Frustrated with producing

[Dystinkt]

I've been producing for almost 5 years now, and I've had a bit of success with my stuff, iv had songs on radio1 and support from jakwob and benga and some tracks used in a fairly large online interactive tv show, which I can only thank all the heads on this forum for because i would still be scared of fruityloops if it wasnt for all the knowledge imparted on here.This forums taught me pretty much everything i know about producing music, so massive respect to every DSFer thats ever helped me out directly or indirectly . But labels still wont touch my tracks, it just gets to be really frustrating that i can achieve all that without having a proper release. My main goal when i startedmaking music apart from to make stuff i could enjoy and love myself, was to have a song signed and released, just so i could at least have something to show for my effort. ultimately im probably just expressing what a lot of people here probably feel at times, i just feel iv hit a brick wall in terms of making progress with my stuff both in terms of spreading my name and getting better technically, has anybody got any advice for me?

[Gurnumsbug]

"Never give up on something that you can't go a day without thinking about."

~Winston Churchill~

I found that by having faith and keeping yourself busy, is the key to success.
I haven't been singed, but than again i've only been producing a year.
I haven't had any of my tunes played out(radio, person, etc..)
Haven't had any gigs.
I only have 44 followers on soundcloud and 18 likes on facebook.
But i'm not down about it, I love it. Why?
Because when it comes down to it, I know that if I never stop and have faith in my work, someday someone will come along and change that.
but until then, i'm going to have to continue to change my own future.

[OfficialDAPT]

I found that by having faith and keeping yourself busy, is the key to success.
I haven't been singed, but than again i've only been producing a year.
I haven't had any of my tunes played out(radio, person, etc..)
Haven't had any gigs.
I only have 44 followers on soundcloud and 18 likes on facebook.
But i'm not down about it, I love it. Why?
Because when it comes down to it, I know that if I never stop and have faith in my work, someday someone will come along and change that.
but until then, i'm going to have to continue to change my own future.

Dude we are almost exactly the same...

[InternetSlaveMaster]

Agree with Gurnumsbug, at the end of the day is all about your enjoyment.

If you don't enjoy learning more production stuff and spending hours crafting your tunes, then don't bother. Do something else that makes you happy.

Your tunes are massive though man, you should be proud!

I know where you're coming from though. Just don't give up, you'll surely never go anywhere if you quit. If Benga is liking your tunes than you're doing something right!

And Gurnumsbug, I'll be playing Clouded at my next rave

[wub]

Do something else that makes you happy.

[Attila]

I quit music once for about a year. I got a job at an investment firm, wore a suit to work and all that jazz. All I could think about the whole time was the music I wasn't making. 8 months later I quit, and I've been happily locked in my studio ever since. Even the shittiest, most frustrating days of producing feel better than any client I signed.

[Noisestorm]

Never have the mentality of getting signed, sure it's nice but the main reason you should be producing is for the fun. If you want to see your tracks getting out a bit, go upload your songs to YouTube as you make them, people do start to notice. 4 years ago I was sitting around dreaming of a label release making shitty tunes on Reason, but now after that time, I've realised that if people like what you are doing, it's going to get noticed, regardless. You can then also release stuff yourself, on CDBaby, and get your fans that you've gotten to buy it. I dunno, it worked for me. Labels have lost the power they once had. Otherwise, just sit down and create your best ever EP, and send it off to labels if that really is your thing, don't worry about signings, it's more the production side that should be frustrating at times.

[nowaysj]

Congrats on your achievements! Pretty impressive stuff, dude.

2 things: Maybe the genre that you produce in is played out, everybody makes the same sounding shit, all the people that are going to get into the boat, already got into the boat?

And at a certain level, you've got to make real life connections with people in your and other scenes. Like a lot of connections. Make things happen. Just get out there. A lot of this shit is 1/10,000 type shit, so you gotta do a lot, take a lot of chances and risks, and be really ready to deliver when the opportunity arises.

==

Being totally honest, and this is just my perspective, your sig track sounds really derivative to me. Same old full metal jacket samples, the same sounding bass, same drum sounds, same patterns. Sounds like stuff I heard 3 years ago, I literally could not distinguish it from many other tracks I've heard.

Doesn't mean you can't get signed, but I think it is harder, and probably will mean less for you in terms of mobility. Labels want to sign new and interesting music or music that is popular and will sell. If that is your sound though, and that is what you really like, go for it man, just keep redoing the same stuff. There are classic rockers that have been playing the same 60's/70's rock for the past 40 years, that is what they like, and that is what they do, you know, but it is not like labels are scrambling over them trying to release their tunes, you git meh? They play garages, and bbq's (shout out to wub) and probably have a real fun time.

Search for a recent thread on dsfp about getting signed. Bunch of old farts posting in there, pretty interesting.

[outbound]

Instead of just pitching to label's, take a second and think about what they want and why they might not want your music.

If I have a label I basically want a track / release that's going to appeal to as many people as possible (as that increases the chance of a higher revenue). Even if the music is good and it appeals to a couple of people it is going to make things difficult to bring in the money. So what you need to do is identity the kind of people that buy music and find out how you can appeal more to them. Eg:-

DJ's - Generally want a tune that isn't going to be too hard to mix into, has a solid structure (each 16 / 32 bar section is obvious) and a hook, something you can tease the crowd with to let them know the next track is coming.

Le 'intelligent' crowd - Want to hear something that hasn't been done before, something that makes them think. Maybe has a different synth sound or clever drum programming.

The 'heavy' crowd - Want something that has a lot of energy to it, not just with the sounds but the arrangement, they want things to be constantly changing, switching up, bringing new sounds in etc.

The 'popular' crowd - They want something they can sing along to, a catchy hook that if not sung is played on a lead instrument.

