and someone comes up to you and attempts to sell you a cleaning solution or even a new cell phone plan, how do you respond? You probably immediately brushed them off and will likely pay them no mind again. If they talk with a 100 people they will bring forth some sort of result, but it’s much more effective to do sales by referral.
You are much more likely to be influenced by a decision when your mother/brother/friend suggest something to you because we hold higher trust and value in this relationship.
The same thing is true on social media.
When a struggling rapper or DJ nobody has ever met tags you in his music or sends a “just dropped my new mixtape, please download now” message, what do you do? Delete, untag, mark as spam, and move on forgetting the artist forever.
Now let’s go a step further and say that artist added you on Twitter. He’s retweeted you a few times and through various interactions, you’ve discovered you’re both fans of the Seahawks. Since we both live in Washington and now we’ve had a better interaction, you have some rapport built upon your shared interest in the Seahawks and a distaste for the Patriots, he asks you to listen to his mixtape. You’re probably going to listen, share, and give that new connection personal feedback. Who knows, you might support in any way you can moving forward if you continue to interact even if you don’t like their music. Why? That person took an interest to you and they provided value in the form of social currency.
The Internet Is NOT A Cheat Code For Musicians Demonstrating Value
To be successful, you need to put in work. We can probably agree on the following two statements, for every action there is an equal reaction and “you get out what you put in.”
Apply this thought process to the internet! Don’t be lazy and treat the internet like some cheat code. I promise you that you’re likely to get spotty results. Put work in and build value over time and I guarantee you’ll find supporters, followers, and new connections along the way.
