Music

Are you an aspiring musician looking to get your unique art out there into the world? If so, SoundCloud is a pretty good platform to get you started. It may not bring you the breakthrough record deal, but it will get you exposure and chances. Good for you, good luck! But with hundreds of thousands of other budding artists who made the exact same decision, grabbing the virtual spotlight is going to be a heck of a task. Here are three strategies to help make it more achievable.

Boost your exposure on third party platforms.

This one may be a bit of a no-brainer, but it is still worth putting up on the whiteboard. Go beyond your baseline service and advertise yourself and your work via various virtual world canals. Click this link to learn how to go about that.

Promote your stuff on social media. Get onto Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter with separate profiles, link them back to your SoundCloud, and keep up your updates regularly. Once a week would be an optimal rate for starters.

Tell people about projects you have going on, post links to new songs, make “behind the scenes of” videos, and interact with your budding fanbase in a direct, friendly, and upbeat manner.

Remember to post on music blogs too. Especially hook onto those that targetedly look for new music, area-specific artists, or indie performers. Niche blogs are your best buddies here – although these specialized pages have a narrower audience margin, they are more willing to support up and coming musicians and you will indirectly receive some of their credibility within the community.

You can also opt for a follower purchase, if you have a hard time starting out, as a way to help you build some initial reach. Visit https://buyplaysfast.com/buy-soundcloud-followers to learn more about that option.

Also consider forums and internet music groups where you can discuss your tastes and ideas with like-minded netizens. You may even find sub-platforms for new talents in your field. These are some of the best places to get honest and valuable feedback from listeners.

Get creative with SoundCloud itself.

The basic features that SoundCloud offers you are really not that basic at all, once you begin employing them to your benefit in a systematic way. Always work with what you have at your fingertips.

Always keep an eye (or ear) out for new people to follow. If someone strikes a chord in you (pun totally intended), comment and repost. People appreciate recognition and will very likely return you the favor. However, do not just blindly hit the follow button. Take the time to build genuine interaction. You do not even need to eb particularly sales-savvy; there are nearly a hundred ways to do that! This will also make people perceive you as friendly and positive, instead of grumpy and crazily competitive, which is always a big reputation boost.

Do not disregard the power of teamwork either. Participate in collaborations as a way to expand your reach. There is nothing wrong with working together with fellow musicians; they are not out to steal your bread. Just the opposite, it is an awesome chance for some cross-marketing magic.

Give your online identity some TLC.

First off, focus on quality as opposed to quantity of your music. If you want people to jump on your bandwagon, you have to give them something that they can relate to. When you record a new track, let it sit a few days before uploading it. Make sure it is distinctive and tight – think of it kind of like wine; you have to let it age if you want to draw out its full beauty.

Also, revise your bio on SoundCloud. That field says “the shorter the better” for good reason – keep it brief, sweet, and engaging. No need to cover every life phase you have been through; rambling at length is actually repulsive and will lose you followers.

In the end, polish the aesthetic. Make your profile picture at high resolution. Either have an in-character photo of yourself, or a distinct logo for your personal brand, and attach unique album art with your new tracks.

To read more on topics like this, check out the music category.

You’re never too old to learn to play the guitar, so don’t hesitate to pick up the guitar that makes your fingers itch and your spine tingle when you see it. But first, you’ll have to decide between playing a nylon-string classical guitar or a steel-string acoustic guitar. How do you differentiate one from the other, aside from the strings on them?

Knowing the key differences between the two types of acoustic guitars will also help you in determining which one would be a better fit for you. From there, you can choose from among the best classical guitar models or steel-string acoustic guitars to get you started.

Here’s an overview of the differences between nylon- and steel-stringed acoustic guitars.

String tension

The strings on a steel-string guitar are under a greater amount of tension, which means you would need to exert a higher amount of force or pressure down on them to fret notes properly. On the other hand, the string tension on a classical guitar is not as high. Nylon strings are also softer, making them easier on the fingers.

Fingerboard

Classical guitars have a wider neck fingerboard and nut than steel-string acoustic guitars. And because they have a wider fretboard, the strings are placed a little bit farther from each other. The greater string spacing allows for more room to ensure accurate finger placement on the fretboard, as well as a more precise fingerstyle playing. The wider fretboard also better accommodates the thicker treble strings.

Classical guitars also don’t usually have fretboard markers, or the dots and inlays found on the fretboards of acoustic guitars. The fingerboard on a classical guitar is also flat, though some crossover or hybrid models have incorporated a radiused fingerboard like that of a steel-string acoustic.

