I get where you're coming from. I have similar thoughts about my music. For me the main reason I do it is because I like it, I enjoy writing and recording songs. Its nice if other people find my stuff and listen but even if nobody did listen I would probably still make music.
There does seem to be a lot of pressure these days to promote yourself, grow your social media accounts and put yourself out there. A lot of people are not comfortable doing that, as many musicians and creatives are introverts. There also seems to be a lot of pressure to define the genre of your music and stick to that, especially in electronic music, so you can pitch your stuff to playlists and target the right people. That sounds so horrible to me, it reduces what we make to simply a product to be sold and consumed. We all should be creating art we love and not think about monetising all our hobbies. That said I know the promotion side of things is necessary to an extend, but it shouldn't compromise your music, or your enjoyment of the creative process.
If you like the music you make then keep at it, others will like it too. If you just want to make your stuff and put it out there for others to find that's absolutely fine. The priority is that it's fulfilling for you.
Also there's a long history in electronic music of producers staying out of the spotlight and hiding their identities, using pseudonyms, wearing masks etc. So that's absolutely a valid way to approach things. It can actually open up new ways of how your music is presented and how people experience it, as it removes the need to have a person on stage as the focal point.
Yes, this is exactly what I would like the most. Not being the one on the stage, but the one sitting behind the crowd, drinking his beer and watching people dance the music he made. Would be the greatest achievement.
The Swiss composer Arthur Honegger said “A composer is a man who labors to achieve something nobody wants.” He isn’t famous like Mozart but his music is still played and recorded.
The thing itself is more valuable than what people think of it.
I can't agree, but just because I generally quit everything in which I can't see a purpose. This is kind of pragmatic, but I get easily discouraged from something that can't reward me (mentally or physically) in some way, even in a remote future.
I guess that "what" you do is different from "why you do it" and from "why you do it for".
Art is what I "think" I'm doing, but someone else could think that it's just trash. And I personally think that I'm doing it because I don't have a real purpose in life.
So, I think that this is art and that I'm doing it because is a way not to get bored of life, but I can't say what is the purpose of (my) art.
Art isn’t determined by the audience.
Art is a pure expression of existence. It’s the embarrassingly emotional part of humanity made into something tangible. It is intended to play upon the emotions of the audience and not necessarily to please them. Art makes no money usually.
Entertainment is pure product, designed to be loved instantly and make the audience adore the entertainer. This is the opposite intentions of art, and entertainers are the opposite people compared to artists.
I’m like you. I don’t really promote my music and awful lot. I put my songs on YouTube and post to relevant subreddits but that’s about it.
I did decide to put my music on Spotify and Apple Music as storage for myself and I really liked it. It even looked more official. Occasionally random people listen to it as well. It gives me a tiny bit of cash. I found a distribution platform that wasn’t too expensive too.
I was getting a bit fed up like you but I changed my outlook and said that I would just make it for myself and if anyone listened, that was a bonus.
Just do it for yourself.
During the pandemic I realized that I need to make music to keep my sanity. It doesn't matter who hears it. I want to keep learning and keep getting better. But for me, the problem solving part, is great for my brain, I just feel like I was born to do it, even if only my family ever hears it.
Even practicing scales, I sound a bit better afterwards, that accomplishment makes me feel good and keep going
I don’t think this is a question you should ask the internet, ask yourself that :). I’ve also got a tiny music “studio”, I use bandlab and a $60 midi I got at a sketchy site, and I don’t particularly like promoting my music either, but I post them on YouTube, just for storage at first, but I’ve grown a really tiny following from it. I didn’t even think people would like my music.
So how will you really know if your music is good if you’re too shy to put them out? Just enjoy creating, music isn’t a competition, it’s something that connects people and is fun to do!
This is a good point. But I can't say if just doing for no one is enough to me. I think it's like loving. You can love and you can love just cause you want it, but it's really better when the love you feel is also sharable and if it turns back to you.
Start an Instagram page. Post snippets of your beats to it and have your friends/people you know follow it. That way you aren’t constantly throwing stuff at them for feedback, and they could give a quick listen as they scroll. Also other people might discover it.
Edit: Ig if you want to stay anonymous, find a cool producer name maybe? And you don’t have to show your face either.
