The Birth of Grunge

In the early nineties, guitar bands ruled the airwaves and the charts. Nirvana released Nevermind in 1991, and it felt like the world had changed. The biting intensity and realism of grunge blew away the big-hair soft rock of the eighties. It was urgent, passionate, and real. The popularity of Nirvana opened the floodgates for a host of other guitar bands to be thrust into the limelight, Pixies, Pearl Jam, Mudhoney, Screaming Trees, Live, Soundgarden Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Hole to name just a few.

Cool Brittania and Brit Pop

A few years later in 1997, Cool Britannia hit in the UK as Tony Blair’s New Labour swept aside the Tories in an election landslide. There was a new sense of optimism and pride in the United Kingdom and guitar bands once again provided the soundtrack. The charts were dominated by the battle of Britpop with Oasis Blur and Pulp and once again these bands paved the way for others including Ocean Colour Scene, Suede, Supergrass and Elastica.

The Strokes

The third wave was powered by The Strokes. Their oh-so-cool debut ‘Is This It’ released in 2001 paved the way for The White Stripes, Kings of Leon, Hives and Interpol among others. The first two movements were seen as the youth response to periods of high unemployment and economic hardship. The Strokes emerged as the Twin Towers fell and the war on Iraq raged.

The Decline of Bands

Over the past decade, the UK music charts have witnessed a notable decline in the prominence of bands. In the early 1980s, bands occupied the number one spot for 146 weeks, and in the early 1990s, for 141 weeks. However, in the first half of the 2020s, bands have held the top position for only three weeks, with one of those attributed to the AI-fuelled return of The Beatles and another to Little Mix, hardly the cutting-edge new wave indie fans were hoping for.

What’s caused this decline? Record labels have recognised it’s cheaper to sign and develop solo artists. Meanwhile, the grassroots music venues once the incubators of next-wave talent have been shutting down at an alarming rate, reducing the pipeline of new talent. But now in a Post Brexit world, which has witnessed the inexplicable second coming of Trump and the divisive hatred and misogynism of Tate are we primed for the next coming of indie bands, there are some positive signs.

Fontaines D.C. Spark The Revival

In 2019 Fontaines D.C. released their debut Dogrel and we got very excited. This was a noticeable raising of the bar for indie rock. Irish punk contenders Slyrydes threatened to keep the momentum going, but failed to sustain the early hype. When Wunderhorse was formed in 2020 it felt significant. Their debut Cub in 2022 felt wonderfully familiar, the nouveau grunge sound bridged the gap between Nirvana and early Radiohead and things started to get exciting again. They toured with Fontaines D.C. and released their second album Midas in August. Meanwhile, Fontaines shared their third album Romance which further threatened the mainstream.

This time it feels like the Calvary is coming with a plethora of exciting new indie rock bands waiting in the wings. To celebrate the return of indie, we’ve picked out some names to watch and have created a new Indie Rising playlist.

Five essential new bands to watch:

1. Telescreens

New Yorkers’ Telescreens released their debut album 7 in October. The album contains a weighty 16 tracks and feels like a treasure chest of gold. Different enough to maintain interest and cohesive enough to hang together as a collective body of work. It’s powerful, passionate and poetic in equal measure. Opener ‘Times Like These’ wastes no time, it’s a shot in the arm for indie. The intensity continues until track 6 where we are treated to Blue Interlude a moment of poetic reflection. The transition from poetry to album standout ‘Stare’ already feels iconic, this album is significant.

The ramshackle, honky tonk blues of ‘Johnny’ is joyous and heartbreaking in equal measure and the realism bites hard. There is still time for the visceral intensity of Floods and a wonderful reprise of Commotion this time with skittish beats. Make 7 essential listening and be in no doubt, this is the debut of the year.

2. Bby

Bby is an electrifying indie rock band known for their bold sound and unapologetic style. Their debut album, 1, showcases a dynamic mix of gritty guitar riffs, infectious melodies, and introspective lyrics, solidifying their place in the indie music scene. The standout single, Kinky, has become a fan favourite, celebrated for its edgy, danceable rhythm and provocative energy. Renowned for their raw and captivating live performances, Bby continues to push creative boundaries.

3. Exiles

Exploding out of Melbourne, Australia our next band in the spotlight are four-piece EXILES. Their singles “Wasting Away’ recalls the excitement of The Strokes while ‘Get Down’ and ‘Star’ are loaded with a swagger and attitude that is impossible to ignore. This is a band that is already destined for greatness and the journey has barely begun.

In an ambitious move to channel this live energy into their recordings, Exiles teamed up with renowned producer Alex Markwell, known for his work with The Delta Riggs, Portugal The Man, to capture the essence of their sound. Their debut album Waiting For Romance is set for release on December 13th and the anticipation is building at pace.

