A lot of people use soundcloud to market their material. I know opinion is divided whether it’s a good or bad thing to do it that way vis-a-vis whether a label will accept a track that’s been heavily listened to on there.
Now, I don’t want this thread to turn into a debate on whether it’s a good idea or not. Please. So, if you want to chat about that please make another thread.
I’d like to use this thread for tips and ideas on how to use Soundcloud well. It’ll be helpful for people who don’t know how to and I’m sure we all can improve our knowledge regardless.
I’ll start.
We all get a lot of tracks that are marked Private yet shared to thousands of people. It’s one way of flagging an upload via email as the news of normal upload isn’t sent to people’s inboxes, even if you follow the uploading artist.
So, the way to ensure that an email is sent out about your track being uploaded is -
Follow the maximum amount of people you can. I think the limit used to be 2000 people followed. Not sure if that’s still the same.
When you upload your track, mark it as Private and click on the Add/Remove People tab.
A dialogue box comes up with a number of tabs. Click on the Following one and "Select All’
Try to add a cool/funny/relevant message in the track box to make this seem less like spam!
That’s it. Simple. Your track will be “Privately sent” to all those people and, depending on their own account settings, will receive an email notifying them that you’ve uploaded a new track.
Does anyone know how to send your track to more than the max number of followers you have? Perhaps using the Email or Lists tab in the Private options?
My advice would be to use Soundcloud as a community rather than a mass marketing system.
1. Don’t follow the maximum number of people, choose who you follow carefully. The first thing people do when you follow them is look at your profile, if you are in a completely different style and you are following 2000 other people they will know you are a spammer.
2. Follow DJs and producers that have interesting tracks around the same genre as you and let them know what you think of their tracks, good and bad. Don’t just say “Nice Synth”. If a DJ has a good mix, let them know but don’t say “check my tracks out”. If you give a genuine comment they probably will listen to your tracks, but no one likes needy people.
3. Such and such has shared a private track with you and 1999 others is not an attractive proposition and most people will just hit mute at that point, some people will listen but most will ne muted.
In trying to get a label to hear your music, I believe most of them have drop boxes on there where you can privately upload your track to them which I think would be the best way to try and get it in their hands to have a listen as opposed to doing the mass mailing thing.
Just a note though, please focus on HOW to do something and not SHOULD you do something.
I’d like this thread to stay on track and offer information on how to do it and debate if you should. Let’s put that in a different thread if you want o discuss it.
[quote]jonsloan (25/03/2011)[hr]Just a note though, please focus on HOW to do something and not SHOULD you do something.[/quote]
Well to be fair your post has much of a SHOULD as mine has a SHOULD NOT.
How and why are intrinsically linked, I can understand you not wanting to get hung up on the why, but it seems a bit much to ban me from explaining why I think something is a good idea.
Ant mate I’m not banning you on something I’m just worried that the thread will derail with lots of debate on the worth of doing it and how labels react, etc. Just trying to keep on track and accept this as a ‘how to’ thread. Not a should you thread.
Some great points there. Here is how we do it and have had some success.
We do not do the mass mail outs to people because we find it a little weird when you get a “private track” thats share to so many people. I like to get exclusives and know someone has taken the time to pick out people rather than just mass send to them.
In this age with everyone promoting to everyone and spamming being a big issue it’s better to pick the right places.
Groups on soundcloud are brilliant. If you have a paid account you can join as many as you like and send the same tune to as many as you like. This way covering the people who “want” to hear your tunes rather than just a list of people who probably don’t.
We also try and converse with labels via soundcloud and also on twitter. Let them know the tune is heading over to them and that we are looking for a signing but also feedback.
Free tunes help as well. Everyone likes a freebie so drop a few out to people and ask for their feedback. Being polite works wonders if your asking them to feedback rather than saying “my tunes ace listen” it gives you a way in to converse with them.
Yeh that is often a hard thing. Marketing a track can seem easier than marketing yourself but forums, facebook and groups on soundcloud can defiantly help you.
I guess a lot of the self marketing comes once a tune is out etc
I also make myself quite active in soundcloud too by not only commenting on tracks but if I think its really good, i’ll message them - and 7/10 times they will get back to me to say thanks and we’ll start a dialogue, that could lead to fb. then next thing you know your swapping ideas, asking too listen too each others new tracks and making more contacts
A friend of mine now who had been producing on a laptop using reason for about 20 months has 17 releases - as he is such a modest guy he just can’t believe, I asked him how he thinks he does it (without the music ofcourse) He said that he spends at least 3 hours on soundcloud a day just doing what i said in the 1st paragraph
Ok it worked for him and he is s**t hot in the genre he does but I just thought I share before the wine hits
The thing with what you say above tho. 17 releases in 20 months. Isn’t that a bit much (not trying to offend your friend or skills).
I’ve often found that people will release loads of tracks but all with the smaller labels (who of course are good as well) but i’m a true believer that less is more.
With the project (The lempo and japwow project) Myself and my partner have decided on a bunch of labels we want to sign our tunes with and won’t sign them with anyone else. It sounds rude and ignorant but it’s just us having an aim with our music. We see those as the best labels in the scene we are in and if we can land releases with them then we feel we are doing our job. I’d rather have less tunes out that make more impact i think.
It’s working for us so far although we have nothing out we have two tunes signed one to Cr2 and one to Pmi (Phoenix music international) both very big labels aiming at not only beatport charts etc but also uk and other charts.
I’d advise making a nice list of who you want to aim your tracks at and keep working on them until they get picked up by those. That way your pushing yourself and learning as you go.
Actually Nina, I totally agree with your sentiment that less is more but just thought I would share other peoples way of dealing with Soundcloud when it comes to marketing oneself
I really don’t have the time or enthusiasm to do what my mate does or the ability or skill to knock out tracks like that
But I think the no brainer is make a list of labels and get out there talking to them and I mean talking intially not ramming your tune down their throats
Every few days he’ll delete all 2000 people he’s following then add 2000 different people knowing that maybe 2 or 3 hundred will follow him back. He’s got nearly 5000 followers from doing that.
I’m actually quite impressed with his dedication to doing it haha.
Yes, although in the long run, that’s a pretty useless strategy.
Sure, I suppose it’s nice to have plenty of comments, etc. But the fact is a) most of those followers are going to be networking types with little to no interest in the actual musical output and b) It (no offense if he’s your bud) clearly hasn’t helped him too much, as his tracks remain unsigned.
My opinion is that if you have decent tracks, people will find them. You might have to give 'em a push, but if something’s really good, people will share it.
Every few days he’ll delete all 2000 people he’s following then add 2000 different people knowing that maybe 2 or 3 hundred will follow him back. He’s got nearly 5000 followers from doing that.
I’m actually quite impressed with his dedication to doing it haha.[/quote]
I’m not sure the adding and deleting people will help. As stated above you probably won’t get the people following you that you require to get a release.
I’m firmly a believer of the support coming if the talent is there. I want to see whos following us for the fact we have good tunes and not the fact that we have “spammed” or what ever you want to call it.
I can however see that it would look good to labels seeing all those followers so i guess its down to personal preference in that way.
