If you have the passion for creating music then the only difference between you and a top music producer is the time they spent, the technology they use, and their access to big networks.

If you are just starting and aspiring to be like them, then here’s some good news: You can be as good as them. You can do so by creating better music. How? You can start by actually finishing your tunes.

But of course, there is much more to it than that if you want to be listed with SoundCloud’s most popular tracks or most listened-to artists. In this article, we’ll provide some tips for making better music that will bring the house down.

Know your Goals

The first step before anything else is to set yourself some clear goals. This will help you identify the specific tasks that will help you reach them. You’ll have a clearer vision of what steps to take that will bring you closer and closer to SoundCloud fame.

As an artist, when you plant clear goals in your head and ignore whatever’s unimportant, you’ll be training the professional focus you need for long term success. Clarity will give you certainty. When you know exactly what your next steps will be, your musical brain cells will know what to do and when to do it.

Analyze Songs you Admire

When you listen to and analyze your favorite songs, you get to learn more about how they are made. You’ll discover intriguing similarities and tricks you’ve never considered. Learn to play them, and you’ll learn all about them.

Think of your Listeners

If you look back on your favorite songs, you probably often felt that some of them were written just for you, or describe your life perfectly. This is why you love them.

Just take a look at every hit song that Adele came out with. These songs were about her own experience and yet, to her millions of fans, they felt like she touched something important deep down inside them.

This is because her songs capitalize on common experiences and themes. When you write your songs think about what connects you with other humans. This gives your listeners a sense of a meaningful relationship, which people love to feel.

Image credit: Giphy

Make your Lyrics Matter

When writing your lyrics, you have to make sure that everything fits into the context of the story of your song. Make sure there are no wasted lines, every single one should matter and contribute.

In songs that resonate deeply with listeners, the lines support a story. Make sure your word choice goes beyond completing a rhyme.

Whitney Houston’s “Greatest Love Of All” is considered to have some of the most powerful song lyrics of all time. It‘s a song about the road to self-love and living a truthful life, which many listeners could relate to.

Learn your Tools

The influx of new tech seems to be always increasing, with new tools, gadgets and apps being released constantly. Instead of looking for the next best thing that will enhance your songs, focus on what you have. Choose your tools carefully, master them, and make the most out of them.

This is more important than trying out every new service or tool. Stay up to date on the latest news, but don’t get suckered into every new fad either.

Seek a Mentor

If you want to be one of the masters of songwriting, you’ve got to look out for leaders in your industry to look up to. Look for an approachable mentor who can guide you and perhaps bring out the talents you never thought you had.

You have to become an information sponge. Never stop learning, and better yet, never stop learning from the masters.

Before becoming a rap star, Drake signed to Lil Wayne’s Young Money label. Lil Wayne was his mentor during the early stages of his career, a move that definitely paid off for both of them.

Image credit: E Online

Collaborate

Find artists, other musicians, producers, and friends who you can collaborate with. Collaboration leads to unexpected ideas and pieces that you would never have thought of by yourself.

Working with other creatives will help you see different perspectives. This might mean discovering a whole new genre to dive into, a sweet chord progression, or something as simple as a new melody. Some of the greatest music produced was made through collaborative efforts.

One of the best song collaborations of 2016 is “Closer,” created by The Chainsmokers and Halsey. It was number one on Billboard’s Hot 100 Charts for 11 weeks and is also one of the longest-running number one songs of all time.

Make Music for the Right Reasons

If you are doing this because you want to be a millionaire, then you’ll have to ask yourself if this is the best way to get there. There is a ton of competition out there, and if you don’t really care about what you’re doing then you probably won’t be able to sustain it in the long run.

Don’t start producing music because it will give you a rich lifestyle the way popular musicians portray it. You should do it for the love and passion of creating music.

If your motivation is about money and not creating art and quality music, your craft will suffer and it will be even harder to reach your goals. Remind yourself of your motivations frequently, especially whenever you need inspiration.

Rest

You don’t want to burn out. This is a real danger for some people, though not so much for others.

You should place a fair amount of importance in taking a quality rest periodically. If you have a frantic need to create new music, that haste is often antithetical to actual creativity.

Writing a lot of music is great, but it isn’t necessarily the same as writing a lot of great music. Rest and breaks should be a part of your creative process.

Taking a rest lets you come back with a fresh mind and fresh ears. You can gain a new perspective that will help you listen to your music more objectively.

Before promoting her new album back in 2014, Adele went to have a relaxing vacation in Spain. It was the calm before the storm but she sure knows when to take her creative rest, and it helped her perform better on the coming tour.

Bonus Tip: Purchase SoundCloud plays

We all know that SoundCloud is the place to be when it comes to sharing music. Even if you make the best songs on the planet, you may have a hard time getting them heard or sharing them with the online world. This is especially true for new and amateur artists.

This is where buying SoundCloud Plays and other signals of engagement will help you out. It won’t make your music any better, but it will help your musical career. It builds your social proof, showing people that your tracks are getting a lot of attention.

This will encourage other people to check you out and click through your music, exploring it for themselves. If they like what they hear, they’ll stick around, tell their friends, and keep coming back for more. Now wouldn’t this be just the motivation you need to make your best album yet?

Get Better with Every Track

Baseball Hall of Famer Yogi Berra once said, “Baseball is 90 percent mental and the other half is physical.” But this just doesn’t apply to baseball, it can apply to any field, and it means you need to think through your strategy carefully before acting on it.

There is no perfect formula for creating music. Look at making your music with a beginner's mind and give it all the effort you can. Being a successful artist takes guts and determination, but it also takes a clever head. Take the time to think things through, and the right path should become obvious.

Image credit: Giphy

Date: July 27, 2017 / Categories: Marketing, Tips, / Author: Pamela