always push my artists to focus on their own brand and use the platforms to distribute the story/message. @Christopher Carvalho
Releasing new music is not an easy task, especially if you're an independent artist.
Some lack funds, know how or the tools to pin-point the reasons for success or the lack of it.
This leaves many musicians uncertain about how to proceed with their current releases and planning their next ones.
Yep. The amount of work needed to release music is overwhelming. But, you don't have to do this alone!
Think of having a guide that will lead you from the early stages of the creative process to planning a strategy for your upcoming release schedule.
Meet your perfect guide - Unlock Your Sound.
Unlock Your Sound accompanies artists and producers from creating to releasing new music. Their platform helps musicians find and connect to their audience so they can make the biggest impact when they push their next release.
We had the pleasure to talk with Christopher Carvalho - Unlock your sounds' founder; providing his take on the impact of social media, understanding the right place to put your focus and the future of the music industry.
How did you start "Unlock your sound"? Tell us a bit about yourself and what made you start the company. I started Unlock Your Sound with a view of helping new artists get off the ground, whether that be via production/engineering services, coaching, management, whatever helps them get over their current hurdle.
How/Where do you help musicians along the way? Releasing music. We find this to be one of the biggest challenges for solo/diy artists, how to release, how to promote, where, why, collecting royalties etc. We come in and offer services for artists looking to get traction with a release, which then often becomes a long-term arrangement.
Social media & streaming services are two main factors in the evolution of the music industry in the past decade. Can you share how each of them enables musicians and how it hurts them? Social media helps artists, it just does. The fact that you can make a piece of content and distribute it to an audience without any help from “industry” is the fundamental differenced between now and then.
What's one platform you wish more artists would focus on when promoting their music? Their own brand! One thing that I have been guilty of, and is a trap for many artists is getting into platform-centric thinking. When you are focussed entirely on getting more “followers” or “plays” on a particular platform, you are serving the platform more than you are serving your own brand. I always push my artists to focus on their own brand and use the platforms to distribute the story/message.
Can you share a tip for independent artists for the perfect pre-release? Don’t use the same cookie-cutter strategy as every industry bigwig tells you. Be creative and make it about serving your audience. Make them feel like you care about them as an individual as opposed to trying to get “famous”.
What is the first thing you search for when you hear a new song? The hook.
Which songs do you have on repeat at the moment? Lewis Capaldi - Someone you loved.
Which trends that will change the music industry in 2020? Music being used in user-generated content. Think Tik Tok and Instagram Music Stickers.