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Are your efforts at becoming the next great music artist hitting more snags than you can afford? Is your inbox as empty and desolate as your motivation levels? If you answered yes, chances are you are either not promoting your music via the correct channels or just strumming your guitar alone in your room hoping a music mogul would pass by and be inspired by your creations.

The thing is, life will not hand you a Grammy on a silver platter. You have to hustle and make sure your intended audience can access and enjoy your music from several avenues. A music website is not the only way you can do this. Here are some ways you can promote your music quickly and efficiently:

1. Ask Users to Subscribe to Your Email List

If your music website does not have a mailing list, then it’s doing nothing but stroking your ego. A form that asks visitors to provide their emails for each new musical composition can do wonders for your reputation. This is one of the best ways to improve your fan base and ensure they remain up to date about your music.

A well managed email list can also allow you to keep fans in the loop as to your performance schedules. Plus, you can also give them a small incentive to encourage more people to sign up. It would be best to offer something that a potential fan cannot find anywhere else such as first dibs on an unreleased song for example.

This is a good idea for you if you are just starting out and don’t have the budget for expensive incentives. It won’t cost you a cent to distribute and you can ensure subscribers get it easily via a download link. Include it in your welcome email so that they can enjoy the fruits of their subscription immediately.

Besides offering current info regarding your music, also send emails that contain links to your YouTube channel and social media profiles. These can captivate your audience further and make them familiar with your personal side as well. 

2. Develop an Engaging Social Media Presence 

Speaking of social media, by developing and maintaining an engaging presence on social media channels you can increase your influence. Just make sure that your profile handles are easy to understand and consistent so that people and fans can recognize your content immediately. Some of the best ones that are ideal for music distribution and exposure include the following:

Drooble – This platform consists of a rapidly expanding community of independent music artists who are searching for ways to advance their career and connect with industry professionals. Some of the services it offers include Spotify promotion, YouTube channel growth, radio broadcasting and song reviews among others.

Twitter – Twitter offers music artists a platform to share their music with friends and fans throughout other social media websites. It’s called Twitterurm and it is the best way for people to learn about new artists.

3. Take Advantage of Streaming Services 

In the past, large scale distribution was a priority and there were only two ways that music artists could make their music available to the masses – via radio or via a record deal. With the advent of streaming services, vinyl records and aired music became a thing of the past.

It has allowed music artists more control over distribution and ensure that the maximum number of people have the chance to listen to their music. In fact, there are so many streaming services online now that you can cherry pick options that suit your style, genre and career goals.

Some of them include Spotify, SoundCloud, Apple Music and even Amazon Music. 

4. Make a Remix Pack

If you prefer to release remixes as electronic dance music, consider opting for remix packs. In other words, you can release an album that contains your single and other remixes from other artists. A number of large artists do this. It is their way of expanding their influence and giving other music artists a chance to gain exposure as well. 

Start by reaching out to other music producers once your creation is complete and ask them if they are willing to create a remix. Send over your single if they are because chances are that they will also distribute it on social media. That way, your songs can get the exposure you need to gain traction in the industry. 

5. Spend Time Gigging 

Gigging will never go out of style and there are several reasons for that. It is a great way to increase exposure for your brand and monetize from your songs at the same time. It will also help you build a strong relationship with your audience. 

Some of the best gigs you should indulge in are those that are held in events that are hosting other music artists with similar genres. That way you will gain access to an audience that contain your fans and fans of your genre in general. This is exactly the kind of audience you want and need to propel your career to the next level! However, to increase your revenue, consider putting out your own independent gigs once you gain enough exposure. 

In Conclusion 

Your music distribution and talent exposure efforts will only bear fruit if you put in the legwork. The aforementioned tips will help you expand your reach not only to existing fans, but also people who like your genre of music. Today, the more personalized you can make your creations, the better your audience can resonate with you. Fans are more informed today than they have ever been. The good news is that you can capitalize on that awareness faster today as well. 

Sell your music and music videos on VEVO, TIDAL, Spotify and more on PEEKSOUND. Get unlimited music and video distribution for only $79.99/year per artist. 

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Whether you love listening to music or making it, chances are you know all about Apple Tunes. The Apple Tunes app allows users to stream music from their favorite artists on a single platform. If you fall in the latter category, you can hit the jackpot if you subscribe to the platform and share your music with fans who can appreciate it and share it. 

What is Apple Music?

Apple Music is an intuitive app from Apple that allows people to enjoy a range of musical genres in a single place. Besides a music streaming service, the app also includes an online radio called Beats 1 which is on 24/7.

This also includes a range of stations that cover rangers ranging from classical and rock to folk and country. All in all, it eliminates the middle man (aka coercive and expensive music labels) thus allowing artists such as yourself to connect with fans directly via videos and songs. 

How You Can Get Your Music on Apple Music 

To upload your music directly on Apple Music use the iTunes Connect Platform. However, in order to do so, you need to fulfill certain basic requirements first such as the following:

• A US tax ID.
• An internet connection that has an upload rate of at least 1MB/second or faster.
• At least 20 albums in your catalogue. Don’t worry. Singles also count.
• RAM space amounting to at least 512 MB.
• ISRCs and UPCs for all of your tracks and albums. 