Headstock

A slotted headstock with in-line tuning machines is more common among classical guitars. Acoustic guitars usually have a solid headstock with individual tuning machines.

Construction and shape

Acoustic guitars come in a variety of shapes and sizes, with some models having cutaways for easier upper-fret access. Classical guitars don’t have as much variety in terms of shape and size, but generally they’re smaller than an acoustic dreadnought and shape-wise, are closer to that of a parlor guitar. They rarely have cutaways either.

There is also a difference in the internal bracing. Steel-string guitars have a solid bracing to counter the higher string tension while nylon-string guitars have a lighter bracing, making classical guitars more lightweight overall. The solid bracing on steel-string acoustics also contribute to a better resonance and projection.

The truss rod also works to counteract the string tension on steel-string guitars and to keep the neck straight. Because the nylon strings on a classical guitar don’t put as much tension on the neck, a classical guitar often doesn’t have a truss rod.

Neck-to-body joint

In a classical guitar, the neck traditionally joins the body at the 12th fret, while the neck-to-body joint in a steel-string acoustic is usually at the 14th fret.

Tone and sound

Because of their body construction, size, shape and strings, classical guitars have a warmer, softer and more mellow tone than those with steel strings. This tonal quality makes them suitable for classical, Spanish, flamenco, Latin and some folk music.

Steel-string guitars have a crisp, bright and twangy sound with a greater resonance and projection, making them ideal for those who want to play folk, rock and country music.

Those are the main differences between nylon-string guitars and steel-string guitars. Classical guitars are most often recommended for beginners because they are easier to play and they can really help you in building musical knowledge and mastering fingerpicking styles involved in playing the guitar. Going from a classical guitar to a steel-string acoustic is a natural progression among many players, so if you learn with a good classical guitar, you’re already off to a great start!

If you’re currently hunting for music which is appropriate to listen to whilst your completing business tasks or focusing on an important activity, continue reading to discover a few helpful suggestions.

Business and Focus Music:

1. Classical Music

Studies have shown that listening to classical music can help your brain focus, which will allow you to work efficiently at any task or on your business related tasks.

One of the reasons why classical music is ideally used as background music when you’re working is that it doesn’t contain any lyrics. Which means that you won’t be distracted from your work by trying to listen to lyrics.

As an added bonus, most classical pieces of music are soothing and relaxing to listen to. Which will help you complete business and work-related tasks when you’re feeling stressed out or tired.

If you’re new to listening to classical musical, you can’t go wrong listening to music from some of the world’s most recognizable historic composers. Some popular examples of which include Mozart and Beethoven.

2. Jazz music

Another genre of music which you may want to try playing in the background when you’re working is jazz music. Especially jazz pieces which are largely instrumental and don’t feature too much singing. Which may distract your from your tasks.

If you’re not familiar with jazz music, you may be interested in listening to some of the tracks which were released by some of jazz’s most famous artists. Examples of which include Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillispie, and Ella Fitzgerald.

However, if you find that you become a jazz fan and love jazz’s smooth rhythms and voices, you may want to consider listening to modern jazz artists as well as the classic jazz artists whose names you may hear regularly.

3. Opera

If you’re not a fan of classical music as you prefer the music which you listen to, to feature incredible vocal talent, you may want to give listening to Opera a go. As Opera has also been scientifically proven to help individuals concentrate.

If you’re in need of some Opera artists to look up, in order to create a work and business productivity playlist, make sure to add Maria Callas, Luciano Pavarotti, Enrico Caruso, Cecilia Bartoli and Placido Domingo to your playlist.

Alternatively, if you’re interested in adding several songs from a single opera to your playlist you may want to look up “Aida” or “La Boheme” up. As both operas are highly regarded and feature numerous songs which you’ve probably heard before.

4. World

One genre of music which you may not have considered playing for business purposes or to help you focus is world music. However, world music often is upbeat and happy and the perfect choice to listen to when you need to get a pile of business work completed on time and need to focus. You may even find that you really enjoy music from a certain part of the world such as Asia or Africa.

Hopefully after reading the suggestions listed out above, you’re not confident that you’ll be able to create the perfect playlist to increase your focus.

If you’re the type of person who really benefits from listening to carefully chosen music during your workouts, it’s well worth continuing reading to discover some new tracks to download onto to your smart devices.

The Best Workout Music:

1. “Harder Better Faster Stronger” by Daft Punk

If you’re looking for a track which has a strong beat and a catchy rhythm, that will push you to get the most from your workouts, you’ll love listening to “Harder Better Faster Stronger” by Daft Punk during your next workout.

