This episode of the IAMN: I Am Northbound podcast is brought to you by The 4D Songwriter: How to Dominate the New Music Industry. Get your copy of this game-changing book at the4dsongwriter.com.
Episode Summary
In episode #21 of IAMN: I am Northbound, Jayson talks about;
Why podcasts are an incredible opportunity for music artists that most are overlooking and how to find your unique sound.
Podcasts are Awesome (Part A)
In this segment of IAMN: I Am Northbound, I tell you why creating a podcast is an opportunity for exposure that most music artists are overlooking. “Wait a minute, podcasts?” You say — Yes, podcasts. Creating a podcast that aligns with your music vision is a perfect way to attract an incredibly highly compatible listener.
Overview
Podcasts are an incredible opportunity for exposure…
But most music artists aren’t taking advantage of them.
I don’t think it will be long before everyone figures it out, though —
So take advantage of this while no one else is!
This is just a brief overview of the topic — if you want the full explanation and additional tricks and tips, check out this segment on IGTV or on the IAMN podcast (link in bio).
Firstly, you’ll need a solid Motivation. A ‘reason’ why you create your music is the #1 way to attract like-minded, highly-compatible listeners.
Then, once you’ve found your Motivation, you should create a podcast around that topic.
There’s an incredibly low access price point to starting a podcast, which makes it an easy thing to start. In fact, you could create your first podcast today off your mobile phone using a service like Anchor.
Not only will this allow you to create a new access point for your music…
It will also allow you to create highly-targeted and highly-compatible listeners that stand the best chance of becoming a true fan of your music.
And true fans is what you’re after right?
Podcasts are Awesome (Part B)
In this segment of IAMN: I Am Northbound, I tell you why being a guest on podcasts is an opportunity for exposure. And again, most music artists aren’t considering it. Being a guest on a podcast is the perfect way to be in front of the people that stand the best chance of becoming a life-long listener.
However, there’s a trick to it — you can’t go in off your music.
Overview
Podcasts are an incredible opportunity for exposure…
But most music artists aren’t taking advantage of them.
I don’t think it will be long before everyone figures it out, though —
So take advantage of this while no one else is!
This is just a brief overview of the topic — if you want the full explanation and additional tricks and tips, check out this segment on IGTV or on the IAMN podcast (link in bio).
Being a guest on a podcast is a perfect exposure opportunity.
But the best thing is, the audience is targeted — this means that if you appear as a guest on the right podcast, you could be advertising to those that could become true fans of your music.
The trick is, though, that you don’t want to approach podcasts as ‘a music artist looking to promote their latest album’. There’s too many of those in the world! You need to approach podcasts that align with your Motivation. Let them know you align on your visions and would like to collaborate together.
The biggest mistake most music artists make is try to join the biggest podcasts. Those are usually booked for months in advance and require a certain level of status before they’ll take you on. Smaller podcasts, on the other hand, are desperately searching for guests and have a much higher chance of having you on as a guest.
Searching hashtags like #(your Motivation keyword)+podcast will show you the podcasts that are smaller and looking for free ways for exposure — these are usually your best bet to contact. Then, begin networking!
How to Find Your Unique Sound
In this segment, I want to tell you how you can find your unique sound as an artist and separate yourself from the rest of the noise. I briefly touch on a method created by my good friend @trentontws — if you’re looking to take your music to the next level, he’s the man to see.
But also, I discuss how you can shape your unique sound by utilising inspiration outside of music — an advanced trick that will make your music even more unique.
Overview
If you want true fans, you’ll need your music to be unique. Sure, sounding like other artists might bring quicker results, but those fans will leave you the moment someone else imitates your sound.
You want a loyal committed fanbase, right? In order to do that, you’ll need true fans. And in order to find true fans, you’ll need to be unique.
I can’t explain everything in this caption, though — so if you want the full explanation and additional tricks and tips, check out this segment on IGTV or on the IAMN podcast (link in bio).
A great way to find a unique sound is by utilising a technique I learned from my good friend Trenton (@trentontws). He does a much better job of explaining it, so if you’re looking to take your music to the next level, hit him up.
The idea to expand your influences. Some music artists will only choose two influences, which only allows them to exist on a single line. Sometimes they’ll sound more like one artist than the other, other times they’ll sound 50/50 — a direct split between the two influences.
Instead, choose three primary influences — this allows you plot your music and creative process on a triangle and exist between three separate sounds.
Each time you write a song for an album, plot on your ‘triangle of influence’ where you think that song sits in term of influenced sound. This allows you to see where your album is missing balance or if your songs are sounding too similar to one another.
The more contrasting these three influences are, the more room you have to move and the more unique your sound will be.
Personally, I also like finding art forms outside of music that capture or present content that aligns with the same creative vision you have. Sometimes this is in movies or tv shows, other times it’s in books or photography. Find content that you believe is the visual representation of your music and try to capture what it is saying through your audio.
It’s outside of the box thinking, but it’s the perfect way to make your music perfectly communicate your inner creative vision.
You can watch this episode above or on IGTV.
Or you can listen to it on your favourite podcast platform!
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