This might be a big ask but: I'd love to see a series of you transforming bands/artists in all major genres (Rock, R&B/HipHop, Easy listening, Metal). I think you've done this with Country and Pop but I'm sure I'm not the only one who have made the excuse "of course it works its pop"
I'm a long time viewer, first time commenting... You rock man! Thanks for sharing all of your wonderful insights. This video really brought it home for me. Keep up the great work!
I’ve watched a lot of your videos and have always found them really helpful. Something about your message really clicked with me this time. Centring things around genuine emotion makes so much sense.
Thnx Damian! I followed your 20 days release plan for my new single! Yesterday was day 20. I love it! Now I need to still keep the song warm. And i'm struggling a bit. But this video just gave me hope and something to do! Thank you so much! ♥️🙏
Good to hear you've found some success. From my experience, I would use this leverage you have and follow this up with another song. You will know this but the worst thing you can do is get your listeners interested and then go silent for 2 weeks to a month
I really appreciate that Kathleen! Keep managing the song and catalogue and enjoy the process of creating. I’ll go check out the new song on Spotify now 😊
Me three 😆 I make dusky house music about resilience and my problematic relationship (with the other half of my duo) - I'm just finishing the mastering of a few tracks and haven't started promoting yet, but I'm so freakin' awkward ASD in real life I can barely look the audience in the eyes at shows...😬 good luck to everyone!!
I’m the same! I’ve had some success recently with my silly content which has lead to people discovering my sad songs and they are often pleasantly surprised! I think it has helped people get to know me more
Love this info Damian, hadn't considered this and this is EXACTLY what is going on. I don't mind the 50 year old women, but I want the 25 year men that listen to my music
Thank you for your ideas. I am working hard at building a bigger song archive beforr i try to push again, and are scared about social media. Your vide gives me energy and hope. Thank you 🫶 I have confidence at where my music is at but i have been trying to invent myself... and burning out myself. Edit typo 😇
such a good point Damian; how do you get someone, the listener, to pay attention. Because like you pointed out, when you get someones attention they remember you, and will remember you even more if what you have to offer touches them in some way. Cheers.
Damo, great, great- thank you! What do we do when identity changes, the emotions in music convey new colours? Changing who we are representing then as well? XxX Bea PS I am up for change 😅👑💥
This is very helpful! I’ve been struggling for sure. Now trying to figure out how to be my most authentic self and make connections to build my fan base. I was doing really well before the pandemic and then started some health issues. I want to release more music but I’m unable to work like before. Wld you recommend releasing rough drafts through socials or places like SoundCloud?
Thanks so much! I think if you are testing content then the best place to do it is on socials as you can build your brand through the music and also test the music to see what’s working. Don’t overthink socials, they can help with more than just promotion, they are data, communication with your audience and also a way to guide your path 😊😊
One of the most important sentence was - for me - that we have to pay a high price for our creativity gift. In good fantasy novel the magician has always to pay a price for doing magic. I’ma so called scannerpersonality I studied Law, Computer Science (in Germany) - and more - 😊I can play Keyboard I can write lyrical textes, I can draw. But that positive Peaks correspondents to fucking hard Peaks on the negative Side. Especially because I have also ADHD. Many people only see the result but they didnt smell the wet shirt from sweat and tears.
Great Info! Once you've checked the boxes on the content where is the best place to drive someone who is interested in finding out more? your website, Spotify, UA-cam...thoughts?
This is GREAT advice! Easier to do with rock & pop music with lyrics, and I've done things like this with my band. What would you suggest for people who are doing solo piano or ambient music? Thanks for your help! 😀🎹🎵
An actor doesn’t have to be a fighter pilot to play one. Similarly in songwriting we often capture experiences and emotions that aren’t necessarily our own. So, my identity, as an artist is that of someone whose job it is to capture different experiences and emotions in song format. I am not sure that entangling my real identity in all that is necessary or called for.
Im curious, how would an artist, who has released music in the past but never strategically marketed or put a plan together use their catalog of released songs as a promotional tool to build an audience, and set them up for future releases?