As an added bonus this hit track also features inspiring lyrics which will help you find a little extra energy to complete your workout.

2. “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor

If you want to feel like you’re Rocky Balboa during your workouts, it’s well worth downloading “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor. As soon as you hear the first couple of bars, you’ll be pumped up and ready to take any physical challenge on.

3. “Level Up” by Ciara

“Level Up” by Ciara was released in 2018 and quickly became a cult hit amongst gyms and workout classes around the world as it boasts the perfect tempo and rhythm for cardio workouts. Although “Level Up” is also ideally suited to completing reps of body resistance exercises such as push ups and sit ups.

4. “Run The World” by Beyonce

If you’re female and looking for a powerful anthem to add to your workout playlist, it’s well worth downloading “Run the World” by Beyonce to your new playlist as not only does it inspire you to be a boss during your workouts but it also boasts the perfect tempo for the middle of your workouts.

5. “One More Time” by Daft Punk

“One More Time” by Daft Punk is the second track from Daft Punk to feature on this list. “One More Time” is a great track to listen to on a run or during a spin class. Especially when you’re looking for a feel-good song which will motivate you to give your workout all you’ve got.

6. “Another One Bites The Dust”

Truth be told most classic Queen songs make excellent additions to any workout playlist. So it’s a smart idea to add “Another One Bites The Dust” to your workout playlist, along with “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “We Will Rock You” and “Under Pressure”. All of which will pump you up for your workouts. Just be warned that you may be tempted to sing along to some of your favorite Queen tracks.

7. “Lonely Boy” by the Black Keys

If you don’t remember the song title “Lonely Boy”, after a few seconds of playing “Lonely Boy” you’ll probably recognize this catchy track which took the world by storm when it was first released.

Why is “Lonely Boy” a great workout song? “Lonely Boy” is known for being a track which people can’t help but dance to, so if you need to keep your body moving during your workout, stop what you’re doing and download “Lonely Boy” as soon as possible.

So if you’re on the hunt for new tracks for your workout, simply start creating an upbeat playlist with the tracks listed above!

If you’re looking for new tracks to add to your 2018 playlist, continue reading to discover a few suggestions that you’ll want to listen to over and over!

The Best Music of 2018:

1. “Idol” by BTS

“Idol” is an energetic, high tempo track which was released by BTS which is a Korean boy band which has enjoyed high profile success around the world. “Idol” has broken records and managed to amass the most views by a single Youtube video in 24 hours. If you’re a fan of Nicki Minaj, you may also be interested to read that BTS also released a special edition of “Idol” which features Nicki Minaj’s rapping skills

As a result of the success of “Idol”, BTS were invited to perform “Idol” on multiple US and British TV shows, examples of which include “America’s Got Talent” and “The Graham Norton Show”.

One reason why “Idol” is such a popular track is that it features a positive uplifting message about loving yourself despite what anyone else says.

2. “This Is America” by Childish Gambino

“This is America” by Childish Gambino skyrocketed up the US charts as it features social commentary about the state of America’s politics and the division which many Americans felt has been created between Democrats and Republicans as a result of Trump’s presidency. “This is America” also deals with issues such as sexism and racism as well as being a highly catchy song.

If you haven’t heard of the name Childish Gambino, its a psydenom used by American actor “Donald Glover”, who has starred in the Star Wars film “Solo” as well as in the cult comedy show “Community”.

3. “The Middle” by Matthew Morrison

“The Middle” by Matthew Morrison is a catchy tune which boasts easy to remember lyrics that are bound to get stuck in your head. So if you’re looking to download a track to your playlist which you’re bound to sing along to, it’s well worth downloading “The Middle”.

4. “Dura” by Daddy Yankee

If you prefer upbeat songs and are interested in listening to a Latin-inspired track which is perfect to dance to, it’s also a great idea to listen to “Dura” which was released by Daddy Yankee. The same artist who released the catchy song “Gasolina” a few years ago.

5. “One Kiss” by Dua Lupa

If your type of music is pop tracks which feature on the top 40, do yourself a huge favor and listen to “One Kiss” and was released by Dua Lupa. Other songs which have been released by Dua Lipa include “New Rules” and “I don’t give a F”.

6. “Never Be The Same” by Camilla Cabello

If the name Camilla Cabello rings a bell, that’s because Camilla Cabello used to be a member of the girl band “Fifth Harmony” which was formed by Simon Cowell on the singing talent show “The X Factor”. “Never Be The Same” is a great competitive ballad, which you’ll enjoy if you like listening to love songs.

So what are you waiting for? Why not start listening to tracks that were mentioned above to find which tracks you’ll want to download!