It is every artist’s dream to get “found” by major record labels, but sometimes it’s nothing more than a dream. History hasn’t been very kind to some of the world’s most talented musicians, singers and songwriters simply because they couldn’t get heard by the right audience at the right time. That would be the people in the industry with the power to sign them to their respective labels. 

Image credit: PexelsImage credit: Pexels

However, you have something going for you that others never had in their generation and that would be a potential audience of over 2.6 billion active listeners on YouTube as of April 2022. Of those billions of people, don’t you think there are even a few hundred who have the power to sign you? With that in mind, let’s look at what you can do to capture the right audience. Getting heard is only half the battle. Getting “found” is the real challenge so keep that in mind!

Learn to Play the Game

The first thing you will want to do after selecting a few of your best pieces is to understand exactly how you will attract an audience. It’s all about marketing and so you need to learn to play the game. Some of the most unlikely artists are being heard because they understood how to use keywords, tags and other marketing tools to get listeners to play their tunes. This is something that will take time and knowledge, but the information is out there, so do the research.

Polish Your Sound

While you might not have money to go into a recording studio to get that polished sound of a mastered studio piece, that shouldn’t stop you. You can use online tools such as Antares Auto-Tune that will correct errors in pitch and equalize your vocals. Even Justin Bieber who was “found” by his manager didn’t upload a studio piece but rather videos shot at home on audio/video equipment he had on hand. You see what a big star he became, so with the right tools, you can perfect your sound, giving you an advantage over other hopefuls out there.

Give Them Only a Taste

Here is something else to be aware of. If you have great original tunes that you feel have commercial potential, don’t give them the whole thing! Sometimes it’s better to do a cover of someone else’s work than to literally give the rights to your original pieces away! Once it’s out there, it’s up for grabs. Even if it’s protected once it’s recorded, it is best to copyright it if you are going to post an entire original piece. Yes, you can go through litigation in court, but that’s months, if not years down the road. Instead, if it’s that good and you feel it’s a key selling point to your particular brand, only upload a bridge or a snippet of sound that will have them wanting more. 

Other top stars have been found on YouTube such as Charlie Puth and they have no regrets. Just remember that there really are 2.6 billion active YouTube listeners out there and if you gain a huge following, you are more likely to be “found.” It’s not always about getting heard. It’s about getting found by the right people with the power to sign you. That’s why you need to learn to play the game and polish your sound. Entice them with a sound bite, and you are halfway home.