My main problem is that I have laryngeal dystonia which makes it hard for me to talk a lot of the time without sounding hoarse and/or vocal drop outs. It takes a lot of effort for me to talk and I’m afraid of speaking on camera bc I feel like people will be turned off by how I sound. I have a lot to say but just don’t have the confidence bc of my condition.
Hey Damo, this was reasonably helpful but im wondering if you had any tips for music that isnt supposed to be super personal or sad, our concept for our band is more about a group of chracters on a journey to achieve some mysterious goal, do you have any advice for how to get that across better??? We are kinda taking insparation from bands like Sleep Token, Black Veil Brides, Creeper and Jeris Johnson.
Love your explanations! (Even though I‘m not a musician). ❤ Do you also have any recommendations for fans, who want to promote their favorite artists? 😅 What do you think about Dimash? He is highly educated, has a ridiculously good voice, and he has lots of really different songs from lots of genres: pop, rock, classical crossover, edm, opera, he even raps 🤷🏼♀️ And fans from all demographics and many different countries and cultures. But at the same time he is not known nearly enough, even though his voice is arguably the best in the world from a technical perspective and his music can be quite complex and sophisticated, while being very emotional at the same time. He always innovates and that to me is his appeal. But it also destroys every attempt to define him or his audience. 😅
So, Okay, I watch this video and figure out I can work with what Damian is saying. Then I check my demographic data on UA-cam, which only tells me there's not enough data, even for my most successful videos. Christ, this is depressing.
How do you reach out on social when you are a songwriter and producer? I’m not the face outwards, I use various singers for the tracks I write and produce. How did producers and DJs like Calvin Harris, Tiesto and Davis Guetta become famous?
So much gold in this! I'D LOVE YOUR HELP ON MY AVATAR. I've got an existing platform as an environmentalist and author, but haven't started releasing my music yet (am signed to a small indie label in London, single releases starting October through to April 2025). My current audience is really into sustainability (I get most traction on eco hacks and tips), whereas my music is folky (which might be a fit) but also spiritual (which lots of them might not be into!). So would my avatar basically be people in my niche?! Woman in her 40's, spiritual, nature lover ... ?! Is it ok to bridge both worlds? Thanks for all you share. x
Thanks for the video! I've been struggling trying to figure out who my audience is because I don't have enough data from streams. When it comes to TikTok, my best performing content is when I'm just talking to a camera or doing something, not music. What would you suggest if you don't have any usable data to figure out who your audience is?
Hello my name is kfir and I am an independent music artist from nyc , thanks for taking the time to do this video it’s so important and exactly what I feel I’m lacking is the connection and socials I feel like I can put my emotions on a musical display and I do but I don’t know how to connect or what my avatar is?????
You know... I like all this stuff, I incorporate as much as I can, and I really appreciate all the informed perspectives guys like DK bring to the table... But I wonder, did the Rolling Stones give a rats ass who their avatar was ??? Seems like they were, at the core, a GREAT BAND who created timeless songs over and over and over - they were not a socially engineered musical act created solely to get the most likes, follows and plays - I think that's called K-pop... anyway... I can't shake the feeling that we (musicians and bands) should really be focusing on actually becoming GREAT first, rather than f'ing with all this other stuff - yeah, I know... we gotta toot our own horns these days - but frankly it seems like most of the "true indie" artists I hear on streaming channels simply aren't that good, and NO amount of marketing will change that fact - IMO, all this "informed marketing" crap may be a necessity these days, and it's worth doing RIGHT, so I thank guys like Damien for being willing to major on the minors - but in the end, there may be a better way: Get so damn good at your music that people start looking for YOU, rather than the other way around - JM2C
Hey Damien!! I'm just about to release my debut single this Friday (August 23rd 2024) I've been following your 20 day plan but I was just wondering if you have any advice for me please. I am an 18 year old artist and have been performing professionally in gigs since I was 13 however, this is my first release. Any help would be really really appreciated!!
It's annoying because social media has become overly political and toxic. Being an artist almost feels like you're not allowed to have an opinion because people are out for blood. 😅 I'm not interested in labels because I've seen them hurt creators by fluffing their numbers with fake engagement with bad marketing. Organic views are hard to get but worth it in the long run.
