Learn to listen to music critically 

If you’re having trouble dialing in on a unique and consistent sound as a music-maker, it could be because you haven’t learned to listen to music critically. This does not mean checking out a song and deciding if you like it or not. It means listening consciously to the music and deciding what specifically about it works or doesn’t work for you. If a certain lyric makes you want to weep or roll your eyes, ask why. If a vocal melody sounds transcendent or predictable to your ears, put some real thought into why you feel the way you do. Then, decide what you take away from your listening experiences that can be applied to the ways you write your own music. This is a habit that will improve your songs in a huge way. 

Write new songs and change up your songwriting process 

This is an exercise that can develop your songwriting skills by showing you that different ways you can approach making music will produce dramatically different results. When one approach falls flat, keep working until you find something you know really works. It’s easy to try the same predictable way of doing things in music over and over again, but what if the way you do things isn’t creatively inspiring or wastes time logistically? Trying out different approaches will not only give you songwriting experience, but will also show you the best ways to create.

When it’s time to spread the word about your music, it’s time to look at Promote It

Create monthly and yearly songwriting goals

All the items on this list are helpful, but this is really the only one you absolutely have to remember. The only way to get better at songwriting is to write loads and loads of music. Spend as much time as you can writing songs, and eventually you’re probably going to write some good songs and eventually maybe even some great ones. Some musicians naturally get to this point, but it takes others lots of work to get in the habit of creating consistently. To ensure you’re writing a lot of music, try creating benchmarks for specific numbers of songs you want to write in a period of time like a week or a month. If you follow through with your goals, you’ll give yourself some much needed songwriting experience.

Take every opportunity you can to collaborate

You’ll never have the entire musical picture as just one songwriter, and this is the case even for the most successful musicians you can think of. Working with other artists is almost always a good idea if you’re inexperienced and working towards developing your skills as a songwriter. You’ll be exposed to new ways of doing things and will develop your creative talents and interpersonal skills at the same time.

Listen to old releases and nail down what you’d like to improve

To develop better music, it’s a good idea to listen back critically to the songs you’ve already released. A lot of artists cringe at their old music, especially their first few songs, but most can’t say exactly why. Figuring out the strengths and weaknesses in your old music can help you build on what’s good about your songs and avoid previous mistakes. You might decide your voice needs work or that your recordings are muddy or that your chord choices are the strongest elements of your songs. These sorts of takeaways are important, especially if you know your music could be better and aren’t sure how.

Devoting lots of time to making music is essential for developing your songwriting chops, but it’s important to note that how you spend your time is important. Employing these five strategies can help strengthen your skills and broaden your experience as a songwriter. 

Investigate your ideas

Embracing curiosity does not mean overthinking your songs and questioning yourself as an artist. Instead, it gears your energy towards creativity and gives you options to pursue your ideas. You can ask questions like, “what would my idea sound like with different chords,” or “how would this demo sound with live drums instead of an electronic beat?” Investigating your ideas takes the initial stage of creativity further by developing your music into finished songs. While there are times when music comes fully formed out of the gate, this usually isn’t the case for most. Questioning where your music can go and what’s possible can help move vague ideas and inspiration into completed songs.

Examine the work of others and apply it to your music

You are probably a huge music fan if you write music. When you think about the music you love, the act of close listening is a crucial method for leveraging your curiosity. The first step is to listen to your favorite music and ask what specific things you like about it. Dig deep – it could be the way your favorite singer constructs her vocal melodies, or the specific techniques of a producer. This tip isn’t about lifting other artists’ ideas into your own work. It merely teaches you to listen with intention, and identify what moves you in music. That way, you’ll have the building blocks to replicate a similar energy in your own songs.

Shake up your routine

If you’re bored and feel stuck in your process, try mixing up your approach to music. If you tend to favor writing in the major key – try exploring minor ones, or modes. You can even experiment with writing a song beginning with the ending section and literally working your way backward. This approach inspires curiosity because it removes you from what’s familiar. It forces you to ask questions you wouldn’t have if you had stuck with your normal way of writing. It’s important to note that you might not like what you write using this method. However, the point isn’t to make new music necessarily but is more about inspiring a curious mindset.

There are countless other ways to inspire your musical curiosity, whether it’s listening to new and unusual music or picking up a new instrument. How you arrive at developing that curiosity isn’t important so long as it’s a place you keep returning to as an artist! 

Build a community around your brand

To really stand out in today’s music industry, your musical talent isn’t enough – it has to be backed by a music brand that’s true to your sound. 