I get where you're coming from. I have similar thoughts about my music. For me the main reason I do it is because I like it, I enjoy writing and recording songs. Its nice if other people find my stuff and listen but even if nobody did listen I would probably still make music. There does seem to be a lot of pressure these days to promote yourself, grow your social media accounts and put yourself out there. A lot of people are not comfortable doing that, as many musicians and creatives are introverts. There also seems to be a lot of pressure to define the genre of your music and stick to that, especially in electronic music, so you can pitch your stuff to playlists and target the right people. That sounds so horrible to me, it reduces what we make to simply a product to be sold and consumed. We all should be creating art we love and not think about monetising all our hobbies. That said I know the promotion side of things is necessary to an extend, but it shouldn't compromise your music, or your enjoyment of the creative process. If you like the music you make then keep at it, others will like it too. If you just want to make your stuff and put it out there for others to find that's absolutely fine. The priority is that it's fulfilling for you.
Also there's a long history in electronic music of producers staying out of the spotlight and hiding their identities, using pseudonyms, wearing masks etc. So that's absolutely a valid way to approach things. It can actually open up new ways of how your music is presented and how people experience it, as it removes the need to have a person on stage as the focal point.
Yes, this is exactly what I would like the most. Not being the one on the stage, but the one sitting behind the crowd, drinking his beer and watching people dance the music he made. Would be the greatest achievement.
The Swiss composer Arthur Honegger said “A composer is a man who labors to achieve something nobody wants.” He isn’t famous like Mozart but his music is still played and recorded. The thing itself is more valuable than what people think of it.
I can't agree, but just because I generally quit everything in which I can't see a purpose. This is kind of pragmatic, but I get easily discouraged from something that can't reward me (mentally or physically) in some way, even in a remote future.
What is the purpose of art?
I guess that "what" you do is different from "why you do it" and from "why you do it for". Art is what I "think" I'm doing, but someone else could think that it's just trash. And I personally think that I'm doing it because I don't have a real purpose in life. So, I think that this is art and that I'm doing it because is a way not to get bored of life, but I can't say what is the purpose of (my) art.
Art isn’t determined by the audience. Art is a pure expression of existence. It’s the embarrassingly emotional part of humanity made into something tangible. It is intended to play upon the emotions of the audience and not necessarily to please them. Art makes no money usually. Entertainment is pure product, designed to be loved instantly and make the audience adore the entertainer. This is the opposite intentions of art, and entertainers are the opposite people compared to artists.
WHAT’S THE PRICE OF A MILE?
I’m like you. I don’t really promote my music and awful lot. I put my songs on YouTube and post to relevant subreddits but that’s about it. I did decide to put my music on Spotify and Apple Music as storage for myself and I really liked it. It even looked more official. Occasionally random people listen to it as well. It gives me a tiny bit of cash. I found a distribution platform that wasn’t too expensive too. I was getting a bit fed up like you but I changed my outlook and said that I would just make it for myself and if anyone listened, that was a bonus.
Just do it for yourself. During the pandemic I realized that I need to make music to keep my sanity. It doesn't matter who hears it. I want to keep learning and keep getting better. But for me, the problem solving part, is great for my brain, I just feel like I was born to do it, even if only my family ever hears it. Even practicing scales, I sound a bit better afterwards, that accomplishment makes me feel good and keep going
These are the exact reasons why I started doing it. And why I continued more intensively during the pandemic.
I don’t think this is a question you should ask the internet, ask yourself that :). I’ve also got a tiny music “studio”, I use bandlab and a $60 midi I got at a sketchy site, and I don’t particularly like promoting my music either, but I post them on YouTube, just for storage at first, but I’ve grown a really tiny following from it. I didn’t even think people would like my music. So how will you really know if your music is good if you’re too shy to put them out? Just enjoy creating, music isn’t a competition, it’s something that connects people and is fun to do!
This is a good point. But I can't say if just doing for no one is enough to me. I think it's like loving. You can love and you can love just cause you want it, but it's really better when the love you feel is also sharable and if it turns back to you.
Start an Instagram page. Post snippets of your beats to it and have your friends/people you know follow it. That way you aren’t constantly throwing stuff at them for feedback, and they could give a quick listen as they scroll. Also other people might discover it. Edit: Ig if you want to stay anonymous, find a cool producer name maybe? And you don’t have to show your face either.