I want to get my music exposed. What should I do?

[The Overfiend]

Send to labels that match the material.
Don't start a label until you've built up a name for yourself.
DO NOT SPAM
Promote yourself humbly, let the music speak first man.

[DannyBlack]

^^ what Tony said.

Also; this thread is full of WIN!

[Kaifeng]

Haha ok guys, thanks a ton for the input.

Here's links to some of my tracks in case you were wondering.

YouTube - Kaifeng - Dont Mess (clip)

YouTube - Kaifeng - Earth Rations ( clip )


.

[teknonotice]

Regarding download sites, I think Juno & Beatsdigital are a bit easyer to get your tunes on & are maybe held in better regard by people into underground music. Beatport are quite strict on who they will put on there, its more based on sales than quality & you usually need to be an established artist. Quite a lot of folk who are into underground music boycot them for that reason.

Good luck with it all anyway.

It isnt all about beatport ..a well known DJ/punter over on SJ told me teknonotice store has more choice and better pricing than beatport..

to get on beatport is a mission unless your a name or long established label/artist with a lot of volume..they have also told some that you must have 1000+ friends on myspace ..they also dont pay so well (approx 33-40%) then minus any music author society charges.

I think more important to concentrate on the promo as a start - as long as punters can listen and buy your music from a trustworthy source IE your own site or a handful of online stores then that will suffice. With time you can grow and employ more stores. Its good experience dealing directly with stores, there tech support etc etc..you get an understanding of how it all works..

Time well spent is networking with potential buyers, and presenting them an avenue to purchase..

Facebook & groups, myspace, twitter, even linked in has some good groups. Use the forums..use the net..this and a well presented and trustworthy web site are all components to build together over the first 6 months..dedicate time to each, and keep it consistent.

[Technologic]

It isnt all about beatport ..a well known DJ/punter over on SJ told me teknonotice store has more choice and better pricing than beatport..

to get on beatport is a mission unless your a name or long established label/artist with a lot of volume..they have also told some that you must have 1000+ friends on myspace ..they also dont pay so well (approx 33-40%) then minus any music author society charges.

I think more important to concentrate on the promo as a start - as long as punters can listen and buy your music from a trustworthy source IE your own site or a handful of online stores then that will suffice. With time you can grow and employ more stores. Its good experience dealing directly with stores, there tech support etc etc..you get an understanding of how it all works..

Time well spent is networking with potential buyers, and presenting them an avenue to purchase..

Facebook & groups, myspace, twitter, even linked in has some good groups. Use the forums..use the net..this and a well presented and trustworthy web site are all components to build together over the first 6 months..dedicate time to each, and keep it consistent.

Excellent feedback mate!

For the promo side of things i want to get press releases and interviews as i do honestly believe i have a worthy concept that pushes producers to explore sound engineering with a totally experimental theme.

check my soundcloud tracks and myspace blogs for more info...

Alan Badger (Alan Badger) | MySpace
Centurian - Tracks - SoundCloud

i will be contacting mixmag, djmag etc and see if i can get more exposure there. i think i need to get a few more productions under my belt before i can launch the label properly, so it's just a matter of researching to get the ball rolling faster atm.

[judas_beast]

make some really good tracks.

+1 on the don't be a knob, I learnt tht the hard a few years ago when I burnt some very useful bridges. was funny though..... kinda

[Technologic]

Well there is promotion and there is the pretty vulgar kind of spam that seems to be the norm right now with a lot of artist and labels. Im all for promotion but when it becomes that sort of forced overdose of crap, I think that can become pretty tiresome pretty fast.

I mean for example when I get sent a track from some random on Soundcloud that Im not even following and I see its been shared to 3000 other people or whatever then Im just going to delete that straight away. If its somebody Im 'following' then thats a different matter because I actually have an interest in this artist or label in the first place so Im glad of the info.

On Myspace nothing on there pisses me off more than somebody whos never even said hi or tried to spark up some kind of communication with me just goes and fills my inbox with their shit or uses my comments board as a place to advertise their latest mix or track etc. To me thats just bad form regardless of if the musics any good or not. It just stinks of 'Mass marketing' in the hope that a few people of the thousands who see it will buy or listen. To me you have to take the time and get to know groups of people/artist/DJs etc form relationships and then let them know about your work or label or whatever. This way there is a general interest from the people your sharing it with and then other people who respect them or know them or whatever may take an interest also and seek you out. This way it becomes about people finding you and not about you throwing a million promos out in the hope that some fish may bite. Like I say, to me thats just kind of vulgar.