However, even if you meet these requirements, there is no guarantee that your application will be accepted. That’s because the platform gets countless at a time. You may even have to wait eight weeks for your application to be approved or rejected. 

iTunes Connect will send you an email when your application is approved, containing a link that will take you to your log in page. Once you get to the page you will need to sign contracts providing tax and banking information to the app.

To ensure your music is available across the globe, you will have to assign worldwide territory rights, but you can pick the locations by choosing specific territories. Additionally, if you are in the US, you also need to fill out a W-9 form. If you live outside the US, you have to fill out a W-8BEN/W-8BEN-E form. 

Keep in mind that you cannot upload music in any format of your choosing. Any that are encoded in AIFF, EAV or ALAC are transcoded via a temporary AAC 256 kbps file. Don’t worry, your original file will remain safe during this. Plus, also ensure that your music library on the platform is enabled. Otherwise, you may lose tracks between your cell phone, desktop, laptop and other smart devices. 

What You Get Out Of It

Apple Music allows artists from all genres to:

Make Money from Music

Once you upload your music, your fans do the rest. Every piece they stream generates money for you via Apple Music. This is determined through subscription charges that the brand collects. A portion of that is given to artists to encourage them to make and upload more music. It’s a win-win situation, to be honest.

On average, an artist gets paid $0.0056 per stream. However, the payment arrangements will depend on how you got your music on the platform. Currently, a three month membership costs $9.99 a month and the family version (which covers six family members) costs $14.99 a month. 

Get All of Your Fans in One Place 

Music labels have nothing on streaming services such as Apple Music. They don’t give music artists control over distribution and payday is far from transparent. Music streaming services such as Apple Music do away with the middle man thus allowing you to share demos, music videos and even remixes with your fans directly. 

Anyone who subscribes to the app and who buys or adds music from your library to their playlist follows you automatically. Instant fan base! With just a single post, you can reach your entire fan base immediately. Just make sure that you update iOS and iTunes regularly or the app may shut down. Download the Apple Music app on your smart phone so you can upload your latest masterpieces as and when needed. Inspiration can strike anywhere!

Plus, make sure you only post original material. Copyright infringements can get you banned permanently. It is the best way to bring your thriving music career to a painful halt that’s for sure. Yes, you can try out other streaming services, but do you really want to miss out on the massive potential fan base you can get via Apple Music?

Get Your Music on Apple Music via PEEKSOUNDS

Getting your music on Apple Music can be harder than it seems especially if you haven’t done it before. If you want to share your music with the world without worrying about revenue, we can help you boost your career and get noticed.

Sell your music on Apple Music via PEEKSOUNDS and get unlimited music and video distribution for a mere $79.99/year. We make music distribution easy and convenient so you can focus on your music. Plus, you get to keep 100% of everything you earn!

Get access to 150+ digital outlets and distribute your music all across the globe while making money from it. It really doesn’t get any better than this!

Have questions? Get in touch with us today or/and check out our detailed FAQ page for answers. 

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Enjoying the Realism of Flute VST Plugins

If you know anything about audio production in general and music production in particular then you will know that this industry has witnessed revolutionary changes. There was a time when the cost of music production was exorbitant and only affordable to the rich or record labels.

The reason for this was simply that the cost of owning and operating a recording studio ran into hundreds of thousands of dollars. As you can see from the history discussed here, expensive hardware gear had to be purchased, acoustic structures put in place and music instruments and other back lines purchased and installed.

The story today has radically changed and with a few thousand dollars, one can set up a simple studio from which they can produce professional level music and audio projects.

This has largely been because of the availability of practically any hardware equipment in software form. This means that instead of purchasing gear for tens of thousands of dollars, you can get a software version for just a few hundred dollars or less.

This brings us to the core of our focus in this article which is the VST platform, one of the platforms on which these software also known as plugins operate.

What is a VST Plugin?

The first question we should probably ask is; what is VST? We will begin by answering this first question.

VST is an acronym that stands for Virtual Studio Technology and is a platform that facilitates the virtual replication of traditional studio hardware and instrument functions by digitally processing these signals using software called plugins.

VST, which was developed by Steinberg, is simply one such platform which allows plugins built by different brands to be usable across different DAWs (Digital Work Stations) and operating systems that support VST.

You can find a more detailed explanation here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_Studio_Technology.

How to Make the Right Choice

VST plugins can be created for practically anything today. We have virtual effect processors, microphones simulators, amp and cabinet simulators and of course virtual instruments.

Our focus in this article falls under this last group – virtual instruments.

These plugins eliminate the need for studios to have live musical instruments and the challenges that come with effectively recording them. While large studios that can afford it can still use these hardware and live approach, small studios can now compete at the highest level with top quality emulations of these.

In this case, a home or project studio does not have to get a professional flutist to be able to record a flute track. The biggest challenge that many used to have with these virtual instruments was the fact that they did not always sound realistic.

