Posted on December 29, 2022

New Year’s Resolutions For Musicians

By Barbara Drews

Setting an intention for the new year should be your first step. Why do you want to practice more if you already do? What does it entail to "become a better musician" if you wish to do so? Whatever it is, let's pretend that your basic New Year's resolutions this year is to take greater pleasure in creating music.

There is no wrong answer, however here are some pointers: Being a better musician can involve improving your technique to play more closely to what's in your ears, honing your ear to hear more complexity and precision, being a better collaborator or listener, and many other skills.

To increase your appreciation of music, try the following New Year’s Resolutions!

New Year’s Resolution #1: Improvise

By improvising, you can tap into your inherent creativity and let go of the need to "get it right." Make it a point to set out some of your practice time for improv, and enjoy it! Choose a key and a steady rhythm, then continue. If you have experience improvising, challenge yourself by experimenting with other rhythms and genres.

New Year’s Resolution #2: Practice With A Metronome

Whatever your theoretical beliefs about Truth, it's very obvious that proper intonation, rhythm, and timing are essential components of effective musicianship. It's never too late to start using certain "truth-seeking" techniques in your practice if you don't already do so regularly.

Here are some steps on how to level up your metronome practice:

• Take off the beats to increase accuracy.
• Tap tempo can be used to determine rhythms for practice.
• Practice gradually.
• Make changes to your subdivisions to reduce the click's frequency.
• Use drum loops to practice.

New Year’s Resolution #3: Expand Your Musical Horizons

Now and again, change the focus of your practice. The aim is to experiment with different maneuvers that your muscles aren't accustomed to making and noises that your ears aren't familiar with hearing.

New Year’s Resolution #4: Explore New Genres

Producing sound is only one aspect of being a musician. Simply by listening, you can learn a lot and get inspiration. Your New Year's resolution can be to double the number of artists you found this year and to completely redesign your 2022 Spotify Wrapped from your 2021 version.

New Year’s Resolution #5: Exercise

We frequently overlook the physical nature of music production. Be aware of any potential physical stresses that your profession can cause. Learn which exercises can help you build essential muscular strength and include those in your workout regimen. Of course, warm up your body before playing, and remember to stretch frequently.

New Year’s Resolution #6: Collaborate

By exchanging ideas, you not only improve as a listener and creator, but you may also create magic. 

Here are multiple different ways to collaborate: 

• Casual jam
• Co-write a song
• Remix a track together
• Swap gigs
• Share a tour

New Year’s Resolution #7: Find An Accountability Partner

Having an accountability partner is beneficial for giving your objectives guidance and assistance. Establish certain milestones you want to reach by a specific date with a buddy who shares your aims. Their goals don't have to be the same as yours.  Put it on your calendars, remind one another, and encourage one another.

New Year’s Resolution #8: Experiment With DAWs

In 2022, if you're not familiar with digital music creation, you should begin exploring the world of DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations). There is undoubtedly a learning curve, but computer music offers a wealth of opportunities that are all worth investigating.  Set it a mission to produce your tracks regularly, and you'll acquire the knowledge and sounds as you go.

Here are the best DAWs for producing music in 2023:

• Best free DAW: Cakewalk by Bandlab
• Best for MIDI and film Scoring: Cubase Pro
• Best for power users: Reaper
• Best for live performances: Ableton
• Best for plug and play: Logic Pro

Key Takeaway

We hope that these musical New Year's Resolutions have energized and inspired you for 2023! MusicPromoToday is a marketing agency that is committed to assisting musicians in maintaining their attention on what is most important: their music. Follow us on Instagram for relevant information on music marketing, and check our blog frequently for insights on other services that can help you advance your musical career.

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Posted on June 6, 2022

Making Your Video Content The Best It Can Be

By Barbara Drews

Establishing a consistent video approach before and after a release will allow you to reach more followers and optimize the potential for those people to perform your marketing for you.

If you haven’t started yet, establish your accounts before you begin promoting.

1. Decide on what accounts and formats you can manage: Create profiles that you can update frequently and that you are comfortable with. 
2. Make your profile complete: Upload a profile photo, write a compelling bio, and get a bio link so that your followers can stream your music. 
3. Watch some content: Become acquainted with the platform's unstated do's and don'ts. Browse around, view some popular videos, and get a sense of the community.
4. Post some videos: Make a few videos once you've figured out how people are utilizing the site. Be yourself and have fun with it. 

If you’re a long-form expert, become an expert in short-form

1. Find the right length for your platform of choice: For example, the ideal TikTok length is 9-15 seconds, while around 30 seconds is optimal for Instagram.
2. Don’t reuse too much content: Your followers want a unique experience on different platforms. They don't have as much motivation to interact if they're getting the same stuff.
3. Get the vibe right: The essence of short-form is authenticity and interaction. Participating in challenges (or even creating your own) is a terrific way to introduce yourself to your audience.
4. Film in portrait: Short-form is all about portrait mode. When in doubt, make it vertical.

If you’ve got it all on lock, it’s time to maximize

1. Promote your video: 30 seconds or fewer is the ideal length of time to pique someone's curiosity without overwhelming them.
2. Make it quality: There are a couple of types of “quality” to evaluate when promoting a video. One is the quality of your video and the other is the quality of the view. 
3. Use videos in campaigns: Extra video material is usually an excellent motivator for a campaign! Simply include a link to a private video as your campaign's destination URL! Your fans will be linked to your video once they complete the action.

Whatever you decide to create, having the support of your audience is always vital. All you have to do is strive on producing high-quality material and remember to seek guidance and suggestions whenever you get stuck.

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