4. Krooked Kings

Krooked Kings, an indie rock band from Salt Lake City, Utah, has been making waves with their authentic sound and heartfelt lyrics. The band’s journey began when lead singer Oliver Martin, after completing a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, returned home and reconnected with high school friends to form the group. Their music, characterized by introspective themes and a blend of indie rock and surf influences, resonates with listeners navigating the complexities of young adulthood. The band’s debut album, “The Comedown,” released in 2021, explores themes of self-discovery and personal growth. Their latest album “Shiver” comes complete with the band’s distinctive blend of dreamy indie and grunge-tinged guitars.

5. The Deenys

The Deenys, an indie rock band from Perth’s northern suburbs, bring a unique sound influenced by their UK and Irish roots combined with Australian indie vibes. Their music blends punchy guitar riffs, heartfelt lyrics, and infectious melodies, carving out a distinct presence in Perth’s music scene. Known for their noughties-inspired UK indie feel, The Deenys have shared stages with prominent Australian artists during regional tours and have also supported The Charlatans, Ride and The Inspiral Carpets.

Discover more on our Indie Revival Playlist

Discover more on Right Chord Music

• Music Marketing vs Music Promotion Avoid These Three Mistakes
• The Musician’s Census 2024: “It’s Becoming Harder To Be An Independent Artist.”
• First Signs of Love No 229 Mount St. Helen ‘Pariahs’
• The Spotify Popularity Index Chart – Latest Featured Artists

Words Mark Knight

The post Next Wave. Five Essential New Indie Rock Bands appeared first on Right Chord Music Blog.

The Musician’s Census – Key Findings

These challenges are immediately put into sharp focus with 40% of respondents admitting, “I honestly don’t know if I get paid the money I’m owed.” A further 22% report “I definitely don’t get paid what I’m owed.” It’s hard to imagine many other categories of work where fair payment is such a challenge. 

Beyond payment ‘Getting music heard’ remains the most significant challenge for most respondents (54%). Meanwhile over two-thirds (68%) of respondents believe it’s becoming harder to be an independent musician. When asked why three major themes emerge:

1. Oversaturation of the market: The sheer volume of new music being released daily makes it difficult to get noticed.
2. AI-generated music: The rise of AI-generated music is contributing to the difficulty for independent artists. The presence of low-quality acts or AI-generated content is diluting the music landscape.
3. Challenges in building a fanbase: The continued difficulty of gaining a loyal following and leveraging social media effectively.

The research highlights the lengths independent artists go to, to promote their music. It’s a time-consuming,  multi-channel process. On average artists report using five different social media platforms. Instagram dominates as the primary promotional channel. 

In addition to social media, artists typically use five more services.  A music distribution service was the most frequently mentioned, followed by a Link Page provider and a Press/promotion service. DistroKid was the most recognised distribution service, but also the most polarising, reported as the most liked and disliked service.

In return for completing the survey, artists were entered into a competition to win Free promotion across Musosoup, Right Chord Music and Major Labl Artist Club. Congratulations to US dream-pop band Waltzerr who scooped the prize. Discover them on our Explorer, new music playlist.

Read the Musician’s Census

• Read the full report here.
• Download the full report here.

Listen to the Podcast of the report

Discover more on Right Chord Music

• Music Promotion: Nobody Cares About Your Music (As Much As You Do)
• Pre-Save, Money Making Trick? Or Valuable Music Marketing Tool?
• The Spotify Popularity Index Chart – Latest Featured Artists
• Music Marketing vs Music Promotion Avoid These Three Mistakes

Words Mark Knight

The post The Musician’s Census: “It’s Becoming Harder To Be An Independent Artist.” appeared first on Right Chord Music Blog.

What Is The Spotify Popularity Index

The Spotify Popularity Index is an internal metric used by Spotify to measure the relative popularity of a song or artist on its platform. It ranges from 0 to 100, with higher numbers indicating greater popularity.  It’s typically only available to developers via the Spotify API.

The post Musicians. Check Your Spotify Popularity Index For Free appeared first on Right Chord Music Blog.

Introducing Rachel Colton

Rachel is a DJ, songwriter and producer, most known for co-writing and producing Celine Lyng’s EP Sugarcoated’ and the singles ‘Appetite’ and ‘Love At First Swipe’ which became a regional number one at Radio 102 in Norway.

She was educated at LIPA and BIMM Birmingham where she studied bass guitar, songwriting and production. During this time, Rachel was mentored in songwriting one-to-one by Beatles legend Sir Paul McCartney.

As a bassist and touring musician, she fell in love with the unsigned and independent musicians she was listening to and was shocked at how little following or streams these artists were receiving.

In March this year, she started her “Hidden Harmonies” radio show on Crags Radio and quickly gained followers and submissions, primarily through TikTok. For many musicians, her show is the first time they hear their music live on air and has become a safe place to showcase demos and songs before release.

Beginning in May, Rachel will present weekly interviews with an unsigned or independent artist on her show. This August she will be part of Crags Radio’s first-ever music festival, providing a paid performance opportunity for new artists.

In collaboration with the songwriting circle “The Narrative” based in Liverpool, she is working to host live and online events for unsigned and independent musicians, with the potential for wider events across the Midlands and North.

Rachel is determined to provide a platform for artists. Her ever-growing social media presence and weekly radio takeover have proved that the UK’s music scene needs her and we’re delighted to welcome her to the Right Chord Music family.

