My biggest trigger is always this social media stuff. I don't enjoy watching 15 second videos, hell I don't really enjoy social media in general. And I didn't start learning to make music so I could be a "content creator". I started learning to make music because, funilly enough, I enjoy making music. If you have a real-world job, you probably only have time for the music making anyway, so who wants to sacrifice that quality time to focus on burning yourself out making garbage 15 second videos? Is Damian right? Of course. As long as you have a team and don't have to balance real-world jobs. But musician and content creator are two very different things that both require time and focus.
This fits me perfectly. Damian IS right, if you're a teenager or a young, beautiful 20-something still figuring out what path to take. What about us at the end of our lives? I've waited 40 years for "technology" to allow me to be heard and now that it's here I am being told I have to spend all my time creating online content for consumers with an attention span of 1 second. Time is running out for me. My only choice is to hit record, sing the song, put it somewhere and accept that as the victory. At least I will have done that, though it's likely no one will hear it.
During the file sharing / Napster time people were saying we want your music for free, you can make money with merchandise. You want me to sell mugs and t-shirts? I am not a potter and not a tailor. I'm glad I went into IT where you get paid for your work.
I hear you with this one man. I'm a blue collar dude with a more than full time job. So when I spend time thinking of all these stuff, while trying to do it, it gets so overwhelming to me. I want to write and record music. But I do understand that if I want to go to the next level, I need to promote and market myself. This game aint easy as we already know, right? Find me if you like. MARKO TUDICH - MAKE IT HAPPEN everywhere and youtube
That part about music industry "being easy" ignores that it isn't music industry any more. It's content industry. Yes, you might have all the tools, but you have none of the professional crew. Solid houses are built by professionals, most of whom have multi year education behind them. The plumber, the electrician, the architect, even the basic construction worker has years of experience. Dismissing this as "you have the tools, you just don't know to use them" is frankly insulting. And the golden CD years lasted all the way to late 90's, up until Napster. The decline after early years was because the digital remasters from label catalogue were released for the first years. New music continued to sell high numbers, there were just fewer re-releases.
We were signed to a label for 2 albums in the mid 2000’s, we ended up signing over the rights to our records for 20 years to secure major international festival spots and supporting major metal tours throughout Europe and South America. The albums have never received a second print and we still don’t receive any streaming monies. But the experience was well worth it…now I make lofi beats lol
That’s a positive way of looking at I believe if you’re able to pivot after and enjoy your time during then the time spent doing it was amazing. I want to start making music but haven’t made anything to show anybody. I’m learning how to produce so I can make it myself but also so I have other skills than songwriting.
Got to be careful with covers. I just did a cover of "house of the rising sun", which is public domain as no one knows who wrote it but my cover still getting copyright claimed. So put a covers on your socials for content, but dont invest money in it.
I just got signed to a label and I truely appreciate your content. Not only do I have a team behind me, but putting in the work myself too like you show us only makes us stronger 🔥🔥🔥 thank you Damian
Tiktok is just so confusing for me. I used distrokid for distribution and made sure it was distributed to TikTok, yet when I’m on TikTok yet I can’t post my own music or find it on TikTok I don’t understand
You literally told us that fans want more from you - and then told us not to make albums. What, am I just a t-shirt & coffee mug salesman who occasionally releases a single? I still make albums on cd and people still buy them at my gigs.
DAMO! Dude, thank you for triggering me with the truth today: I'm not a perfectionist. I just never want to be dissatisfied with my performances/recordings. Now to hop on the horse and release all these tunes I've worked endless hours on! They're "perfect" enough. Time to get 'em out there. Always appreciate your insights & cheeky humor! ☺🤘
Just when you think you've learned everything there is to know after watching Damian's videos, he comes out with another and you realize the goal posts are always being moved and the rules of the game are constantly changing. Frustrating but good to know. Thank you, Damian!
It’s very demotivating to not see results on my music, but that’s the thing, I don’t post enough on social media I need to build a presence, your right I’m overthinking, it doesn’t have to be perfect, man you opened my mind up, appreciate you
I am honestly not triggered by any of this. I did albums because I simply write too many songs and mission number one is to record them all. I do agree with everything you have said here. I am not even sure how to judge my online audience. I am getting weird signs that it could be fairly large but then I only have 330 ish monthly listeners on Spotify. It is growing on it's own. I am just trying to figure out how to speed that process up. You have given me some invaluable ideas, so I really appreciate the effort you put in to making these videos. Thank you.
Ufffff!! I so many songs too. I want them all recorded as well. It's torture to split my time between recording and working on these career building strategies. MARKO TUDICH - MAKE IT HAPPEN. The album is everywhere and on youtube too
@@Tude75just do it man, lock in, record a bunch, then schedule them for release and make content. Then repeat. Too many songs is a GREAT problem to have
My name is Toussaint! And man you’ve been a lot of help I take notes to 90% of your videos I know that your methods and game will help my career and my brand thank you Mann frr❤💯
The no albums part triggered me. I do both, release singles every few months and 1 album a year. I find that an album captures a point in time and there is an overarching connection between all of the albums I've made in particular. I 100% agree with the logic tho. It's undeniable.
I think you have the right balance of singles and album releases. I love hearing new singles from artist and can't wait for the full album to drop so I can pick it up.
I’m about to release my first album, in three months, after only five singles, and only two of them will be on the album. Then I plan, like you, to release an album every year, because even if I have a thousand fans who want to hear my music, then that’s fine, I’m not trying to be a millionaire.
Then maybe popularity/“success”) isn’t what you’re after. Perhaps you’re just happy making music and the creative process behind it. I think that’s where I am. Gotta stop letting the “but what if I just had a gold single” logic go. Not really about that tbh
Great ideas - thanks! I particularly like your last suggestion - If you cover a very popular song, some people will accidentally find your version when searching for the real one. Maybe they'll like it and maybe not, but it's a good trick to get some new eyes on your content.
Spent a few years working on my first album to learn the production process, I didn't spend enough time on content and ads, so pretty much no growth 😂 Im excited to get burned today though if it means I know how to handle tomorrow, I appreciate you, this makes the hard journey feel more clear going forward!
Love all your advices. They are so up to date and make so much sense. I ve been trying to do litterally everything by myself, which became so overwhelming and made me start to doubt and question myself. but all those pieces of advice helped me put those little pieces of the puzzles together in order to get a better bigger picture of the direction to take. thank you so much!
@@DamianKeyes The only danger is that most people don't know what they want, and even if they want control, it doesn't mean they understand what it takes to achieve it... I think BREXIT and the desire to control our borders explains that point best. I think it would be the same with wanting control over all aspects of the music... once they get that control, they are now driving a Formula One car and it WILL go out of control very quickly when they realise they don't actually know what they are doing. I know this as I would be one those people... lol
Life changing, inspirational words Damian. I felt every single sentence to my core and it really lit a fire in my heart. Thank you for the energy you bring to this platform and us aspiring artists.
Thank you for this video ! I didn't realise how great this era was for musicians ! "Streaming is the best thing that ever happened to the music industry ! " Hell yes, it is so true !
