It's not easy being a stand alone artist. The path is fraught with heartbreak, setbacks, delays and people you can't trust. But if you believe in your music there's only one way to go, and that's onward.
Many people believe they can make Facebook posts, or YouTube videos and break through the noise just enough to capitalize on it. Other people believe methods they purchase for developing online content will also break through.
This is fantasy. What they find out is these processes take up so much time they need to hire a team to do it just so they can get back to doing what they wanted to do in the first place: make music.
I'm not saying an online presence is a bad thing. What I'm saying is as a strategy to build your audience, if you go it alone making YouTube videos or buying advertisements on Facebook, you just gave yourself yet another job. I'm not saying they don't work.
Here's an example. Click on this link to see an ad showing how the average artist coughs up more of their money to buy skills they must then learn. Skills which, in turn, take them further away from music.
Here's another one. Follow this link to see how a "buddy" you don't know takes more money to show you how to use YouTube to build an audience.
While these things sound like they make sense for building an audience on line, I have another idea. Why not build an audience the old fashioned way? Playing gigs?
Sure, it takes time to find the right people. But once you have them and start playing out, you can get paid to put your music in front of people and build your audience organically. Yes, it's hard. Yes, nobody cares. But is that different than doing it on line? No.
But you do get to make music, and brush up on what you really love to do without holding a video camera and trying to get the whole internet to notice you.
Now, I make videos all the time. I hire people to help me do it. Matter of fact, I have a video shoot scheduled today. But I'm also now ready to take my show on the road and do things the old fashioned way. By going out and being with people.
Another thing I get to do? Build trusted relationships with musicians who want the same thing. Those things are so precious. Music world is filled with enough traps. So working with likeminded people is well worth the time (and the war stories).
And it gets you out of the house. Nobody will care if you have great music, if they don't know where to find you because you're stuck in your garage.
So, as of this writing, I'm finding folks who want to help take the show on the road. It will take time. The path is filled with perils. But there are times when powers greater than our own set things in motion on our path. All we must do is come up with the courage to take it.
See you out there.
Love & Rockets,
Russ