How I Got Over The Fear Of Sharing My First Track
Turn scared into shared.
Let’s face it, putting music out there for the first time isn’t always easy. Especially if you’re new to music promotion.
It wasn’t for me! The perfectionist voice inside my head started thinking about the criticism I would receive.
What are my friends gonna say about it?
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What will strangers say about it?
What would artists I admire think of it?
But in the process, I realized a few things that all music producers should know about sharing…
Don’t wait. Publish.
I was listening to an interview with producer Zora Jones on Lapsus radio.
She described how she challenged herself to finish 100 tracks before publishing anything.
Once she was done, she cherry picked the best ones to make an EP. She developed her own unique sound in the process.
It’s a fantastic story, but it didn’t feel right for me.
The best way to find your sound
Take it from me, publish your drafts.
I thought: why not publish and get feedback during the development process? And not just from my friends either (they’re biased anyways).
Today’s sharing platforms allow you to publish drafts and unfinished ideas. And you know what? It’s ok!
Remember that no artist comes fully formed into the world. It’s all about trial and error.
And there is rarely only one right way to do things.
Always ask yourself what’s right for you.
Share as you go
Fine tune and evolve your sound in public. It might be scary at first but you will grow as a result.
It’s not like it’s getting pressed straight to vinyl tomorrow. So when you start out, think of it as a process.
Plus, you can always change the audio file later on SoundCloud. That way you avoid losing those precious likes and comments!
Don’t you love it when you find an old Bandcamp full of early self-released experiments by an artist you love?
Sharing work that isn’t perfect allows you to get over that fear of putting yourself out there. And your sound gets better along the way. Who knew?
Open the door to better work
It will surprise you how many people respond positively.
I discovered that sharing work in progress opens the door for collaborations.
People will approach you, because they get a sense of what you’re about. It gives them ideas of what to add and gives you a fresh perspective.
Creators with complementary skills will see opportunities in your work. And hey, maybe the two of you will form the next big electronic duo.
Not to mention that labels keep an eye out for diamonds in the rough all over the web.
Testing your tracks with a crowd
Test your tracks with a live crowd before committing to a final recording.
Got a DJ gig? Slip in a couple of your own productions in the mix and see how your audience reacts. Do it many times, in different settings.
Hot tip: master them before so that your sketches are at the same level as the other tracks in your set.
If you’re playing a live set, record it, master it, and upload to SoundCloud.
Sit back and let the likes, comments, and constructive criticism roll in.
What are you waiting for?
It’s nerve-racking to post music you’ve created for the first time.
But there’s tons of benefits to putting yourself out there early on.
You don’t want to be missing out on collaborations, feedback, getting approached by labels, gig offers and all the other great stuff.
Your first audiences are the best training ground for success – and your future superfans.
Leticia is a lover of acid basslines and hypnotic techno. She DJs and produces under the name softcoresoft. Writer at LANDR.
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