Rachel will be scouting the Right Chord Music submissions database. Submit now and you could be the next new artist to feature on her radio show and playlist.

Introducing The RCM Indie Collective

The Right Chord Music Blog started the RCM Indie Collective to champion more incredible independent artists.

The RCM Indie Collective allows unsigned and independent artists to pick up promotional support from a network of partner Blogs, Playlisters and new music champions all from one free submission to Right Chord Music.

Music blog aggregation services are nothing new, but with SubmitHub and now Musosoup charging musicians to submit their music, costs are spiralling.

“We wanted to create a service which is fairer and more accessible for everyone, with our service, the submission is free and you only pay for a guaranteed review or feature, there is no obligation to accept.” Mark Knight (Founder)

Here is the growing list of RCM Indie Collective partners

• Right Chord Music Blog
• Right Chord Music Playlists
• Blackmarket Playlists
• Bored City
• Eclectic Ear Candy
• Euphonixx
• Heresiarch Music Reviews
• Honor Morrison (BBC Radio 6 & 1, Good Vibes Only Live)
• Indie Music Women
• Jodie Bryant (Discover Live & BBC Radio 1)
• Lost In The Nordics
• Poco Poco Records
• Pop Passion Blog
• Pretty White Blog
• Rachel Colton (Hidden Harmonies Crags Radio / Playlist/ Live)
• Rats On The Run Blog
• Tonitruale Blog
• Unseen Plays Blog
• Unseen Plays Podcast
• Up & Coming Blog Blog
• We Make Music Playlists

Submit your music to Right Chord Music for FREE here. You can also read case studies and success stories here. If you are a music blogger, playlister, podcaster, DJ or live promoter interested in joining our team, please get in touch here.

Discover more on Right Chord Music

• BBC Radio’s Honor Morrison Joins Right Chord Music
• Jodie Bryant Discover Live Is Coming To Manchester! 
• Pre-Save, Money Making Trick? Or Valuable Music Marketing Tool?
• How Musicians Can Win In The Evolving Social Media Landscape

The post New Music Champion Rachel Colton Joins Right Chord Music appeared first on Right Chord Music Blog.

Heavy On The Heart – ‘Mr. Know It All’

Hailing from Long Island, NY, Heavy On The Heart are an alternative rock quartet that made their live debut in January. Opening for The Color Fred and Alex Melton, they played to a sold-out crowd, at The Shakers in Oakdale.

Drawing influence from artists such as Third Eye Blind, Paramore, The Dangerous Summer, and Hot Mulligan, HOTH carries the alt-rock flag with pride, offering a style as diverse as the bands they admire.

For their debut track, Mr. Know It All, this four-piece goes full force with a heavily charged nostalgic sound, with crushing drums and explosive riffs, intertwining with lead singer Nikki Brady’s intense vocal work, reminiscing of the late 90s and early 2000s alternative rock sound.

Aside from this tune, HOTH will release two more singles over the upcoming months, preparing everything for the release of their debut record ‘It’s You That Needs To Think’ in September 2023.

Discover more from Heavy On The Heart

• Facebook 
• Instagram 
• Twitter 
• TikTok 
• Spotify 

Circle The Wolves – ‘2000 Pieces’

Keeping the decibels loud and strident, next up we have Circle The Wolves, a goth metal band from Canada. They mix the intricate structures of classical music with all the unbridled power that metal can offer, taking the listener through a dynamic sonic voyage.

After previous, including covers of Avril Lavigne and Sia, Circle The Wolves are determined to keep evolving and taking their musicianship to the next level, and this is clearly on show in exhibited in 2000 Pieces.

Combining mesmerizing vocal delivery with poignant guitar chords, 2000 Pieces escalates into a smashing chorus, where the mournful lyrics blend spectacularly with the instrumentation, functioning as an ideal balance of well-rounded songwriting and stellar production.

Not a band to rest on their laurels, this group is currently working on what will be their sophomore album, confirming they won’t stop making great music anytime soon.

Discover more from Circle The Wolves

• Facebook 
• Instagram 
• Twitter 
• Spotify 

House Of Figs ‘Shiny Red Cuts’

After a three-year hiatus, Fort Worth, Texas, alternative trio House Of Figs has made a long-awaited return to the music scene, looking to bring back their highly infectious sound to the masses. In 2020 they had a very admirable debut, with the tracks ‘Alright With Me’ and ‘Forest Fire’ amassing thousands of plays, a feat they’re already repeating with their comeback single Shiny Red Cuts.

Tailor-made for the summer, Shiny Red Cuts is the danceable alt-pop tune you’ve been waiting for! Introducing contagious hooks, playful lyrics, and flawless performance, everything about this tune feels like an invitation for a good time.

But this return is not limited to just one song because House Of Figs have assured us there is not one, not two, but five more singles on the horizon! They are expected to be shared in the upcoming months, along with plans for booking local shows once more, this triplet is back and their time is now.

