INDUSTRY TALK: How to Start Off Your Music Career with a BANG!

 [/caption] I've produced and helped alot of independent artists for the past few years. Some of them have received critical acclaim, radio play and even financial success while others remained in obscurity. The reasons for this disparity are varied, however, there is one thing which we all know for sure: marketing methods for artists in 2012 are way different to what they were 5 years ago. In order to have a successful impact with your first single release, there are a few things I believe that you need to do. I won't go into the conventional, outdated methods because, let's face it, times are changing than a Usain Bolt sprint these days. These are some of the tings I suggest for artists releasing music in this present era:

• Choosing the right beats. Understand what type of artist you want to be and thus the market you want to capture. Choose beats that not only suit you as an artist, but also embody the prevailing trends of a "hit" in your chosen genre. Personally, I would suggest using a beat that is a bit on the cutting edge of the popular style, since people these days are always looking for something familiar, yet fresh and new. Buying beats online is the best option for shopping around, as there are plenty of websites to suit most styles.

• Give your single away for free download. If you don't already have an established and paying fan base, then upload your song (we're assuming it's blazing hot and people will want to have it) to sites like Mediafire or Hulkshare and start tweeting and plus-one-ing and facebooking your download link like crazy. Don't spam people though, make it tasteful and not excessive. Giving away something for free is a sure way to garner interest, build your fan base and give people an incentive to actually buy when you do have something for sale.

• Go viral. Get an affordable HD camera (if you are a do-it-yourself-er) and shoot and edit a simple but clean and impressive video for your single, otherwise find an affordable video guy and get him to do it. Upload that thing to youtube and get to sharing. Signing up to active communities such as ThisIs50 can help you as you share your video and try to get its views up. People like to listen but in this era, connecting with your fans visually is priceless!

• Spend money to make money. It's an old adage but it's still relevant. Shell out a little cash for some hosting and a domain name and put up a simple Wordpress site to showcase or even sell your music. Or simply sign up on Bandcamp. Then the next thing to do would be to buy some banner advertising and place it in high traffic areas, such as online forums where your target market would congregate. Make sure your videos contain your web links as well. This rule also applies to beats. Don't just seek out free beats, spend the extra couple dollars to buy the tagless beat lease or even the exclusive rights. This speaks to how serious you take yourself and in turn, the universe and the people in it will take you just as seriously.

Ok that was a mouthful but I thought it was needed. The key here is to take yourself and your music career seriously. Turn a hobby into an income generator. I did and so can you.