{"id":5291,"date":"2022-07-27T17:17:20","date_gmt":"2022-07-27T17:17:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/07\/27\/how-to-describe-your-music\/"},"modified":"2022-07-27T17:17:20","modified_gmt":"2022-07-27T17:17:20","slug":"how-to-describe-your-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/07\/27\/how-to-describe-your-music\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Describe Your Music"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/07\/27\/how-to-describe-your-music\/#Crafting_your_musics_elevator_pitch\" >Crafting your music\u2019s elevator pitch.<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/07\/27\/how-to-describe-your-music\/#Why_you_need_an_elevator_pitch_for_your_music\" >Why you need an elevator pitch for your music<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/07\/27\/how-to-describe-your-music\/#%E2%80%9CYour_music_is_the_last_thing_that_matters%E2%80%9D\" >\u201cYour music is the last thing that matters.\u201d<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/07\/27\/how-to-describe-your-music\/#Hand-feed_your_good_press_to_journalists\" >Hand-feed your good press to journalists!<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/07\/27\/how-to-describe-your-music\/#Instantly_clarify_who_your_music_IS_and_ISNT_for\" >Instantly clarify who your music IS and ISN\u2019T for.\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/07\/27\/how-to-describe-your-music\/#Youll_have_a_branding_litmus_test\" >You\u2019ll have a branding litmus test.<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/07\/27\/how-to-describe-your-music\/#Where_to_use_your_musics_elevator_pitch\" >Where to use your music\u2019s elevator pitch:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/07\/27\/how-to-describe-your-music\/#What_your_music_elevator_pitch_should_and_should_NOT_contain\" >What your music elevator pitch should and should NOT contain<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/07\/27\/how-to-describe-your-music\/#How_to_write_an_elevator_pitch_for_your_music\" >How to write an elevator pitch for your music<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/07\/27\/how-to-describe-your-music\/#1_The_%E2%80%9CFrankenstein%E2%80%9D_method\" >1. The \u201cFrankenstein\u201d method<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/07\/27\/how-to-describe-your-music\/#2_The_%E2%80%9CIm_right_for_you%E2%80%9D_method\" >2. The \u201cI\u2019m right for you\u201d method<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/07\/27\/how-to-describe-your-music\/#3_The_%E2%80%9Csituational_story%E2%80%9D_method\" >3. The \u201csituational story\u201d method<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/07\/27\/how-to-describe-your-music\/#How_do_YOU_describe_your_music_Let_me_know\" >How do YOU describe your music? Let me know!<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Crafting_your_musics_elevator_pitch\"><\/span>Crafting your music\u2019s elevator pitch.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span class=\"style-scope yt-formatted-string\" dir=\"auto\">Before people hear your music, they often need to be convinced to listen. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"style-scope yt-formatted-string\" dir=\"auto\">Maybe they get a recommendation from a friend, or see a cool Instagram ad, or read an intriguing blog review. <\/span><span class=\"style-scope yt-formatted-string\" dir=\"auto\">Perhaps it\u2019s an eye-catching album cover that stands out in a Spotify playlist. <\/span><span class=\"style-scope yt-formatted-string\" dir=\"auto\">But SOMETHING has to capture their imagination and make them curious enough to press <em>play<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"style-scope yt-formatted-string\" dir=\"auto\">One of the obvious tools you can use to grab attention is <strong>your \u201celevator pitch\u201d \u2014 a compelling description of your sound, story, audience, or purpose.<\/strong> But you don\u2019t have all day to sell someone on your music, so your description has to pack a punch. It should be something you can write in a tweet or say in a single breath.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"style-scope yt-formatted-string\" dir=\"auto\">In this episode of the DIY Musician Podcast, you\u2019ll learn how to come up with a compelling elevator pitch for your unique sound!<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_you_need_an_elevator_pitch_for_your_music\"><\/span>Why you need an elevator pitch for your music<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CYour_music_is_the_last_thing_that_matters%E2%80%9D\"><\/span><span>\u201cYour music is the last thing that matters.\u201d <\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span>But once someone has gone the distance to actually check out your music, now it\u2019s the ONLY thing that matters. Your music description could be the thing that gets them a step closer to listening.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Hand-feed_your_good_press_to_journalists\"><\/span><span>Hand-feed your good press to journalists! <\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span>You\u2019d be shocked how many glowing reviews contain descriptions or whole passages copied from a press release.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Instantly_clarify_who_your_music_IS_and_ISNT_for\"><\/span><span>Instantly clarify who your music IS and ISN\u2019T for.\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span>It\u2019s important for the person hearing your elevator pitch to know right away whether they\u2019re curious to learn more about your music. Again, speed is important. Our attention spans are growing shorter by the minute.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Youll_have_a_branding_litmus_test\"><\/span><span>You\u2019ll have a branding litmus test.<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span>Once you define your sound, you can gauge all your efforts against it to see if you\u2019re presenting a consistent brand.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_to_use_your_musics_elevator_pitch\"><\/span>Where to use your music\u2019s elevator pitch:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span>Descriptions on your social bios<\/span><\/li>\n<li>On your website homepage (above the fold)<\/li>\n<li><span>Press releases<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Your email signature<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Conversations with potential fans or industry professionals<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Give the talking points to your audience, so they can spread the word for you!<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_your_music_elevator_pitch_should_and_should_NOT_contain\"><\/span>What your music elevator pitch should and should NOT contain<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span>First, your music description does NOT need to (and can\u2019t) tell your whole story. <\/span><span>It cannot capture the breadth of your range, or the full scope of your listening habits and influences. Remember, i<\/span><span>t\u2019s supposed to be short. <\/span><span>It just needs to plant a seed of curiosity, which is freeing because then you can focus on the single-most memorable aspect of your music, story, or audience.