Discover more from House Of Figs

• Facebook 
• Instagram 
• Spotify 

Vonum – ‘Lay Down Your Umbrella’

The best way to describe this band from Manchester (and Athens) would be as the auditive crossroad where classic and modern rock meet. Vonum has a sound that can appeal to audiences of all ages due to the cocktail of influences in it, which fluctuates between blues, funk, rock, and indie.

Inspired by a conversation that the lead singer had with a friend, the phrase “Lay Down Your Umbrella” is basically another way to say you should allow your feelings to take over, and despite some people saying otherwise, it’s ok to cry, it’s ok to feel vulnerable once in a while and decompress when you need it, all for the sake of mental health.

But its subject is not the only motivational thing about this melody, LDYU also showcases top-notch instrumentation, starting with a drum beat made for a big audience clapping to its awe-inspiring rhythm, followed by an irresistible strumming almost begging to be played at a big stadium.

Engaging songwriting, catchy production, and a passion for crafting quality music make Vonum significant in Manchester’s ever-growing indie landscape.

Discover more from Vonum

• Facebook 
• Instagram 
• Twitter 
• Spotify 

AstroNutz – ‘Toy’

Continuing the pattern of their previous two releases, Toy is another display of fun, pop-punk from Almere-based AstroNutz, a band that knows how to get the crowd going.

Often compared to the likes of Green Day, All American Rejects, and Blink 182 this four-piece has all the ingredients to become a favourite on your playlist.

Highly energetic, upbeat, and pouring good vibes, Toy is a recording that will appeal to old and young fans alike due to its timeless formula, capturing the essence of this beloved subgenre that not too long ago saw a mainstream revival. Consisting of fast-paced distorted guitars, pulsating drums, and irresistible hooks, Toy cuts straight to the chase, as most punk tracks do.

As you’re reading this, AstroNutz are hard at work on their debut album, which is set for release by the end of 2023.

Discover more from AstroNutz

• Facebook 
• Instagram 
• Spotify 

Discover more on RCM

• Discover The Music Review Mixtape Vol. 16
• Discover The Music Review Mixtape Vol. 15
• Discover The Music Review Mixtape Vol. 14
• Free Music Marketing Training For Independent Artists

Words Javier Rodriguez

The post Discover The Music Review Mixtape Vol. 17 appeared first on Right Chord Music Blog.

Elizmi Haze ‘That Guy’

Elizmi is more than just another talented singer, she is also a dedicated mental health advocate fueled by a strong desire to help and inspire young women all over the globe.

Her formative years in Spain have played a crucial role in her love for music, allowing her to draw influence from this country’s beautiful culture. Her latest release, That Guy, carries a new and exciting sound while keeping her empowering lyricism completely intact.

In the catchiest way possible, Elizmi Haze has perfectly captured the essence of someone suffering due to a lack of loyalty and respect from a significant other and the realization of this person’s true colours, followed by the feeling of liberation that brings.

Presenting some fascinating production choices, this track begins with dazzling vocal effects and sublime piano parts, followed by Elizmi’s powerful voice, which drips with emotional anguish that is almost palpable, all meticulously balanced and complementing each other spectacularly.

With several awards and nominations on her curriculum, this bopper strongly indicates there will be more accolades for Elizmi.

Discover more from Elizmi Haze:

• Facebook 
• Instagram 
• Twitter 
• Spotify 

TELUS – ‘Apart’

Channelling the melancholy and reflective nature of post-punk, Danish band Telus pays homage to this subgenre while giving it a fresh, modern twist, aiming to immerse the listener through intense performances of pure, unfiltered emotion, finding the midpoint between beauty and ugliness.

With heartbreaking lyrics depicting the inevitable downfall of a relationship from the perspective of the two parties involved with opposite intentions, their latest single, Apart, evokes feelings of aching and despair.

Soaked in reverberating energy, the first chords draw you in with their innate and engaging poignancy, escalating towards a frenetic chorus where the soaring vocals, high-energy drums, and pulsating bass prevail, successfully transmitting the enticing coldness that makes post-punk so engaging.

Apart marks the first step towards the impending release of Telus’s debut EP, Love Songs For Strangers, and if that record is half as good as this melody, then we are up for a treat.

Discover more from TELUS

• Facebook 
• Instagram 
• Spotify 

White House Down – ‘On The Edge Of Dreaming’

Hailing from a small village hall in Faulkland, Somerset, White House Down has a history that started over ten years ago, with these five musicians having a lot of experience playing in other bands and many different projects in the past, something that explains their efficiency and solid reputation as a highly entertaining band.

Their third official release, On The Edge Of Dreaming, is another piece of introspective songwriting by the hand of the skilled lead singer Tom Hunt, successfully capturing the emotions of a specific period in time.

Like a gentle breeze on a warm summer night, OTEOD brings a comforting atmosphere with a soothing instrumentation that takes you by the hand through a gratifying sonic barrage, with melancholy-charged guitar riffs and Tom’s tender vocals leading the way.

The sheer lyrical intimacy and the satisfying performance make White House Down a rising act worth considering to keep on rotation on your favourite streaming service.

