Episode 273
Understanding Audience Engagement in a Digital World
The focal point of this podcast episode revolves around the artist's evolving perspective on creativity and collaboration within the contemporary music landscape. Emphasizing a sense of curiosity, the artist reflects on how past trepidation hindered their development, contrasting it with their current openness to exploration and experimentation. This evolution is particularly significant as they embark on a new chapter in their artistic journey, which includes collaborations with diverse artists from various cultural backgrounds and genres. Furthermore, the discussion delves into the challenges and adaptations necessitated by the pandemic, highlighting the increasing reliance on digital platforms for music distribution and engagement. Ultimately, the episode underscores the importance of understanding one's audience, employing a multifaceted approach to artistry, and embracing the interconnected nature of music and healing.
Takeaways:
- A sense of curiosity in artistic endeavors fosters personal growth and development throughout one's career.
- In the contemporary music landscape, adaptability in marketing and networking skills is essential for success.
- Collaborating with artists from diverse backgrounds enriches the creative process and broadens artistic perspectives.
- Utilizing technology, such as live streaming, has become increasingly important for musicians in the current climate.
- Music serves as a profound medium for healing and expression, resonating deeply with personal experiences.
- Understanding global time zones is crucial for effectively reaching and engaging with a diverse audience.
Links referenced in this episode:
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- Spotify
Transcript
Now where I'm just really curious.
Speaker A:I think that's how I like to approach it, with a sense of curiosity.
Speaker A:Whereas in the past, I think, and it probably demonstrates more a lack of maturity in the past was that, you know, there was a little bit of trepidation there and yeah, perhaps it was impeding my development.
Speaker A:Well, I can probably say for certain that it was.
Speaker A:And I was hard on myself for that.
Speaker A:And I think now it's just, oh, I'm just open and curious and, you know, it's really led me into this next, I guess you'd call it part or chapter in my journey as a writer, as a songwriter as well, which is where I'm at now, is about collaborating with different artists and artists from all around the globe, from different cultures, from different backgrounds and from different genres.
Speaker B:Nice.
Speaker B:Yeah, I mean, I was going to ask you that as well, because I know we're in a different part of the world.
Speaker B:So I'm curious to see how you kind of navigate through the day to day of being an artist and getting your music heard.
Speaker B:What channels or like, what methods do you typically use to just get your music out and share your gift with more and more.
Speaker A:Well, I think it's a.
Speaker A:It's.
Speaker A:It's an ever changing landscape.
Speaker A:You know, when I first started, it was all about getting out on the road and hiring a publicist and, you know, doing.
Speaker A:Doing the groundwork, playing as many gigs as you can.
Speaker A:I think obviously with the, the technological boom that we've had, you know, we've got now streaming services, Spotify as such.
Speaker A:Also the current climate that we're in right now, which is obviously this pandemic, getting out on the road and touring is not as easily accessible as it was like a couple of years ago before the pandemic hit.
Speaker A:So for sure.
Speaker A:So, you know, there's a reliance now on live streaming, which I must say I'm probably a bit of a late adapter to.
Speaker A:I've really used the lockdown as an opportunity to actually be more creative and write and record.
Speaker B:Nice.
Speaker A:But I really, Yeah, I want to venture into doing some more live streams.
Speaker A:I'm building a band around my music as well, which is something I'm excited for because not since I was actually in a band in its own entity have I played with, you know, a group of musicians.
Speaker A:It's always been myself solo or another duo guitarist.
Speaker A:So I'm excited about that.
Speaker A:And yeah, I think, I think it's just we're in this position, guys, you know what I mean?
Speaker A:You could probably speak from your perspective as well, where musicians or artists, regardless of what artistry you bring to the table, we're required to learn or not learn, but have more skills other than just our craft.
Speaker A:We need to know how to be good marketers, we need to know how to be good networkers, how to connect beyond the craft itself.
Speaker A:And I think that's again, another landscape that I'm heading towards with curiosity.
Speaker A:I'm just trying to learn as much as I can because you never know when you're going to need those tools, right?
Speaker B:Yeah, it's absolutely correct.
Speaker B:Especially now.
Speaker C:Sorry, I have a follow up Australia question and it's becoming less and less relevant right now with technology.
Speaker C:But I remember even a few, a few, like 10 years ago on Reddit, people would, at nighttime would post photos upside down because Australia is awake.
Speaker C:So how do you find cause?
Speaker C:Musicians and social media, everybody that's online does.
Speaker C:Keep in mind, what am I posting for?
Speaker C:Or they should be, what am I posting for North America or, you know, anybody in the American time zones.
Speaker C:And then what am I posting for Europe and, and then very often, at least from our perspective, it seems like Australia's time zone is the last thought or the last market because it is a singular market in a way.
