THIS IS YOUR FREESTYLE BLAST #32
In this issue of The Blast, we unlock a few secrets to promoting your new Freestyle Music online and give a Blast Flash to three brand new Freestyle releases.
As an artist. A Freestyle artist to be more precise. What is your ultimate goal? Is it the fame? The fortune? Selling a certain number of CDs? (if you’re still doing that) Gaining streams? Maybe getting on some of those bigger Freestyle shows we see popping up around the country? Or is it simply to show everyone who ever doubted you that look… you’ve made it!
All of these reasons are viable, and whether or not any of us would want to admit it , trust that at least one of these reasons belongs to us.
But what are we doing to reach these goals? And though we can all probably write a long list, I can bet that none of those things we’re truly given 100%. And so if not with each other, let’s at least be honest with ourselves, or else we’ll be chasing ghosts for the rest of our lives.
To have people want to spend their hard-earned money for a piece of our art, whether it’s tangible, audio, or just an experience, we damn well better be good… No, let me correct that. We better be great!
But you see greatness isn’t for everyone. It takes a very special individual to reach this level, and once it’s reached, it takes a whole other to keep it going!
We’ve seen them all. Amazing artists, musicians, actors, and athletes go from phenomenal greatness to complete obscurity. Whatever happened to those folks? Who knows? Could’ve been anything. Mental breakdowns, injuries, legal issues, or simply the loss of desire are just a few of the many reasons that might’ve caused these greats to suddenly fall from grace.
And unlike those of our past, nowadays we’re fortunate to have the internet, and the unlimited resources that it allows us to access. But then we wonder, why are we still having trouble reaching our goals?
Keep reading and let’s explore a few simple ways to help move our careers forward. So if you’re ready… Let’s get into it!
New Beats, New Voices, New Stories: The Blast Flash 3 Showcases Some of Freestyle Music's Finest.
In every issue of The Freestyle Blast Newsletter, I’ve featured The Blast Flash 3, where every month, DJ Wonderrican scours the internet in search of new Freestyle releases by either new or established artists. He’s a damn good DJ, and I trust his opinion, and so whoever he decides to put on… gets on!
What we try and do however, is not only let the fans know that these artists are being featured, but also the artists themselves so that they can help nurture the buzz, and for that we created a Poll.
Yes, every month the three artists featured are included in a Poll where our subscribers get to vote. This Poll is live for only 6 days after its release on the 15th of that month, then after that… the poll is closed until the next issue!
Is this Poll important? Well, my goal as the editor of this Newsletter is to make it important, and hopefully, it can impact the success of the release, and/or the artists with interest from club and concert promoters. Mind you folks, not only am I the editor of The Freestyle Blast Newsletter, but also one of Freestyle’s prominent booking agents and have been for over thirty years. Anyone who’s ever worked with me will tell you, that my relationships with Freestyle event promoters run pretty deep!
Though my ties with these promoters are tight, I refuse to abuse that by pushing artists on them. What I do instead, is exactly what I do with my own artists, and that is show promoters that they are indeed relevant. That they’re worthy of being on these shows. Have fans who love their music and who would love to come out to see them perform. This is the information promoters hope to find before deciding on what acts to add to their event.
I’ve said this many times before folks, promoters are not in the business of promoting our careers. They’re not obligated to help us out, or give us “exposure”, they don’t have to give us a “shot!” we need to create that ourselves.
The promoter’s main objective is to sell tickets and lots of them, while at the same time providing their audience with an amazing experience so that when the show returns, so does that audience! But also know that if that promoter feels that you as an artist have contributed to that amazing experience, trust and believe, that you’ll return as well!
This information shouldn’t be discouraging. On the contrary, this is valuable information that should have you as an artist hyped because now you know what’s up. You know the truth and what promoters expect, and now you can spend the time, energy, and maybe even a few bucks wisely and in the necessary direction.
Using my connections and influences to get any artists on any shows, might help boost my own ego and reputation within the industry, but it will do nothing for the career of the artist in mention. In fact, it can hurt their career, along with any future opportunities with that promoter.
The promoter’s excuse then will be, “Well, Latif, I put them on for you last time, and they made no impact, who else do you have!” We don’t ever want that type of response, because it’ll be a hard one to climb out of.
However, if we can get “Real” engagement from the fans about you and your new release, well then now we might have something. Create solid interest in your fans and the promoters will take notice. Promoters are not stupid and can tell the difference between fabricated hype and a “Real” buzz, and The Freestyle Blast newsletter can put you in front of the right eyes.
