In this intro episode, I’m going to explain how the Pick Yourself podcast can help you boost your electronic music career. You’re going to find out who this podcast is for and why I’ve decided to create this resource. After that, I’m going to show you what you can expect from the podcast in the future. At the end of this episode, I will give you a little bit of background information about myself and the story behind all this.
Why should you listen to the Pick Yourself podcast?
I’ve created this for people like you, who work hard on their music but struggle to get enough exposure. Maybe you already have an audience but you’re still far away from generating a significant income with your artist career.
So let me ask you a few questions…
- Are you having trouble getting enough plays on platforms like SoundCloud, Spotify, or YouTube?
- Do you struggle with promoting your releases to the right people?
- Do you find it hard to get gigs on respected clubs and festivals?
- Maybe you want to release on a label but nobody seems to really care about your submissions?
If you can answer at least one of these questions with “YES”, then the Pick Yourself Podcast is for you. Definitely.
Why have I created this podcast?
I simply got frustrated with all the mediocre advice out there. Most resources are either trying to sell you short-sighted tactics or apply startup-type entrepreneurship advice to music creation. There is obviously some truth to all of this, but overall, I believe that something was missing in this sphere. I wanted to create something meaningful that truly has an impact on your artist career.
So what do I mean by “meaningful” and “making an impact”? I strongly believe your mission as an artist is to create emotional value and inspire people with your art. It doesn’t matter if it’s a synth line or a vocal, or simply an expertly-crafted kick drum. Something has to stand out and turn your creation into a piece of art.
The second aspect of this is: How do you bring this to people who give a damn? I’m a strong advocate of telling an authentic and consistent story to your audience that creates curiosity and enhances your musical output. This is where usually most (crappy) advice kicks in.
People tend to focus much more on the latest gimmick and hack instead of putting real effort into building a consistent artist brand.
What can you expect from the Pick Yourself Podcast in the future?
First of all, I will publish new episodes every week. I’ll try to keep them within the 30-60 minutes range. Moreover, I’m planning two categories of episodes. The first one is focusing on specific topics, the second one will feature in-depth interviews with highly respected people in the electronic music community.
Topics in the first category will revolve around questions like these:
- How do I gain the attention of respected labels?
- Should I start my own label?
- How do I get (better) gigs?
- Do I need a manager?
- ….and many more (I’ve already outlined more than 20 topics!)
These episodes will be me sharing my experiences and identifying patterns that I’ve seen happen over and over again among my studio clients. Apart from these “solo-episodes”, I’m going to interview high-profile people from the global electronic music scene who will share their experiences with you. Expect authentic insights and zero-bullshit advice!
The types of people I’m going to interview are:
- Established artists
- Label owners
- Show promoters
- Club owners
- Booking agents
- PR specialists
- …you get the idea.
Every Pick Yourself podcast episode is going to follow a certain structure. I will first introduce you to a specific problem. Then, we will talk about possible solutions, and lastly, I will leave you with specific action steps you can implement right after the episode. I believe that only actionable advice is going to help you get to the next level. Whether you’ll implement it or not is up to you then.
A little bit of background about myself
I will keep this short (you can find the long version here): I’m in the professional music business since more than ten years now. From being a touring musician in a melodic hardcore punkrock band (hoping to become the next “Rise Against”) to finding my passion for producing, mixing and mastering electronic music was quite a long road.
What many people don’t know: I’ve actually studied communication science and worked as a brand strategist in a marketing agency before deciding to do music full time.
Both of these aspects, the music and also the marketing experience, have to work together organically if you really want to crush it in today’s music business. In my opinion, the music itself is way more important, but if you completely neglect the other side of things, you’re very likely to fail. This is where the Pick Yourself Podcast comes into play. I want to merge these two aspects in a natural way.
I’m now working full time in my Berlin-based mixing and mastering studio and I’m starting to see patterns of success and failure among my clients. Some of them world-famous, some of them just starting out. I’ve decided to give something back to our community by sharing these stories and experiences. I’m now at a point in my life where these things start to matter more than ever and I’m deeply convinced that this is going to help you in many ways.
So what would YOU like to hear in the upcoming episodes? Let me know in the comments, I read everything!