One way to achieve that is to be clear on what you stand for and what your music is all about. Then, you can truly start to build a community around your brand vision. Perhaps your songs empathize on the coming-of-age years and navigating life as a young adult? Are they feel-good party anthems, or do they speak to larger political topics that you’re passionate about? 

Find what’s at the heart of your music and build your brand from that to create communities that your fans (and future fans) can rally around. A few ideas include running a Discord server, or commenting on subreddits and Facebook groups – wherever your audience is. 

Run a press campaign

Press is one of the fastest ways to earn the trust of new fans. Whether you hire an agency or do your own PR, drumming up a bit of press is a great way to spread the message of your brand. It gets you in front of a totally new audience, and it shows people who you are by sharing your personality and what you believe in. That helps people connect with you quicker, which in turn, means they’ll likely connect with your music.

Partner with influencers

Influencer marketing is one of the fastest ways to attract new fans. There are a few ways to do this, but the easiest way is to find a micro influencer (under 10k-15k followers) and pitch them a few video ideas that align with your brand or song’s message. Then, they’ll feature your music in their content. 

By doing this, you’ll get a whole new avenue to build new relationships and get in front of a new set of fans. Through the influencer’s content, you’d have a group of fans who were organically introduced to your music. To start, make a list of 10-20 influencers that align with your brand and song’s message and reach out to them. They are usually accommodating to such partnerships, and it’s a great way for your music to take off. 

Go local

Don’t underestimate the power of building a strong relationship with your local community. While it’s easy to dream of breaking out of your hometown and playing in bigger cities, building a strong following in your existing community is important. Not only does it teach you how to best serve other communities once you expand, it also builds strong relationships that can help you expand to the next level. 

Think of the regular show you play. The fans you meet weekly are people who may eventually bring their friends to see the show, share your music online, or open doors for you. Since they’ve gotten to know beyond just an artist, it’s natural that they’ll want to help you succeed.

Run a contest

One fun way to engage current fans while getting in front of new ones is to run a contest. It can be anything from free merchandise, tickets to a show, or an attractive prize unrelated to your music. Look to online software that can help you run a social media contest, to encourage extra entries for sharing and tagging. This social approach can spread the word about your music much further than it might otherwise!

Share your ways

Ultimately, these are just five ways you can get in front of new fans – there are countless ways depending on your music goals. Start with these and see what else comes to mind. If something sparks your interest, go for it and don’t be afraid to get creative!

Why it’s easy to be cynical in music 

We can’t control what happens to us – we can only decide how we respond to whatever life throws at us. Creating music and working in the music industry, there are bound to be some difficult moments coming your way –– negative reviews, financial insecurity, mental health struggles, etc. It’s not easy to succeed in music, and this is the case no matter how you define success. However, there’s no reason to live in constant negativity, or to dwell on the hardships at the expense of your creativity and well-being. 

Wield hardship as a tool for creativity

If you’re set on pursuing music as a career, you’ll inevitably face lots of challenges along the way. However, this can be a double-edged sword depending on how you perceive them – it can be incredibly useful for fueling your creativity. Your music could be a creative outlet for your thoughts and feelings. You may even reflect on those experiences through your work, and shape your best work around them. 

It’s totally natural to feel frustrated with music, or down about life sometimes. This isn’t to downplay or dismiss any problems you might face in your career or life. However, if you want the best chance at making great music, it’s important to learn how to move forward. Consciously regain your power, and try to view your music as an outlet to process your pain. That way, no matter what happens, you’ll be able to make something good out of it. 

Choosing creativity over negativity is not easy, and it’s a choice you’ll have to make over and over again.But, if you stay the course, you’ll always have inspiration for your work. The best part is, there will always be a way to turn every difficult situation into something positive. 

So what do you do? You don’t post of course. You don’t post and you feel bad about it and then the whole cycle repeats itself the next day. That’s no way to keep going — in circles — and it’s definitely not a great way to actually grow a fan base or expand your music career.

So, we’ve compiled 10 content ideas for when you’re feeling stuck. A simple list you can scroll through when you’re feeling like there’s just nothing to post. Because we know that’s not true; you’ve got lots to say and share, and it’s about time your fans saw that.

1. Share the process

It’s the oldest advice in the book for good reason. It works and there are so many different ways to do this! Sharing your process can mean so many things. It can be the process of writing music, lyrics, studio time, touring…and all aspects of those things. The before stage (planning, plotting, etc.) the during (recording, performing, etc.), and the after (the celebration, disappointment, appreciation, etc.)

2. Being real

If being a goofball is part of your brand, show it off! Things like sharing the inside moments of your band, the things that might seem mundane (but make you very relatable), singing in the car, drumming on everything around your house, air guitar, anything that fits with your personality. You might think it’s not worth sharing but trust me, you’re more relatable than you think and that’s what will help you connect with fans.