This is music and hopefully you want to be dealing with other people interested in good music and not a 'target market'

Of course both ways work and this is strictly based only on my taste in the matter, but you have to ask yourself what your goal is.. do you want to be a star and make a bunch of cash or do you want people who actually give a shit and take an interest in your music to hear and buy it.

The goal is to be an independent, credible artist. Simple as that really.

Money isn't really a motivator for me, never has been, my ambitions are my motivation, i want to be innovative and move myself and my interests forward. The majority of cash i make would be put back in to taking everything further, i'm already investing and of couse having a return on those investments is something i wish to have. But i want achieve that with credibility rather than becuase i spammed the nation.

[Technologic]

make some really good tracks.

+1 on the don't be a knob, I learnt tht the hard a few years ago when I burnt some very useful bridges. was funny though..... kinda

Yeah, not being a knob is important. I think it's a matter of moving with the right cicles anyway as other peoples behaviour is a catalyst on how we react.

[Technologic]

You could just approach SUF direct.

They're already an integral part of what i'm doing!

A trip to Hackney is on the cards for tomoz.

Thanks for the feedback!

And top thread!

[teknonotice]

Haha ok guys, thanks a ton for the input.

Here's links to some of my tracks in case you were wondering.

YouTube - Kaifeng - Dont Mess (clip)

YouTube - Kaifeng - Earth Rations ( clip )


.

good work mate - look 4ward to hearing more

[teknonotice]

The goal is to be an independent, credible artist. Simple as that really.

Money isn't really a motivator for me, never has been, my ambitions are my motivation, i want to be innovative and move myself and my interests forward. The majority of cash i make would be put back in to taking everything further, i'm already investing and of couse having a return on those investments is something i wish to have. But i want achieve that with credibility rather than becuase i spammed the nation.

setting any type of target and achieving it equals success IMO. lucky money isnt the motivator - there isnt much of it around..

Look forward to hearing how things pan out for you..loving the mix on SC!

[Technologic]

setting any type of target and achieving it equals success IMO. lucky money isnt the motivator - there isnt much of it around..

Look forward to hearing how things pan out for you..loving the mix on SC!

Nice 1!

Will have to get another mix online at some point.

[teknonotice]

Nice 1!

Will have to get another mix online at some point.

cool, make sure you link us up mate!!

[DannyBlack]

make some really good tracks.

+1 on the don't be a knob, I learnt tht the hard a few years ago when I burnt some very useful bridges. was funny though..... kinda

ouch! that just made me cringe a bit. I'm hoping to god I never become a knob, or have been a knob.... :-|

[Kaifeng]

investigative BUMP.

so I found a label called U&A recordings (check out their stuff here -> https://www.beatport.com/en-US/html/...nda_recordings)

They classify themselves as a "tech-funk" label, but they release tech-house, techno, breaks, and music that falls between those catagories.

If any of you happen to know of any other labels similar to this, please let me know. thanks a ton

[The Overfiend]

Totally forgot to +1
The do not be a knob.
While it's always good to have your name discussed.
negative feedback will hinder bookings and connections because this techno family is a very SMALL world.

[Kaifeng]

I'm definitely not a knob, although i do think the word knob is hilarious.


knob.

LOL.

[BloodStar]

quality of music is on second place, tho. having friends (connections) on the right places is much more important, i guess.

[MARK ANXIOUS]

best way to get your music exposed?

1) make good music
2) learn business
3) take your show on the road!

many moons ago, 2) was taken care of by the record labels. these days of course, there's no money in music so anyone who's remotely intelligent does get involved it lol. i suppose that's kinda why the industry is now full of digital labels, substandard releases and throwaway music.

imho, if you understand business and make good music, you're way ahead of anyone these days. these days it's up to the artist to promote, market and sell their own music to make THEMSELVES a success. one you've got your good music, get a good foundation - get your website, social network site, logo, your own label, all looking wicked and super pro. and if you cant learn how to do it all yourself - pay someone.

then once you've got this, it's all alot easier. you HAVE to gig - whether it's DJing or PA's, and promoters will take you serious, you'll get more bookings. that will be invaluable in helping get your sound out there.

long gone are the days when you can just sit in your studio, lock the door and focus purely on your art. i really wish those days were back, but with that came greedy record labels, artists who had no control and alot of ppl getting ripped off.

take the bull by the horns mate, sit down and write down a list of things you must do to get YOUR product out there. then follow that list to the letter.

good luck man.