I agree with you on pretty much all levels and I wanted to add some positives to the part about doing a "cover" song. When I was performing with my folk band, I found many times the main thing at a bar gig that would turn everyone from just being at the bar to being alive at the bar leading into stomping their feet, clapping their hands and dancing as well as pulling a random person to our extra mic to join along in singing a song.....WEll, it was in our interest to get them warmed up for us with some cover songs they knew and we always put a twist on them...always have some covers that you make your own because it grabs people and gives them a push into having a great time which then opens the door much wider for the public to grasp the original music much better...We played our own original Celtic/Nordic/Mountain/Rowdy Folk music and thank God we payed attention to mentors and also the audiences. Our music I admit wasn't the most familar style to most when it came to local bar scenes so covers can be so amazing in your introduction and throughout a 3 - 4 hour gig. Pay attentioin as mucjh as you can and I feel looking professional looks much better when you interact and also find time to breath and have a little humor, it goes a long way just like giving some free merch and maybe drinks at bar as a thank you to those awesome people that are also making your show happen. If you can get folks to dance and participate as well be alive which triggers more to follow the fun stuff that makes a night out something to talk about, well this is what its all about when it comes to performing. Sometimes just asking a few people what they like and making small talk can also be good, just dont be desperate. Be real and authentic, artists that appreciate people can do so much more I believe. I even started a thing where Id have some fans I knew bring hand-drums and Id bring some extra hand-drums so somewhere in the night we'd have this entire place drumming and oh did it get real! Thanks for the great video man!!! I will be checking more your stuff from now on!!
Thanks Damian. Excellent video. As you wanted to know which part triggered me the most it was probably the bit about overthinking stuff and not realising that a few 10s videos can be done in no time. The rest of it was super inspiring too. 👌
I like that you brought up Led Zeppelin not doing Tik tok. With the music taste of the current generation if stairway to heaven was released today it would absolutely Bomb in comparison to how well it did back then. Hell if Led Zeppelin was a brand new band in todays time they would be no bodies.
There is only ONE THING any artist needs to worry about!!! This a numbers game!!! it will be up to you how you do that . After that you will have the attention of anyone who will need to matter for your career, as long as those numbers grow & keep going up!!Also this will put the artist in the drivers seat with whoever if & when this happens get a MUSIC lawyer & get your money up front because that will be it !!! publishing will only matter to you if the numbers are high, if not chicken feed! If not don't quit your day job is right!! I have been doing this since 1984 NOT B.S.
Great rundown. I feel like people who complain about making content probably never experienced or have forgotten the old way of promoting new music: driving around the country in a cramped, equipment-loaded van with other smelly musicians, and barely breaking even or losing money on the trip. Compared to that, content making is easy.
If one doesn't have any marketing skills, this will sound overwhelming. I have 50% of these marketing skills, and I'm still thinking,"this is time intensive". It's a lot of work. You can bootstrap it if you have some skills but this becomes easier with some financing & a temporary team. And I found it challenging to find the right people with right skills. I'm getting there. You definitely deliver great professional development training. You're an excellent business trainer. Thanks 👍
Actually, nothing really triggered me, it's a great video, thanks for the content you are doing for us artists ✨ Personally, I love album format (and I rarely listen to the separate songs on my own), but I try to treat them as a collection of singles. Pick a "primary" song, promote it during release period, then pick another song and promote it, then pick another one, and so on. Probably singles would be a bit better since they are new every time, but what I am trying to do here is to combine the format I love with the philosophy of managing the song instead of letting it be forgotten.
Hey, agreed! What you could do to get the best of both worlds is to record an entire album, then just release each song as a single, maybe a couple weeks apart. At the end of that, you can release it all again as an album. This not only keeps you relevant for like a 6 month period, but the algorithms really like that consistency. You can do lyric videos and visualizers along the way, which gives you content for YT.
@@sinnersrisemusic I've seen huge criticism of the artists who release albums without new material at all. Kinda killing the format itself. I'd say it's OK to release half of the songs beforehead and another half just promote after the albums release. And yes, consistency is key
Releasing music this week and as someone who hates promoting myself, there are some great nuggets in here I'm taking away: 1. Get better at what I do 2. Tell compelling stories about my music 3. Focus on Fans, not followers
It's good that you have videos on your TH-cam channel because after reading this comment, I wanted to go to your channel to see if you had anything there. Listening to "Swept Away" now. I like the fact that your song isn't too formulaic and not the same thing over and over again. It's definitely quality stuff!
Thank you so much for this video. I feel so much better about what I do now. It is a hard road sometimes and you explaining it the way you did made me see things in a different light, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU...
Hard to hear. But Good to hear as well... Thanks for the honesty. It just feels like no matter what I do It's never enough... or the right thing... I might be doing some things right but there are always an overwhelming number of things I'm not doing at all... so I get discouraged and start shutting down....
My most viewed TikTok has 1222 views, and I just realized: other than the fact that I was wearing a suit, the first second of the video is of me SMILING! I'll do that for my next TikTok! Damian you're a genius! So I will invest in taking care of the people who are actually smitten by what I have to offer. None of what you said triggered me, I'll let you know how my next TikTok goes, the smile will be my signature move🧡
So on point one - People only listen to a new artist if they are on a playlist. After 4 weeks most songs are removed from the playlist rotation. Whilst you may have only sold for one week for every album sold in a store a good proportion actually made its way to the artist. So having it available longer doesn’t actually generate more money for artists. Point 2 - social media and platforms rise and fall. MySpace was in TikTok’s position 15 years ago. But I agree social media is here to stay. Point 3 - Music is easier. Bullshit. As well as learning an instrument. Finding like minded musicans. Writing good music. Having a good aesthetic. Standing out in a very competitive and larger field. You must now also - be a ‘content creator’, be a marketing expert, be a social media expert, be a shameless self promoter, be an audio engineer, be a business expert, sell anything and everything except music (t-shirts etc) continue to work hard at all of the above all of the time or fall behind. Point 4 yes advertising works, however as a musician you can now spend far more on advertising than the revenue generated from music sales. This must be a loss leader excercise and involve far more outlay at the outset of a career. Point 5 Less venues to perform in. Higher cost of living with less concert goers. I find this video disingenuous and patronising. Musicians all suffer from self doubt as a result of predominant personality types. Social media is therefore NOT easy. Give a musician 1000 compliments and one negative review, I guarantee they remember the one negative. It is not easy, it is hard, there is less monetary reward, there are more elements to focus on, and all of it takes and time dedication. Point
Thanks for this video! It is really a very timely watch for me. Overthinking has been/is the greatest impediment to progress. I realize that now. It has definitely held me back. And also the fear of making mistakes or looking stupid… another hard truth is that no one really cares. As long as we are sincere in what we put out and not let overthinking stop us from creating or putting content out growth with happen. If we let fear and perfectionism ( so called) stand in our way then we are sabotaging ourselves.
@@DamianKeyes - Got a query for you - regarding 14:27 onwards - we have been pushing singles with music videos (quite visually based) and then EP collections to follow. We are thinking about looking to fund an album (alt rock/heavy rock), more because we think it will be the best genuine reflection of our art and we want to create a piece that almost fits concept throughout the track listing. We have been building a bit of a story and universe over the first 2 EPs worth of singles and MVs, and hoping to conclude with an album which would have a fair few music videos prior to album drop, and would tie up this first of our concepts... Do you think this is still a viable way to create within the industry? We try to incorporate our music videos as a key piece of visual identity, and we want to advance on our conceptual lore from the band's mind, similar in a way to how Stone Sour released their House of Gold & Bones concept albums, or how Muse/Bring Me The Horizon now so neatly tie their concepts together during a live performance with visual representation?
Advertising is super pricey though.. Did a spotify add and I did gain followers but I think it averaged out to 10 to 20$ per follower which really isn't bad if your budget is a half a million but when your budgets a few hundred it could be better to just organically gain as many followers with interaction
I really appreciate everything you said in the video. It reinforced some of what I have known about the ever changing landscape of the music industry. I am going to release a full length solo album this summer. I made the decision to do that as a choice to offer up to folks who may want a full shot of what I do. But I am also working on singles and I have no plans to release another full album for a while. I've been playing music for decades and I'm trying this whole do it yourself approach to music for the first time. But I just wanted to say that I appreciate your candor. You are offering a very real no bullshit approach to monetizing original music. Well done.
