You worked hard to write, record, and release a song and… no one is listening. No, you should not give up on your dream and go to law school like your parents want you to.
Want to know why your song isn’t streaming well? The answer likely has nothing to do with your level of artistic talent. Let’s dive into the most likely reasons why your song isn’t doing well, and how the right studio can help you fix that.
1 Bad Sound Quality May Be the Reason Your Song Isn’t Streaming Well
While some artists embrace background noise, it can be very distracting for your listeners if it’s too loud or unrelated to the music. You don’t want your audience trying to figure out what that screech in the background is rather than listening to your lyrics.
Finding the right studio is key to avoiding this pitfall. In a studio, there’s no need to worry about background noise since you’re in an environment tailored for recording. One of the advantages of in-studio recording is having access to a team that will help refine your music.
An Experienced Producer Will Help Your Music Sound More Professional
A recording studio connects you to a team of resources, all in one place. There is no need to be a middle person between a producer and engineer. Furthermore, you can be assured the team you’re working with has been vetted, and that they have access to quality equipment.
At a studio like Bay Eight, you have access to producers who have worked with some of your favorite artists. Not only will you have a chance to level up your music, but you get the added perk of saying “my producer also works with Coco Jones ” in your press release.
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Mixing and Mastering Can Improve Your Streaming Numbers
While most people don’t know what the terms mixing and mastering mean, they can tell when a song has been badly mixed and mastered. Simply put, mixing is about balancing sound. Careful attention is paid to each individual track within a song. Mastering is about making your song louder (yes, it’s true) and ensuring the clarity of your vocals, giving a bump to your low end, etc.
A bad mix can mean that your vocals are too quiet or too loud. Or that your song generally sounds “unprofessional.” For people to take your music seriously, you’ll need to match the level of audio quality they’re accustomed to.
2 Technical Errors
It’s easier than ever to distribute your music, but there are still many steps required. If your music isn’t streaming well, it’s essential to troubleshoot on your distributor’s page. There may be different requirements for each streaming service, and technical errors can result in your music not showing up on one or more platforms.
There may be issues you need to resolve on your end and others you have to reach out to your distributor about. Are all of your tracks visible? Is your music mixed up with another artist’s? Is your metadata correct? If you’ve used a sample or are uploading a song cover, make sure you’ve followed all relevant copyright rules to avoid your music getting taken down.
3 Marketing Will Help Improve Your Streaming Numbers
If you made a brilliant album and no one knows it exists, then of course you won’t get any streams! While many of us artists loathe the marketing process, it is a necessary evil. The good news is you can decide how much you’re willing to do. At the very least, let people you know about your release.
You can post on multiple social media platforms, create a countdown, make flyers with QR codes, etc. You may be willing to spend money on advertising, or maybe you’re working with a $0 budget. Regardless of your situation, you should set a budget and a schedule. Create a marketing strategy (even if it’s minimal) and let people in on your artist journey.
As a new artist, people will most likely see your album cover before they hear your music.
4 Your Cover Art May Be the Reason Your Song Isn’t Streaming Well
As a new artist, people will see your song or album cover before they hear your music. This doesn’t mean you need a pretty picture. Your cover art can be strange, scary, confusing…anything that draws a reaction and is a good representation of your music. Quality cover art is not about the amount you spend on a photoshoot or whether an insta-famous photographer took the picture. It’s about the basics.
Is the image blurry? Can people tell what the picture is? Did you meet the dimension requirements for each streaming platform? Does your image look like it was photoshopped badly or AI-generated? Get a second opinion. It’s possible that the reason your song isn’t streaming well has nothing to do with the music itself.
5 Unconventional Song Structure
As long as there has been an arts industry, artists have had to balance artists expression with the desire (and need) for commercial success. Ultimately the choice is yours, but if you opt to make 10- minute-songs à la Justin Timberlake some people won’t even give your music a chance.
We don’t believe artists should make a habit of tailoring their music for streaming platforms (it should be the other way around). However, experimenting with a 60-second song, uploading a sped-up version, or writing a song about a trending topic are all things you can do to help boost your profile.
While some argue there is too much music out there, we believe there is no such thing. Music taste is extremely personal, so the right audience will be grateful for your music regardless of how many other people are releasing music. You simply have to find that audience.
If your song isn’t streaming well, there could be many reasons. In addition to the factors mentioned above, it could be that your song and artist names are too common and people can’t find your music. Regardless, you can’t go wrong by starting with a good foundation. Book a session in a recording studio! The right studio might be the key to your success.
