My Music Is Dope, But Now What!?!: The Strategies for Success in the Music Industry Mixtape

Dedication

To all the legendary artists’ and producers throughout the years whose creativity has inspired us, as well as those whose time to shine has yet to come.

My Music Is Dope, But Now What!?!

Dedication

Tracklist

Track 1: Forward (Intro)

Track 2: Are You Really Ready to Drop That New Song?

Track 3: What's Your Strategy for Success?

Track 4: Perception Is Reality

Interlude 1

Track 5: Social Media

Track 6: Growing Your Fan Base

Track 7: Branding

Track 8: Submitting Your Music to Blogs

Track 9: Artist Management and PR

Interlude 2

Track 10: Dealing with the Media

Track 11: Networking

Track 12: Making Money from Your Music

Track 13: Conclusion (Outro)

Recommended Artist Resources & Tools Guide

New Music Release Checklist

Track 1: Forward (Intro)

From Margaret Tra:

So, you’ve landed your hands onto our book. I am sure you have several questions, and we truly hope we have given enough answers for you to be able to push your music out there with the right platforms and to the right people. Please note, this is just the beginning. The fact that you’re willing to read more about strategies for the success of your music brand is the first step toward something great.

I should probably begin with how I started in the music industry. I created Stimulate Your Soul blog over 7 years ago, but I like to say, I unintentionally entered the music industry. I say this because back then, I was just interviewing people I admired, but in reality, I found myself networking and interviewing artists’ with the blog over the years. I was building up stock in my future because with these contacts, I ended up establishing my own public relations company Stimulated Media, working with my idols, such as The Pharcyde, Big Daddy Kane, Brother Ali, Devin the Dude, R.A the Rugged Man and many more international acts. Quite a big musical accident, hey? I also represent a lot of local and smaller artists, because there is nothing else that makes me happier than being able to show them their music is worthy and can be heard on the airwaves too.

Within time, it became a gift of mine. It actually put a smile on my face knowing these artists’ were able to successfully promote their music with my help. They did all the work of course, with creating the product, but there is so much more to do afterwards that most artists’ forget. It’s really something I was getting asked about on a daily basis, which is why I decided to write this book with Carlton.

I do hope that you take away some useful information in this book, as we have poured our hearts into it, and I am sure other publicists are going to kill me because I have basically given away all our secrets. But that’s the thing about my job—I want to be able to provide artists’ with the tools to do it. The rest is up to them.

Whether you’re an established artist or just a beginner, you’ll be able to find something in this book for you. The journey never ends in the music industry, and once you realize that, then half the work is already done. If all else fails and you get tired of reading this book, know this: You are worthy, you are talented, and you have to let the world know this. If you can’t, then get someone else to do it for you so you can focus purely on the music. It takes a team to build an empire, so don’t be afraid to ask for help. I guess you already have asked for help by purchasing this book, and we are now part of your empire. So, chill-out, relax and feel free to hit me up afterwards if you have any other questions.

From Carlton Boyd:

The seed was planted in our minds to write this book collaboratively due to our desire to help artists’, such as yourself, to navigate their way to success in the music industry. Of course, not every artist’s path to success is the same, nor is their definition of success the same. For example, Artist 1 may release one very poorly mixed song on Soundcloud, it catches fire and a year later, they are signed to a major record label, opening for J. Cole on a North American tour. Artist 2 may drop out of college and use their school loan money to buy beats and studio time, and one year later, they have not gained mainstream attention but they become a highly regarded indie favorite and start their own DIY record label. One casual observer may say that Artist 1 is more successful than Artist 2 because they are on tour with a very popular platinum-selling rapper and signed to a major record label. I’d like to think that if both artists’ are truly creating the music they want and their fan bases are supportive and growing with them, then both Artist 1 and Artist 2 are successful.

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