This is just an example, people aren't that simple but if you try to get something that will appeal to as many as possible you are going to get more plays, more people liking you means labels are going to take notice.

Good luck

[pete_bubonic]

It always nice to some level of validation from labels. I think any producer with some amount of ego, wants that. Personally I found I made better, more enjoyable music as soon as I stopped caring about releases.

If you really are getting the kind of support you say, then it shouldn't be a problem for you to get a release, there's plenty of net labels out there putting a release a week out. If you want something more prestigious then you have to play the game, get it into related dj's hands. Get that radio play, go to the nights the labels arrange, speak to people, network. Unless you're some musical prodigy that reduces Kode-9 to tears of joy after listening to some random email, then it's not going to happen.

[billybuxton]

Iv only listen to the track in your sig man, but you're obviously good at what you do, so keep at it

Iv been (trying to) make tunes for about 2 years and iv never finished one, but i still try and stay positive,learn as much as i can and have fun in the process...

I can't wait for the day that I'm happy with my tunes and worrying about getting tunes signed and all that bollocks

[MoonUnit]

sick tunes. My boy has been producing for about 5-6 years now and he is just recently starting to blow up.
It really all started because of the hype my friend's and I have put out for him.

He signed some tunes to a small record label.
He started to do a bunch of remix contests.
Eventually what once sounded indistinct became distinct as he began to make his own flavor of wobbles. DO SHIT PEOPLE HAVEN'T HEARD BEFORE... I'm saying this as a generalization. All of my bud's real unique tracks have burned themselves into my brain because they are just that.
Make tons of free tunes available on sound cloud and hint to artists that you can send them a wav version or non-transcode for playing it out.

Your music in the hands of the right person can be a game-changer.

That's all I can think of, off the top of my head.

Oh and here's a tune from my friend:
Soundcloud

see what I did there? HYPEHYPEHYPEHYPE

[Today]

obligatory


The only reason i make my dubstep is to listen to it. I rather like my 140 tunes, but I don't have a standout style or have any idea about why or how I'd want to get the support of a label or DJ

it'd be really fun to hear my tune played out in a mix, but I don't know if it's all that important to me
@OP, your music is good, it sounds like you've got significant progress to be proud of, and if you're persistent enough it'll go somewhere

[Turnipish_Thoughts]

...just so i could at least have something to show for my effort...

...iv had songs on radio1 and support from jakwob and benga and some tracks used in a fairly large online interactive tv show...

??

My main goal when i started making music apart from to make stuff i could enjoy and love myself, was to have a song signed and released

What is a label? A firm that creates a master, prints and distributes your track. For many years this kind of process was restricted to a minority of firms capable of large scale distribution involving expensive equipment and marketing capabilities. We live in a very interesting age, on the cusp of a unprecedented paradigm shift of the distribution of information, akin to Johannes Gutenberg's invention of the movable printing press which sparked the renaissance, solely as a reaction to unbridled sharing of information by the masses. Some argue we are entering a new renaissance which was triggered with the invention of the Internet.

We don't need labels anymore, we don't need hard copies pressed. Beatbort, Itunes, you name it, are all there. Mass social networking is there, you can market yourself AND distribute, yourself, entirely off your own back. You just need to believe it's possible and put in the work to make it happen.

The lesson here? The industry is dead. Get with the times. Be your own 'label'. This is the time in history where the power IS yours, the first time in history the individual has the capability to potentially reach millions of people round the globe without the help of any one else.

Make music for you, and distribute it for you to share your voice with the world.

[legend4ry]

I understand your frustration; Its taken me alot of years consisting of networking, making music, networking and more networking and only just now 6 years later I have found 2 labels who don't fack about. They will be honest of what they want to put out by me and we will get it out.

Just get on the side of label where you have a mutual respect what you both do and it'll come.

[fuzion]

Wouldn't get down because you haven't been signed its not all it seems (unless its a huge label). You've got to put the effort in outside of the DAW to get noticed, just uploading a track wont get you known most of the time, there's loads of youtube channels that upload music maybe do a 'like my page to download this track' on Facebook? I did that and got like 3,000 extra fans from it haha

The support side sounds good just keep putting tunes out to big DJ's see what they think try get some vocals or do remixes - might sound cheesy but they tend to get more views than instrumental tracks

[hhans]

Turnipish Thoughts has got it figured out

[Smiles]

Release your music for free, and get it known by getting it on shows and stuff like you have, maybe have people have to like your page on Facebook for the download. Then show labels that your known and stuff. I don't know a lot about this stuff but that's what i have seen other artists do (pretty lights, dodge and fuski ext).

And everyone else on here is giving good feedback, i would listen to them.

[KnightsOfTheRound]

I vote start your own label. You like your music, right? Release your own stuff, do the PR....and if there are other artists who you like and think would be a good fit, go for it.

I did it. Most of our stuff is released for free, but we've received loads of love from our city and surrounding areas, and we get pretty consistent airplay on local stations. One of the artists was recently on Daytrotter as well, which is pretty cool. We make money putting on shows, and sell out of merch regularly.

[Dystinkt]

Thanks everybody, your replies have all either given me something to think about for the future, or at least made me feel a bit better. for now im gonna focus on djing until i feel more creative and less of writers block with production. In terms of starting my own label, i dont really have the hours to put into it to make it a success really, im tied up doing other jobs etc. I also think the reason id prefer to get signed is that an entirely different set of people liking your music enough to want to sell and promote would give me a bit more sense of achievement atm, sometimes striving for the approval of other people isnt always negative. Stylistically im making what I want to make, and im sure it will most likely change with time, I'm 17 and I've got a long time of finding my sound yet.