Discover more from White House Down

• Facebook 
• Instagram 
• Twitter 
• Spotify 

Ninebanks – ‘Hello Sunshine’

Considered a formidable amalgamation of British and American styles, Ninebanks is a group from Sunderland, UK, characterized by their singular approach to pop punk, delivering euphoric performances and heartfelt lyrics, resulting in music as timeless as it is charming.

Coming as a wild display of pop punk, their song Hello Sunshine embodies everything that makes this subgenre a synonym of fun for many people worldwide, wonderfully showcasing a killer riffage, energetic drums, and chill vibes, making this tune a perfect fitting for the soundtrack of a Tony Hawk pro skater video game.

Aside from this riveting track, Ninebanks have plenty of surprises prepared, starting with the release of their new song ‘Interrupted’ on June 23rd, and also a live performance on The Bunker at Sunderland on September, so don’t miss the opportunity to have a great time by watching these talented lads perform, we assure you, you won’t regret it!

Discover more from Ninebanks

• Facebook 
• Instagram 
• Twitter 
• Spotify

Wuzy Bambussy – ‘Uncharted’

Wuzy Bambussy is the moniker of Nikolai Jones, a producer, and multi-instrumentalist from the West Country in England with a hard-to-define sound thanks to its eclectic nature.

While Nikolai has collaborated with many great artists in his career, since March 2023, he found his perfect match in Bristol’s songstress Kat Harrison, combining Nikolai’s production mastery with Kat’s undeniable singing prowess.

After two well-received singles, their newest musical venture Uncharted is proof of the great chemistry between these two artists.

Driven by Kat’s alluring voice, this piece is a delightfully dark serenade with mesmerizing elements, including its graceful piano segments and sombre organs, crafting something only possible to describe as “wickedly fun and catchy”.

And if three singles are not enough for you, then we have great news due to this duo promising to deliver a new song every month for the rest of the year, so you better get ready because the best is still yet to come from Wuzy Bambussy.

Discover more from Wuzy Bambussy

• Facebook 
• Instagram 
• Twitter 
• Spotify 

Gonçalo Santana – ‘Too Soon’

Originally from Portugal but currently residing in Switzerland, Gonçalo Santana is a singer, songwriter, and producer who discovered music was his passion from a young age. The credit for this early exposure goes to his father, who introduced him to many artists, such as Luther Vandross, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, and Prince, to name a few.

After an EP and some releases, including his 2022 melody ‘Verity’ (which has over 20’000 streams on Spotify), Gonçalo is back once more, and this time is with a seductive dance floor anthem called Too Soon.

Adorned by some of the most contagious Latin rhythms and arrangements you could hear, Too Soon is a colourful display of pop brilliance, taking advantage of Gonçalo’s thin and playful voice for an irresistible track that evidences this singer’s appeal as a performer.

With each delivery, this artist continues to go from strength to strength, demonstrating the big numbers on Verity were no coincidence.

Discover more from Gonçalo Santana

• Facebook 
• Instagram 
• Twitter 
• Spotify 

Discover more on RCM

• The Music Review Mixtape Vol. 15
• The Daydream Club Bring The Optimism On Free + Easy
• Black Deer Festival 2023 Ones To Watch
• Pre-Save, Money-Making Trick? Or Valuable Music Marketing Tool?

Words Javier Rodriguez

The post Discover The Music Review Mixtape Vol. 16 appeared first on Right Chord Music Blog.

Georgia Ray – Hypnotherapy

Even though the reverb-filled intro may suggest a folktronica number, it merely sets the dreamy tone. In fact, the song is a more straightforward pop-rock number in an innocent teenage confessional vein. Past this brief beginning, most of the action is conducted by a guitar, with a few piano chords adding some needed drama.

Georgia Ray’s weepy voice is kept raw, perfectly matching the acoustic guitar-driven soundscape, her fierce yet slightly shaky vocals communicating the youthful angst of someone whose heart has just been broken for the first time. “Hypnotise me so I can try to forget/All our memories like we never met”. Remember that time it felt as if the pain was never going to go away, unless some magical shenanigan managed to erase every single memory of him or her? Remember how impossible it seemed to find your centre once more and just move on? “I don’t know how to be myself anymore without you”, laments our forsaken damsel.

Hailing from and based in Melbourne, Australia, Georgia Ray is a multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter who has been in a love affair with music ever since her childhood days. Citing the likes of Taylor Swift, Paramore and Avril Lavigne as influences (the touch of the first one especially noticeable in this new single), Ray assumedly has a taste for emotional lyrics and has been described as ‘One to Watch’ by the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI).

Produced by her brother Kyle Gutterson and recorded at Aviary Studios in Abbotsford, “Hypnotherapy” is the first single off her upcoming EP, due in October.

