How to network with other musicians and get feedback on my music?

November 5, 2008 10:33 AM

Advice for a beginning musician in terms of networking and promotion?

Thanks to all of you for recommending software in my earlier Ask Mefi post (Getting started producing electronic music?), I gave it a shot and I started cranking out tracks.

Now I'm wondering if any of you had ideas in terms of getting my music out there? I'm not asking because I expect to or even want to make money or get famous. Mostly I want to network with like-minded experimental musicians and fans of such music to get their feedback, tips and tricks, etc. It would be nice to know a few people who actually know what VST is or who love tweaking synthesizer settings into the wee hours. Right now I feel pretty isolated.

I will be putting up my own website this weekend to make my tracks more accessible, but it takes a while to build traffic on any new site. I've sent MP3s to friends and family, and all but a couple of them had comments limited to something like, "That's cool."

Of course, I posted to music.mefi. :-) But it seems a dead in there for some reason.

Bonus points if you can tell me how to avoid using MySpace to do this. That site scares me. But, ya know, I will use it if I have to.

posted by wastelands to media & arts (4 comments total)

have you tried futureproducers.com Is a site full of people like yourself....however most of them are interested in the production of hip-hop i must admit.
posted by The1andonly at 10:39 AM on November 5, 2008

No bonus points for me.

(From experience)

Make a myspace account

Have music thats *listenable* i.e. you would listen to if you hadn't made it

Let people download it somehow (mediafire, through your website directly, etc.)
Look up local venues if you are unfamiliar, and visit when people with sounds similar to yours play

Go to many more local shows and make friends with other artists

Talk to other artists through myspace

After doing that for a while you will know all kinds of helpful people and have a reputation in the local music scene.

Things can go anywhere from there, but bottom line is.. myspace is pretty standard for bringing your music to pass.

It would be hard to find a service that's as useful or accepted by listeners even though it's spammy and gross.

mefi mail for more
posted by bradly at 11:10 AM on November 5, 2008

"Look up local venues if you are unfamiliar, and visit when people with sounds similar to yours play"

Yeah, I have been doing this lately. I was lucky enough to hear Troum play (German ambient noise type group that rarely makes U.S. visits.)

Okay, okay, I will setup MySpace along with the other stuff. But I refuse to use animated GIFs. :-)
posted by wastelands at 11:34 AM on November 5, 2008

We have a musician to musician talk section on MetaFilter Music, where you can discuss technique, equipment, etc.
posted by mathowie at 11:49 AM on November 5, 2008