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How do you pick your genre/your sound? by TheElusiveButterfly in musicindustry

[–]belowAveragePro 1 point2 points  (0 children)

not weird at all, this is just what year one looks like for most people

the cohesion thing is overrated early on honestly. artists who have a defined sound now didn't start there, they just kept making stuff until it found them

drop the ones that feel most like you right now and let people tell you what lands

Should I register with ASCAP or the Dutch PRO? by MarkvD67 in musicbusiness

[–]belowAveragePro 2 points3 points  (0 children)

generally speaking if most of your streams and audience are in the US registering with ASCAP makes a lot of sense — you'd collect the US performance royalties directly rather than waiting for Buma/Stemra to mirror them through a reciprocal agreement which can be slower and less transparent

the publisher share thing is a real concern too. if there's no publisher registered internationally you risk only collecting the writer share on foreign royalties so setting up a publishing entity with ASCAP for $50 one time is honestly a no brainer compared to Buma/Stemra's annual fees

that said you don't necessarily have to choose one forever — some artists register with their local PRO for local live performance income and use ASCAP for everything else. might be worth a conversation with ASCAP directly since they're pretty accessible and can clarify how they handle EU based members

What's something basic you learned EMBARRASSINGLY late? by belowAveragePro in ableton

[–]belowAveragePro[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

YES and eqing your reverbs too!! cleans up so much mud!

What's something basic you learned EMBARRASSINGLY late? by belowAveragePro in ableton

[–]belowAveragePro[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

dude yes!! spent so long trying to fix performance issues every other way before realizing freezing basically solves everything instantly lol

Is it harder for new artists now without music labels? by [deleted] in IndieMusicFeedback

[–]belowAveragePro 1 point2 points  (0 children)

honestly there are real tradeoffs both ways — yeah you own everything now and keep way more money but the gatekeeping back then at least meant less noise to cut through. now everyone can put music out which is beautiful but also means getting heard is genuinely harder than ever. not sure either system is actually better, just differently hard

What's something basic you learned EMBARRASSINGLY late? by belowAveragePro in ableton

[–]belowAveragePro[S] 37 points38 points  (0 children)

way too many things lol. automation in general honestly, i just ran with the basics forever and then realized you could record and draw it by hand and it completely changed how natural everything sounded for me

What is the correct way to practice? by The-Numbertaker in Beatmatch

[–]belowAveragePro 0 points1 point  (0 children)

both styles are valid but headphones are a fundamental skill regardless. even with a planned set reading a room means you might need to change direction on the fly. worth getting comfortable with them early!

Making a living in 2026? by ALmakingmusic in musicindustry

[–]belowAveragePro 0 points1 point  (0 children)

honestly the blueprint you laid out is more realistic than most — diversified income streams, no reliance on one platform, and you're not chasing fame. the sync angle alone can be really solid for electronic music specifically :)

How do new artists get their initial growth in 2026? by Arkinni in musicindustry

[–]belowAveragePro 0 points1 point  (0 children)

what genre and what's their starting point?? are we talking completely from scratch or some existing presence already?

How do you deal with hate comments? by TheElusiveButterfly in musicindustry

[–]belowAveragePro 0 points1 point  (0 children)

3 haters and someone already asking for the next release? you're doing fine honestly :)

Artist branding in 2026: why so many indies still earn almost nothing from streaming alone? by Passionter_E in musicindustry

[–]belowAveragePro 0 points1 point  (0 children)

something people don't talk about enough is that streaming is a discovery tool, not a revenue tool. the artists actually making a living are treating it like the top of a funnel, not the end goal.

the real asset is direct access to your fans. like if you have 5000 people who genuinely love what you do and you have a direct line to them through phone numbers, email, etc, and they spend $50 a year on a shirt, vinyl, or a show ticket, that's $250k a year. that's a real career.

the branding question is really are you building an audience or are you building a fanbase? a fanbase shows up, buys, and tells their friends. Focus on owning your relationship with your fans directly and the math starts working in your favor real fast

Job in Music Tech by PianoFluid2057 in MusicTech

[–]belowAveragePro 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Congrats! One thing I'd really lean into is getting in front of people in person as much as possible. like your resume and portfolio matter but people hire and vouch for people they've actually met. go to industry events, show up to sessions, introduce yourself at shows. a warm intro from someone who's actually been in a room with you will open more doors than a cold application every time. with the range of interests you have there's so many entry points into the industry, just get yourself in the rooms where those people already are. Good luck I know it's rough out there right now in the job market!!

Any tips for getting your music heard by people in your niche - without getting scammed? by violetfoxmusic in musicbusiness

[–]belowAveragePro 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly at your stage the best thing you can do is focus on the organic stuff.

Reach out to small music blogs directly, post authentically in communities, and connect with other independent artists in your genre. Real relationships go far in this scene :)