5 Steps to Getting Your Songs Heard and Connecting With Your Listeners

As a musician, you are an expert at creating music. This is your wheelhouse where you excel. You are also an expert at connecting with your listeners given the audience. But getting your music heard and getting it in front of enough listeners to create enough momentum to move the needle on your career is another.

It starts with the root.

At the root of the success of your music is your songs. Your songs are the bedrock of your success – and the catalyst. Your success is based on the strength of your songs.

So getting them heard starts with becoming a great songwriter. As well as matching your music to you. In old school days of A&R, the song was everything. It was the bedrock of an artists success.

Think of Elvis and “Blue Suede Shoes”.
Think of Marvin Gaye and “What’s Going On?”
Think of The Beatles and “Hey Jude”
Think of Cyndi Lauper and “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”
Think of Tina Turner and “What’s Love Got to Do With It”

Every artist needs a song that matches who they are in such a way that it becomes a catalyst to propel them into the public stage.

Here are my top 5 tips for how to move the needle to get your songs heard and connect to millions of listeners worldwide. A million blogs focus on the typical marketing tactics, I’m going to focus on these.

1. Your Artist Mission

It all starts with your artist mission.

What do you want your music to do for people? Write it out. Get super clear on what your music stands for. What you stand for. It’s the key foundational piece of getting your music heard. If you don’t know what your mission is, how can you move people?

2. Your Artist Message

Your artist message is part of your mission but it is the message in your songs. Hint: your artist message and your songs lyrics should fit together.

Usually when you write an album or collection of songs you are moving through something in your life. Artists use life to reflect their art. Musician’s have periods like artists. Van Gogh had his “blue period” just like Joni Mitchell. What time are you in? Pull the message from your songs to refine it. Your artist message is the content for your marketing message. If you write it well, and it is compelling enough to draw people in, you will get people to listen.

3. Your Artist Story

Your Artist Story is what makes people bond to you emotionally. It starts with any interesting detail about where you grew up or some interesting aspect of your personality. For instance, once of my artists grew up in Salem, Massachusetts. Given that she was into paranormal activity it aligned with Salem. So we built a story about it. Another client was from a small town in Missoula, Montana and we built her message and songs around that. Another client is from Iceland and we are building the story from there. What makes you unique? Start by writing out your background and don’t be too anxious to find it quickly. It will reveal itself. I’ve never met an artist that didn’t have a story.

The Signature Songwriting Circle is a great place to start diving deeper to get more of YOU in your music. Through our Alchemical Cowriting and Artistic Process, you’ll be guided through an immersive experience to transform your music and artistry. Want to learn more? Our next run starts soon. Learn more here.

4. Creating a Community

Getting your music heard starts with creating a community of listeners.

Social media platforms have started subscriptions as a way to provide unique content for paid subscribers. This allows you to invite people to join your community where you get paid to play for them and connect with your people. This is the fastest way to connect with a like-minded audience that is paying to hear your music and to grow your community of listeners and devoted fans.

5. Your Niche

Rather than cast a wide net, niche down to your ideal audience. If you wonder what your niche is, look in the mirror. For starters, it’s people like you who will like your music. A niche audience member is your most devoted listener. This will carry you to bigger audiences. Where are your peeps – go meet them there? Do they like concerts under the stars? Or big city venues. Tailor your music to where they are. You won’t be sorry!

If you’re looking for a place to level up and shave years off your climb, join my online program Step Up to the Spotlight 6-week Artist Development Program. Over the past 15 years of running this program, I’ve continued to perfect and tweak the content and this new version of Step Up is now in its best form ever serving thousands of artists worldwide. Join us now and start your transformation with instant access. There will never be a better time to step up and become the artist of your life! Learn more here.