Hey, it’s me again. My name is Baptiste, I’m a record producer and mixer on the Old Continent. Today I will not be answering the following questions:
– How to export your files for mixing?
– Which sample rate should you use?
– How to write an efficient melody over your beat?
– How to double your streams on Spotify in ten minutes?
These topics, as interesting and useful as they can be to an aspiring musician making music in their bedroom, do not interest me. I could pretend to care by answering these questions and trying to help the beginners, onboarding a few percent of them to my course or selling them my mixing services.
Although, when I look at the market today, I think there’s enough of that going on. You don’t need me to learn how to export your files from your DAW. You don’t need me to pick your sample rate because you can find a lot of “professionals” arguing over that all over the internet. I also don’t believe in teaching melody. It’s very counterintuitive to me. Teaching how to be creative. I don’t know, I’ve never bought it. You either have ideas or you don’t. And if you don’t, sit down and work until you have one.
Many things can be taught regarding what to do with that idea. But how to come up with it? I’m not sure. No one creates the same way. There’s just too many options. And that’s the beauty of it, in my opinion.
But I digress.
Many would say that I’m a pretty opinionated person. They can all bite me. But they do have a point. That’s why I’m writing. Not to explain to you, for the sixteenth time, how to export your files without printing the effects. You can find the answer in ten seconds. (Remember the website Let Me Google That For You?)
Instead, I am writing about what crosses my mind on Thursday mornings. I am writing about concepts, about things that startle me, or scare me (read my piece on AI in music). Random thoughts, related to music and its industry, that stay on the back burner long enough for me to take an interest.
Today I want to write about branding. There, I said it. One of the cringiest words in all the digital-marketing world. Please bear with me though: this will be fast. And it will be different.
You’ve already read all about it, I’m sure. Just like I did (lie). I’ve read both good things and bad things about the whole concept and how to apply it to your music. While building your brand as an artist is important, especially in this highly saturated market, you should be very careful about what you brand.
Let me explain.
The only way branding will ever work for you is if you’re honest with yourself about who you are.
I’ll repeat that. The only way branding will ever work for you is if you’re honest with yourself about who you are.
Short explanation: don’t build a brand around something you’re not. Example: if you don’t like purple, don’t make it your colour scheme because you think it’s the next trend.
Long explanation: people see through fake. They do. Even on TikTok. Humans can see through the lens whether you’re genuine. Even if you don’t believe me, think of it differently: how long do you think you can pretend that you’re someone you’re not?
I’ve seen it happen quite a bit unfortunately, in all the genres that fall into pop-music territory (which includes hip hop, rock, etc).
It’s an exhausting job for the artist. And it’s not sustainable. I’ve never seen it succeed in the long run. They all break down at some point. Some are strong enough (and angry enough) to come back with a vengeance and become the honest version of themselves (think Gaga, or more recently RAYE). It’s mostly the exception and not the rule though, as most will leave the music industry forever, gutted, exhausted, and utterly lost.
The only way is to create and connect honestly. Being alright with who and what you are, and showing that to the audience. You’ll connect with your fans on a much deeper level, as they’ll feel you’re genuine. It’s the only way you can truly relate to someone. If you can make them feel like you’ve been in their shoes before.
I remember an old Dave Grohl interview where he was talking about that. He was struggling with his image at the beginning of Foo Fighters’ career. He didn’t know how to act, what type of performer he was supposed to be, or pretend to be, on stage.
One day, they were playing an award show or something, and Bowie was performing as well. Dave saw him backstage acting like David Bowie. With all his mannerisms, grace and legendary cool. Later on that night, Bowie went on stage. And guess what? He was the same. The same as he was backstage. The same as he was in everyday life. He wasn’t putting on a mask or a costume (okay, he did put on costumes, many of them in fact, but you get what I mean). He wasn’t playing a part. That’s just the way he was.
That’s when it clicked for Dave. How simple it was. You just have to be yourself. If it worked for Bowie, if it worked for Grohl, I would argue that it will work for you as well.
But then again, what do I know…
*****
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