4 Must-Know Strategies That Got My Tracks Signed Without a Following

Regardless of whether you’re interested in signing your song to labels or self-releasing, here are 4 things that can help you either get signed to your favorite labels, or help you pitch your songs to playlist owners, which is especially important if you’re self-releasing…

4 THOUGHTS FROM ME

1. Cheat your learning.

Instead of going through the long, arduous process of learning everything in music production by yourself, which could take years, you can cheat your learning and make it a bit faster. yeah. In that sense, here are a few ways to achieve this:

1. Collab with people to learn from them. I’ve done collabs with the main intent to learn from the person I was collaborating with, and the song ended up being a bonus in the end, as what I’ve learned was more valuable to me than the song itself. Write a killer melody and pitch other producers that are better than you for a collab. If they accept, get into the project and learn everything you can from it, or, even better, get together and produce via Zoom to learn their ways;
2. Hire producers you admire to work on your song. Sometimes, you won’t get the producers you love to collaborate with you, but you can ask them for a 1on1 and see them working inside your project. Learn their processes, their techniques, and just observe and ask questions. The intention, again, is not necessarily to make this song better, to make your whole production skillset better;
3. Copy your favorite track as close as you can. Copying someone else’s track is a tough task, so you can also just focus on replicating an 8-bar loop if that’s less daunting. Doing this, though, will show you what you need to do in your songs when the time comes, along with showing how to properly arrange, sound design, and mix the elements together;
4. Watch tutorials of your favorite producer working on tracks (not on single tips). Watch long production videos as these will give you better insight into how producers actually work, instead of just showing a single tip. But, who has the time for 2-3 hour tutorials, right? Then, listen to them producing when you’re doing something else, and bookmark the times that you’d like to take a closer look at later

2. Learn how to get ahead in the label game.

Getting signed is not only about your music, but also how you go about getting your song heard by the A&Rs. Of course, the music has to be amazing for it to be signed, but here is what I’d do if I had to redo it all:

1. Know your target labels. Make a list of 5-7 labels that you’d love to sign your songs to. Leo, but why not self-release? Labels are a great way to get exposure and reach bigger audiences than you could on your own, but you must do your research and make sure that these labels can deliver what you’re looking for (more on how to find your ideal labels here);
2. Find an alternative way to send your music. Instead of just trying to send your song through the portals or emails, first, look for alternative ways of sending your music. This can enhance your chances of being listened to and, sometimes, even getting feedback on your submissions.
   • Find friends who have released with that label and ask for a recommendation (that’s how I signed to Euphonic);
   • Collab with someone that is already releasing with that label (that’s how I signed to Armada);
   • Go to social events and meet the label’s A&Rs, trying to establish a closer relationship with them so you’re not ‘just another one’ in their inbox;
3. Be ready to show them your catalog. Getting signed for the first time is important, but signing your second, third, fourth… and repetitively releasing with the label is as important as your first release. So, always have some songs ready to be sent in case the label asks for more. I recommend having at least 3-5 songs before reaching out to labels, so if they ask for more, you’re ready to send.
4. Work with people your target labels work with. If you know that Label X works with Producer Y, then hire him/her to mix and master your song, but later gently ask if they could send the song after you finish. Do this for a long time, and as you enhance your music, you’re likely going to be recommended;
5. Build momentum with smaller labels. If you’re not getting your song signed to bigger labels, start building a portfolio and your socials with smaller labels, and that will make you more attractive to bigger labels as your music and socials develop.

3. Take the pressure off yourself when it comes to getting signed.

At the same time that it feels amazing when you get signed, it can be awful and sometimes even makes you want to quit if you get rejected after pouring your heart and soul into a song. Instead of making the same mistakes as I’ve done with labels, do this:

1. Stop taking your music too seriously. Once you start putting too much pressure into what you’re doing, I’ll guarantee that it will suck all the fun of it. Focus on making music you like and consider getting signed as a BONUS, not even a consequence, as a consequence would imply ‘do this’ and ‘achieve that’. If one song fails, learn from it and move on, but don’t take it personally… It’s just a song, and it’s not worth the stress;
2. Stop making songs thinking about labels. My best days started when I stopped caring about labels when producing. Do this and you’ll see how you’ll be less afraid to fail and also how you’ll be more prone to experimenting, which can be what ends up making your music more interesting;
3. Make friends in the industry who you can talk openly about music production and your career. It’s refreshing not to feel alone, and having friends in this industry can help you feel that you’re not the only one going through these struggles. In addition, these friends can be the ones who later teach you something, or introduce you to a label that you’ve signed to, so the more friends you make in the industry, the greater your chances of meeting someone who will help you in the future.

4. Tick all these ‘to-dos’ off your demo before sending.

Before you even begin strategizing how to sign your song (or promote, if self-releasing), focus on the one thing that actually makes the biggest difference: your song. So:

1. Take your song to a professional level. Labels are looking for the best material, so your song needs to be at the best level possible. To make sure your song is at that level, you should (a) test it in a set, or (b) compare it with a reference track. This can show if your song is lacking in any way. If you’re still unsure, (c) get feedback on your song, and if the response is not ‘hell yeah’, consider tweaking it a bit more before sending;
2. Hire someone to help you finish your song. Hiring someone is not only a way to learn, but also a way to get your song where you want it to be. From finishing the idea to just doing a mix and master, this can be the finishing touches you need to get your song to a more PRO level;
3. Be unique in what you’re doing. While labels want something that fits their catalog, they also look for something unique, and that makes your song stand out. Therefore, you can’t think so far outside the box that your song doesn’t fit their catalog, but also not so inside the box that you’ll end up being what they already released. For example, in my song ‘Sahara’, Lukysh and I did something different with the lead sound design, more aggressive than Melodic House’s normal leads, and that’s what the label owner said he loved about the song;
4. Nail the 30-second preview. Your song needs to hook the A&R in 30 seconds or less because that’s normally how much they listen on a first listen. Why? Because if it’s not hooking them, it might not hook a listener as well, so they use this as a kind of test. So, design the arrangement and ideas of your song in a way that it
   • Doesn’t get repetitive in 30s;
   • Hooks the listener right from the beginning of drop 1 and drop 2 with an element;
   • Gets more interesting as the song progresses, something I talk more in-depth over here.

1 QUESTION FOR YOU

What else can get your music and your skills ahead of the game?

1. Produce other genres than only your main one.
This can massively boost your creativity by exposing you to new elements and production techniques, which you can later apply in your own song and make it more unique.

2. Reference the hell out of everything.
Referencing is seriously the most helpful skill that I’ve developed, and there’s so much you can gain from it. For example, compare your song to a reference and, only using your ears, check if the low end, mids, and highs are at a similar loudness to the reference. At the very least, ask yourself, ‘Is my track at a similar quality level?’. If the answer is no, get back to work.

3. Always think ahead of what’s currently being released by your dream label.
Labels are signing now what they will release in 3-6 months, sometimes 1-2 years, so just copying what they are releasing now won’t get you so far. It’s often better to just email an A&R you are friends with and ask for advice rather than trying to imagine what they are after (another reason why it’s helpful to connect with A&Rs).