By Mister Deejay
I strongly believe that local urban music is currently undergoing a renaissance of sorts. Every week I get inundated by music from aspiring musicians, and I have noticed that on the whole, the songs I receive now are much better than the ones I received a year or so ago. That’s not to say they’re perfect- in fact there are more bad than good songs in there – but I can see the overall progress that young musicians are making and I think we are on the right track.
One of the biggest obstacles new artists have is making their music stand out from the plethora of music that is being made and that is out there already. I have a few tips:
1.Sing. Every dude and his dog seems to want to rap these days, and that’s understandable. The music appeals to (mainly) young males and it is comparatively easy to make. If you can talk and keep rhythm, you can rap. (That doesn’t mean you can rap well but that’s a topic for another day). If you want to stand out, do what the majority of new artists are not doing today: sing.
2.Make a press kit. You should, at the very least, send out a short bio and a decent picture with every email of your music. It shows professionalism and it lets the receiver know that you are serious about your music, which in turn will make them take you a little more seriously too.
3.Always always always LABEL YOUR MP3s!!! This one is very important. Fill out the artist, name of song fields in your ID3 tags. Also include a way for the receiver of your music to contact you.
4.Play an instrument. Just like singing, there are fewer musicians that play an instrument. You do not have to be a maestro, but if you can pluck a guitar or play a few riffs on the keyboard, you immediately stand out from your peers.
5.Stop trying to make Nigerian music. Self explanatory.
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