This might be a big ask but: I'd love to see a series of you transforming bands/artists in all major genres (Rock, R&B/HipHop, Easy listening, Metal). I think you've done this with Country and Pop but I'm sure I'm not the only one who have made the excuse "of course it works its pop"
Thnx Damian! I followed your 20 days release plan for my new single! Yesterday was day 20. I love it! Now I need to still keep the song warm. And i'm struggling a bit. But this video just gave me hope and something to do! Thank you so much! ♥️🙏
Good to hear you've found some success. From my experience, I would use this leverage you have and follow this up with another song. You will know this but the worst thing you can do is get your listeners interested and then go silent for 2 weeks to a month
I really appreciate that Kathleen! Keep managing the song and catalogue and enjoy the process of creating. I’ll go check out the new song on Spotify now 😊
I’ve watched a lot of your videos and have always found them really helpful. Something about your message really clicked with me this time. Centring things around genuine emotion makes so much sense.
Love this info Damian, hadn't considered this and this is EXACTLY what is going on. I don't mind the 50 year old women, but I want the 25 year men that listen to my music
I'm a long time viewer, first time commenting... You rock man! Thanks for sharing all of your wonderful insights. This video really brought it home for me. Keep up the great work!
Thank you for your ideas. I am working hard at building a bigger song archive beforr i try to push again, and are scared about social media. Your vide gives me energy and hope. Thank you 🫶 I have confidence at where my music is at but i have been trying to invent myself... and burning out myself. Edit typo 😇
Me three 😆 I make dusky house music about resilience and my problematic relationship (with the other half of my duo) - I'm just finishing the mastering of a few tracks and haven't started promoting yet, but I'm so freakin' awkward ASD in real life I can barely look the audience in the eyes at shows...😬 good luck to everyone!!
I’m the same! I’ve had some success recently with my silly content which has lead to people discovering my sad songs and they are often pleasantly surprised! I think it has helped people get to know me more
such a good point Damian; how do you get someone, the listener, to pay attention. Because like you pointed out, when you get someones attention they remember you, and will remember you even more if what you have to offer touches them in some way. Cheers.
Hi Damien great timing this one as I was trying (and struggling)to figure out my avatar! I’m a 52 year old postman just started to write songs again and got my 1st single on Spotify. Would love any help you could give me.👍
Damo, great, great- thank you! What do we do when identity changes, the emotions in music convey new colours? Changing who we are representing then as well? XxX Bea PS I am up for change 😅👑💥
Hey Damo, this was reasonably helpful but im wondering if you had any tips for music that isnt supposed to be super personal or sad, our concept for our band is more about a group of chracters on a journey to achieve some mysterious goal, do you have any advice for how to get that across better??? We are kinda taking insparation from bands like Sleep Token, Black Veil Brides, Creeper and Jeris Johnson.
Love your explanations! (Even though I‘m not a musician). ❤ Do you also have any recommendations for fans, who want to promote their favorite artists? 😅 What do you think about Dimash? He is highly educated, has a ridiculously good voice, and he has lots of really different songs from lots of genres: pop, rock, classical crossover, edm, opera, he even raps 🤷🏼♀️ And fans from all demographics and many different countries and cultures. But at the same time he is not known nearly enough, even though his voice is arguably the best in the world from a technical perspective and his music can be quite complex and sophisticated, while being very emotional at the same time. He always innovates and that to me is his appeal. But it also destroys every attempt to define him or his audience. 😅
You know... I like all this stuff, I incorporate as much as I can, and I really appreciate all the informed perspectives guys like DK bring to the table... But I wonder, did the Rolling Stones give a rats ass who their avatar was ??? Seems like they were, at the core, a GREAT BAND who created timeless songs over and over and over - they were not a socially engineered musical act created solely to get the most likes, follows and plays - I think that's called K-pop... anyway... I can't shake the feeling that we (musicians and bands) should really be focusing on actually becoming GREAT first, rather than f'ing with all this other stuff - yeah, I know... we gotta toot our own horns these days - but frankly it seems like most of the "true indie" artists I hear on streaming channels simply aren't that good, and NO amount of marketing will change that fact - IMO, all this "informed marketing" crap may be a necessity these days, and it's worth doing RIGHT, so I thank guys like Damien for being willing to major on the minors - but in the end, there may be a better way: Get so damn good at your music that people start looking for YOU, rather than the other way around - JM2C
Hey Damien!! I'm just about to release my debut single this Friday (August 23rd 2024) I've been following your 20 day plan but I was just wondering if you have any advice for me please. I am an 18 year old artist and have been performing professionally in gigs since I was 13 however, this is my first release. Any help would be really really appreciated!!