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Your music pitch should contain some of (but not all of) these things:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span>What feeling or mood your music sounds like<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>One or two similar artists<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Who your audience is<\/span><\/li>\n<li>How your music will alter their world<\/li>\n<li><span>Why you make music (w<\/span><span>hat you are FOR or AGAINST)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Your music pitch should NOT:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Use overly technical jargon (music theory, nerdy gear references, etc.)<\/li>\n<li>Reference artists who are too niche<\/li>\n<li><span>Have redundant words<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Sound cliche (\u201cthe lovechild of\u2026\u201d \u201cthis yet that,\u201d etc.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_write_an_elevator_pitch_for_your_music\"><\/span><span class=\"style-scope yt-formatted-string\" dir=\"auto\">How to write an elevator pitch for your music<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_The_%E2%80%9CFrankenstein%E2%80%9D_method\"><\/span><span class=\"style-scope yt-formatted-string\" dir=\"auto\">1. The \u201cFrankenstein\u201d method<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>My friend Lisa Lepine was the first person who introduced me to this concept, which involves combining two artists, one who\u2019s a classic household name, and the other a current artist that is famous enough to be recognized beyond a niche scene.<\/p>\n<p>\u2013<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cTalking Heads meets Doja Cat\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u2013<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cBarbara Streisand singing for Future Islands\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u2013<\/p>\n<p><em><span> \u201cIf Lil Nas X produced the next Phoebe Bridgers album\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u2013<\/p>\n<p>I don\u2019t always love this method because it can get stale quick. But it\u2019s a great exercise for every artist to try, even if only as a starting point. And sometimes you\u2019ll stumble upon something that just works.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_The_%E2%80%9CIm_right_for_you%E2%80%9D_method\"><\/span><span class=\"style-scope yt-formatted-string\" dir=\"auto\">2. The \u201cI\u2019m right for you\u201d method<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>With this approach, you define your sub-genre and audience in one sentence that follows this formula: \u201cI make _________ for ___________.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u2013<\/p>\n<p><em><span>\u201cOutlaw Country for White-Collar Criminals\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u2013<\/p>\n<p><em><span>\u201cNerd-Rap for Soccer Moms\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u2013<\/p>\n<p><em><span>\u201cPost-Punk for Your Next Protest\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u2013<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t worry too much about ostracizing people who aren\u2019t literally in the defined audience. People are imaginative enough to know whether they\u2019re curious or not, even if they\u2019re not soccer moms, going to a protest, or about to commit wire fraud.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_The_%E2%80%9Csituational_story%E2%80%9D_method\"><\/span><span class=\"style-scope yt-formatted-string\" dir=\"auto\">3. The \u201csituational story\u201d method<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This one gives you the most flexibility to get creative. You can either tell some part of your own story, or create a situation in which the audience must imagine themselves.<\/p>\n<p>\u2013<\/p>\n<p><em><span>\u201cWhat if you were the last person on earth? You\u2019d still need a dance anthem. This is EDM for end-times!\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u2013<\/p>\n<p><em><span>\u201cI worked in a shoe factory to save up enough money to get the hell out of my small town; but now I miss that isolation and there\u2019s a longing in my slow folks songs\u2026 trying to sing my way back to sanity amidst the buzzing phones and flashing city lights.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u2013<\/p>\n<p><span>Okay, maybe that last one\u2019s too long, but you get the idea.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_YOU_describe_your_music_Let_me_know\"><\/span>How do YOU describe your music? Let me know!<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Those are just three methods you can use to describe your music.<\/p>\n<p>Hopefully they give you a good place to start though, and you can combine any of the good stuff you come up with from there.<\/p>\n<p>Once you have a description written, I\u2019d love to read it. So share your \u201celevator pitch\u201d in the comments below, along with a link to your music.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/diymusician.cdbaby.com\/music-promotion\/describe-music\/\" target=\"_blank\">How to Describe Your Music<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/diymusician.cdbaby.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">DIY Musician<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Crafting your music\u2019s elevator pitch. Before people hear your music, they often need to be convinced to listen. Maybe they get a recommendation from a friend, or see a cool Instagram ad, or read an intriguing blog review. Perhaps it\u2019s an eye-catching album cover that stands out in a Spotify playlist. But SOMETHING has to capture their imagination and make them curious enough to press play. One of the obvious tools you can use to grab attention is your \u201celevator pitch\u201d \u2014 a compelling description of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"h5ap_radio_sources":[],"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5291","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-best-seo-blogs"],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":false,"author_link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/author\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5291","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5291"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5291\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5291"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5291"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5291"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}