As you may be able to tell from my actually having a website, I'm finally trying to take this 'musician' thing a little bit more seriously in 2022. For the last few weeks I've been thinking about ways to get my songs heard, how to meet and make new fans, and how to engage with the people who enjoy my music in the most productive way.
One of the things I'm struggling with lately is avoiding the temptation of "the next big thing", from a platform perspective. FOMO (fear of missing out) is very real for me as an artist... I hear about unknown musicians hitting The Algorithm just right and getting a million plays on TikTok, and I think, "How can I get in on that?" But the fact is that a million plays on TikTok is almost certainly a pad for my vanity more than it is a meaningful way to create fans of my music. Does anyone take that next step from TikTok and actually listen to an album, or come to a show, or order some merch? I don't know. I know I don't do that.
Maybe, maybe that number helps me book a gig at a venue that had previously ignored me... but from a practical perspective, I've already got my hands full with Facebook and Instagram, so does it make any sense to try to seriously engage in a platform where content has a shelf life of 24 hours? It pains me to admit it, but I don't think it does.
I'm working at this "musician" thing with a family and a full-time job, so I need to use my time as efficiently as possible... And I feel like I'm going to get the most meaningful engagements the old-fashioned way... you know - by writing blog posts, busking in the subway, and putting up posters on every public bulletin board. Or maybe by putting in the effort on the platforms I'm already on, to stay connected with the people who have already shown they care.
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