Can you make a video about the amount of AI music uploaded to the streaming platforms? It's frustrating to see that many 1.01 minute tracks of AI without identity have so many streams, followers and monthly listeners etc. And artists who do show their identity, like me, do have 10 monthly listeners. Everyone can generate a track using Udio. And many aren't even bad. But when everyone can make tracks this way, Spotify gets overloaded with a Deluge of AI tracks. And most AI tracks do 100 times better.
Leave it to Damian to come in and save me from editing 2 hours boring story telling footage, mark this another afternoon wasted to poor planning. I had a friend come in and shot a short in 1 take. I can explain away the beard jokes, but the exact age and demo this time bud? I'm watching you Mr. Keyes.
@@synthzizer3324 Thank God you have arrived synthzizer3324! How did you manage to get all of your zero subscribers, I feel like I’m ready to learn from you! 🍿
Want to learn how to grow? Go here: dk-mba.com
Need a team to help? Go here: damiankeyes.com
This might be a big ask but: I'd love to see a series of you transforming bands/artists in all major genres (Rock, R&B/HipHop, Easy listening, Metal). I think you've done this with Country and Pop but I'm sure I'm not the only one who have made the excuse "of course it works its pop"
Sign us up please god
This was really good, man. A lot of musicians don't know how to not follow trends and just be genuine.
Hey! I just noticed 200k! Congrats dude!
Thanks Tom! Looks like you have been having some banging gigs recently! I’ve been following along 😊😊
That Alex Hermozi comment made almost spit out my breakfast 😂😂😂😂
I was like WOAH 😂
Me too. Then I thought about it and realised he’s right 😂😂
@@officialWWM what’s wrong with alex hermozi?
@@7akovi he preaches to unfuckabe men 😂
yeah man that was fucking hilarious
Bro that Alex comment was so funny 😂
I'm a long time viewer, first time commenting... You rock man! Thanks for sharing all of your wonderful insights. This video really brought it home for me. Keep up the great work!
I’ve watched a lot of your videos and have always found them really helpful. Something about your message really clicked with me this time. Centring things around genuine emotion makes so much sense.
Thanks for calling me a legend! 🛡
This educational video made sense to me, and I took notes, and started taking immediate and decided changes..
Possibly the best video you’ve made 🫶🏻
Thank you for this video, I’m going to do a revamp and see
How I can piece this all together
Thnx Damian! I followed your 20 days release plan for my new single! Yesterday was day 20. I love it! Now I need to still keep the song warm. And i'm struggling a bit. But this video just gave me hope and something to do! Thank you so much! ♥️🙏
Good to hear you've found some success. From my experience, I would use this leverage you have and follow this up with another song. You will know this but the worst thing you can do is get your listeners interested and then go silent for 2 weeks to a month
I really appreciate that Kathleen! Keep managing the song and catalogue and enjoy the process of creating. I’ll go check out the new song on Spotify now 😊
this process of self-evaluation is a really nice way to frame it. you have a very systematic approach, immaculate work
Thank you Damian 🙂
great video thanks for posting
My main problem rn is that I’m a total goofball so when it’s time to promote my depressing songs, I don’t know how to conduct myself 😆
this is also me 🥲
Me three 😆 I make dusky house music about resilience and my problematic relationship (with the other half of my duo) - I'm just finishing the mastering of a few tracks and haven't started promoting yet, but I'm so freakin' awkward ASD in real life I can barely look the audience in the eyes at shows...😬 good luck to everyone!!
I’m the same! I’ve had some success recently with my silly content which has lead to people discovering my sad songs and they are often pleasantly surprised! I think it has helped people get to know me more
It feels soooo disingenuous and borderline inappropriate sometimes 😭
Dude, ever heard of Lewis Capaldi?
I’ve watched hundreds of hours of music marketing vids and this has gotta be the unique advice I’ve heard. Thank you!
My music is my diary because I can only write from my heart. In the end it's authenticity that counts.
Really great advice!