Unfortunately i been trying to get people to donate buy and help me fund my music venture but nobody gives a shit. When you ask for help they stay silent. Tumble weed silent. So how do you get money from this kind of people that mainly come on board in the hope of seeing you fail. Then they jump ship.
This was really really good!!!! I hate Social Media but I need to get better at using it with wisdom! I also need to find a better way to tell my stories. I sometimes do think my songs are to on the nose for this culture climate so I will be changing my lyric style!!! Thanks for this.
The "no albums" one is hardest for me. A lot of the music I write just makes more sense in an album of tracks that contrast with and complement each other. I don't think it necessarily works when taken out of that context and people hear it "cold" in a busy playlist of other tunes trying to grab attention. I know the playlist context is where you have to prove yourself, but that's a challenge for the kind of music I make. A lot of my tracks just don't fit in well with other people's. 😀
Trust me no-one cares that much about your music. Not a single person is thinking about it like that and also they never have. A song is a song is a song. If your songs don't make sense without the other songs, then your songs are shit.
Here's what I would try so that you can get the best of both worlds: Record an entire album, and then release each song as a single each month, or every 2 weeks, depending on how cohesive you want to keep things. Then when they're all out, release everything as an album together. Along the way, you can do lyric videos for each song so that you have things to upload, you can do cool microcontent for each as well. Treat each song with single-like promotion. Try it! It keeps you busy for the entire promo period for each song, and keeps you on track.
That's especially true with instrumental concept albums and some soundtracks. Some tracks make sense listening to the whole or at least some of the tracks on it.
I don't know if I overthink social media... I find it a huge hurdle to have to ask someone to shoot content with me... I asked my partner once and he seemed a bit annoyed by it. I'm also not disciplined or something, because for a little while I posted on instagram, youtube shorts and tiktok like you said but now it's just instagram again and I forgot the others
I wanted to release my classical album by singles but the distributor (Naxos) for my label wouldn’t allow it. Some genres are just way behind the current promotion strategies. It was very frustrating because I had nothing to promote for playlists! So then I pivoted to produce cool art videos for the tracks and live performance captures, just to have something to talk about! jazz and classical are stuck in the 1990s.
@@smokehashxuriahjahvid Here's the annoying thing... I am still an independent and responsible for paying for everything, I am just using the label for classical street cred in Canada and for distribution. At least I own my masters but with very little in the way of streaming or sales income, the point is moot. I will do my own distribution next time... Naxos is not a help.
@@wildflute the advertising to get out there is so expensive to have a good enough add budget to gain any audience but there are easy to use and cheap distribution options like distro kid
Streaming and social media are double-edged swords. Yes, they can get your music out to a worldwide audience, but the ease with which these tools can do this means that the market is flooded. There is more competition than ever, making it harder to breakthrough. However, the definition of success is different for each artist. Not every artist wants to become a global superstar and some would be happy just having a few hundred people listen to their songs or they'd be happy to sell out a gig in a small pub.
The comments about doing singles, not albums hit me. Hadn’t looked at it that way before - the period of quiet, for a lot of hard work. Going to make sure I build a following with singles. Thank you
I don't know myself watching this type of content but did it to the end I can sum this up only if you agree to track bass on a couple from a handful of riffs as proof of worth and I'm reconsidering music. Every aspect you have covered was in between well said and the awe of revelation compared some tuning I accidentally descovered while I thought of myself being silly. If you spare no more time than the video I watched doing just some crude tracking over some crude acoustic riffs then all you said is more than just the Truth it's the one of a prophet you may not yet know yourself being.
One issue about tic toc is the algorithm is extremely tight, iv had over 30 songs muted over possible copyright claims ( false claims) when they say you only get 3, but anyway yes I agree it's where it's at, it's just algorithms
I have to say, there's not many talking heads I'm subscribing to, but you really appeal to me with your concise, clear messages. Great stuff, thanks for making great content! Cheers, Thor 😊
The music industry is over crowded and extremely competitive now. I’m too old to learn how to work this new system now. I guess I’ll never be a successful musician…
Great video and of course I agree with what you’re saying essentially. I’m a blind song writer and just find the race to keep up with changing social media trends quite exhausting. Maybe I’m lazy but I find social media drains me lately and takes me away from being creative. I love live streaming and all that but suppose it’s the video and visuals side of things.
Dude!! I totally feel the same. Overwhelmed and drained with all the strategizing and no song writing. But I feel like the hard truth is we have to adapt if we want to take our material to the next level.
I agree with the streaming point today. But, it is hard to say wht tomorrow holds. There was a time ppl though records, cds, cassettes, laser disc were all the future and present. Now look. So whilst I agree with what streaming has done for today's , music, there is no telling if it will be good for music or to retain your music in 20 years. WE just do not knw.
The advertising part is very true. Not only have I blown myself up to a full time artist level purely off of ads, but I’ve also created an agency and have helped over 200 artists grow with ads. Ads work yall. Want 1m views on ig? We can do that. Want to reach 1m people in your genre? We can do that. You just have to have great music and content if you want it to work well.
You had me worried but I actually agree with everything you said. On this video that I realize that I fw with you! Thank you Damo! I don't who calls you that but I'll rock wit it 😂
Thanks Demian for the tips. I really love doing music & business stuff is my weaknes. So it was good to hear some new tips. Tik-tok resonated with me as well as to continue making covers, all the best, Peter👌
Besides being in a state where social media isn't doing what it used to, your points on the subject are sensible enough and the only counterpoint I can provide is, if traditional social doesn't work you go where your audience would be, which is probably just another kind of social. What actually sets me off is the number of times I hear the word "story" or "a reason to listen." It's important to me that the people who should not be listening find my music revolting as quickly as possible so that I know the people who stay to the end really care and I'm not wasting anyone's time.
Your videos are very helpful! Thank you so much for them! And yes, overthinking is an enemy that needs to be eliminated! When you mentioned covers, did you mean releasing them or just recording a short/reel and posting on social media?
The bit about not doing albums was definitely disheartening, but maybe because the exact reasoning for why they shouldn't be done was too close to home 🤣🤣
Totally agree about the 'true fans'... I would take 100 true fans over 10k or even 50k likes any day. Spot who they are and love them right back, it's great advice.
I'm on Tik Tok now because of one of your video. I'll never regret it even if I don't have a huge audience right now, it still helps me witj my YT growth. For now I only have covers cause my songs are not ready for release (No I'm not a perfectionnist), but as soon as one is ready I will follow your advices for the release too. Thanks !
". Only a yogurt would think....." ? Where do you hang out to come up with stuff like that? Musicians listen to this guy. He is giving away good advice. If you can pay the money for the DKMBA. You'll get even more to further your career. And no he isn't paying me a penny for this. Just do it.
@@DamianKeyes Sometimes I feel like I'm a yogurt while I blindly bounce off walls navigating the biz. Your advice and insights have been invaluable. Until I can stabilize my finances this is the only way I can show my appreciation.
