How to tell your story as an artist

You put out music… So what? How to tell your story as an artist

—-

So you put out some songs. I love that. How cool! But.. SO what? Who cares? This may be one of the harsher things I’ve come right out to say to be honest and I actually hate it but it’s the truth. You may have written the most badass song that could be universally loved by millions, but nobody is interested, nobody is downloading it, purchasing, talking about it… and honestly -  It breaks my heart knowing how many people pour their soul into their music without it ever being heard by the audience it deserves. You may have seen a previous post about the quantity of music that gets loaded to Spotify on the daily and that never even hits more than 100 streams. It’s a real pandemic on its own, especially that they won’t monetize songs with less than 1000 streams on a rolling 12 months. A lot of songs on the platform don’t even hit 100. And WOW that hurts. But we’re so oversaturated with music and we need a reason to listen to these songs, something that connects us to the art and the artist itself.

I’m going to challenge you to go back to when you were young, really think about why and how you got into an artist? Radio was probably a part of it. Much Music (In Canada!) MTV, rock magazines, local shows, Top of the pops, whatever it was – there’s actually a good likelihood that you were attracted to something about their look, their attitude, or what their songs / they were about.

I still find myself being interested by something visually, a write up in a magazine, an album cover, or even a cool name of a band. There’s a pull. But if those things weren’t there, you aren’t likely to have a compelling reason to play them? It’s always been about attraction in one way or another. Attraction, connection, something that calls you to listen.

Though things are different now vs 20-30+ years ago these rules still apply in one way or another. You follow people because they look in some way that is intriguing or they stand up for a cause you believe in, their content may be appealing or exciting to you… I think in many ways now, you become a fan of the person well before you become a fan of the music. It’s a bit flip flopped in that way too where they didn’t need to pull you in as strongly as a fan before the music became part of it.

It’s never been easy to be a musician, but now getting people listening to your music and connecting with it is harder than ever. So the question posed above – why should people listen to you becomes more relevant and more important to address. I hear “our music is great so we should be fine” all the time, but that’s sadly not enough. Being a musician, it should be enough, but it’s more likely to be left in the dust if you can’t tap into what your fans are all about.

Sometimes it’s helpful to do the same thing with your band as you would do with any business in writing out a client (FAN) profile. Like who is your fan? Write a list of 50 things about them – at least. And you’ll have an idea of the personality of the person that will be listening to your music. Fun fact – they’re usually a lot like you. The bands they love, where they shop, how they listen to music, what they wear, their wellness habits, eating, where they hang out and it goes on and on. The most detailed, the better and it will truly paint a picture. It makes it a lot easier to connect when you know what you’re aiming for vs throwing it out into the abyss.

What is your story as an artist? Was your latest release something that came from an experience that changed the course of your life? How do you have the human side about it. If you were being interviewed as an artist, I’m sure you have a lot more than simply “this song rocks. It’s in this key and it’s about love” Any article you’ve seen on your favourite artists are about so much more than that.

There has to be a connection, how do you tell your story as an artist? You are unique and fabulous, and you’re still human, just like all of your fans.

Have you given your artist story telling some time to develop just like you do your music? If your music is that great and from the heart, crafted with every piece of your soul, then it deserves that you put the same energy in making it visible to the world.

We help artists discover what makes them unique and desirable to listen to and to become devoted fans of. Book your discovery call, or join in a group coaching & mentoring session and let’s help you tell your story.