How do you reach out on social when you are a songwriter and producer? I’m not the face outwards, I use various singers for the tracks I write and produce. How did producers and DJs like Calvin Harris, Tiesto and Davis Guetta become famous?
So, Okay, I watch this video and figure out I can work with what Damian is saying. Then I check my demographic data on TH-cam, which only tells me there's not enough data, even for my most successful videos. Christ, this is depressing.
Great Info! Once you've checked the boxes on the content where is the best place to drive someone who is interested in finding out more? your website, Spotify, TH-cam...thoughts?
So much gold in this! I'D LOVE YOUR HELP ON MY AVATAR. I've got an existing platform as an environmentalist and author, but haven't started releasing my music yet (am signed to a small indie label in London, single releases starting October through to April 2025). My current audience is really into sustainability (I get most traction on eco hacks and tips), whereas my music is folky (which might be a fit) but also spiritual (which lots of them might not be into!). So would my avatar basically be people in my niche?! Woman in her 40's, spiritual, nature lover ... ?! Is it ok to bridge both worlds? Thanks for all you share. x
This is GREAT advice! Easier to do with rock & pop music with lyrics, and I've done things like this with my band. What would you suggest for people who are doing solo piano or ambient music? Thanks for your help! 😀🎹🎵
My main problem is that I have laryngeal dystonia which makes it hard for me to talk a lot of the time without sounding hoarse and/or vocal drop outs. It takes a lot of effort for me to talk and I’m afraid of speaking on camera bc I feel like people will be turned off by how I sound. I have a lot to say but just don’t have the confidence bc of my condition.
This is very helpful! I’ve been struggling for sure. Now trying to figure out how to be my most authentic self and make connections to build my fan base. I was doing really well before the pandemic and then started some health issues. I want to release more music but I’m unable to work like before. Wld you recommend releasing rough drafts through socials or places like SoundCloud?
Thanks so much! I think if you are testing content then the best place to do it is on socials as you can build your brand through the music and also test the music to see what’s working. Don’t overthink socials, they can help with more than just promotion, they are data, communication with your audience and also a way to guide your path 😊😊
Hello my name is kfir and I am an independent music artist from nyc , thanks for taking the time to do this video it’s so important and exactly what I feel I’m lacking is the connection and socials I feel like I can put my emotions on a musical display and I do but I don’t know how to connect or what my avatar is?????
Thanks for the video! I've been struggling trying to figure out who my audience is because I don't have enough data from streams. When it comes to TikTok, my best performing content is when I'm just talking to a camera or doing something, not music. What would you suggest if you don't have any usable data to figure out who your audience is?
Can you make a video about the amount of AI music uploaded to the streaming platforms? It's frustrating to see that many 1.01 minute tracks of AI without identity have so many streams, followers and monthly listeners etc. And artists who do show their identity, like me, do have 10 monthly listeners. Everyone can generate a track using Udio. And many aren't even bad. But when everyone can make tracks this way, Spotify gets overloaded with a Deluge of AI tracks. And most AI tracks do 100 times better.
It's annoying because social media has become overly political and toxic. Being an artist almost feels like you're not allowed to have an opinion because people are out for blood. 😅 I'm not interested in labels because I've seen them hurt creators by fluffing their numbers with fake engagement with bad marketing. Organic views are hard to get but worth it in the long run.
Leave it to Damian to come in and save me from editing 2 hours boring story telling footage, mark this another afternoon wasted to poor planning. I had a friend come in and shot a short in 1 take. I can explain away the beard jokes, but the exact age and demo this time bud? I'm watching you Mr. Keyes.
@@synthzizer3324 Thank God you have arrived synthzizer3324! How did you manage to get all of your zero subscribers, I feel like I’m ready to learn from you! 🍿
Don't worry about that. Although competition is real especially in a capitalistic sense, sharing knowledge and elevating each other doesn't reduce you're chances of succes. quite the opposite actually.
That Alex Hermozi comment made almost spit out my breakfast 😂😂😂😂
I was like WOAH 😂
Me too. Then I thought about it and realised he’s right 😂😂
@@officialWWM what’s wrong with alex hermozi?
@@jakovi_slater he preaches to unfuckabe men 😂
yeah man that was fucking hilarious
This might be a big ask but: I'd love to see a series of you transforming bands/artists in all major genres (Rock, R&B/HipHop, Easy listening, Metal). I think you've done this with Country and Pop but I'm sure I'm not the only one who have made the excuse "of course it works its pop"
This was really good, man. A lot of musicians don't know how to not follow trends and just be genuine.
Bro that Alex comment was so funny 😂
Hey! I just noticed 200k! Congrats dude!
