Slow releases can be quite sobering in terms of motivation and assessment of a formerly willful campaign.
Especially in times where music releases chase each other. Worries and contentual doubts pop up, slowing down the whole process and sometimes even demotivating the creative process.
This doesn’t have to play out in such a way though, and it shouldn’t – to be honest. There are several factors that can limit a given release, from strong bursts of new music hitting the media and suppressing several up-and-coming artists, to quick shifts in taste and fashion. Many, many external elements are in play when following through on a release. The important thing is not to project these influences upon a whole project, or ongoing strategy.
Here are some pointers that can help you follow through and go on strong, even after recovering from a slow release:
Follow-Up as the neglected necessity
Just because a given piece of music was rejected does not and will not mean, that the following material will have to run under similar forecasts.
On the contrary – follow-ups and revisited submissions are a welcoming sign of ambition. If a contentual development is audible, it demonstrates a level of assertiveness that is absolutely indispensable.
You’re involving people in the ongoing process of artistic progress. We’ve experienced compelling artist-media relationships grow in the course of a refinement of personal craft and output.
Try to communicate the ways in which your musical thought has evolved. How has this output been refined, changed, expanded. The process is part of the pitch.
Creative reframing
Sometimes the pieces of a given composition just don’t match up. At least not in a way that unleashes the full effect.
If you think of it, it’s quite a challenging task. For the musical content to completely lock-in with the imagery of a lyrical rendition for example, there has to be a great amount of sensitivity involved. Oftentimes you have tracks where the toplining just completely crumbles under an impressive instrumental, and other times the lyrics are just way more spot-on than the instrumentation.
If you ask us, this is a question of adequacy.
You have to ask yourself if the meaning really harmonizes with the musical energy. Sometimes you’ll mute the vocals and realize you’re sitting on an incredible instrumental, but the icing just doesn’t seem to fit, and vice versa.
This doesn’t mean that one is better than the other. It’s just about finding the right hands to a great pair of gloves. Try not to be afraid of really digging into your last release. Identify if the lyrical and musical content actually added up. Maybe it could have been a stronger release, maybe more clear in its agenda if you had set more focus on creating a seamless experience.
Creative reframing, in this context, means – even in an ongoing production or writing process – taking one element, like lyrics, and developing a whole new musical concept underneath. You don’t have to drop everything to create something compelling. Oftentimes the elements are not the problem, but the constellation in which they are assembled.
Gathering a tailored audience
A huge advantage of homogenous music is the way it narrows down its audience. Being able to spread content and communicate to an audience that is specifically tuned in to a distinct sound can elevate the chances of finding a common denominator, and flowing along with it.
But music can also be quite diverse while gathering a tailored audience. It’s a matter of communication both musically and visually.
Setting some thought into finding the right audience, as opposed to just spreading across a massive variety of listeners, can be quite rewarding on the long run. Short blasts within huge playlists can generate impressive stats in terms of playcount. Still – the quality you get from speaking to and developing a followship that sticks with you through different levels of artistic development is priceless.
Maybe your sound will move into a realm that is completely disconnected from certain popular demand. Make sure you are sensible as to where you are positioned within the musical ecosystem.
Without being to dull about it, try to tie some substantial connections to similar artists. Check them out across different streaming platforms. Identify where certain strengths lie. This can help you when recovering from a slow release.
0 be the first one to show some appreciation for this!