Why It’s Important To Balance Music Creation And Promotion

Creating music and promoting it are two entirely different skills, and being able to differentiate them in your life as an artist can make all the difference! Read on to understand why this is important to know, and how to ensure that each skill set receives the energy and attention it needs.

Why the confusion between music creation and promotion? 

Independent musicians have a much more complicated job than most listeners realize. Unless they have outside help, their responsibilities can run the gamut from writing, recording, and producing their own original music, to booking shows, managing their own social media, and creating artwork for albums and merch. There’s also the overseeing of finances, pitching to blogs and playlists, and reaching out to the media to generate buzz about their shows. If this is you, you’ll understand the point I’m making here. The problem isn’t that musicians can’t tell the difference , but with so much to do and think about, it can be easy to neglect important work that needs to be done. 

If you’ve been seriously creating and sharing music but failing to get the results you want, it might be because you’re not separating and developing each skill enough. For example, you might be a phenomenal promoter of your music, but if your songwriting skills are not at its fullest potential, it won’t matter much. The opposite situation is just as common, when artists spend all their time and energy creating the best music they can, but struggle to find listeners because they don’t put enough effort into promotion. 

Why balance is essential for your music career 

If you want to get people to care about your music, you need to put in the effort to polish your skills in the pursuit of excellence. At the same time, you need to focus on music promotion because without it, the chances of people stumbling upon your music and liking it will all depend on luck. 

Learning how to prioritize and develop each skill is crucial for finding the balance you need in a thriving music career. It means carving out enough time in your day, week, month, and year to write, record, and produce the best music you can with enough hours left over to promote what you create. You have the option to hire other people to promote your work, but not every independent musician can afford to. And the truth is, no one will be a better advocate for your music than you if you’re just starting out. So keep developing both your music creation and promotion skills, and look for that sweet spot that will take you further in your career.