Thanks Tom! Looks like you have been having some banging gigs recently! I’ve been following along 😊😊
Thnx Damian! I followed your 20 days release plan for my new single! Yesterday was day 20. I love it! Now I need to still keep the song warm. And i'm struggling a bit. But this video just gave me hope and something to do! Thank you so much! ♥️🙏
Good to hear you've found some success. From my experience, I would use this leverage you have and follow this up with another song. You will know this but the worst thing you can do is get your listeners interested and then go silent for 2 weeks to a month
I really appreciate that Kathleen! Keep managing the song and catalogue and enjoy the process of creating. I’ll go check out the new song on Spotify now 😊
this process of self-evaluation is a really nice way to frame it. you have a very systematic approach, immaculate work
Those three concepts, identity, familiarity and emotion are strong! Thanks Damian for them!
Brilliant advice. I’ve never heard it framed that way before.
I’ve watched hundreds of hours of music marketing vids and this has gotta be the unique advice I’ve heard. Thank you!
Very useful info. Been thinking about these things a lot, its all coming together :)
I’ve watched a lot of your videos and have always found them really helpful. Something about your message really clicked with me this time. Centring things around genuine emotion makes so much sense.
Brilliantly expressed 👏🏻👏🏻
Another awesome video. BTW It works for all content. Not just music.
"Not very creative, being a bassplayer..." 🤯😨🤯that was a self-bomb. Congrats on the video. 😃
Geezer Butler and Steve Harris are two very creative bass players, it must be just him.
@@themobseathe's being self depreciating. Clearly he's creative.
Super helpful message! Always great listening to you, thank you! This inspires me to a direction we need to head in.
Thanks for calling me a legend! 🛡
This educational video made sense to me, and I took notes, and started taking immediate and decided changes..
Thank you Damien, you gave me ideas. It all comes down to the "flash" constipation. That everything must be flashy and crisp.
Love this info Damian, hadn't considered this and this is EXACTLY what is going on. I don't mind the 50 year old women, but I want the 25 year men that listen to my music
I'm a long time viewer, first time commenting... You rock man! Thanks for sharing all of your wonderful insights. This video really brought it home for me. Keep up the great work!
great tips as always damian , we appreciate you man . thank you
Just dropped a 5 track project, your videos have been very helpful
Thank you for your ideas. I am working hard at building a bigger song archive beforr i try to push again, and are scared about social media. Your vide gives me energy and hope. Thank you 🫶
I have confidence at where my music is at but i have been trying to invent myself... and burning out myself.
Edit typo 😇
My main problem rn is that I’m a total goofball so when it’s time to promote my depressing songs, I don’t know how to conduct myself 😆
this is also me 🥲
Me three 😆 I make dusky house music about resilience and my problematic relationship (with the other half of my duo) - I'm just finishing the mastering of a few tracks and haven't started promoting yet, but I'm so freakin' awkward ASD in real life I can barely look the audience in the eyes at shows...😬 good luck to everyone!!
I’m the same! I’ve had some success recently with my silly content which has lead to people discovering my sad songs and they are often pleasantly surprised! I think it has helped people get to know me more
It feels soooo disingenuous and borderline inappropriate sometimes 😭
Dude, ever heard of Lewis Capaldi?
I think am ready
Every single word u said here is on ma mind every day
U have some of the best points when it comes to music marketing
Excellent - some great points - and somehow you found a way to distill it down to a few bullet points - thank you :)
Thank you for this video, I’m going to do a revamp and see
How I can piece this all together
Possibly the best video you’ve made 🫶🏻
Thank you for this ! sha la la!
such a good point Damian; how do you get someone, the listener, to pay attention. Because like you pointed out, when you get someones attention they remember you, and will remember you even more if what you have to offer touches them in some way. Cheers.
Some great tips. Stay on message.. stay on the music.. stay on the emotion!
as always, so timely. Thanks, DK
Nail it😂 hmmm… I need to work to get more clear “identity”😂
Hi Damien great timing this one as I was trying (and struggling)to figure out my avatar!
I’m a 52 year old postman just started to write songs again and got my 1st single on Spotify.
Would love any help you could give me.👍
Great video, one of your best
Learning a lot here bud. I appreciate you.
Great video! What if you have multiple audiences/avatars?
Damo, great, great- thank you! What do we do when identity changes, the emotions in music convey new colours? Changing who we are representing then as well? XxX Bea PS I am up for change 😅👑💥
Hey Damo, this was reasonably helpful but im wondering if you had any tips for music that isnt supposed to be super personal or sad, our concept for our band is more about a group of chracters on a journey to achieve some mysterious goal, do you have any advice for how to get that across better??? We are kinda taking insparation from bands like Sleep Token, Black Veil Brides, Creeper and Jeris Johnson.