With improved sampling technology, the level of realism that can be achieved toady is nothing short of mind blowing.

To help you choose from a flute VST list that will ensure you get the best virtual representation of a flute sound and performance, we will look at some things to consider while making your choice.

Sample vs Emulation

This is easily the very first thing you should consider when choosing a virtual flute instrument. An emulation plugin will consist of a synthetic representation of the natural instrument’s sound achieved through precise programming expertise.

On the other hand, sampling will actually record the instrument extensively, capturing the varied nuances of its play along with different ambiance and microphone settings.

Most producers prefer the sampled versions because it is easier to achieve a high level of realism with them. They however come at some cost.

Size

This is another thing you should consider. While discussion sampled versus synthesized virtual instruments, we mentioned that using the sampled versions come at a cost. Well, this does not just refer to cost in terms of purchasing price.

A VST flute plugin that consists of sampled sounds will have a much larger space requirement because the sample libraries are usually huge. The synthesized variations on the other hand will require far less space.

You should therefore make your choice with this in mind.

Expression Options

An instrument like the flute has a lot of expressions and effects that can be achieved while playing it naturally. This can be the result of microphone positioning or actual playing techniques.

Considering this still brings us back to the issue of choosing between a sampled sound and a synthesized one. The sampled sound will usually include as much expression types as possible – whether it is the result of microphone positioning or playing technique.

You need to understand that the more the expression options that are available to you, the easier it will be to achieve a very realistic flute performance in your production.

Ease of Use

Now, this is something that is very crucial in music production. While choosing plugins, you need something that can easily be incorporated into your existing setup.

This may be a USB keyboard with its expression pedals and other accessories. It may also simply be a midi controller from which your trigger your samples. Whatever your setup and DAW is, you need a plugin that will fit easily into it.

If you really want to get a very clear picture of what we’ve been discussing above, then you should read this article.

Conclusion

Music production has really grown in leaps and bounds. You are basically no longer restricted by budgets, space and inability to play some instruments. If you know exactly the sound you want, chances are that you can find a plugin you can use to achieve it.

In this article we focused on the flute and believe you have gotten some important information that will help you choose the right plugin for your next production.

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We at PEEKSOUND get questions asking us “how do I get my music into YouTube’s music & content ID system and collect my royalties?”.

Here are step by step instructions:

1

Upload Your Music or Music Video through PEEKSOUND

Use PEEKSOUND website to submit your tracks, music video, artwork, and release information quickly and easily.

2

We’ll Send Your Music to Youtube

We will release your music to the content ID system in addition to all the other stores like iTunes, Spotify, and everything in between.

3

Get Paid

Every time your track or music video gets streamed, you get paid 100% of your royalties.

Earn 100% of your royalties from your streams on YouTube.

With over 180 million active users per month and counting, YouTube is the most popular video streaming services in the world, you make it easier for fans to connect with you and your music.

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It’s not simple finding good music reviews currently, especially with the proliferation of blogs and social media where everyone who is anyone can pipe up with their two cents worth of knowledge about whatever they want to say about the latest Ting Tings B-side…however, you should not give up hope. There are still great music reviews out there, you just have to search a little harder to find them, among the ether of sub-standard sites and WebPages.

The finest thing to do is to rely on word of mouth recommendation from people who you trust and once you find a site that delivers top quality reviews, stick with it! Pick your genre and search the web for reviews in artists in that genre, then just spend a few hours comparing and contrasting the various writing styles until you find one that you like! Of course, if you find one that you like at once, then count your lucky stars and stick with that one…

Everybody likes diverse styles of music, but what the great thing is about the various sites that showcase music reviews is that you can be convinced to listen to new material by the power of the reviewer’s writing; you never know, you may find out a whole new style of music for you to explore and enjoy, just by reading a short, bright review!

So, go and test out all the sites that the World Wide Web has to offer and when you have found one that you like, don’t leave it, either keep retuning to it or sign up to its mailing list…have fun!

Those who write music reviews are nearly always music lovers, and they will repeatedly listen to a piece of music again and again to determine all the nuances and sensations the piece can offer. Depending on the music reviewer, their opinions might or not be objective.

Music reviewers are in the business of ranking music, and occasionally a music review will include a comparison of songs or albums to an artist’s preceding releases. A music review may include the writer’s opinion on whether or not the piece will be a hit or a flop, whether it is worth the asking price, and whether or not the artists ought to expect to have prolonged existence in the music business.

Often, the proficient music reviewer will specialize in reviewing music that is of a particular genre. For example, those with expertise in classical music will not usually waste much time listening to and reviewing hip-hop music. Nor would an expert in folk music be qualified to review a punk rock concert. However, some music reviewers are true music lovers with a deep level of sophistication and appreciation for all kinds of music. Those who truly understand that music is an artistic expression should be able to judge the music on its own merit, and form an objective opinion.

Sometimes a music reviewer will be necessary to give an unbiased opinion, even if the reviewer does not in person care for the piece. If the reviewer feels that there is some audience for the piece and it deserves a good review, the objective reviewer with experience and good sense can set aside his personal preferences and honor the piece with an honest review.