Brilliant advice. I’ve never heard it framed that way before.
great tips as always damian , we appreciate you man . thank you
Super helpful message! Always great listening to you, thank you! This inspires me to a direction we need to head in.
Love this info Damian, hadn't considered this and this is EXACTLY what is going on. I don't mind the 50 year old women, but I want the 25 year men that listen to my music
Years watching u. Thanks 🙏🏽
Gold! I will be using this. Thanks! 🎉🎉
Excellent - some great points - and somehow you found a way to distill it down to a few bullet points - thank you :)
"Not very creative, being a bassplayer..." 🤯😨🤯that was a self-bomb. Congrats on the video. 😃
Geezer Butler and Steve Harris are two very creative bass players, it must be just him.
@@themobseathe's being self depreciating. Clearly he's creative.
Thank you Damien, you gave me ideas. It all comes down to the "flash" constipation. That everything must be flashy and crisp.
as always, so timely. Thanks, DK
Just dropped a 5 track project, your videos have been very helpful
Very useful info. Been thinking about these things a lot, its all coming together :)
U have some of the best points when it comes to music marketing
When he said about the 29 year old song writer who lives in america, that was our singer!! ajajajja
Great message Damian 👌
I think am ready
Every single word u said here is on ma mind every day
Learning a lot here bud. I appreciate you.
Brilliantly expressed 👏🏻👏🏻
Some great tips. Stay on message.. stay on the music.. stay on the emotion!
Great video, one of your best
Another awesome video. BTW It works for all content. Not just music.
Good one again!
Brilliant !!!!
Excellent all around
Thank you for your ideas. I am working hard at building a bigger song archive beforr i try to push again, and are scared about social media. Your vide gives me energy and hope. Thank you 🫶
I have confidence at where my music is at but i have been trying to invent myself... and burning out myself.
Edit typo 😇
I'm not sure my avatar uses TikTok. Thanks for this video. It's a lot to think about.
Thank you for this ! sha la la!
❤❤ thank you Damian
such a good point Damian; how do you get someone, the listener, to pay attention. Because like you pointed out, when you get someones attention they remember you, and will remember you even more if what you have to offer touches them in some way. Cheers.
I love your content 😎
Nail it😂 hmmm… I need to work to get more clear “identity”😂
Damo, great, great- thank you! What do we do when identity changes, the emotions in music convey new colours? Changing who we are representing then as well? XxX Bea PS I am up for change 😅👑💥
Thank you for sharing this, saludos desde Mexico 🇲🇽
Self appointed legend, said with a completely straight face. Gotta love the British sense of humour. 🤣🤣🤣
This is very helpful! I’ve been struggling for sure. Now trying to figure out how to be my most authentic self and make connections to build my fan base. I was doing really well before the pandemic and then started some health issues.
I want to release more music but I’m unable to work like before. Wld you recommend releasing rough drafts through socials or places like SoundCloud?
Thanks so much! I think if you are testing content then the best place to do it is on socials as you can build your brand through the music and also test the music to see what’s working.
Don’t overthink socials, they can help with more than just promotion, they are data, communication with your audience and also a way to guide your path 😊😊
I don't really know who I make music for because my themes go from breakup and depression to philosophy and space exploration
i need your help boss
So good I need this kind of help probably. Big things happening here and I need some help with this area.
Aligns with something you've (Damian) said before - "you don't have to invent the wheel every time you upload~"
One of the most important sentence was - for me - that we have to pay a high price for our creativity gift. In good fantasy novel the magician has always to pay a price for doing magic. I’ma so called scannerpersonality I studied Law, Computer Science (in Germany) - and more - 😊I can play Keyboard I can write lyrical textes, I can draw. But that positive Peaks correspondents to fucking hard Peaks on the negative Side. Especially because I have also ADHD. Many people only see the result but they didnt smell the wet shirt from sweat and tears.
Those three concepts, identity, familiarity and emotion are strong! Thanks Damian for them!
Great Info! Once you've checked the boxes on the content where is the best place to drive someone who is interested in finding out more? your website, Spotify, UA-cam...thoughts?
We're paying attention @DamianKeyes. You're the guru. We're hear to confuse the cool kids with our Destruction, Sugar and Chaos.