I don’t know if these two bits were triggering, but making money from others, fans or not, is capitalistic (inherently evil? Eh depends on how you go about it;). I understand making money is a necessity. That said, I didn’t grow up buying merch from my favorite artists and I didn't see any of them live because no one came to my hometown, so I don’t really relate to fandom in that way. Also for me, albums or EPs are way to mark the "endpoint" of a project. Releasing single after single that isn't attached to anything makes me feel like I'm a bit all over the place; it doesn’t feel organized. Though I do get the value of singles--for me they just need to lead to something. Really, the hardest truths for me have been having to view myself as a product for public consumption and potentially being seen by others as a leader. Both make me very uneasy
Thanks for the Video Damian ❤ The Music Industry isn’t better it’s just different! There are many pros & cons. I really do think this comes down to what kind of artist of music genre you are. Rock/Indie & Metal acts are not as popular as they were back in the day when I collected Hovis bread 🥖 on my bicycle at 6am in the morning! After my paper round! Data from Rick Beato’s TH-cam Channel clearly show this in 2023 where Pop, Indie Rap dance type artists are pretty much killing it. The thought of going to a live gig where there’s no band & just a backing track makes me want to start word war 3, if that hasn’t already started. I’ve only ever lost money on streaming services as probably 99.9% of people reading my post who have released music have. But luckily I play the long game and make money on my live shows where I have managed to support myself financially. Unfortunately if you’re in a band you are pretty much screwed live at grass roots levels because the fees for gigs haven’t really gone up much since the 1980’s That’s why I mainly perform solo or duo with 2 to 3 full band gigs a year. Not loving the dream. But still appreciate ld as an original artist who play a few covers. PRS is by far the best thing I ever did & Much better than streaming. I make an additional £500 a year from this. Thanks for listening. Life is still great doing what I love Steve ❤
…and to be brutally honest Damo, most new music I hear the unlucky in debt no opportunities younger folk in the UK stream is Angry perfect sounding repetitive ⚾️ 🏉 …But this is just my opinion. The Henley College Music students I teach do pick up instruments & do have some stylish cool vibes. As you said before music & fashion do go hand in hand.
Your art and content IS the most important component of what you are doing , in particular when you are getting started and formulating your sound , your presence . Yes you are in show business ,and you need to savvy up but if you think your business side trumps your content then you might just get lost in a sea of mediocrity like everyone else who thinks this way . At some point you have to decide whether you are a business person who promotes their music OR a musician who operates their brand in the music business .
In my opinion The music industry sucked in the past and they still suck today. In the old days it was nearly impossible to get published. Now it is easy to get published but unless you are part of a very small percentage of musicians you wont earn any money from it. In my case the expenses are greater than the earnings. For instance If one of my CDs was sold for $12 by my aggregator I actually make a loss. $4 goes to the aggregator, $3 are manufacturing cost and sending the CD from my country to the aggregator costs $7 that is a loss of $2. The aggregator had two CDs in stock and because they did not sell quickly enough he destroyed on of them at my expense. A couple of months later the remaining copy was sold and he asked me to send a new one. I refused and that is the end of my CD sales. Album downloads by apple music where profitable about 10 years ago but not anymore. Streaming pays so little it does not even cover the expense of the barcode. The only avenue left is to be a superb marketer or businesman which I am absolutely not. If I was a superb marketer or businesman I could make way more money outside the music industry. I will always make music because I love it. So I decided to give al my music away for free by placing it in the public domain where I will not be earning any money, so nothing has changed there but it allows anyone to use my music in any way they like without restriction.
I'm trying to start a band, and I must say, I wish more people heard the last one. Most of the time when I start talking to a potential band member, they ask for original stuff, and when I say at this moment I only know how to play some covers (I play guitar and been taking singing lessons for some years now), they tune out. But to be honest, ever since I started doing covers properly, i.e. learning all the parts of the song, I have learned A TON about the song structure, build up, even technique etc. And now when an amateur musician says 'I play grunge/pop/metal/whatever, but only originals', I hear really 'I can noodle on guitars for hours, I can't play one song from start to finish'; and of course, they ASK for original stuff, but provide none of their own.
There a vast difference between musicians who play covers and musicians who are skilled enough to perform original music. Those who can write and arrange for a band are even fewer. Music is a harsh mistress and by the time a musician, drummer or vocalist is skilled enough to perform original music, they often have little to no interest in playing covers. Proof is in the taste of the pudding. Talent helps. This is meant to encourage, not discourage. Get going and record your material !
The most triggering remark is about TikTok. Even if the CIA, Facebook, Google, FBI, every gas station/grocery store/coffeehouse and any kid that knows hacking may have access to my personal information, I just can't give it up freely to the CCP. Guess I'll have to eek out a diminished life...but I just can't
I disagree with you on the TikTok. I get your point about the market, however it's not always about business and money. Part of the joys of being a Independent Musician is being able to say "No, there are lines I won't cross." Morals and values can be maintained as an Independent Artist and should be valued. Look at Jim Morrison and The Doors. The band sold out for money, Jim wouldn't. Money comes and goes, decisions are eternal. Then you talk about following TikTok's Communist rules or you might get Shadowbanned? I've heard enough. I've watched several of your video's and loved them till now, this one deserves a thumbs down!!
I started busking recently and really wanted to focus on my own songs[still do]. I do around an hour of originals but truth is 1-2 covers got me some coins! And it is nice playing others songs in my style. Thanks for the info as always :)
Excellent presentation , thank you. You do however, neglect to mention the one major demographic of this entire industry. And that is.......... The DSP community is currently receiving 100,000 (one hundred THOUSAND) tunes a day. A DAY. (....as of today, June 22, 2023). And you're going to stand out HOW ? Best regards, Bill P.
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My biggest trigger is always this social media stuff. I don't enjoy watching 15 second videos, hell I don't really enjoy social media in general. And I didn't start learning to make music so I could be a "content creator". I started learning to make music because, funilly enough, I enjoy making music. If you have a real-world job, you probably only have time for the music making anyway, so who wants to sacrifice that quality time to focus on burning yourself out making garbage 15 second videos?
Is Damian right? Of course. As long as you have a team and don't have to balance real-world jobs. But musician and content creator are two very different things that both require time and focus.
This fits me perfectly. Damian IS right, if you're a teenager or a young, beautiful 20-something still figuring out what path to take. What about us at the end of our lives? I've waited 40 years for "technology" to allow me to be heard and now that it's here I am being told I have to spend all my time creating online content for consumers with an attention span of 1 second.
Time is running out for me. My only choice is to hit record, sing the song, put it somewhere and accept that as the victory. At least I will have done that, though it's likely no one will hear it.
I feel the same way. I don't care for social media and I have no intention of investing that much energy in to it.
During the file sharing / Napster time people were saying we want your music for free, you can make money with merchandise. You want me to sell mugs and t-shirts? I am not a potter and not a tailor.
I'm glad I went into IT where you get paid for your work.
I hear you with this one man. I'm a blue collar dude with a more than full time job. So when I spend time thinking of all these stuff, while trying to do it, it gets so overwhelming to me. I want to write and record music. But I do understand that if I want to go to the next level, I need to promote and market myself. This game aint easy as we already know, right? Find me if you like. MARKO TUDICH - MAKE IT HAPPEN everywhere and youtube
That part about music industry "being easy" ignores that it isn't music industry any more. It's content industry. Yes, you might have all the tools, but you have none of the professional crew. Solid houses are built by professionals, most of whom have multi year education behind them. The plumber, the electrician, the architect, even the basic construction worker has years of experience. Dismissing this as "you have the tools, you just don't know to use them" is frankly insulting.
And the golden CD years lasted all the way to late 90's, up until Napster. The decline after early years was because the digital remasters from label catalogue were released for the first years. New music continued to sell high numbers, there were just fewer re-releases.
We were signed to a label for 2 albums in the mid 2000’s, we ended up signing over the rights to our records for 20 years to secure major international festival spots and supporting major metal tours throughout Europe and South America. The albums have never received a second print and we still don’t receive any streaming monies. But the experience was well worth it…now I make lofi beats lol
That’s a positive way of looking at I believe if you’re able to pivot after and enjoy your time during then the time spent doing it was amazing. I want to start making music but haven’t made anything to show anybody. I’m learning how to produce so I can make it myself but also so I have other skills than songwriting.