“Georgia Ray’s weepy delivery perfectly translates the youthful angst of someone whose heart has just been broken for the first time”

Discover more from Georgia Ray

• Spotify
• Instagram
• Facebook

Discover more on RCM

• Free Music Marketing Training For Independent Artists
• Music Marketing vs Music Promotion Avoid These Three Mistakes
• Independent Artist? Learn The Secrets of Social Media Success
• QUIETLOVE Returns With Indie Pop Single Accident

Words Fernando de Oliveira Lúcio

The post Georgia Ray Needs ‘Hypnotherapy’ appeared first on Right Chord Music Blog.

Spotify Marquee

Spotify launched in the UK in 2009, yet staggeringly, it has taken the tech giant, which now boasts 195,000,000 paying customers, 14 years to allow the musicians to actually communicate with their listeners. Oh, and you have to pay!

Spotify Marquee is positioned as Spotify’s own in-platform advertising and recommendation service. It enables musicians to activate their fanbase by recommending new releases to their current and previous listeners.

Once a campaign is activated, fans and listeners of that artist will see a visual prompt displaying the release artwork, encouraging them to listen. Targeting and set-up are fairly primitive. For example, Spotify Marquee campaigns can target audiences in 36 markets, but you can only target one market per campaign. To target multiple markets, you’ll need to schedule separate campaigns on Spotify for Artists, and there is no choice of creative. It’s a static ad, with no video and no opportunities for catchy titles. You simply pay your money and it gets to work.

The Spotify cost per acquisition challenge

Any start-up business faces the challenge of acquiring customers for the lowest possible cost. Most will use a combination of Google Search Advertising to scoop up demand from those in the market searching for a solution; this might also be paired with advertising across Meta platforms to raise awareness of their proposition and offer. This combination of pull (Google) and push (Meta) advertising is an established formula. It quickly becomes a cost-per-click exercise. How cheaply can a business acquire website visitors and ultimately sign-ups or customers?

In a particularly competitive category like insurance, brands might be paying £10-£15 plus to acquire a Google click, but when you realise that cost will be recouped with just one monthly insurance premium, the large upfront acquisition cost is quickly forgotten and if that customer stays with the policy for several years and starts to buy additional products, the acquisition cost starts to look cheap.

Equally, if you are BMW selling a car for £30,000 you can afford to spend a fair amount on advertising before you are at risk of not being profitable. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said of music promotion.

It’s hard to think of any other category where a business would immediately lose money to acquire a customer, with no obvious plan to recoup the advance.

Remember one stream on Spotify pays an artist approximately £0.003 to £0.005, yet to acquire one stream using Spotify Marquee (Spotify’s in-platform advertising platform) costs an average of 39p. So at the £0.003 rate, a musician would need their fans to play their tracks 130 times before the cost per acquisition is covered! That’s a big ask when you have absolutely no way of actually contacting that listener directly or providing them with any direct incentive to listen again and again.

As of April 2023, the National Living Wage (minimal wage) for UK workers aged 23+ is £10.42 per hour or £1,806.13 per month. When you consider half a million Spotify streams still only pays back £1,720.00 per month you realise the challenge facing new, unsigned and independent artists.

Spotify Marquee Usage Requirements

The challenge for unsigned and independent artists becomes even greater when you understand that not every new artist is eligible to use Spotify Marquee. To use the advertising platform, musicians need to have a minimum of 5,000 streams in the last 28 days and have more than 1,000 followers, which immediately rules out a large proportion of new and emerging artists.

Alternative Forms of Promotion

If you are a new artist and don’t yet meet the criteria for a Spotify Marquee campaign, what are your other options?

Previously on this blog, we have been hugely critical of paid playlisting services. See Why PlaylistSupply Are Part of The Problem, Not Part of The Solution, preferring to support playlisters and curators who like us do it for the love. See Independent Artists. Get On Blackmarket Spotify Playlists For Free.

While we don’t have a problem with playlists as a form of music discovery, we do recognise there is a difference between driving listeners and fans. Our own research shows the listeners recruited via playlists are much less likely to save music to their own collection (the start of fandom), instead, they just listen through a playlist. So while playlist placement is one way to meet Spotify Marquee’s minimum 5,000 streams in the last 28-day threshold, it’s unlikely to help drive the 1,000 required followers.

Meta Advertising

The other paid alternative is Meta (Facebook and Instagram) advertising. There was a time when Facebook advertising was actually pretty cheap and effective, but when the Apple IOS privacy changes arrived, the effectiveness dropped, and the conversion costs spiralled. In the last few months, there have been signs that Meta is fighting back and costs are returning to pre-Apple levels.

But running Meta Ads isn’t easy, and if the setup, targeting or creative is wrong, you can easily and quickly waste money. It’s also complicated; you will need to create a landing page (we recommend Toneden) and then connect your Toneden page to your website sub-domain, connect a Pixel and set up Meta Conversion Ads.

A conversion is counted every time someone clicks one of your ads, lands on your Toneden page, and chooses to click on one of your streaming links. But here is the kicker, just because someone has clicked to listen to your new single on Spotify doesn’t mean they automatically become a listener.

