Putting the Cart Before the Horse: When is Your Music Ready for Public Consumption?

I may very well receive some hate mail from this article, so be forewarned that it’s full of advice that some aspiring artists may not want to hear (but need to).

Recently I met an aspiring artist (I’m not in the business of disparaging people, so no disclosure here). I have to say that he was quick to mention he was an artist and songwriter, and virtually every conversation revolved around his music and the life circumstances that inspired him to write.

I spent 9 years living in Nashville, so I’m pre-programmed to be a little skeptical. Everyone in Nashville is an artist, songwriter, or music industry something it seems, even if they’re your run of the mill gas station attendant.

Naturally  I checked out the website, because I leave no stone unturned. I’ve found some pretty neat artists through passing conversation, and thanks to internet marketing, there are many great indie artists out there (although for every great one, there are hundreds that are terrible).

Upon first glance, the website was pretty professional with decent publicity photos and artwork. Upon first listening to the tracks that were published, I admit I was sort of impressed because the production value was ok and the melodies were kind of catchy.

That initial good feeling quickly faded upon listening further. Cheesy production (80’s sounding synthesizer strings are not cool on ballads anymore), out of tune backup vocals, cliche lyrics, and self-indulgent drudgery. I know it’s a little harsh, and far be it for me to crush someone’s dreams. This artist had raw talent, and with a little refining could be pretty good. The problem is that the material was half-baked.

So you’ve practiced, you’ve written, you’ve produced. How do you know your music is ready to be released on MySpace, iTunes, and the like?

There’s no magic fomula to propose here, but consider a few things before you broadcast your music to the world:

Don’t Get Caught Up in the Glitz and Glamour

Despite what I assume the general population thinks, the entertainment industry is not glamorous. It’s the cruel illusion that many aspiring artists get caught up in. It’s fine to have good publicity photos and a cool website.

Just keep in mind that it’s a marketing tool, and your music should be on par with other professionals (people who actually get paid for their music). You can always develop or change your image, but your music is what speaks to the listener.

Produce Quality Material

Being a great singer or songwriter does not guarantee success (I know plenty of talented people who should be famous but aren’t yet). The temptation for a lot of artists is to release music that is not fully developed in it’s composition or production because it sounds good to them (”I can’t believe that I created this!”).

Take the time to develop well crafted songs, and experiment with your sound. It’s ok to have artists that influence you (everyone does), but be careful that your music doesn’t copycat to the point where you have no individuality (or that it’s way out of style).

It helps if your actual musicianship is on par too. You don’t have to be a vocal acrobat or guitar god; just be sure that you can hold your own in the studio or on stage.

Get Objective Feedback

This is probably one of the most important things. Your family and friends may offer much needed encourgement (face it, they’ve been encouraging you since you sang into that hairbrush as a toddler). The thing to remember here is that your family and friends are invested in you, and that’s not necessarily going to help you connect with the average joe listener.

Connect with other musicians who will be objective with you, meaning that they won’t hold their tounge when giving you feedback. Thick skin is required in this industry, so you might as well get used to it now. Think of it as a present. You don’t have to necessarily absorb negative feedback. It’s one person’s opinion. Just learn from it, and make changes. That’s how you grow. You might have to re-write that hit song of yours over and over again until it really connects with an audience.

If you’ve got a few tracks that you’re just dying to release, just put them through a few objective filters. No one said this was going to be easy. Taking those few extra refining steps now, will help you develop a better connection with your audience later on.