How is the LoFi beats thing doing?
I just subscribed
thanks for sharing
Got to be careful with covers. I just did a cover of "house of the rising sun", which is public domain as no one knows who wrote it but my cover still getting copyright claimed. So put a covers on your socials for content, but dont invest money in it.
I just got signed to a label and I truely appreciate your content. Not only do I have a team behind me, but putting in the work myself too like you show us only makes us stronger 🔥🔥🔥 thank you Damian
Thanks so much Martin that means a lot, appreciate you 😊😊
Hey dude I checked out your TH-cam videos and you’re really good. I can see why you got signed 🎉
Sorry to hear that.
I admire you
Tiktok is just so confusing for me. I used distrokid for distribution and made sure it was distributed to TikTok, yet when I’m on TikTok yet I can’t post my own music or find it on TikTok I don’t understand
You literally told us that fans want more from you - and then told us not to make albums. What, am I just a t-shirt & coffee mug salesman who occasionally releases a single? I still make albums on cd and people still buy them at my gigs.
DAMO! Dude, thank you for triggering me with the truth today: I'm not a perfectionist. I just never want to be dissatisfied with my performances/recordings. Now to hop on the horse and release all these tunes I've worked endless hours on! They're "perfect" enough. Time to get 'em out there.
Always appreciate your insights & cheeky humor! ☺🤘
Powerful!! Thank you for all you do for independent artists. Please pay close attention
Just when you think you've learned everything there is to know after watching Damian's videos, he comes out with another and you realize the goal posts are always being moved and the rules of the game are constantly changing. Frustrating but good to know. Thank you, Damian!
My trigger was the part about not saying NO to TikTok. Thank you so much for this awesome video. Appreciated.
I really appreciate this, thanks so much, keep smashing it! 🙂🙂
It’s very demotivating to not see results on my music, but that’s the thing, I don’t post enough on social media I need to build a presence, your right I’m overthinking, it doesn’t have to be perfect, man you opened my mind up, appreciate you
Appreciate you to, thanks dude 😊
I’m hella overthinking fr . Just need to go back to the hustle I had when IG was just gettin started and I didn’t care and posted everyday !! Hahab
@@ChelseaMonetOfficial stg bro, we got this
Why don't you put one of your songs on TH-cam? I looked at your TH-cam channel and all I see is one video of you talking about becoming better.
I am honestly not triggered by any of this.
I did albums because I simply write too many songs and mission number one is to record them all. I do agree with everything you have said here.
I am not even sure how to judge my online audience. I am getting weird signs that it could be fairly large but then I only have 330 ish monthly listeners on Spotify. It is growing on it's own. I am just trying to figure out how to speed that process up.
You have given me some invaluable ideas, so I really appreciate the effort you put in to making these videos. Thank you.
Ufffff!! I so many songs too. I want them all recorded as well. It's torture to split my time between recording and working on these career building strategies. MARKO TUDICH - MAKE IT HAPPEN. The album is everywhere and on youtube too
@@Tude75just do it man, lock in, record a bunch, then schedule them for release and make content. Then repeat. Too many songs is a GREAT problem to have
Great stuff and all TRUTH! Most of us simply need to make a plan and stick with it for long enough to see the results as i continue to learn myself.
My name is Toussaint! And man you’ve been a lot of help I take notes to 90% of your videos I know that your methods and game will help my career and my brand thank you Mann frr❤💯
Spot on, Damian!🤘Thanks for another great rant. Much needed these days!
Thanks so much, I try not to rant too much but sometimes they just come out lol. Appreciate you! 🙂🙂
The no albums part triggered me. I do both, release singles every few months and 1 album a year. I find that an album captures a point in time and there is an overarching connection between all of the albums I've made in particular. I 100% agree with the logic tho. It's undeniable.
I think you have the right balance of singles and album releases. I love hearing new singles from artist and can't wait for the full album to drop so I can pick it up.
Where can I find your music?
I’m about to release my first album, in three months, after only five singles, and only two of them will be on the album. Then I plan, like you, to release an album every year, because even if I have a thousand fans who want to hear my music, then that’s fine, I’m not trying to be a millionaire.
Then maybe popularity/“success”) isn’t what you’re after. Perhaps you’re just happy making music and the creative process behind it. I think that’s where I am. Gotta stop letting the “but what if I just had a gold single” logic go. Not really about that tbh
Great ideas - thanks! I particularly like your last suggestion - If you cover a very popular song, some people will accidentally find your version when searching for the real one. Maybe they'll like it and maybe not, but it's a good trick to get some new eyes on your content.
Spent a few years working on my first album to learn the production process, I didn't spend enough time on content and ads, so pretty much no growth 😂 Im excited to get burned today though if it means I know how to handle tomorrow, I appreciate you, this makes the hard journey feel more clear going forward!
Love all your advices. They are so up to date and make so much sense. I ve been trying to do litterally everything by myself, which became so overwhelming and made me start to doubt and question myself. but all those pieces of advice helped me put those little pieces of the puzzles together in order to get a better bigger picture of the direction to take. thank you so much!
One aspect is getting your music to the right ears, people will completly dislike your music or they will like it you have to reach the audience
Love the enthusiasm you have for the business as well as for the music. Now THAT's being in the MUSIC BUSINESS.
Thank you, I would love every artist to keep as much control as possible even if they are working with the industry 😊
@@DamianKeyes The only danger is that most people don't know what they want, and even if they want control, it doesn't mean they understand what it takes to achieve it... I think BREXIT and the desire to control our borders explains that point best. I think it would be the same with wanting control over all aspects of the music... once they get that control, they are now driving a Formula One car and it WILL go out of control very quickly when they realise they don't actually know what they are doing. I know this as I would be one those people... lol
Life changing, inspirational words Damian. I felt every single sentence to my core and it really lit a fire in my heart. Thank you for the energy you bring to this platform and us aspiring artists.
The Sex Pistols.. "God save the Queen, and the fascist regime"
Don't worry you won't get shadow band...🤔
Thank you for this video ! I didn't realise how great this era was for musicians ! "Streaming is the best thing that ever happened to the music industry ! " Hell yes, it is so true !
I agree with you on pretty much all levels and I wanted to add some positives to the part about doing a "cover" song. When I was performing with my folk band, I found many times the main thing at a bar gig that would turn everyone from just being at the bar to being alive at the bar leading into stomping their feet, clapping their hands and dancing as well as pulling a random person to our extra mic to join along in singing a song.....WEll, it was in our interest to get them warmed up for us with some cover songs they knew and we always put a twist on them...always have some covers that you make your own because it grabs people and gives them a push into having a great time which then opens the door much wider for the public to grasp the original music much better...We played our own original Celtic/Nordic/Mountain/Rowdy Folk music and thank God we payed attention to mentors and also the audiences. Our music I admit wasn't the most familar style to most when it came to local bar scenes so covers can be so amazing in your introduction and throughout a 3 - 4 hour gig. Pay attentioin as mucjh as you can and I feel looking professional looks much better when you interact and also find time to breath and have a little humor, it goes a long way just like giving some free merch and maybe drinks at bar as a thank you to those awesome people that are also making your show happen. If you can get folks to dance and participate as well be alive which triggers more to follow the fun stuff that makes a night out something to talk about, well this is what its all about when it comes to performing. Sometimes just asking a few people what they like and making small talk can also be good, just dont be desperate. Be real and authentic, artists that appreciate people can do so much more I believe. I even started a thing where Id have some fans I knew bring hand-drums and Id bring some extra hand-drums so somewhere in the night we'd have this entire place drumming and oh did it get real! Thanks for the great video man!!! I will be checking more your stuff from now on!!
