289 – Here’s How Indie Musicians Can Cut Through the Noise

The New Music Industry Podcast | MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com | with David Andrew Wiebe

Everywhere you look, there are incredibly talented YouTubers. Is everyone a virtuoso? It’s sure starting to look that way. Not to mention – they look and sound great. How is one even supposed to compete? Well, here’s the funny thing. There are a couple of things most artists – and not just artists but even digital marketers and SEO agencies – aren’t very good at. Care to find out what those things are, so you have a chance even in an increasingly noisy world? In this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast, David shares how you can stand out from the crowd. Download the PDF Transcription Podcast Highlights: 01:00 – Is the bar higher than ever? 01:49 – Two things most artists aren’t that great at 03:27 – The secret to pitching 04:18 – Closing thoughts Sponsors: The Music Entrepreneur Companion Guide: Get the official, definitive companion guide to The Music Entrepreneur Code covering, in clarity and detail, secrets to making it in the new music business. Productivity, Performance & Profits Blackbook: The first of its kind – David’s new premium book covering productivity, featuring content from Music Entrepreneur HQ, his personal blog, his many books, and even Start Your Year the Right Way, which is included in its entirety. Be fully unleashed in accomplishing your dreams and desires! The New Music Industry Podcast Unisex Fleece Zip Up Hoodie: Another exciting addition to our merch line. The official zip up hoodie is warm, comfy, stylish, unisex, and it’s even available in multiple sizes and colors! Click the “Buy this” button to add yours to your wardrobe now! The New Music Industry Podcast Unisex T-Shirt: It’s finally here – the official podcast T-shirt! It’s comfy, it’s stylish, it’s unisex, and it’s available in multiple sizes and colors. Click on the link, choose your size and color, and click on the “Buy this” button to get yours now! Transcription: Hey, it's David Andrew Wiebe. Today I wanted to let you know about another really great podcast called The Unstarving Musician. This show is hosted by Robonzo, and it was created as a way to help other independent musicians better understand the marketing, business, and creative processes that empower us to make music and make a living doing it. Episodes feature insights from Robonzo and a wide array of guests. Topics covered on The Unstarving Musician includes songwriting, recording, release strategy, building an audience, musical licensing, and more. Hear it at Unstarving Musician .com or wherever you get your audio. I also did a couple of interviews with The Unstarving Musician, and you'll be able to hear me over there as well. With that, let's get into today's episode. And today I wanted to talk about separating yourself from the pack. A lot of people tend to think this is harder than it's ever been. Like how do you stand out? How do you cut through the noise? How can you be so unique, so different, so compelling, so noteworthy, so interesting that people are just naturally and automatically and magnetically drawn to you. And the reality is, sure the bar is pretty high in terms of production. Even independent records nowadays tend to sound pretty amazing with all the technology and knowledge that's out there. I've found some incredible guides on mixing online that have made a huge difference to my own mixes. And sure, the bar might be high in terms of artistry and musicianship and craftsmanship. You can find some incredible players out there, whether it's Tosin Abasi, or Steve Vai, or Joe Bonamassa. But you know where the bar isn't very high, is in pitching. A lot of musicians are unskilled when it comes to pitching. Now I get it. There's actually a lot of discomfort around the subject matter. Any time I post something about networking or growing your network or finding more people or creating connections, I often see responses from other people, artists, my social media followers, or otherwise saying,