Love your explanations! (Even though I‘m not a musician). ❤
Do you also have any recommendations for fans, who want to promote their favorite artists? 😅
What do you think about Dimash? He is highly educated, has a ridiculously good voice, and he has lots of really different songs from lots of genres: pop, rock, classical crossover, edm, opera, he even raps 🤷🏼♀️
And fans from all demographics and many different countries and cultures.
But at the same time he is not known nearly enough, even though his voice is arguably the best in the world from a technical perspective and his music can be quite complex and sophisticated, while being very emotional at the same time.
He always innovates and that to me is his appeal. But it also destroys every attempt to define him or his audience. 😅
Thank you for sharing this, saludos desde Mexico 🇲🇽
You know... I like all this stuff, I incorporate as much as I can, and I really appreciate all the informed perspectives guys like DK bring to the table... But I wonder, did the Rolling Stones give a rats ass who their avatar was ??? Seems like they were, at the core, a GREAT BAND who created timeless songs over and over and over - they were not a socially engineered musical act created solely to get the most likes, follows and plays - I think that's called K-pop... anyway... I can't shake the feeling that we (musicians and bands) should really be focusing on actually becoming GREAT first, rather than f'ing with all this other stuff - yeah, I know... we gotta toot our own horns these days - but frankly it seems like most of the "true indie" artists I hear on streaming channels simply aren't that good, and NO amount of marketing will change that fact - IMO, all this "informed marketing" crap may be a necessity these days, and it's worth doing RIGHT, so I thank guys like Damien for being willing to major on the minors - but in the end, there may be a better way: Get so damn good at your music that people start looking for YOU, rather than the other way around - JM2C
Hey Damien!! I'm just about to release my debut single this Friday (August 23rd 2024) I've been following your 20 day plan but I was just wondering if you have any advice for me please. I am an 18 year old artist and have been performing professionally in gigs since I was 13 however, this is my first release. Any help would be really really appreciated!!
How do you reach out on social when you are a songwriter and producer? I’m not the face outwards, I use various singers for the tracks I write and produce. How did producers and DJs like Calvin Harris, Tiesto and Davis Guetta become famous?
Years watching u. Thanks 🙏🏽
i need your help boss
Great message Damian 👌
So, Okay, I watch this video and figure out I can work with what Damian is saying. Then I check my demographic data on TH-cam, which only tells me there's not enough data, even for my most successful videos. Christ, this is depressing.
Don’t despair, check your data through other platforms too. Tiktok and IG are powerful tools for stats 😊
Keep going! You have got this!
My demographics are lining up perfectly because all the views are from me
I don't even like to listen to my own music. By the time I'm finished with it it's supposed to be out of my world@@melaniepenelope_
@@melaniepenelope_been there 😂😂
Great video
Aligns with something you've (Damian) said before - "you don't have to invent the wheel every time you upload~"
Thank you Damian 🙂
So good I need this kind of help probably. Big things happening here and I need some help with this area.
Great Info! Once you've checked the boxes on the content where is the best place to drive someone who is interested in finding out more? your website, Spotify, TH-cam...thoughts?
❤❤ thank you Damian
Plz make a video on tips to get music verification on yt channel .
So much gold in this! I'D LOVE YOUR HELP ON MY AVATAR. I've got an existing platform as an environmentalist and author, but haven't started releasing my music yet (am signed to a small indie label in London, single releases starting October through to April 2025). My current audience is really into sustainability (I get most traction on eco hacks and tips), whereas my music is folky (which might be a fit) but also spiritual (which lots of them might not be into!). So would my avatar basically be people in my niche?! Woman in her 40's, spiritual, nature lover ... ?! Is it ok to bridge both worlds? Thanks for all you share. x
Excellent all around
This is GREAT advice! Easier to do with rock & pop music with lyrics, and I've done things like this with my band. What would you suggest for people who are doing solo piano or ambient music? Thanks for your help! 😀🎹🎵
I am stuck finding my identity. I have the music and a good following but I feel like my content is vague and need guidance.
Self appointed legend, said with a completely straight face. Gotta love the British sense of humour. 🤣🤣🤣
great video thanks for posting
My main problem is that I have laryngeal dystonia which makes it hard for me to talk a lot of the time without sounding hoarse and/or vocal drop outs. It takes a lot of effort for me to talk and I’m afraid of speaking on camera bc I feel like people will be turned off by how I sound. I have a lot to say but just don’t have the confidence bc of my condition.
