Posting Your Music Online

So, you wanna rap?

Well, I bet that means you'll want to share your music online for the world to listen to.  Of course, there are places like iTunes and Spotify that you'll want your music to eventually land, but until then, where can you put your music?  Here are the sites I have used, each with their own pros and cons.

SoundClick

http://soundclick.com

SoundClick is my home site; nearly my entire body of work lives on SoundClick.  It's free to sign up and you can get started in minutes.  Bigger than the music, though, are the forums, which are pretty active and a good place for developing artists to, well, develop.

Ease of Use: In terms of ease of use, it's fairly simple to get your songs online in minutes.  The site itself is actually very customizable in comparison to some other options out there, but the interface has grown over the years and management has become clunky.

Sharing: Unfortunately, this site does not share well on social media sites like Facebook.  That is a major drawback for me, and has driven me to turn to other sites.  Also, users must have a SoundClick account to download your music, which is also a turn off.

Overall: I can't recommend against this site because you can host unlimited music for free.  You won't find a much better deal online.  However, the age of the site is really starting to show, and though the developers are trying to bolt on features to keep up with the times, it's really time for a full overhaul.

ReverbNation

http://reverbnation.com

My second home, ReverbNation is slowly turning into a very usable site.  Once hindered by a poor management interface and even worse page display, a much-needed face-lift has really helped bring this site back to life.

Ease of Use: Another site where it's simple to upload your songs online.  SoundClick is a little easier at first, and it doesn't prompt you nearly as often as RN does, but one handy feature of RN is that it reads your ID3 metadata from your song and pre-fills much of the pertinent information info the appropriate fields online.  This is a huge time-saver and a very nice feature.

Sharing: RN links share well on social media; on Facebook, it allows you to play music directly from the site without going to an external link.  But, if you do want to send users to your RN site for that particular song, it's a bit difficult getting that worked out -- more difficult than it should be.

Overall: It's a site to watch, as it's clearly on the upswing.  I think they are at a point where a number of things could be removed and things would be easier and better.  Organization needs to get better, and there are file size limits which are annoying, but otherwise, a nice site to host your music.

SoundCloud

http://soundcloud.com

My newest addition to my music network, SoundCloud seems to be the most forward-thinking of all the music hosting sites.  It's very simple and minimalist, which allows it to do a few things and do them very well.

Ease of Use: Doesn't get much easier uploading a song than on SoundCloud.  Very easy and you can even generate your own URLs to your songs that include the song name instead of a randomly generated ID.  This makes your music easier to find by search engines and easier to remember for your fans.  SoundCloud could greatly benefit from ReverbNation's ID3-reading technology; that would put this over the top.

Sharing: Like RN, SoundCloud shares well on social media -- very well.  Beautiful widgets, embedded player, doesn't get much better.

Overall: The single fault in SoundCloud is that there is a two hour limit on how many sounds are supported by the Free accounts (in addition to other limitations).  If you can work around that, SoundCloud is an excellent site to host your music on for sharing with the world.  However, the barriers on the free version are enough of a deterrent that I can't be too serious about using this as my main site.

BandCamp

http://bandcamp.com

This site seems to be generating a lot of buzz among the music community.  It makes sharing and selling your music very easy and intuitive for your fans, and they have a clean, but deeply customizable, interface.

Ease of Use: Not easy as all for one simple factor -- MP3 format is not accepted for song uploads.  They have their reasons, which they list and stand by, but regardless, since every other site online wants MP3, that means you'll need to get a WAV format or some other lossless format specifically for uploading to this site.  Also, you'll need to input much more information upfront.  Again, at the end, all of this translates in a better experience for your fans and visitors, but it's a pain in the neck for you.

Sharing: Another site that shares very well, especially albums and mixtapes.  Nice player on social media.  Also, nice URLs.  They even let you optionally sell your music or take donations -- an easy way to make a few bucks off of your hard work.

Overall: Initially, the rejection of MP3 files was a blocker for me, since I upload to so many other sites.  But after uploading my last couple projects to this site, the experience I've had has been well worth it.  A cleaner (or customizable) song listing would be nice, as it doesn't compare to nicer layouts that SoundCloud and ReverbNation have, but otherwise a definite recommendation.

MySpace

http://myspace.com

Really?  People still go here?  I have music on there from years ago (remember, I've been doing this since the early 2000's), but I don't think I've logged in during this decade.  I won't waste time talking about it, but know that it still exists and apparently they are gearing the site more toward musicians, so it may be worth keeping an eye on.


