Soundcloud - Kissin' Ass

Two Dudes on Facebook

The exchange above took place on Facebook between two old friends of mine. I have hidden their identities as they are both gentle, talented and supportive souls, they just don't like Soundcloud. However, they have raised an interesting point...

First, Do I Agree?

Yes. I do.

Perhaps not "Kiss Ass" but you certainly need to be part of the community to make the most of what it offers. I referred here to an 'experiment' that I had undertaken. Effectively I recently started responding to comments on my tracks, thanking people for their kind words and engaging in conversations. I have always tried to be supportive where I have listened to others music and enjoyed it. This is what it is to be part of a community.

If you don't give anything to a community, it gives nothing back. For instance, if you move into a new street and don't talk to your neighbours, they wont ask you to the annual knees-up down the pub. However, if you pop round and introduce yourself / watch their cat / invite them to a barbecue, then they will reciprocate. Apply the same rules to Soundcloud (or indeed any other web community) and you have a situation where others on the site will give as much to you as you give to them. Simple math.

However, it might be that you only use Soundcloud as a place to host your music. Your 'community' of fans is elsewhere (say Facebook). So be it. This is like moving into a street and having friends over from uni, work or your old street. That's fine. But you are still 'kissing ass' somewhere.

Is Kissing Ass Bad?


Not in the slightest.

In the music industry your product is worthless. Musicians are two a penny. Musicians making the same type of music as you are two a penny. Musicians in your town making the same type of music as you are two a penny. Why on earth would I value what you produce at all?

If you plan to wait for people to recognise your talent without promoting yourself, you have a loooooong fucking wait ahead of you. So lets dismiss that as an option. You therefore have two other options: (1) Free promotion; and (2) Paid for promotion.... but wait you're a musician.

You only have one option.

The best form of promotion available to you is to make the most of the networking effect of growing internet communities. If you got in early on Myspace, you would be..... The Arctic Monkees. If you got in early on Facebook you would be.... someone I assume (I cant be arsed to look it up). Right now the best place to be spending your time networking and trying to gain traction is a growing, musically focussed, social network: Like Soundcloud.

Therefore if you begrudge the 'Ass Kissing' required to get some followers on the site? Well you don't have the slightest idea what it takes to 'make it' or you simply aren't interested in making it at all.