So this is how we do it; DJ Wonderrican will submit three new releases, or two if one of them has carried over from the previous issue. The three releases will be featured on the Blast Flash 3, with a link to their Spotify accounts. The centered feature will be the artist and song that beat the poll in the last issue and has now rolled over into the next, and as long as they maintain that momentum, they’ll not only maintain their spot in the newsletter but also in the minds of all of our subscribers, specifically all those Freestyle promoters who I made sure are subscribed.
And so now that you have this information, let’s see what you do with it. Get to work!
Digital Harmony: Leveraging the Internet to Help Promote Your Music.
Promoting new music on the internet effectively requires a blend of strategy, creativity, and consistency. And to give you a better idea of what I am talking about, here are 12 tips to sort of get you going:
Create a Content Calendar: Plan your posts in advance, to ensure you’re consistently engaging with your audience. Include a mix of content types such as videos, still posts, and lives, and make sure those posts represent who you are, what you do, and your goal. If you’re a Freestyle artist trying to get a buzz, but your pages are filled with political memes, you did it wrong and need to get in their clean it up.
Work as many platforms that make sense for what you’re doing: Use different social media platforms like Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), TikTok, and YouTube, as each of those platforms has its own, unique way of reaching their audiences, so please remember, once size doesn’t fit them all… design accordingly.
Don’t leave your audience hanging: Respond to their comments, messages, and mentions. Engaging with your fans builds the loyalty you’re looking for. I am not a Freestyle artist, but still. Once in a while, a bunch of comments might hit one of my posts, and I always make sure to get in there and reply. Leave them a heart, say thank you, whatever, just don’t leave anyone hanging!
Don’t sleep on Hashtags: They’re still important, folks, but make sure they’re relative to your content, and no, there’s nothing wrong with creating your own to highlight your particular brand, just stay consistent with it so that it is easily searchable.
Collaborate with others: Reach out to others within the Freestyle genre, and see if there’s a way to collaborate with them. It doesn’t always have to be a song that you work on together, but maybe some other talent or interest, or even a cause that you’re both passionate about.
Try Giveaways and Contests: Sometimes the faster way to reach your goals is to simply give stuff away! Hey, who doesn’t like Free Shit? I know I do! And whenever I’ve noticed stuff being given away, at the very least, it’s grabbed my attention. And what about contests? Create something where people can win your new music, a tee shirt, or maybe tickets to one of your shows. Come on people, get creative, and please… don’t be cheap!
Live Videos: We all stop at those live videos, even if it’s for a few seconds to see what it’s about. So how can you hold them there? A look behind the scenes is always dope. But it doesn’t always have to be a backstage view. What about during the writing of a song, the production of a new track, or even shopping for an outfit that you’ll be wearing for your next performance? This would make your audience feel involved and part of your journey.
Post those upcoming shows: Building anticipation by sharing flyers will not only keep your audience up on where you’ll be next, but the promoter will also appreciate it. But please folks, don’t post your flyers on other people’s pages unless they’re a part of whatever it is you’re promoting, and even then, I say don’t do it!
Boost Your Post: Don’t expect others to invest in you if you’re not ready to invest in yourself. One way would be to boost a few of your posts. Yes, I know, it could be costly, but what can I say except… Welcome to the music business!
Support others in your circle: We have 5,000 friends on our Facebook page and don’t understand why we only got 5 likes on our posts. Well, how many of those 5,000 friends are WE supporting? How many of their posts are we liking, commenting on, or sharing? Probably just 5 huh? Hmmm.
Look, I can easily keep this list going, and, I’m sure there are plenty I probably missed. So why don’t we do this? In support of our wonderful Freestyle community, whether you’re an artist or a fan. Share with us at least one tip that you feel could help someone promote themselves or their music.
Hey, your brilliant idea just might help someone out… or better yet, theirs just might help you!
To all our Subscribers, Readers, Subjects, and of course our Sponsors, for being a part of this month’s issue of the Freestyle Blast Newsletter, Thank you all so much!
and until next time…
This was your Freestyle Blast!
Latif Mercado has been a part of the Freestyle Music scene for well over 30 years, as well as an integral player behind the genre’s continued success.
As a Booking Agent with a who's who roster of Freestyle Greats, as well as his managerial involvement with such industry icons as Lil' Suzy, Angel OCG and The Cover Girls, rarely would you find a Freestyle event happening without Latif somewhere in the mix.
Latif loves hearing from his readers, answering questions, and sharing whatever advice he possibly can, whether it be on writing, or maybe something Freestyle related, so be sure to reach out, even if it’s just to say hi.
So please Follow Him Everywhere @LatifMercado
Very Good! I've been following your texts from Brazil!
Latif you’re a genius. This issue makes things more clear on how this business works. Great job on this issue and thank you for mentioning me on this issue. I appreciate it!!!