Cool info. Thank you
As always - Truthful, Re-confirming and inspiring.
Thanks Damian. Excellent video. As you wanted to know which part triggered me the most it was probably the bit about overthinking stuff and not realising that a few 10s videos can be done in no time. The rest of it was super inspiring too. 👌
All facts, no cap. Keep preaching the hard truth, Damo!
I like that you brought up Led Zeppelin not doing Tik tok. With the music taste of the current generation if stairway to heaven was released today it would absolutely Bomb in comparison to how well it did back then. Hell if Led Zeppelin was a brand new band in todays time they would be no bodies.
So very pertinent !
And the “perfectionist” part hit me where it should ! Thank you again for a great video Mister Keyes!
There is only ONE THING any artist needs to worry about!!! This a numbers game!!! it will be up to you how you do that . After that you will have the attention of anyone who will need to matter for your career, as long as those numbers grow & keep going up!!Also this will put the artist in the drivers seat with whoever if & when this happens get a MUSIC lawyer & get your money up front because that will be it !!! publishing will only matter to you if the numbers are high, if not chicken feed! If not don't quit your day job is right!! I have been doing this since 1984 NOT B.S.
Wao you are such a good mentor for us aspiring artists. I'm so grateful that ppl like you are here to help us. Keep it up 💚
I love each and every word of this vid. Thank you.
Great rundown. I feel like people who complain about making content probably never experienced or have forgotten the old way of promoting new music: driving around the country in a cramped, equipment-loaded van with other smelly musicians, and barely breaking even or losing money on the trip. Compared to that, content making is easy.
But people who liked your music would spend 10-20 bucks at each of those shows 🤷♀️
If one doesn't have any marketing skills, this will sound overwhelming. I have 50% of these marketing skills, and I'm still thinking,"this is time intensive". It's a lot of work. You can bootstrap it if you have some skills but this becomes easier with some financing & a temporary team. And I found it challenging to find the right people with right skills. I'm getting there. You definitely deliver great professional development training. You're an excellent business trainer. Thanks 👍
I really appreciate that, thank you so much 😊😊
Man I love everything you said,definitely motivation for me 🙏🏿👏🏾👍🏾
Actually, nothing really triggered me, it's a great video, thanks for the content you are doing for us artists ✨
Personally, I love album format (and I rarely listen to the separate songs on my own), but I try to treat them as a collection of singles. Pick a "primary" song, promote it during release period, then pick another song and promote it, then pick another one, and so on. Probably singles would be a bit better since they are new every time, but what I am trying to do here is to combine the format I love with the philosophy of managing the song instead of letting it be forgotten.
Hey, agreed! What you could do to get the best of both worlds is to record an entire album, then just release each song as a single, maybe a couple weeks apart. At the end of that, you can release it all again as an album. This not only keeps you relevant for like a 6 month period, but the algorithms really like that consistency. You can do lyric videos and visualizers along the way, which gives you content for YT.
@@sinnersrisemusic I've seen huge criticism of the artists who release albums without new material at all. Kinda killing the format itself. I'd say it's OK to release half of the songs beforehead and another half just promote after the albums release. And yes, consistency is key
thats why i love damo, he reels you in with the clickbait and hits you with the knowledge
Releasing music this week and as someone who hates promoting myself, there are some great nuggets in here I'm taking away:
1. Get better at what I do
2. Tell compelling stories about my music
3. Focus on Fans, not followers
It's good that you have videos on your TH-cam channel because after reading this comment, I wanted to go to your channel to see if you had anything there.
Listening to "Swept Away" now. I like the fact that your song isn't too formulaic and not the same thing over and over again. It's definitely quality stuff!
Thank you so much for this video. I feel so much better about what I do now. It is a hard road sometimes and you explaining it the way you did made me see things in a different light, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU...
Hard to hear. But Good to hear as well... Thanks for the honesty. It just feels like no matter what I do It's never enough... or the right thing... I might be doing some things right but there are always an overwhelming number of things I'm not doing at all... so I get discouraged and start shutting down....
My most viewed TikTok has 1222 views, and I just realized: other than the fact that I was wearing a suit, the first second of the video is of me SMILING! I'll do that for my next TikTok! Damian you're a genius! So I will invest in taking care of the people who are actually smitten by what I have to offer. None of what you said triggered me, I'll let you know how my next TikTok goes, the smile will be my signature move🧡
Great video as always, I thought all the tips were pretty spot on and will take them on board for my next release!
Really appreciate that, thank you so much! More coming soon 😊😊
Pure gold
Defenetly the last tip! Do more covers!
Very useful Damian - nice one. ♥
So on point one -
People only listen to a new artist if they are on a playlist.
After 4 weeks most songs are removed from the playlist rotation.
Whilst you may have only sold for one week for every album sold in a store a good proportion actually made its way to the artist.
So having it available longer doesn’t actually generate more money for artists.
Point 2 - social media and platforms rise and fall. MySpace was in TikTok’s position 15 years ago.
But I agree social media is here to stay.
Point 3 - Music is easier.
Bullshit. As well as learning an instrument. Finding like minded musicans. Writing good music. Having a good aesthetic. Standing out in a very competitive and larger field.
You must now also - be a ‘content creator’, be a marketing expert, be a social media expert, be a shameless self promoter, be an audio engineer, be a business expert, sell anything and everything except music (t-shirts etc) continue to work hard at all of the above all of the time or fall behind.
Point 4 yes advertising works, however as a musician you can now spend far more on advertising than the revenue generated from music sales.
This must be a loss leader excercise and involve far more
outlay at the outset of a career.
Point 5
Less venues to perform in.
Higher cost of living with less concert goers.
I find this video disingenuous and patronising.
Musicians all suffer from self doubt as a result of predominant
personality types. Social media is therefore NOT easy.
Give a musician 1000 compliments and one negative review, I guarantee they remember the one negative.
It is not easy, it is hard, there is less monetary reward, there are more elements to focus on, and all of it takes and time dedication.
Point
Thanks for this video! It is really a very timely watch for me. Overthinking has been/is the greatest impediment to progress. I realize that now. It has definitely held me back. And also the fear of making mistakes or looking stupid… another hard truth is that no one really cares. As long as we are sincere in what we put out and not let overthinking stop us from creating or putting content out growth with happen. If we let fear and perfectionism ( so called) stand in our way then we are sabotaging ourselves.
Love this, I agree overthinking is possibly the biggest obstacle for all artists. Keep smashing it and enjoying the journey 😊😊
Absolutely true Meera , Damien always comes out with the best videos at perfecting timing but then thats how Sai also works
@@DamianKeyes - Got a query for you - regarding 14:27 onwards - we have been pushing singles with music videos (quite visually based) and then EP collections to follow. We are thinking about looking to fund an album (alt rock/heavy rock), more because we think it will be the best genuine reflection of our art and we want to create a piece that almost fits concept throughout the track listing. We have been building a bit of a story and universe over the first 2 EPs worth of singles and MVs, and hoping to conclude with an album which would have a fair few music videos prior to album drop, and would tie up this first of our concepts...
Do you think this is still a viable way to create within the industry? We try to incorporate our music videos as a key piece of visual identity, and we want to advance on our conceptual lore from the band's mind, similar in a way to how Stone Sour released their House of Gold & Bones concept albums, or how Muse/Bring Me The Horizon now so neatly tie their concepts together during a live performance with visual representation?