3. Show off your studio (or home office, writing space, etc)

Where does all that music magic happen? Show us! Maybe it’s a cozy corner of your room, a basement apartment, a studio you have regular access to, wherever it is, show it off and maybe even share about your process while you’re at it. We as people love to see other people’s spaces and the processes and feelings attached with them.

4. Photos and videos from live shows

Even if they aren’t recent, sharing clips from your shows alongside captions to promote upcoming shows, or simply share an anecdote or how much you appreciate your fans for coming out, it’s a great way to showcase how great your live show is while connecting with fans. If you’re short on live show material, ask friends or family in the audience to record video or take photos of your set. You can even consider hiring local college photographers or videographers for special shows and then repurpose that content throughout the year.

5. Cover song

You can’t beat a good cover song for finding new fans and making existing ones love you more. There’s something about the familiarity of a song we already know and love being sung by a different band, in a new way, that makes us curious, excited, and engaged. You could even consider making it a regular part of your content!

6. Share the story behind your name/lyrics/song

I love a good deep-dive into how things came about and so will your fans. Sharing how you came up with your band name, or your most popular song, or a certain lyric you or your fans have always loved is a fun way to share about yourself while (subtly) promoting your music. 

7. Trends

Look at different trends happening across the platforms (especially TikTok), or look to timeless ones like “How it started vs how it’s going” or “what people think making music is like vs what it’s actually like” (a spin on “what people think i do…”) and make it work for you.

For how it’s started vs how it’s going you could share the first band photo you ever took vs now, or a photo of an empty room (your first shows) and the packed audience now, with a caption like “thank you for being a part of this journey with us.” It’s a fun way to show how far you’ve come and the appreciation you feel for your fans. 

8. Reels recap

A Reels recap pinned to the top of your profile can be a way to share a snippet of your band in 60-90 seconds. Kind of like a live show reel you might send a venue, but for your brand. It can show clips of your music, your band in action (including behind the scenes footage) and have one of your songs as the audio. The caption can share a bit about you for newcomers to your profile, and serve as a great introduction.

9. Throwback photos

Whether a photo from the first time you picked up a guitar to you as a toddler banging on pots and pans or even just a photo of the band when it first started, throwback posts are a fun way to share something different while giving a bit of history and context of the band.

10. Inspiration

Sharing photos, video, or captions that pay homage to the inspiration that brought you wherever you are today can give fans a look at what makes you who you are and give them a new appreciation for what brought you here. This could be photos of you idols, an essay about the best shows you’ve been to or your favorite album, a playlist of influential songwriters, etc.

Final thoughts

These are just ideas—at the end of the day you want to create content that’s true to you and the audience you want to attract. That means more than anything being authentic, true to yourself, and sharing content that you think is fun and interesting. If you think that, your audience will too!

ReverbNation

In recent years especially, live streaming has become a powerful tool to connect with fans, reaching them wherever they are in the world. This has allowed performers to supplement their touring, or replace in-person events altogether.

Your options for livestreaming platforms include:

• TikTok
• Twitch
• YouTube
• Facebook
• Instagram
• YouNow
• StageIt
• Volume

And by using a service like Restream, you can even go live to multiple platforms at once.

But if artists have so many opportunities to directly reach and engage viewers, and even build a loyal fanbase, where should you begin? If you’re new to livestreaming or need a refresher, check out our tips below.

Understanding the platforms

There are a lot of options out there for you, all of them different depending on your needs. One of the most important considerations is: where is your audience likely to be already? We listened some of the dominant social and livestreaming platforms above, each with unique benefits and features. But you’ll also see some alternative platforms like StageIt which offers the benefit of selling tickets to your shows. Or Volume.com which gives artists 95% of the tips they collect, along with Fan Subscriptions and Ticketed livestreams, which ends up being a really good way to make a little extra money off your shows, while also collecting fan data and (in Volume’s case) entering you for additional perks like the chance to play major festivals and other opportunities.

It’s not just about livestream concerts

When you livestream there are SO many options at your fingertips. It’s not just about putting on a great concert, which you can (and should!) do. There are so many other options like….what kind of live performance? Full band? Acoustic? Piano driven? What about a Q&A session where fans can ask you questions? Or host a panel with other musicians and friends. Then there’s behind the scenes streams, maybe an hour a week where you invite fans to “write” with you virtually, or you take them behind the scenes of making a video. You can even do virtual meet and greets!

