don’t take failure or a lack of attention to your music so personally. as someone who has felt this was and long experienced this, it’s important to remember how much music is out there, and how many new songs are released PER DAY. the internet and streaming platforms have allowed virtually anyone to make and upload music, so it’s no wonder the market is more saturated than ever. what should you do instead? just keep forging ahead by continuing to promote and make music. you don’t know how many times i’ve stumbled upon a brilliant song by an underrated artist years after they’ve released it. it’s mind-boggling how much good music isn’t being heard. now imagine this same experience being replicated onto on your own music. by promoting your stuff, you reduce this, even if you just got one more person to tune in.
promote smartly, not hard (or hardly). if you’re wasting hours away by submitting your music to irrelevant playlists or are throwing away thousands of dollars in ad campaigns just for quick mass views yet are wondering why you aren’t building an audience, it’s because you’re not promoting the right way. you have to send your music to where it belongs, where it fits, where it can find a home by the listeners who are already subscribed to that genre. and narrowing your audience down is never a bad thing, in fact, it’s what gets you better results as you’re targeting those within your range of musical interests and similarities. someone who has a penchant for trap typically isn’t going to be into country unless they’re a very open-minded and eclectic listener (which, unfortunately, there are not enough of).
uniqueness is essential to standing out, even if it limits your audience. by having your own sound, you already have your own inherent niche, and that’s OK. some of the most brilliant artists i’ve heard don’t appeal to a lot of people, hence why they don’t top mainstream charts or get massive radio play. however, the last thing this world needs is more generic radio fodder that regurgitates what’s already out there. the best art is honest art, even if it’s not conventional or technically “right” or whatever. but you know what it is? yours. uniquely yours.
be proud of your work, but also be self-aware. a healthy balance of these two is key to making your best work. don’t delude yourself, but also don’t continuously disparage yourself either. i like to use the “fresh ears” technique. you know how people always say, “i’ll have to come back and look at this later with a pair of fresh eyes” or “i need a pair of fresh eyes to come look at this!” well i say the same, but with ears. if i find myself overanalyzing or over-criticizing my work, i take a break and come back to it later so that way i can hear again it in a cleaner and clearer manner. then, i also try to step outside myself and imagine myself as a stranger hearing my song for the first time.
don’t make music for the sake of it, have a purpose. i find that the songs which click the most with people are the ones that come from a place of total conviction. if you’re having writers block, or are panicking because it’s been months since your last release, that’s OK. you can always fill up that time by doing a cover, or finding other creatively stimulating outlets. creativity and inspiration aren’t a dial you can just magically turn on. even the most passionate of people need their breaks. just because you love something doesn’t mean you have to be obsessed and attached to it 24/7, despite what everyone else may tell you.
be relentless. not everyone is going to like your music, even if you think it’s great (and even after you may or may not have beaten yourself up until it was good enough for your own ears to accept it). as an artist, you will always have an audience waiting. you just have to find them (by trying to reach out to them as best as possible), and they have to find you. until then, people who have no interest or business listening to your music will stumble upon it and do so, and even trash it. DO NOT LET THIS GET TO YOU. everyone’s tastes are different, and if constructive criticism isn’t what they’re leaving behind, just remember that this world is full of haters. but just keep going. i promise you, you will find your people that connect with what you’re making. and from then on, the ball rolls on.