All hail
🌭
Great video
This is GREAT advice! Easier to do with rock & pop music with lyrics, and I've done things like this with my band. What would you suggest for people who are doing solo piano or ambient music? Thanks for your help! 😀🎹🎵
An actor doesn’t have to be a fighter pilot to play one. Similarly in songwriting we often capture experiences and emotions that aren’t necessarily our own. So, my identity, as an artist is that of someone whose job it is to capture different experiences and emotions in song format. I am not sure that entangling my real identity in all that is necessary or called for.
Im curious, how would an artist, who has released music in the past but never strategically marketed or put a plan together use their catalog of released songs as a promotional tool to build an audience, and set them up for future releases?
My main problem is that I have laryngeal dystonia which makes it hard for me to talk a lot of the time without sounding hoarse and/or vocal drop outs. It takes a lot of effort for me to talk and I’m afraid of speaking on camera bc I feel like people will be turned off by how I sound. I have a lot to say but just don’t have the confidence bc of my condition.
We love Damo
I am stuck finding my identity. I have the music and a good following but I feel like my content is vague and need guidance.
Hey Damo, this was reasonably helpful but im wondering if you had any tips for music that isnt supposed to be super personal or sad, our concept for our band is more about a group of chracters on a journey to achieve some mysterious goal, do you have any advice for how to get that across better??? We are kinda taking insparation from bands like Sleep Token, Black Veil Brides, Creeper and Jeris Johnson.
Love your explanations! (Even though I‘m not a musician). ❤
Do you also have any recommendations for fans, who want to promote their favorite artists? 😅
What do you think about Dimash? He is highly educated, has a ridiculously good voice, and he has lots of really different songs from lots of genres: pop, rock, classical crossover, edm, opera, he even raps 🤷🏼♀️
And fans from all demographics and many different countries and cultures.
But at the same time he is not known nearly enough, even though his voice is arguably the best in the world from a technical perspective and his music can be quite complex and sophisticated, while being very emotional at the same time.
He always innovates and that to me is his appeal. But it also destroys every attempt to define him or his audience. 😅
So, Okay, I watch this video and figure out I can work with what Damian is saying. Then I check my demographic data on UA-cam, which only tells me there's not enough data, even for my most successful videos. Christ, this is depressing.
Don’t despair, check your data through other platforms too. Tiktok and IG are powerful tools for stats 😊
Keep going! You have got this!
My demographics are lining up perfectly because all the views are from me
I don't even like to listen to my own music. By the time I'm finished with it it's supposed to be out of my world@@melaniepenelope_
@@melaniepenelope_been there 😂😂
How do you reach out on social when you are a songwriter and producer? I’m not the face outwards, I use various singers for the tracks I write and produce. How did producers and DJs like Calvin Harris, Tiesto and Davis Guetta become famous?
So much gold in this! I'D LOVE YOUR HELP ON MY AVATAR. I've got an existing platform as an environmentalist and author, but haven't started releasing my music yet (am signed to a small indie label in London, single releases starting October through to April 2025). My current audience is really into sustainability (I get most traction on eco hacks and tips), whereas my music is folky (which might be a fit) but also spiritual (which lots of them might not be into!). So would my avatar basically be people in my niche?! Woman in her 40's, spiritual, nature lover ... ?! Is it ok to bridge both worlds? Thanks for all you share. x
Thanks for the video! I've been struggling trying to figure out who my audience is because I don't have enough data from streams. When it comes to TikTok, my best performing content is when I'm just talking to a camera or doing something, not music. What would you suggest if you don't have any usable data to figure out who your audience is?
Hello my name is kfir and I am an independent music artist from nyc , thanks for taking the time to do this video it’s so important and exactly what I feel I’m lacking is the connection and socials I feel like I can put my emotions on a musical display and I do but I don’t know how to connect or what my avatar is?????