This is very helpful! I’ve been struggling for sure. Now trying to figure out how to be my most authentic self and make connections to build my fan base. I was doing really well before the pandemic and then started some health issues.
I want to release more music but I’m unable to work like before. Wld you recommend releasing rough drafts through socials or places like SoundCloud?
Thanks so much! I think if you are testing content then the best place to do it is on socials as you can build your brand through the music and also test the music to see what’s working.
Don’t overthink socials, they can help with more than just promotion, they are data, communication with your audience and also a way to guide your path 😊😊
Hello my name is kfir and I am an independent music artist from nyc , thanks for taking the time to do this video it’s so important and exactly what I feel I’m lacking is the connection and socials I feel like I can put my emotions on a musical display and I do but I don’t know how to connect or what my avatar is?????
We're paying attention @DamianKeyes. You're the guru. We're hear to confuse the cool kids with our Destruction, Sugar and Chaos.
All hail
🌭
Really great advice!
🔥
Good one again!
I'm not sure my avatar uses TikTok. Thanks for this video. It's a lot to think about.
I don't really know who I make music for because my themes go from breakup and depression to philosophy and space exploration
We love Damo
When he said about the 29 year old song writer who lives in america, that was our singer!! ajajajja
i am struggling !
And the wheels are off the bus .
Thanks for the video! I've been struggling trying to figure out who my audience is because I don't have enough data from streams. When it comes to TikTok, my best performing content is when I'm just talking to a camera or doing something, not music. What would you suggest if you don't have any usable data to figure out who your audience is?
Analytics 101
Just also to add, the algorithms know instantly who the target audience is so a simple 3-5 second introduction can give you your listeners
Could you give an example..?
hahaha this is great and the Alex Hermozi fan avatar is hilarious
😂 I thought I’d slip it in as so many of my friends now wear nose strips like it’s a club!
@@DamianKeyes hahaha
Bass player dis at 2:20, oof. 😯 Does the name Paul McCartney ring a bell? Yes, I play bass and also write and arrange.
😂 I only joke about bass players as I am one and I know we can take a joke… unlike those egotistical guitarists!!! #kidding #jokingnotjoking
@@DamianKeyes As a bass player, you get a pass. 😉 Our band's drummer and I are always exchanging bassist/drummer jokes. We are a funny bunch. 🤪
@@musicmaestrodj How do you find out if the stage is level? Drool comes out of both sides of the drummer's mouth.
Can you make a video about the amount of AI music uploaded to the streaming platforms? It's frustrating to see that many 1.01 minute tracks of AI without identity have so many streams, followers and monthly listeners etc. And artists who do show their identity, like me, do have 10 monthly listeners. Everyone can generate a track using Udio. And many aren't even bad. But when everyone can make tracks this way, Spotify gets overloaded with a Deluge of AI tracks. And most AI tracks do 100 times better.
Yeah to be fair, socials are too easy if you have great songs let's be honest about it.
Your advice on the 50 year old guy making a comeback after 20 years of parenting and loss of his wife?
😂 "...I do moisturize"
OFFICIAL CHANNEL OF CHRISTOPHER CAMPANILE SONGWRITER 🎵
It's annoying because social media has become overly political and toxic. Being an artist almost feels like you're not allowed to have an opinion because people are out for blood. 😅 I'm not interested in labels because I've seen them hurt creators by fluffing their numbers with fake engagement with bad marketing. Organic views are hard to get but worth it in the long run.
What about all the new "musicians" pumping out an album a day with suno 😅
Alex Hormozi... it's un****able men XDDDD
17:18 😂😂😂😂😂pov
Enough of the bass player digs at 02:20. I'm creative bass player and recently hit 150,000 streams on Spotify.
Struggling with my avatar
Leave it to Damian to come in and save me from editing 2 hours boring story telling footage, mark this another afternoon wasted to poor planning. I had a friend come in and shot a short in 1 take. I can explain away the beard jokes, but the exact age and demo this time bud? I'm watching you Mr. Keyes.
😂
“Unfuckable men” 😂😂😂
Real question: what if you can’t stick to a genre? So…
What a lot of over thought nonsense.
@@synthzizer3324 Thank God you have arrived synthzizer3324! How did you manage to get all of your zero subscribers, I feel like I’m ready to learn from you! 🍿
@DamianKeyes moral of the comment is don't over think. Get on the bike and go for it.
If we all do it who will be first?
Don't worry about that. Although competition is real especially in a capitalistic sense, sharing knowledge and elevating each other doesn't reduce you're chances of succes. quite the opposite actually.
the mindset "every man for himself" will never, in all aspects of life, bring succes and fulfillment