Speaker C:So it'd be Australia, Japan and Southeast Asia and all that.
Speaker C:Do you think the other way, like we should post things for American time or European time?
Speaker C:Do you consider time zones at all in this journey or is that not really something that you're thinking about?
Speaker A:No, no, I definitely do.
Speaker A:I in particular for myself, I have a large following in Brazil, which is comparable to my following in Australia because I also sing in Portuguese.
Speaker A:And so when I'm doing a live stream, for instance, I try and find a time zone that intersects, you know.
Speaker A:So for instance, for me, a good one is 9 o' clock at night on a Saturday, which for Brazilians is like, you know, eight o' clock in the morning.
Speaker A:So as they're waking up, they can enjoy their breakfast and watch, watch me perform live.
Speaker A:Whereas here in Australia, you know, they can kick back on a couch and relax.
Speaker A:So I am, I am mindful of that.
Speaker A:And I think, you know, when, you know, when you, when you're building a following and you're building an engagement with an audience, it's really important to know who your audience is.
Speaker A:And so I think as artists we need to be mindful of that, especially when we are releasing or doing these live streams of where our audience is and how we can be, you know, Be mindful of them as well, because they are supporting your journey.
Speaker A:So we need to give them content that is very easily accessible for.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker C:Mm.
Speaker B:Yeah, that makes sense.
Speaker C:Cool.
Speaker C:I'm glad everybody thinks about that.
Speaker B:It is important.
Speaker C:You're right.
Speaker B:And it could easily be overlooked, but it's a big world.
Speaker B:Most we get stuck thinking, you know, just about our local community, time zones, all that stuff, so.
Speaker B:Good point there.
Speaker B:I noticed something on your website.
Speaker B:I was hoping you could just expand on it a little more because I really liked what.
Speaker B:What I.
Speaker B:What I read you had mentioned music as a means of healing, hearing and expression.
Speaker B:Can you give us your take on those words?
Speaker A:Yeah, Well, I mean, if we reduce music down to its very core, it's simply a vibration, right?
Speaker A:And a vibration has a way of penetrating.
Speaker A:When you see a ripple in water, it penetrates across the surface and creates an impact or an effect.
Speaker A:And I think at its very core, this is what music does.
Speaker A:And if the vibration is tuned at the right frequency, then it has the ability to impact us emotionally, whether that.
Speaker B:Be.
Speaker A:To amp us up like a good workout song would do.
Speaker A:But also on the other scale, the ability to heal.
Speaker A:And I'm interested in that music's ability to heal, definitely with my background and my own personal journey.
Speaker A:Music has always been that healing element in my life.
Speaker A:And so, yeah, we can use it to express parts of ourselves that require healing and we can use music as the vehicle to heal.
Speaker A:So, yeah, for me, that's what that phrase represents.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker C:I'm glad you said that because I don't know why, but I feel like we're sharing the opinions of our side of the world about music and yours.
Speaker C:Like, you're the representative of all of Australia, but does seem to be like a purist stream of opinions where that's not music or this is music.
Speaker C:And what you said about music amping you up, I think is really well said music, just like any other vehicle.
Speaker C:Let's take real vehicles, for example.
Speaker C:Some cars are there to drive fast and some cars are there to haul a lot.
Speaker C:And some cars are there to bring people to the hospital quickly.
Speaker C:So different songs and different types of music have different purposes, which is why it's almost hard to categorize them all in the same way, since they take people to different results, different places.
Speaker B:Yeah, I love that.
Speaker B:I think that's my favorite thing that you've ever said on this show, Matt.
Speaker C:You never really like what I say on the show, so that's not a.
Speaker B:Big no, no, no.
Speaker B:I've liked, but this is cake.
Speaker B:I'm gonna write that one down.
Speaker B:If I had Twitter, I would be tweeting that later today.
Speaker B:Don't get Twitter.
Speaker A:That is clearly doesn't help.
Speaker C:Do you have Twitter?
Speaker A:Do I have Twitter?
Speaker A:I do, but I don't really use it that much.
Speaker A:You know, it's mainly YouTube, Facebook and Instagram for me.
Speaker A:And slight and just, you know, venturing very, very quietly into the world of TikTok, which is obviously, you know, the.
Speaker A:The big social thing at the moment.
Speaker A:I find I connect with my audience better through the Facebook, Instagram, YouTube at this stage.
Speaker A:But yeah, Matt, I really just want to say that's a great analogy.
Speaker A:I never thought of music in the sense of vehicles.
Speaker A:I speak about it as a vehicle, but to expand on that and look at it as different cars and modes of transport as well.
