I’m a pro Soundcloud Surfer.
I can stay on Soundcloud for hours. Once I log in, I’m going from page to page finding all the new music I can. It’s fun to listen to so many different artists and come across different sounds. But as you listen more and more you realize there’s so much music that sounds the same. It’s just small different variations.
There’s some major sound trends I’ve heard on Soundcloud. There’s the crowd that sticks to the Trap sound. This is the sound where everybody’s rapping about selling/abusing drugs with lyrics that nobody really believes you’re living, then there’s the OVO influenced R&B sound that everybody’s in love with right now, then there’s the mix between the two with what I like to call the “emotional trap.” And these are just some of the major trends I’ve caught on to. So many artists fall into these categories and it’s become oversaturated so fast. This has created such a competitive market. Every artist is trying to stand out but sounding the same at the same time. The effects and vocals may get different but the same vibe exists.
This makes you think just how much time are artists spending crafting their sound? Time in the studio figuring out what you want your sound to be is critical. It’s becoming a problem with artists just recording and making their music sound like what they think it has to sound like. Everybody is rushing to mimic a sound that’s already popular and blow up off it. This is just creating a sub market for emerging artists that sound like artists that have already blown up. More time needs to be spent on what the actual music sounds like and makes you stand out than what will help you gain some quick fans. Soundcloud shows you how many artists there are and there’s too many for you not to be different. It’s not about being the best at following a wave but being the best at setting something new and standing in your own lane.
As new artists start to blow you see that they come with a sound that is completely fresh at the time. Artists like PartyNextDoor, Chance The Rapper, Raury, OG Maco, Post Malone, and others have come with something fresh to our ears at the time of their rapid climb to fame. With every new artist, there is a wave of numerous others that try their hand at crafting the same sound with some slight differences. It’s the ones who sit quietly and build on their sound that start to emerge.
You want to stand out as much as you can. You want your sound to be identifiable from the first listen. People are quick to compare you to somebody else and you don’t want to help them do that. Something that works for a particular artist won’t necessarily work for you. We’ve seen artists come and go because their sound is just popular for the moment but doesn’t stick with the people. Build something that lasts and will make you remembered after every listen. The time spent behind the scenes is the most important.
Music works in seasons and trends.
There’s a time for each sound and each wave. As artist are rising and hitting fame, there are artists crafting the sound for the next wave. This is the important detail many overlook. It’s the time spent focused on the actual music. It’s ok as an artist to not release music and just record and figure different things out. The come up isn’t going anywhere. Build a sound that you’re completely confident in and know will get you somewhere. Crafting a sound based off someone else’s with minor tweaks doesn’t cut it anymore. There’s too many artists and too many outlets for artists to get heard. In the world where anybody with a computer can make music, you have to make sure that you really identify yourself as an artist. It all starts with your sound.
By @DodgerOnDeck. Read more stories HERE.