You can actually make money off your livestreams

Yes, it’s true! You can monetize your livestreams through virtual tip jars that allow fans to show their appreciation for you, selling tickets or exclusive VIP bundles, selling merch (including exclusive merch you can only get on the LiveStream), and eventually sponsorship and/or ads! Some platforms even have a built in currency for tipping, such as bits (Twitch) and Stars (Facebook).

The cool thing about livestreams is how similar they are to in-person shows in that way. You can still provide all the benefits of those shows, like the tip jar or the exclusive merch, but do it in a way that allows you to reach more people

Try out the different ways according to what feels most aligned with your brand and the stage of your career you’re at. You can always mix and match, trade one for the other, and just see what works.

Get out of your living room

Speaking of the differences between in person and virtual shows, just because it’s virtual doesn’t mean it should always be in your living room. While it might not make sense to rent out a music venue for a completely virtual show, you want to keep things interesting by changing up your space. Even if it’s rotating which band member’s house you perform in, doing an acoustic set in your backyard or the park, or spending a little to rent a small studio for a very special performance, keeping your setting interesting is a key part of keeping your audience’s attention.

Show your fans they matter

A live stream isn’t the same as an in person event, and you have to make up for a bit of that interaction that you’d normally get in person ,which means paying extra attention to your fans both before, during, and after the event.

A simple way to do this is to thank your fans for coming, and reply to any comments they’re leaving both during and after the livestream. You can also share the replays so fans who missed it can still watch (maybe even share with their friends) and tease future livestream content as a way to keep them interested and coming back for the next one

Don’t be afraid to experiment

Live Streaming is an ever evolving thing and what’s working for you this month might change in 3 months—that’s part of the fun! We saw enormous growth for live streams during the pandemic and we found what worked then doesn’t necessarily work years later when shows are back on. So it’s a constant game of experimentation but that just means listening to fans, playing around with what you offer, and finding the sweet spot.

Final thoughts

Live Streaming offers indie artists a unique opportunity to connect and engage with fans in a completely new way; it’s an opportunity to thrive in an online space. By selecting the right platform for you and your fans and creating consistent, exciting content you’ll see the power of livestream in growing your career and cultivating a truly loyal and excited fanbase.

Angela Tyler is the founder of MP Co. (formerly Muddy Paw PR) and has secured placements on Forbes, American Songwriter, Lead Singer Syndrome, & more. She loves dessert, her dog Sawyer, and new music—feel free to send her yours!

REVERBNATION

The event themed “Celebrating African Renaissance” took place at the Cobb Energy Center in Atlanta, Georgia, United States.

The winners of each category, from Next Rated to Artiste of the year were announced including a special recognition award.

Check out the full list of winners below

 Best Rap single 

ODUMODUBLVCK – ‘Declan Rice’ 

Best Vocal Performance (Male) 

Wande Coal – ‘Kpe Paso’

Best Music Video 

Director K – ‘Calm Down’

Best Rap Album 

Blaqbonez – ‘Young Preacher’

Producer of the Year 

Rexxie – Abracadabra 

Rookie of the Year 

ODUMODUBLVCK 

Best Male Artiste 

Rema 

Lyricist on the Roll

Payper Corleone 

Afrobeats Single of the Year

Burna Boy – ‘Last Last’

Digital Artiste of the Year

Rema 

Special Recognition

Sound Sultan

Best Inspirational Single 

Neon Adejo – ‘Eze Ebube’

Best Street-Hop Artiste 

Seyi Vibez 

Next Rated 

Asake 

Album of the Year 

 Asake – ‘Mr. Money With The Vibe’

Song of the Year

 Burna Boy – ‘Last Last’

Best Collaboration

Spyro & Tiwa Savage – ‘Who Is Your Guy? – Remix’

African Artiste of the Year

Rema 

Headies Viewers’ Choice 

Victony & Tempoe – ‘Soweto’

Best R&B Album 

Chike – The Brother’s Keeper 

Recording of the Year

 Victony & Tempoe – Soweto

Best Female Artiste 

 Ayra Starr

Songwriter of the Year 

Simi Kosoko, Godsfavour Chidozie, Kosoko Adekunle, Marcel Akunwata (Loyal by Simi ft. Fave)

Best R&B Single 

Burna Boy ft Ed Sheeran – ‘For My Hand’

Best Alternative Album 

BOJ – ‘Gbagada Express’

Best Alternative Song 

Wizard Chan – ‘Earth Song’

Best Vocal Performance (Female) 

Waje – ‘In Between’

International Artiste of the Year 

Selena Gomez 

Best West African Artiste of the Year 

 Black Sherif (Ghana)

Best East African Artiste of the Year 

Diamond Platinumz (Tanzania)

Best Central African Artiste of the Year 

Libianca (Cameroon) 

Best Southern African Artiste of the Year

Focalistic (South Africa) 

Best North African Artiste of the Year

 El Grande Toto – (Morocco)

49THSTREET

Like the Social Justice Fund, the Repertoire Fund advances racial equity in education, arts, culture, and criminal justice reform, and all organizations are led by – and focused on – historically marginalized populations.