To be counted as a listener requires that person to actually listen for 30 seconds. You’ll quickly see lots of people drop off before the Spotify app has loaded on their phone or churn away before the track has played. Because Meta has no control over Spotify, there is no 100% accurate way to attribute a play on Spotify to Meta advertising. So you are left to manually check to see if those 100 clicks to your Toneden page from France actually show up as 100 listeners on Spotify. Spoiler alert, they normally don’t!

So it’s an imperfect solution, and while you can get lucky and drive conversions for lower than the cost to achieve a play using Spotify Marquee, it can also go the other way. We have seen examples where artists have been paying several pounds for just one play, which is utterly unsustainable.

Until Spotify provides a solution that allows every artist (big or small) to engage and communicate with their listeners, there is still some way left to go.

Discover more on RCM

• Free Music Marketing Training For Independent Artists
• Hey, Spotify Don’t Sponsor Barcelona, Help Unsigned Artists!
• Five reasons why music PR consistently fails unsigned musicians
• Unsigned Bands: Should Stop Wasting Money On Radio Pluggers

Words Mark Knight

The post Spotify Marquee For Independent Artists appeared first on Right Chord Music Blog.

Chris Moyles – DJ

I must confess I grew up listening to Chris Moyles, first on the early breakfast show, then Saturday mornings, and drive time before ultimately the breakfast show on BBC Radio 1. Back in 1998, he was a blast of fresh air, he made radio exciting, unpredictable and occasionally dangerous. But it was evident from the start that he wasn’t a music DJ and to be fair he never pretended he was. His remit was entertainment, he left the serious music chat to Jo Wiley and Steve Lamacq.

When he joined Radio X in 2015 it felt like a predictable and safe choice. You see in its previous incarnation, Radio X was XFM a radio station that purposely set out to play new and exciting indie and alternative music. For a few years, it was utterly wonderful with the likes of Eddy Temple-Morris and John Kennedy ruling the airwaves. Where else could you hear the likes of Fugazzi and The Yeah Yeah Yeahs during the daytime schedule?

Sadly the halcyon days didn’t last, and when ‘niche’ stopped paying the bills. XFM’s spirit and purpose were gutted and sold to the kings of banal, mainstream radio ‘Global.’ Cutting-edge new and alternative music was replaced with safe indie fodder on repeat and Chris Moyles was the new king. True indie fans switched off, and while Global grew the business, the new Radio X became little more than a ‘bit of rough’ for bored Capital FM listeners on their Greater London school run.

So you see, while I applaud the listener for challenging Chris Moyles to play new music, he was never going to win with a DJ that prefers his own voice to music and a station that stopped playing new music in 1998.

“Most unsigned bands are crap”

There is a lot of music in the world and a lot of musicians making it. A staggering 57,000,000 people agree with the statement “I consider myself a musician or audio creator.” across just five countries (US, UK, Canada, Germany & France) according to Global Web Index.

It’s also never been easier to make and distribute music to streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music. So it’s no surprise when the barriers to entry drop, so can the quality. For every great artist and musician, there are a ton more that don’t sound as good. Chris Moyles‘ assertion that most‘ unsigned bands are crap was lazy. The counter argument is that there are millions of incredible artists that just get overlooked and that’s the biggest crime. After all every artist starts unsigned and stays unsigned until they are discovered.

Radio has failed new music discovery

While it would be foolish and inaccurate to blame Chris Moyles for the lack of new music on the radio, he is just a DJ after all. It’s clear commercial radio stations bosses and their respective heads of music have utterly failed new music discovery in this country for decades.

At least the BBC try although tokenistic gestures like BBC Introducing don’t do enough. Let’s be clear no new artist has ever broken through on the radio with one or two plays at midnight on a Tuesday on a regional radio station.

The ‘unsigned’ perception problem

One of the biggest challenges facing ‘unsigned music’ is the word ‘unsigned’ itself. That’s because years of low quality production (music, video and imagery) have resulted in negative associations.

For lots of people, including Chris Moyles ‘unsigned’ means grubby, crap and unprofessional. Sadly there is still a lot of evidence to support this assumption, but hopefully that is changing slowly.

When I started Right Chord Music in 2010 one of my biggest motivations was to prove that unsigned didn’t mean unprofessional. That meant every artist we shared on our blog had to look and sound professional.

When we received lazy submissions with missing biographies or photos they are immediately deleted. Sadly when it comes to music, you can judge a book by it’s cover. When music looks bad, it inevitably sounds bad too.

When unsigned music lets itself down

Here are some examples of the worst images that have accompanied submissions to the Right Chord Music Blog. These images only perpetuate the idea that ‘unsigned music is crap’.

But back in 2010 looking and sounding professional was definitely harder. Back then we would also get our fair share of dodgy demo CDs in the post. They would have the names of the tracks scrawled on the front in marker pen, and if you listened carefully you could normally hear their dog barking in the background.

Incredible independent artists

Fast forward to 2023 and now we have smartphones that shoot HD video and take professional-grade images. We have online design tools like Canva that have levelled the playing field. Now there is literally no excuse to submit music that doesn’t at least look and sound professional.