Advertising is super pricey though.. Did a spotify add and I did gain followers but I think it averaged out to 10 to 20$ per follower which really isn't bad if your budget is a half a million but when your budgets a few hundred it could be better to just organically gain as many followers with interaction
I really appreciate everything you said in the video. It reinforced some of what I have known about the ever changing landscape of the music industry. I am going to release a full length solo album this summer. I made the decision to do that as a choice to offer up to folks who may want a full shot of what I do. But I am also working on singles and I have no plans to release another full album for a while. I've been playing music for decades and I'm trying this whole do it yourself approach to music for the first time. But I just wanted to say that I appreciate your candor. You are offering a very real no bullshit approach to monetizing original music. Well done.
Honestly Im really glad for you making this video, Thank you for letting me know about all of this. Its made me more confident
I still think some channels have been shadow banned for words they use in their song titles.
Unfortunately i been trying to get people to donate buy and help me fund my music venture but nobody gives a shit. When you ask for help they stay silent. Tumble weed silent. So how do you get money from this kind of people that mainly come on board in the hope of seeing you fail. Then they jump ship.
Excellent video with incredible and accurate advice. My problem is consistency with good content.
This was really really good!!!! I hate Social Media but I need to get better at using it with wisdom! I also need to find a better way to tell my stories. I sometimes do think my songs are to on the nose for this culture climate so I will be changing my lyric style!!! Thanks for this.
The "no albums" one is hardest for me. A lot of the music I write just makes more sense in an album of tracks that contrast with and complement each other. I don't think it necessarily works when taken out of that context and people hear it "cold" in a busy playlist of other tunes trying to grab attention.
I know the playlist context is where you have to prove yourself, but that's a challenge for the kind of music I make. A lot of my tracks just don't fit in well with other people's. 😀
Same here. Times infinity. 😂
Do the album..I do
Trust me no-one cares that much about your music. Not a single person is thinking about it like that and also they never have.
A song is a song is a song. If your songs don't make sense without the other songs, then your songs are shit.
Here's what I would try so that you can get the best of both worlds: Record an entire album, and then release each song as a single each month, or every 2 weeks, depending on how cohesive you want to keep things. Then when they're all out, release everything as an album together. Along the way, you can do lyric videos for each song so that you have things to upload, you can do cool microcontent for each as well. Treat each song with single-like promotion. Try it! It keeps you busy for the entire promo period for each song, and keeps you on track.
That's especially true with instrumental concept albums and some soundtracks. Some tracks make sense listening to the whole or at least some of the tracks on it.
I don't know if I overthink social media... I find it a huge hurdle to have to ask someone to shoot content with me... I asked my partner once and he seemed a bit annoyed by it.
I'm also not disciplined or something, because for a little while I posted on instagram, youtube shorts and tiktok like you said but now it's just instagram again and I forgot the others
I wanted to release my classical album by singles but the distributor (Naxos) for my label wouldn’t allow it. Some genres are just way behind the current promotion strategies. It was very frustrating because I had nothing to promote for playlists! So then I pivoted to produce cool art videos for the tracks and live performance captures, just to have something to talk about! jazz and classical are stuck in the 1990s.
This is the part where being in control comes into play, as a independent record label there is no outside funding though
@@smokehashxuriahjahvid Here's the annoying thing... I am still an independent and responsible for paying for everything, I am just using the label for classical street cred in Canada and for distribution. At least I own my masters but with very little in the way of streaming or sales income, the point is moot. I will do my own distribution next time... Naxos is not a help.
@@wildflute the advertising to get out there is so expensive to have a good enough add budget to gain any audience but there are easy to use and cheap distribution options like distro kid
@@smokehashxuriahjahvid yup. That’s what I’m using next time.
Streaming and social media are double-edged swords. Yes, they can get your music out to a worldwide audience, but the ease with which these tools can do this means that the market is flooded. There is more competition than ever, making it harder to breakthrough. However, the definition of success is different for each artist. Not every artist wants to become a global superstar and some would be happy just having a few hundred people listen to their songs or they'd be happy to sell out a gig in a small pub.
The comments about doing singles, not albums hit me. Hadn’t looked at it that way before - the period of quiet, for a lot of hard work. Going to make sure I build a following with singles. Thank you
I don't know myself watching this type of content but did it to the end I can sum this up only if you agree to track bass on a couple from a handful of riffs as proof of worth and I'm reconsidering music. Every aspect you have covered was in between well said and the awe of revelation compared some tuning I accidentally descovered while I thought of myself being silly. If you spare no more time than the video I watched doing just some crude tracking over some crude acoustic riffs then all you said is more than just the Truth it's the one of a prophet you may not yet know yourself being.
Damien, you are the first person to make sense of music marketing for me. Thank you for the video.
Live long and prosper.
One issue about tic toc is the algorithm is extremely tight, iv had over 30 songs muted over possible copyright claims ( false claims) when they say you only get 3, but anyway yes I agree it's where it's at, it's just algorithms
I have to say, there's not many talking heads I'm subscribing to, but you really appeal to me with your concise, clear messages. Great stuff, thanks for making great content! Cheers, Thor 😊
Truer words have never been spoken 👏🏼
Love it! Thank you so much
Thats such a great advises!
That shirt is actually fire, but needs to be ironed
Very true, Music industry i can do, i'm defo terrible at chores! 😂
The music industry is over crowded and extremely competitive now. I’m too old to learn how to work this new system now. I guess I’ll never be a successful musician…
Body slammed me with the fan cultivation truth. Still have to figure that out.
the not too good for covers thing is a real pain is the ass for me. but i'll do it.
Great video and of course I agree with what you’re saying essentially. I’m a blind song writer and just find the race to keep up with changing social media trends quite exhausting. Maybe I’m lazy but I find social media drains me lately and takes me away from being creative. I love live streaming and all that but suppose it’s the video and visuals side of things.
Dude!! I totally feel the same. Overwhelmed and drained with all the strategizing and no song writing. But I feel like the hard truth is we have to adapt if we want to take our material to the next level.
😂 I love your delivery
I agree with the streaming point today. But, it is hard to say wht tomorrow holds. There was a time ppl though records, cds, cassettes, laser disc were all the future and present. Now look. So whilst I agree with what streaming has done for today's , music, there is no telling if it will be good for music or to retain your music in 20 years. WE just do not knw.
I could listen to this guy say “a year”/“per year” literally 24/7
The advertising part is very true. Not only have I blown myself up to a full time artist level purely off of ads, but I’ve also created an agency and have helped over 200 artists grow with ads. Ads work yall. Want 1m views on ig? We can do that. Want to reach 1m people in your genre? We can do that. You just have to have great music and content if you want it to work well.
You rule!!!
Thanks so much, I appreciate that a lot 😊😊
The no albums part was absolutely, 100% wrong. Other than that, spot on. Great videos.
Thanks, I can’t always be right 😊😊
You had me worried but I actually agree with everything you said. On this video that I realize that I fw with you! Thank you Damo! I don't who calls you that but I'll rock wit it 😂
Thanks Demian for the tips. I really love doing music & business stuff is my weaknes. So it was good to hear some new tips. Tik-tok resonated with me as well as to continue making covers, all the best, Peter👌
When he said concentrate on your art he described his recognized problem solved
Besides being in a state where social media isn't doing what it used to, your points on the subject are sensible enough and the only counterpoint I can provide is, if traditional social doesn't work you go where your audience would be, which is probably just another kind of social.
What actually sets me off is the number of times I hear the word "story" or "a reason to listen."
It's important to me that the people who should not be listening find my music revolting as quickly as possible so that I know the people who stay to the end really care and I'm not wasting anyone's time.
love the advices ❤
Your videos are very helpful! Thank you so much for them! And yes, overthinking is an enemy that needs to be eliminated!
When you mentioned covers, did you mean releasing them or just recording a short/reel and posting on social media?
Not triggered at all, I agree with everything u said!
Truth number 1. The music wont pay for itself.
