there's no easy way to success, and most people here don't realize it.
there's no easy way to success, and most people here don't realize it.
this mostly applies to people making indie rock/pop punk/emo/hardcore genres but extends to others too.
yall will spend $5k on meta ads to get online followers who consume music through advertisements, do you really think these people will become actual fans? buy merch? show up to your live shows? or do you think the algorithm knows who this subset of people is that are likely to discover music online; and they'll continue to be pushed 500 more songs they like after they like yours, without ever actually truly engaging with any one artist?
you pushing for streaming numbers is purely for your own vanity, and the day you accept that is the day you can start refining your craft to actually connect to people IRL. people who consume you through content don't like you, they like content.
go and actually play live, network with other acts on your bill if you're an opener. stay till the end to watch them. join your city's scene, play at DIY venues. there's no shortcut to any of this lol. that's how i discover the bands i like, and most people in these genres too. from word of mouth, playing sick shows, seeing the same band's name pop up on flyers that other bands i recognize are headlining. this is how most artists pop off.
i can give you a gazillion examples of artists who put in the work to make connections, produce their stuff well, get a good live set, and then skip gimmicks and bullshit content making (like "here's an artist in 2026 who still responds to every comment!" - it's cringe and everyone i know will actively avoid you.) look at first day back, look at riley!, look at febuary, or other rising artists like my point of you, holloway etc.
most of all, do music because you like it, not because you have insane dreams of being a beverly hills celebrity
(this is coming from someone who has tried everything with several music projects and seen varying degrees of success with it - playlisting, ads on whatever platform you can imagine, radio, PR, whatever)