There is no doubt during this time we’ve seen the rise of the Independent artist. Indie has gone on to become much more than just a genre. Indie now represents a spirit, a work ethic and a style. While ‘Unsigned’ bands sit around waiting to be signed. ‘Independent’ artists are out there making it happen for themselves. They write the music, produce the music, design the artwork, shoot and edit the video, produce the social content and promote themselves.

In the last 12 years, the Right Chord Music Blog has discovered so many incredible independent artists and it’s validated our theory that you don’t need to be signed to a record label to make incredible music and art.

But if you’re Chris Moyles a non-music-centric DJ that has never explored this scene or played great indie music it’s easy to see why the old grubby stereotype of ‘unsigned’ is perpetuated.

We would dearly love to change this perception and would urge Chris Moyles to spend some time flicking through the pages of this blog, our Explorer playlist or even our Instagram feed.

But in the meantime, the onus remains on you the artists. I would continue to urge every ‘unsigned’ artist to become the best ‘independent’ version of themselves. Give yourself the chance to cut through by ensuring every piece of content you put into the world looks and sounds professional. Remember you are not only representing yourself but every other new musician out there.

Discover more on RCM

• First Signs of Love No 223. Tommy Ashby
• The Daydream Club Get It So Right On You’ve Got It Wrong
• Blackchords Make Their Feelings Known With No Place No Be
• Leon Stanford’s soul convinces us that ‘Love Is A Colour’

Words Mark Knight

The post In Response To Chris Moyles ‘Most Unsigned Bands Are Crap’ appeared first on Right Chord Music Blog.

It’s never been harder to be an independent musician. Firstly the Pandemic killed live music and now the cost of living crisis is threatening day-to-day existence. With that in mind here are 5 ways to make money as an independent artist.

1. Start With The Money Owed To You

If you are a UK-based musician and you haven’t registered with the PRS. (Performing Rights Society) Stop everything and register immediately! The PRS pay royalties to their members when their work is performed, broadcast, streamed, downloaded, reproduced, played in public or used in film and TV.

It costs a one-off fee of £100 to join the PRS and a further one-off £100 to join MCPS. But don’t let this put you off, this fee can be paid back very quickly if your music is used, so don’t leave what’s owed to you on the table.

2. Earn Money For Sharing Your Opinions

It only takes 5 minutes to complete the Independent Artist Music Census and by sharing what it is like to be a musician in 2024, you could win £50 and a free review right here on Right Chord Music.

3. Play Covers Gigs at Weddings

Did you know there were 350,000 weddings in the UK in 2022, that’s a lot of potential live music bookings! It’s a sad reality that people will always be willing you pay you more to play well-known songs by famous artists than they would do to hear your own music. But right now, we suggest you take the money, think of these shows as free rehearsals and suck it up. At least you are surrounded by people having a great time!  There are tons of agencies looking for live bands including the Alive Network that are actively recruiting for artists.

4. Music Sync & Licensing

Everyone always suggests music sync as a great way to earn extra money, but often the idea and the reality are miles apart.

Getting your music placed in adverts or TV shows is easy when you are Wet Leg or Miley Cyrus but what about when you are an independent artist? Well, it can happen, but the chances are slimmer.

So start smaller. Start on YouTube find content creators you like and click on their About page where you should find an email address. Drop them a note and offer them the chance to use your music on their next video in exchange for an on-screen credit. Start by offering music for free to secure some placements and then once you have a few, start charging and use these example placements to show bigger content creators the value you bring.

Now repeat the exercise with independent filmmakers. Take a look at the latest award winners on the BIFA website and reach out to them, offering high-quality affordable music for their next film. This is a great way to build your portfolio before you start approaching Netflix music supervisors.

5. Get Paid To Review Other Independent Artists

Music blogs love having reviewers who are also musicians as it means you can talk about the technical side of the music, not just the emotional side. You probably already know the names of some music blogs from your own career, so reach out on Instagram or get in touch via their websites and offer your services. We (Right Chord Music) currently have a team of over 20 freelance writers, we can’t hire everyone, but maybe we can hire you? You can earn £6 per each review you write and keep 100%. We are now specifically recruiting for video reviewers. Find out more and apply here.

6. Produce Merch Fans Really Want

A few years ago I went to see an artist play a gig in London, on her merch stall was a framed copy of her latest album on vinyl. It looked great and seemed pretty cheap, I got talking to her and she explained it was her best-selling item. But this is the smart bit… The framed vinyl didn’t contain any vinyl, it was just the cardboard sleeve in a frame! She used to sell records and realised almost none of her fans actually had record players, so when someone bought one it normally ended up on their wall. So she decided to cut to the chase and give the people what they really wanted, which was some cool wall art in a great frame. Sales soared and costs dropped! Winning.

Discover more on RCM

• Right Chord Music Launch Census To Understand Challenges Facing Independent Artists In 2024
• Musicians. Check Your Spotify Popularity Index For Free
• Unsigned Bands: Should Stop Wasting Money On Radio Pluggers
• Free Music Marketing Training For Independent Artists

Words Mark Knight

The post How To Make Money As An Independent Artist. Here Are 6 Ways appeared first on Right Chord Music Blog.