Stop Asking Permission ...
Stop Asking Permission and Start Releasing Music Today!
Jaron writes: For all of us "old-timers" who were making music before the age of the internet and DIY digital distribution, we're accustomed to needing approval from a gatekeeper.
We could write songs and record them but in order for the world to hear our work, somebody had to "get it," think it was a "hit" and then green light the project into a record label controlled physical distribution system.
I could go on and on about the history, but let's just fast-forward to today. There are no more gatekeepers. There are endless channels and they're for the taking. Now anyone in the world can write, record and release a song in the same day!
Nobody has to "get you" for this to happen. You don't need to sit around in a room with some guy who isn't your demographic telling you that he's not sure your demographic will "get it."
Quick note: if you sell a million albums today... With a population of 300+ million that means that 99.7% of the population did NOT buy your album. Its humbling when you think about it. But also tells us that we don't need to be loved by everyone to be successful at what we do. We need less than 1% for a huge career.
Back to "getting it." You don't need to worry about predicting whether people are gonna get it or not. With the option for immediate digital distribution you can put your songs up yourself and see if people like it or not based on whether they buy it.
Sure it requires a little word-of-mouth and p2p marketing, but if its great (I said great, not good) it will cut thru the clutter.
Now there is no doubt that radio and a record company promo staff can be very valuable in helping garner national attention quickly and the self-releasing model is not intended to be a replacement for that; just a different way to get in the game. But the point isn't whether a record label can ultimately help or not. The idea is to get going now. Build momentum. Make something happen and get a story going instead of just waiting for someone to pick you out of a lineup.
In success, you can decide whether to convert to a record deal or remain independent. The decision is up to you.
What I'm stressing is simply that you have the tools to get started today. You don't need anyone to tell you its okay.
Write. Record. Release.
We artists are ultimately driven by the desire to connect and share with others; to find an audience.
Now that there is nobody telling you "no" anymore ...
Stop asking permission and start releasing music today.
-Jaron