If you’re a talented musician, you may have had this dilemma — you’ve recorded music that you think is really great. You’re so proud of your music that you want everyone to hear it. Naturally, you start uploading songs to SoundCloud and YouTube. But you lose excitement when your latest track only gets 30 clicks. Why isn’t anyone listening?
We’ve uncovered some patterns that determine whether or not online music tracks become modern-day hits. In today’s music culture, being talented just isn’t enough. You need to utilize social media in order to get your music to as many ears as possible. Here are 5 tips to help you do just that:
Start A Trend
A great way to get your music out there is by starting a trend. Over the years, we’ve seen countless trends blow up on social media. In 2013, American DJ Baauer’s song “Harlem Shake” gained popularity when a challenge using the track ignited on social media. Virtually everyone got in on the viral phenomena, adding their own unique spin on it. My high school swim team even made an underwater version. The viral meme pushed Baauer’s song onto the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 5 consecutive weeks. That’s not surprising, considering that one Harlem Shake video by the Norwegian Army has gotten over 116 million views.
Today, there’s another challenge dominating social media — the Mannequin Challenge. With Rae Sremmurd’s song “Black Beatles” playing in the background, people pose frozen in action as a camera films around them. Celebrities, colleges, and even professionals participated in the challenge. As a result of the challenge, “Black Beatles” has been on the Billboard Hot 100 for weeks and has 297 million plays on Youtube. The Mannequin Challenge is a great example of how a trend can push song plays around the world.
Make Your Music Out Of Context
Make your music out of context. If all you do is upload your content to SoundCloud, it’s time to start thinking outside of the box. Here’s a video of a man who collaborated with a random person on the street. This video received an astounding 29 million views and landed these two talented gentlemen a spot on Jimmy Fallon.
Another great example of taking your music out of context is performing in unusual places. Here’s a viral video of someone ordering Dunkin’ Donuts in song. Not too shabby for 6 million views.
Interact With People
The most organic way to build a music following is by engaging with people on social media. Go on Twitter and look for people who are into indie music. You can literally search “Indie Music” to find this. Follow anyone who seems to be interested in your type of music. The process may be tedious, but you’ll be surprised to see how many people follow you back and engage with your music. Don’t stop at Twitter. Follow your core audience on Instagram, SoundCloud, and YouTube as well.
Cover Other Music
People want to hear music they already know. In fact, Justin Bieber became famous by making covers of his favorite songs and posting them on YouTube. Today, the same trend is happening across all social media platforms. Facebook’s latest cover sensation is Devvon Terrell. He makes his own renditions of famous R&B songs, and most of his videos get 5+ million views.
Here’s one of his most popular songs:
Show Everyone How You Make a Song
Millennials love content that is organic and real. Show everyone how you make a song from the ground up. Artist William Singe proves just how effective doing this can be on social media. His Facebook videos get millions of views because he breaks down how he makes his music, from vocals to drum beats and everything in between.
Check him out here:
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