How to Release Music in 2022

  Happy new year! Over the last couple of weeks we have been reflecting and assessing everything that happened in 2021. I hope that you were able to celebrate the wins and find areas of growth for the new year. 

  With all of that information in our minds I now wanted to look to the year ahead. We have just begun 2022 and we can bring everything we've learned and make this the best year yet. On our music journey there is so much to think about to figure out how to move the needle. For this week I wanted to focus on how to release music in 2022.

  There are 4 key areas that are crucial to having a successful year of releases. These areas are: production, consistency, visuals and marketing. We don't have to do all of these things on our own, but figuring out how to do all of them (well) is important. We all have strengths and weaknesses to understanding which areas we need help in, which is just as valuable as excelling in things on our own.

Production

  In 2022 production can make or break a song. There has never been access to so many powerful production tools in history. If you have a laptop, a microphone and a midi controller you have everything you need to create music. Yes, bringing on talented producers to help make music with you is wise, as they are experts in their craft, but having an understanding of how to record your vocals and do some basic programming will help you cast vision to any producer you work with.  Having great production is a crucial part and will help your songs stand out and make more impact.

Visuals

  Music is audio but we live in a very visual world now via social media. Any type of post or even music releases has to have a visual element. It is important to to spend a lot of time considering the visual aspects of our music. From artwork, to lyric videos, and to social media posts in general, it is all vital to getting our songs heard. It is ok if you are not a graphic designer because there are many talented artists to partner with. Reach out to friends in your community or even websites like fiver.com and you'll find talented artists to help you with your visuals in 2022.

Consistency

  I've discussed the power of consistency many times as I believe it is often the difference maker. I have personally been releasing a song a month over the last 3 years and this year I am planning to pull back to releasing every 3 months. When I started releasing music in 2018 I was working full time at a church and my production load was not nearly what it is today. In order to help the algorithm to push our music out we have to maintain consistent releases.  So for 2022 my challenge to you, and to myself, is to release as many high-quality songs as consistently as possible.

Marketing

  Now that we have great sounding, great looking and consistent releases the final piece is the marketing.  Nothing can be more discouraging than putting your heart, soul and finances into a release only to have no one hear it. Yes, organic reach is still alive and well, but due to the over saturation of releases, having a marketing service can help give your song a big advantage. It can be difficult to find the right service for you so asking your artist friends or community is one way to finding the right fit. 

  The combination of great production, strong visuals, consistent releases and powerful marketing will help your music reach the most people in 2022. Staying aware of trends is key as things are changing all the time. Also setting realistic expectations and goals for yourself is a great way to keep momentum on your journey. A new year brings new opportunities and if you closely consider these 4 areas you this can be your best year of music yet.

  When is your first release planned for 2022?