Overall, you really can't go wrong, just get your music online and consistently use a site to get people checking out your work.  While I favor SoundClick simply because there is no limit on how much music one can upload, and the site itself can be customized, I'd recommend Bandcamp for artists who have presentable music to share.  Still, the others don't lag behind far, and, in fact, feel much newer than SoundClick does.  Give them a try and see how you like them.

Any sites I missed?  Comment below...

Money, Power, Respect

So, you wanna rap?

Well, like anything else, if you're going for something, the first thing you should consider is "what is my goal?"  What are you seeking with this?  Doing music (well, at least) takes a non-trivial amount of time, effort, anguish, and work to do, so you're actively doing music and releasing it to be public, you've got a reason, but what?  At the end of the day, those reasons usually fall into one of three infamous category: money, power, or respect.  That reason can and should shape your approach and outlook on music.

For The Money

If you're going to do music for the money, as so many aspiring rappers are, then you're looking to build a business on the back of your passion to perform.  Money is the motivation, and, as such, your decisions should take on more of a business perspective.  You'll want to follow business trends, manage your finances properly (or get someone who can), budget your projects, and invest in yourself and your work.

Those are the obvious things, but one thing many artists who rap for the money fail to remember is to account for a return on investment.  If you're considering putting money behind your music, you need to first have a plan on how you are going to at least get that money back; ideally, how you can make more than you put in.  If you don't take that aspect seriously, you're essentially throwing cash into a black hole.  Would you invest money in a business where the owner had no plan?  Of course not, and you shouldn't treat your own business any differently -- fail to plan and you plan to fail.

Rapping for the money may also mean you get to a point where you're doing music that will sell, not necessarily music you want to do.  But at this point -- even if you're independent or self-employed -- you work for the people.  Fail to please your customers and you'll find yourself out of business.

You can be a successful rapper financially, even independently.  You may not be rich and famous, but following proper business techniques, along with a lot of hard work, can allow you to make steady income doing something you enjoy.

For The Power

The power of words can not be understated.  The influence that one person -- politicians, celebrities, teachers -- have over masses of people can be tremendous.  Being an artist gives you that potential to truly shape the lives of others, to make a difference in society, to influence your peers, break down barriers, and connect with people.

The best music is timeless, it transcends generations, cultural walls, and infiltrates pop culture.  Songs like Edwin Starr's "War," Michael Jackson's "They Don't Care About Us," and Public Enemy's "Fight The Power" deliver messages that mobilize people to think and act.

As a rapper, you have that potential.  You can make a difference in someone's life on a large or small scale.  Songs that people can relate to are the most powerful.  The songs above connected so well because of their timely releases during eras where they gave a voice to the voiceless.  They provided an anthem behind which groups could unify.

Not all powerful songs need to be societal anthems, they can be about love lost, about family, about perseverance, about happiness, but meaningful songs that connect can be used to infuse strength, hope, and power into people.  And regardless of whether or not power is the reason behind doing music, the potential is always there.

For The Respect

If you're looking to get respect for your craft, you better sharpen your bars.  You'll be looking to impress folks, ironically most of which will be your peers, with your ability to maneuver words seamlessly together so nicely that your friends and magazines will want to get a quote.  Respect, anywhere but especially in rap, is earned.

Just because your work is profitable does not mean you've gained respect for your music, it just means you're a good businessman.  Similarly, some of the most powerful songs are not the most well-written or polished.  They tend to be very raw, and many times it's those imperfections that make them what they are.  But if you're yearning for respect, you want to let it be known that every time you step behind a microphone, there's potential for spontaneous combustion.  Lightning may strike thrice.  Beats will be shredded.

That respect also implies that you take pride in your work.  You take the time and care to make sure that every track you release is something your listeners know you put your heart into to ensure they got your best work.  It means that you feel you are second to none, and you go in on every track to provide the proof.

So, which are you?

Some may say none initially, but the fact of the matter is, if you're putting music out for others, it's going to boil down to one of those three categories.

Others may say all of them, but that's nearly impossible.  Often times the business aspect means relinquishing some of that perfectionism you hold on to for respect in order to make a buck.  Or it may mean making music that the people want, for profit, rather than making what (you feel) they need, for change.  Being able to combine the three in harmony can be a beautiful thing, but many have spent their lives trying and failed.  Sometimes, it's better to be a jack of all trades than a master of none.

In the end, it's ultimately your decision.  But know that if you want to rap, making this decision early on will save you a lot of headache, heartache, and pocket-ache in the future.  Choose your path and be good at whatever you choose to do.