January News

& 10 Achievable Goals to Help Kickstart 2022

It’s hard to get the engine running again, right? We were on a high in early December, working on a project in the BTCM recording studio with a quartet of highly talented string players, challenging ourselves with incorporating live strings into music that we are currently recording, when “Wham”, the city gets struck by Omicron and we were forced back in our homes and back to isolation and the entire project is put on hold. The holidays come and go, and and even after time off it is still so hard to pick up the pieces and get the excitement and inspiration back after so many setbacks and false re-starts.

Here's the news!

BTCM has a new sponsor, Playlister Club! Does your song need some additional help with exposure on playlists? We recommend trying Playlister Club for one month. Use our discount code to receive 20% off on your first (very affordable) campaign. Click below for the discount and to take you to their site. We find their curators place to pop, hip-hop, and indie-pop/rock extremely well, plus you get helpful reviews and feedback from the curators themselves. Click here to find out more:

Artist’s Releases! The year has just begun, and there is nothing better than getting the engines fired up by dropping a single in the first few weeks of the new year.

On Friday, Jan. 28th, Rachel Norman dropped the Indie-Pop “Ready for Change”. Reviews are already coming in for this killer pop song, which was recorded, produced, and mastered by Mike Abiuso. Rachel, Mike, and her manager Destinee are a trio of killer songwriters, and we highly recommend giving this a listen by clicking this link:

Coming up we’ve got SickWalt releasing “Oh Weh Ha” on Feb. 4th, the first single to be released from his upcoming EP “Maxxed”, an album dedicated to his collaborator Max Capshaw. Do a good deed for a fellow artist and please click to pre-save his upcoming track!

Singer-songwriter Jodi Heights is releasing her first single of the year entitled “White Knight” on Feb. 11th. Jodi’s unique sound is a mix of Sara Bareilles and Fiona Apple, and she will be releasing a string of singles every 5 weeks apart. Pre-save link is below, please support your fellow artist by clicking on the link.

Our long-time client, Emmrose, will begin dropping her new music starting with the Indie-Pop song “Run” on February 11th. A song she co-wrote with Mike Abiuso was considered at first to be for ‘sync only’ and not to be released. Get out of that mindset. No plans! Be free, don’t set expectations on everything you do. If it sounds amazing, just drop it. Finished in only two sessions, this was chosen as the first of many singles to be dropped every 5 weeks. Click on the Pre-Save link below for “Run”

Some Advice for Setting Goals in 2022

Setting goals for January can be hard on your brain. Most of the time we over plan, aim too high and get discouraged and paralyzed. Here are some suggestions that may help start the engines slowly and get you back on your feet. The best part about the below is that they are all free. Nothing to pay for.

Your brand. Just think big. How has your online brand evolved from last year? Is it time for new banners, new photos, a new representation of how you want the world to perceive you?
Your website. No one likes updating websites, but it is one of the most important platforms for your online identity. It is the only thing you actually own and have control over. How does it look? How is the mailing list coming along? How old are the photos and videos?
Who is your audience? Before you even write a note, we suggest thinking about who the note will be written for. Without an actual audience in mind, the song or album can end up being in the dreaded “Sub-Genre” label and fall in-between audiences. Knowing who your music is directed toward as an artist is a big part of your success. We suggest writing a list of 5 to 8 artists that you hear your music on a playlist with and make sure the artists are “A” list unless you know your music is not meant for wide distribution. This list may change from year to year depending on how your music has evolved.
What is your goal with music in 2022? Are you releasing music for your personal pleasure, or are you building an online brand that you hope someday opens new doors and brings you new opportunities in the music industry? What is your mission statement for 2022? Jot down a few ideas that are realistic, and then start making some phone calls. Reconnect with past collaborators and see what they have been up to.
What are you doing to get consistent engagement? Have you given up on social media? Do you need help thinking of a way to post to your socials without stressing you out and dreading the noontime hour which is the best time to post? We suggest scrolling through IG and TikTok just looking at what others post and maybe something will click and inspire you.
Choose to learn a new skill this year. This could be learning how to make lyric videos, how to play a new instrument, how to take better video footage or learn about lighting the perfect live stream set. Go on YouTube and watch some tutorials, why not when it’s all free of charge?
Musixmatch – Have you added lyrics to your music on Spotify using Musixmatch?
Merch – Have you linked your Shopify to your Spotify page? This was a little trickier than Suzanne was in for. You do not need a Shopify “Store” to make this happen, something that took her a few days and one on one calls to learn. Let her know if you need help and she can save you a headache.
Have you learned how to record your own demos… and to a click? Learning to play to a click is way more important than anyone can imagine. It saves time, money and sounds better. Human beings are wired to feel the beat, and our brains like routine and repetition.
Have you taken a look at all of your platform profile pages, and are they all consistent with the same photos, bios and information? Are they compelling? YouTube, Spotify, Apple, Soundcloud, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Website, Songkick, Bands In Town, Facebook Page and Bandcamp.

Drop us a line and let us know what you think, send us comments, and let us know if there is anything we can assist with. We are all in this together, and community support will bring everyone up together!