On behalf of the WMG/ BFF SJF, Warner Music Africa has announced 2023 SJF Repertoire Fund grantee partners for Sub-Saharan Africa, which include organizations across Sub-Saharan Africa including South Africa, Nigeria, Mozambique, Namibia, Kenya and Malawi.

“In the second cycle of SJF Repertoire Fund in Sub-Saharan Africa, we continued to support some grantees from our initial round and also maintained our focus on scouting organizations not only reflective of the focus pillars but also across various countries to reflect the diversity of the continent,” says Temi Adeniji, Managing Director, Warner Music Africa / SVP, Sub-Saharan Africa Strategy and SVP, Special Projects at WMG and also a Vice President of the WMG/BFF SJF.

Among the Nigerian grantees are Audio Girl Africa (a non-profit organization working to increase the involvement of women as music creators and professionals by empowering young African women with music technology and business skills), Femme Africa (an organization focused on creating a space for young African women in the creative industry) and Music Business for Africa Women’s Fund (an initiative aimed at increasing women’s participation and fostering the inclusion of women in the African music and entertainment industry).

Founder of Audio Girl Africa, Febe Adedamola, remarks: “With the grant from the Warner Music Group/Blavatnik Family Foundation Social Justice Fund’s SJF Repertoire, our organization will be able to support more initiatives to increase the involvement of Nigerian women in the music creation and production phase by providing them with music technology and business training opportunities. We are beyond grateful support.”

The complete list of 2023 grantees is as follows:

AgroEknor FEEP (Farmers Education & Empowerment Program) (Nigeria)

Audio Girl (Nigeria)

Dada Foundation (Nigeria)

Femme Mag (Nigeria)

Music Business for Africa Women’s Fund (Nigeria / Pan-African)

Rele Arts Foundation (Nigeria / Pan-African)

STEM in Africa (Nigeria)

African Leadership Academy (South Africa / Pan-African)

Feyth Foundation (South Africa)

Justice Desk Africa (South Africa)

Literary District / African Book Trust Initiative (South Africa)

Hanna Charity (South Africa)

The Tag Foundation (South Africa)

The Tomorrow Trust (South Africa)

Women In Music South Africa (South Africa)

Music Enlightenment Project (South Africa)

APEX Sports Foundation (South Africa / Mozambique)

Ubunifu Arts Centre (Kenya)

Moving Windmills (Malawi)

AMAKA (Pan-Africa)

For more information about the Fund, please visit https://www.wmg.com/fund

The songwriting process

It’s inevitable to run into dead ends when you write songs, it happens to even seasoned musicians! Some songs are easily written, where the melodies and chord progressions fall seamlessly into place. But most of the time, music gets written tediously over a significant period of time. When you get stuck on an especially tricky part of a song, flexibility is key for considering your options and staying creative. Black and white thinking will halt your progress in songwriting – but staying open and curious may offer new musical paths to explore.

When you feel disappointment

Disappointment is inevitable in a serious music career. If you don’t learn to cope with it, you may not last long in the music industry whether you’re a songwriter or performer. Flexibility in music multiplies your options when your path forward gets blocked. You’ll truly thrive not just in music, but in all aspects of your life. It’s about finding the good and opportunity in every challenging situation that comes your way. A last-minute show cancellation could turn into an impromptu house show performance. The loss of a loved one inspires you to delve deeper and use it as a catalyst for your next album. There is good in everything, if you are brave enough to look. 

On stage 

Nimbleness will help you out of all the kinds of trouble you’re likely to encounter on stage. This could be anything from crippling sound issues to performance mistakes. Flexibility gives you the power to pivot when something goes wrong, and this is a crucial skill in a high-pressure performance situation. Murphy’s Law applies to live shows in a big way. There are endless ways things can go wrong during a performance – you can’t be prepared for it all. Instead, be able to pivot accordingly on stage, keep your composure, and play your best no matter what happens.

Of course, this is no easy feat for some of us. If this is the case for you, it’s worth considering how to loosen up and broaden your perspective. If you’re serious about pursuing music, you’ll need a flexible approach that prioritizes your music over the way you think things need to go. 

ReverbNation