Excellent stuff
The bit about not doing albums was definitely disheartening, but maybe because the exact reasoning for why they shouldn't be done was too close to home 🤣🤣
Totally agree about the 'true fans'... I would take 100 true fans over 10k or even 50k likes any day. Spot who they are and love them right back, it's great advice.
I'm on Tik Tok now because of one of your video. I'll never regret it even if I don't have a huge audience right now, it still helps me witj my YT growth. For now I only have covers cause my songs are not ready for release (No I'm not a perfectionnist), but as soon as one is ready I will follow your advices for the release too. Thanks !
The hard truth trigger for me was the entire section on "the perfectionist." Not releasing content because the mind is overthinking. Great video.
"Dame-O; I'm Shadowbanned" 🤣
😂😂 me too
lol but definitely been there
@@DamianKeyes 🤗
I creased at this too. I manage a few metal bands - I find myself linking them to Damos videos!
"See! He's saying the same as me! Now get on with it!"
". Only a yogurt would think....." ? Where do you hang out to come up with stuff like that? Musicians listen to this guy. He is giving away good advice. If you can pay the money for the DKMBA. You'll get even more to further your career. And no he isn't paying me a penny for this. Just do it.
I appreciate this so much! I really do. Thanks so much! 😊🙏
@@DamianKeyes Sometimes I feel like I'm a yogurt while I blindly bounce off walls navigating the biz. Your advice and insights have been invaluable. Until I can stabilize my finances this is the only way I can show my appreciation.
I don’t know if these two bits were triggering, but making money from others, fans or not, is capitalistic (inherently evil? Eh depends on how you go about it;). I understand making money is a necessity. That said, I didn’t grow up buying merch from my favorite artists and I didn't see any of them live because no one came to my hometown, so I don’t really relate to fandom in that way.
Also for me, albums or EPs are way to mark the "endpoint" of a project. Releasing single after single that isn't attached to anything makes me feel like I'm a bit all over the place; it doesn’t feel organized. Though I do get the value of singles--for me they just need to lead to something.
Really, the hardest truths for me have been having to view myself as a product for public consumption and potentially being seen by others as a leader. Both make me very uneasy
Thanks for the Video Damian ❤
The Music Industry isn’t better it’s just different! There are many pros & cons. I really do think this comes down to what kind of artist of music genre you are.
Rock/Indie & Metal acts are not as popular as they were back in the day when I collected Hovis bread 🥖 on my bicycle at 6am in the morning! After my paper round!
Data from Rick Beato’s TH-cam Channel clearly show this in 2023 where Pop, Indie Rap dance type artists are pretty much killing it.
The thought of going to a live gig where there’s no band & just a backing track makes me want to start word war 3, if that hasn’t already started.
I’ve only ever lost money on streaming services as probably 99.9% of people reading my post who have released music have. But luckily I play the long game and make money on my live shows where I have managed to support myself financially.
Unfortunately if you’re in a band you are pretty much screwed live at grass roots levels because the fees for gigs haven’t really gone up much since the 1980’s
That’s why I mainly perform solo or duo with 2 to 3 full band gigs a year. Not loving the dream. But still appreciate ld as an original artist who play a few covers.
PRS is by far the best thing I ever did & Much better than streaming. I make an additional £500 a year from this.
Thanks for listening. Life is still great doing what I love Steve ❤
Love it Steve! And I have to admit I still love some good Hovis bread!
“Look at that saddle, it be like sitting on razorbaldes” 😂
@@DamianKeyes 😂 That’s funny! I remember that one too 👍
…and to be brutally honest Damo, most new music I hear the unlucky in debt no opportunities younger folk in the UK stream is Angry perfect sounding repetitive ⚾️ 🏉 …But this is just my opinion. The Henley College Music students I teach do pick up instruments & do have some stylish cool vibes. As you said before music & fashion do go hand in hand.
Your art and content IS the most important component of what you are doing , in particular when you are getting started and formulating your sound , your presence . Yes you are in show business ,and you need to savvy up but if you think your business side trumps your content then you might just get lost in a sea of mediocrity like everyone else who thinks this way . At some point you have to decide whether you are a business person who promotes their music OR a musician who operates their brand in the music business .
In my opinion The music industry sucked in the past and they still suck today.
In the old days it was nearly impossible to get published.
Now it is easy to get published but unless you are part of a very small percentage of musicians you wont earn any money from it. In my case the expenses are greater than the earnings.
For instance If one of my CDs was sold for $12 by my aggregator I actually make a loss. $4 goes to the aggregator, $3 are manufacturing cost and sending the CD from my country to the aggregator costs $7 that is a loss of $2.
The aggregator had two CDs in stock and because they did not sell quickly enough he destroyed on of them at my expense. A couple of months later the remaining copy was sold and he asked me to send a new one.
I refused and that is the end of my CD sales.
Album downloads by apple music where profitable about 10 years ago but not anymore.
Streaming pays so little it does not even cover the expense of the barcode.
The only avenue left is to be a superb marketer or businesman which I am absolutely not.
If I was a superb marketer or businesman I could make way more money outside the music industry.
I will always make music because I love it. So I decided to give al my music away for free by placing it in the public domain where I will not be earning any money, so nothing has changed there but it allows anyone to use my music in any way they like without restriction.
I'm trying to start a band, and I must say, I wish more people heard the last one. Most of the time when I start talking to a potential band member, they ask for original stuff, and when I say at this moment I only know how to play some covers (I play guitar and been taking singing lessons for some years now), they tune out. But to be honest, ever since I started doing covers properly, i.e. learning all the parts of the song, I have learned A TON about the song structure, build up, even technique etc. And now when an amateur musician says 'I play grunge/pop/metal/whatever, but only originals', I hear really 'I can noodle on guitars for hours, I can't play one song from start to finish'; and of course, they ASK for original stuff, but provide none of their own.
There a vast difference between musicians who play covers and musicians who are skilled enough to perform original music. Those who can write and arrange for a band are even fewer.
Music is a harsh mistress and by the time a musician, drummer or vocalist is skilled enough to perform original music, they often have little to no interest in playing covers.
Proof is in the taste of the pudding. Talent helps.
This is meant to encourage, not discourage. Get going and record your material !
No one knows how to write in the beginning so we all start with covers. Good luck, keep going and enjoy yourself homie 😀🤟❤
Advertising works but only if you have a massive budget!
The most triggering remark is about TikTok. Even if the CIA, Facebook, Google, FBI, every gas station/grocery store/coffeehouse and any kid that knows hacking may have access to my personal information, I just can't give it up freely to the CCP. Guess I'll have to eek out a diminished life...but I just can't
I disagree with you on the TikTok. I get your point about the market, however it's not always about business and money. Part of the joys of being a Independent Musician is being able to say "No, there are lines I won't cross." Morals and values can be maintained as an Independent Artist and should be valued. Look at Jim Morrison and The Doors. The band sold out for money, Jim wouldn't. Money comes and goes, decisions are eternal. Then you talk about following TikTok's Communist rules or you might get Shadowbanned? I've heard enough. I've watched several of your video's and loved them till now, this one deserves a thumbs down!!
I started busking recently and really wanted to focus on my own songs[still do]. I do around an hour of originals but truth is 1-2 covers got me some coins! And it is nice playing others songs in my style.
Thanks for the info as always :)
Yeah! People always want to hear something they know - it'll keep them interested enough to keep listening to the originals
@@meloysmusicstudio thanks for the insight dear 😁
Excellent presentation , thank you.
You do however, neglect to mention the one major demographic of this entire industry.
And that is..........
The DSP community is currently receiving 100,000 (one hundred THOUSAND) tunes a day.
A DAY. (....as of today, June 22, 2023).
And you're going to stand out HOW ?
Best regards,
Bill P.