RELEASE AND DISTRIBUTION:
THE IMPORTANT FACTORS IN MAKING AN EP
Every musician and producer have been there. You’ve been working hard on a collection of songs whilst being tucked away in a recording studio in your home office. They all go nicely together, and you are happy with the final result. You’ve not quite enough for a full album release but you are confident that it is time to release an EP. Let’s talk about what factors you need to consider before pressing the button though.
Identify the Best Songs to Release
You have been working on your EP for a while now, so you are probably quietly confident about which are your best songs. Picking an obvious single out of a few tracks can be harder for some than others, but it is an essential practice. This is referenced by many artists when they are talking about learning how to make an EP and when the best time to structure the release and distribution is. So, sleep on it (but only for one night as you don’t want to be delayed) and choose the best tracks to send to Spotify as that article explains.
You can always give the tracks one more listen as well in your local recording studio to ensure you are happy with the sound and tone.
Timing is Everything
Timing is essential when releasing your music. It needs to be well thought out and you need to be convinced in yourself that the timing is right. You shouldn’t do it off the cuff. Once you are happy with your EP, you can get your singles out to streaming services to ensure you can begin to spread the word. But the timing of releasing your work is incredibly important when taking in all the factors of learning how to make an EP.
Interestingly, some musicians prefer to work backwards. If you have a release date in mind for your tracks, then you have a deadline to work towards. Ideally you should have a three- or four-month roadmap which identifies each specific date. It is important not to rush though. Be flexible with your timing as you don’t want to have to rush the final edits. Whether you are a new artist or an experienced stager, everything needs to be ready before you even think about promotion.
Promoting Your Music
When you have reached this point as an artist you have to be entirely satisfied with your work. It is your pride and joy and you have put so much effort in to reach this point. You probably know your target audience, but do you want to give some of your biggest fans a little sneak peek? If you are happy to do so, this could be something worth considering for sure. It would be a great way to get some of your work out there but also it can bring in reviews.
One of the best ways to promote your music is to get great reviews. This works in so many ways as it boosts the profile of your EP, but it also shows that people like what you are giving them. Make sure you get the word out there, in a similar way to artists have done in this article and it could be a great way to get the boost you need.
Surround Yourself With a Good Team
Being a musician or an artist is not simply about just sitting down at a laptop or in front of a microphone and hoping for the best. You sometimes may need to delegate some jobs to a good team around you. You might already have an agent or a co producer who could take on some of these jobs. Being a successful artist is not as simple as just making music.
In fact, any successful artist will tell you that making music is probably the easiest part. Producing, recording and promotion are where it can get harder. However, you are doing something you love and that is why you do it. So don’t let it put you off and get yourself in the local music and rehearsal studios and begin working on making your EP.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it can be said that putting a bit of thought, as well as time and effort into making an EP and its release strategy should see you reap the rewards. You should have confidence in yourself that your music and vocals are strong enough to achieve success, it’s just now about it is getting heard. Even getting to this point and being in a position to release, promote and garner feedback is an achievement to be proud of.