You know... I like all this stuff, I incorporate as much as I can, and I really appreciate all the informed perspectives guys like DK bring to the table... But I wonder, did the Rolling Stones give a rats ass who their avatar was ??? Seems like they were, at the core, a GREAT BAND who created timeless songs over and over and over - they were not a socially engineered musical act created solely to get the most likes, follows and plays - I think that's called K-pop... anyway... I can't shake the feeling that we (musicians and bands) should really be focusing on actually becoming GREAT first, rather than f'ing with all this other stuff - yeah, I know... we gotta toot our own horns these days - but frankly it seems like most of the "true indie" artists I hear on streaming channels simply aren't that good, and NO amount of marketing will change that fact - IMO, all this "informed marketing" crap may be a necessity these days, and it's worth doing RIGHT, so I thank guys like Damien for being willing to major on the minors - but in the end, there may be a better way: Get so damn good at your music that people start looking for YOU, rather than the other way around - JM2C
🔥
Yeah to be fair, socials are too easy if you have great songs let's be honest about it.
Plz make a video on tips to get music verification on yt channel .
i am struggling !
And the wheels are off the bus .
I'm struggling with my single publisher. He's very passive
Hey Damien!! I'm just about to release my debut single this Friday (August 23rd 2024) I've been following your 20 day plan but I was just wondering if you have any advice for me please. I am an 18 year old artist and have been performing professionally in gigs since I was 13 however, this is my first release. Any help would be really really appreciated!!
It's annoying because social media has become overly political and toxic. Being an artist almost feels like you're not allowed to have an opinion because people are out for blood. 😅 I'm not interested in labels because I've seen them hurt creators by fluffing their numbers with fake engagement with bad marketing. Organic views are hard to get but worth it in the long run.
Bass player dis at 2:20, oof. 😯 Does the name Paul McCartney ring a bell? Yes, I play bass and also write and arrange.
😂 I only joke about bass players as I am one and I know we can take a joke… unlike those egotistical guitarists!!! #kidding #jokingnotjoking
@@DamianKeyes As a bass player, you get a pass. 😉 Our band's drummer and I are always exchanging bassist/drummer jokes. We are a funny bunch. 🤪
@@musicmaestrodj How do you find out if the stage is level? Drool comes out of both sides of the drummer's mouth.
Can you make a video about the amount of AI music uploaded to the streaming platforms? It's frustrating to see that many 1.01 minute tracks of AI without identity have so many streams, followers and monthly listeners etc. And artists who do show their identity, like me, do have 10 monthly listeners. Everyone can generate a track using Udio. And many aren't even bad. But when everyone can make tracks this way, Spotify gets overloaded with a Deluge of AI tracks. And most AI tracks do 100 times better.
17:18 😂😂😂😂😂pov
Just also to add, the algorithms know instantly who the target audience is so a simple 3-5 second introduction can give you your listeners
Could you give an example..?
I don't want to be cheesy!
@@johnbrodbeck9192 yeah agreed, best not be cheesy 😊
I'd be happy with 200 views! 😃
What about all the new "musicians" pumping out an album a day with suno 😅
hahaha this is great and the Alex Hermozi fan avatar is hilarious
😂 I thought I’d slip it in as so many of my friends now wear nose strips like it’s a club!
@@DamianKeyes hahaha
Analytics 101
Your advice on the 50 year old guy making a comeback after 20 years of parenting and loss of his wife?
Struggling with my avatar
😂 "...I do moisturize"
OFFICIAL CHANNEL OF CHRISTOPHER CAMPANILE SONGWRITER 🎵
Enough of the bass player digs at 02:20. I'm creative bass player and recently hit 150,000 streams on Spotify.
Leave it to Damian to come in and save me from editing 2 hours boring story telling footage, mark this another afternoon wasted to poor planning. I had a friend come in and shot a short in 1 take. I can explain away the beard jokes, but the exact age and demo this time bud? I'm watching you Mr. Keyes.
Alex Hormozi... it's un****able men XDDDD
What a lot of over thought nonsense.
@@synthzizer3324 Thank God you have arrived synthzizer3324! How did you manage to get all of your zero subscribers, I feel like I’m ready to learn from you! 🍿
@DamianKeyes moral of the comment is don't over think. Get on the bike and go for it.
“Unfuckable men” 😂😂😂
Real question: what if you can’t stick to a genre? So…