Here’s a hot topic. How do you get your music heard when you are just starting out? It’s not about sending demos out to labels and promoters anymore – it goes much deeper. We will discuss a few key strategies that DJs are using to get their music heard and develop a fanbase.
The ‘B’ Word
Building a brand isn’t usually what DJs and producers are aspiring to when they start out. Here is a better way of looking at it: If you are playing music for people, the fact of the matter is that you are building a brand, whether you like it or not.
Is that brand going to be a bedroom DJ with a Microsoft Paint logo and lo-fi recordings streamed out of a dirty room covered in old socks? Or is it going to be professional – a particular mood or vibe, accompanied by a particular flavor of media that your fans are going to come to love and expect?
The choice is yours.
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Of course, for DJs it all starts with the music – we tend to find our niche in our sound, but a brand is more than a sound. A brand is how your audience positions you and your music in their mind – and pro tip: people naturally create hierarchies. So – is your brand going to be at the top, middle or the bottom of the hierarchy.
Professional photographers and graphic designers can help you to find your brand and make the most of it. It may seem crazy to invest in all of these things, but they are incredibly important.
Say your music gets heard by the right people and they love it, but because there was no branding behind you, they can’t for the life of them remember who you are or what you are about…Just that they heard something they liked.
You’ve positioned yourself in their mind as “a guy/girl who makes good music”. With no brand to secure a position in their head, you simply fall back into the void. Better luck next time.
A lot goes into creating a brand, so consider this only a brief overview.
Utilize Existing Fanbases
Growing a fanbase by yourself is monumentally challenging if not impossible. If you are pestering your same friends over and over again to share your music, you are doing it wrong.
There are plenty of music discovery sites, blogs, playlists, and radio shows who will do what you are asking your poor friends to do and they will do it way better. Now here’s the hint – they are looking for professionals to put forward. Professionals have a brand, so make sure you’ve got a good handle on that before you start sending press releases out to all of these industry pros.
Another pro tip – use a Soundcloud link to share your music – you can make it a private link if you wish. Nobody is going to download a file in this day and age to listen to music they (in their mind) probably won’t use. Do yourself a favor and send them a link.
Who should you send your music to?
- Spotify Playlists
- Music Blogs
- Online radio sites
- Podcasts
- Promoters / Event Organizers
- Talent Agencies
- Booking Agencies
Now keep in mind that relevance matters. Don’t send your banging Big Room Mix to a Country show – seems like a no-brainer but it seems like spamming is a temptation for those starting out sometimes. Don’t do it, it will do more harm than good. You want to do your research and be selective.
Throw a Party
DJing is a social venture and that means IRL. Get out there and see if any promoters will try you out – pro tip: Have something recorded and ready to send them. If they are at all interested, they will likely ask you for something to check out first. Also, be selective and choose reputable promoters. Nothing against underground shows, but they have a tendency to not pony up the money after they get raided and shut down.
If you don’t have any connections to do this with whatsoever, throw your own! This is a challenge for sure and could be the topic of its own article, but renting a sound system with some lights, and a venue, and inviting all your friends to see you play can be a great way to network and build excitement.
Don’t forget to invite some other DJs too, because when the time comes, they should want to return the favor.
Check us out here for more tips on DJing and how to kick start your career.