If you are ready to get invested in starting your own music blog, you’ve come to the right place. Setting yourself up for success in this venture is important if you want to get it right, and this takes time and energy and a creative plan of action to go from an idea to a real working blog. There are a lot of things that have changed in the blogging world over the years, and when it comes to music blogging, you need to ensure your plan is one that fits with the way that things are currently done. Currently, major music blogs promote their musicians on social media and encourage as much music sharing online as possible. There are so many new ways to source and listen to new music, and your blog could be successful in doing so.
Let’s take a look at how to start a successful music blog.
Research
The very first thing that you should do before you get started on your own music blog is to look at the successful ones that are out there right now. It doesn’t matter if they’re not to your personal music taste; their success means that they are someones! Your research will help you to understand what makes people keep coming back for more. It’s not about copying a site, but taking inspiration from it and getting a general idea of what you could do with your music blog.
Take notes about whether they are using background music from sites like https://stockmusic.net/royalty-free-music or whether they are quiet websites. Look to see if they are global or regional. Think about what their interactive features are and whether they are to your taste. There are plenty of options here to get those creative juices flowing, and the notes are taken to ensure your own success.
Defining Your Blog
You need to know what will make your blog unique if you hope to be successful. Think about whether you want to focus on the local artists to you or go for a global interest.
What Will You Blog About?
Are you blogging about popular music or independent new bands that need exposure? Are you discussing the music industry as a whole? Are you planning to showcase videos? You need to make some decisions on all of these and ensure that you will have the readership to make it a successful option for you. You want your blog to be a resource, giving them more than one reason to visit your blog than just hear about artists that you review. You must be as consistent as possible with your blog and keep it to what your readers want rather than what others are doing.
Once you’ve decided on those essential things, you then need to think about the creation of your blog. There are plenty of options out there for host platforms and blogging websites to carry your blog; the important bit is knowing what is going on the blog in the first place.
âI hope I die before I get oldâ belted Roger Daltrey on the seminal track âMy Generation,â and yes, while he may be a little bit on the grouchy side these days due to Brexit, that one sentiment perfectly encapsulates youth. But now, we see Roger Daltrey singing arguably The Who’s most famous song and wonder if he really meant it. It seems that now, getting older is it a passe thing, and that there are more musicians out there now in their late 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond, still pushing those youthful sentiments. But now, they’ve got the benefit of hindsight. While there are so many songs about the exuberance of youth, are there any songs we can use as a lesson on getting older?
Perfectly encapsulating the idea of maturity, the irony is not lost on Joni herself that recording it as a young lady; she was wise beyond her years. But most telling is that she revisited this song much later in her career, and while the sentiment of the song is that there are few truths learnt by living, as a more mature woman herself, having lived life, the song still suggests that there is as much a mystery to life when you are at the tail end of it.
Help The Aged by Pulp
What sounds like a plea to understand older people, the lyric belies a grimmer message. The line âcanât away from yourselfâ is a message to all of us getting older; that, no matter how much we try to dye our hair, and fight the inevitable, we will still end up as the person we were meant to be.
Veronica by Elvis Costello
An examination of his own grandmother Mollyâs fading memory; the song chronicles Veronicaâs life from the vivid pictures of her early years all the way to her non-existent existence in a care home, mute and ready for the end. Currently, it was co-written by one Paul McCartney, who had his very own thoughts on getting old chronicled in a very famous songâŠ
When I’m 64 by The Beatles
Paul McCartney was actually 16 when he wrote this. While the imagery is incredibly twee, and masquerades as a music hall ditty, the comic imagery of living in idyllic lifestyle after retirement could provide a very warming sentiment for all of us concerned about getting on in years, when the idea of which granny flat designs we really want or if the car’s got enough petrol in it doesn’t necessarily matter in the long run. Because, when we hit retirement age, we will celebrate our birthdays with a bottle of wine, and have a jolly old time (well, hopefully).
Old Man by Neil Young
This was all about wanting acceptance from the elders in society. His plea that he is âa lot likeâ they were shows how we get so judgmental as we get older, that we forget that we had so much fun when we were young. Tellingly, Neil young was 24 when he wrote this, and now while he has every right to be a grouchy curmudgeon who is well beyond retirement age, he’s still looking to push the boundaries. He may very well be an old man, but his sentiments arenât.
Losing My Edge by LCD Soundsystem
A lot of these songs writing about the perspective of being old from the POV of a younger person. This is, for all intents and purposes, from the perspective of an âolderâ person. While LCD front man James murphy wasn’t a grouchy old man when he wrote this (he was on the wrong side of 30), from the perspective of every 20-year-old around him, he must have seemed ancient! This is all about the worry that he’s not being relevant in music. That he’s losing his edge to everyone in existence.
Old friends by Simon and Garfunkel
Arguably the most melancholic of the songs on the list. It’s the story of two old men sitting on a bench wondering how strange it is to be 70 years old. While Paul Simon, who wrote this, turned 70 in 2011, this song has naturally gathered more meaning, and no doubt, he’s realized how far from strange it really is!
30 Something by Jay-Z
From the perspective of any teen growing up idolizing Jay-Z, when you turn 20, you may very well just get put out to pasture. But, this ode to hitting your 30s can do more than make you realize that you’re anything but old, but in fact, getting a stock portfolio is one of the great benefits of supposed âoldâ age. If it’s good enough for Jay-Z, it’s good enough for us!
Glory Days by Bruce Springsteen
While on the surface, itâs a pretty amusing ode to that guy who still talks about his high school football career as the crowning achievement of his life. But the most telling aspect about it is the song jumps between this and Springsteenâs semi-autobiographical tropes about his father being laid off. The moral of the story? Your glory days arenât over. In fact, your glory days may very well be ahead of you!
So what can music teach us about getting old? It seems that now, we’ve got so many people writing about getting old from a youthful perspective, when these musicians are all hitting the time where they are supposed to be put out to pasture, but have more than their fair share of energy. The exuberance of youth, especially through music highlights just how much we all think that, when we are 20, 30 may as well be 75. But as the music we grew up listening to gets older and matures, so do we. They say that the music you listen to during your teen years shapes your entire life. As music appears to be predominantly a youthful practice, the songs about getting old and looking back on our youth are few and far between. âIt Was A Very Good Yearâ by Frank Sinatra may very well be the pinnacle story of revisiting memories of youthâŠ
Donât think you can be creative? Always wanted to give art, music or performance a go but never had the confidence? Weâre here to tell you, you can and itâs about time too. Getting into the Arts has never been easier and there are more and more ways to express yourself and learn some brand new skills.
We take a look at how you can make your artistic debut and find new skills and hobbies, no matter how old you are or how little experience youâve had.
Music
Scientific research all points to the fact that learning a musical instrument gives you more than just the ability to strum along to your favourite rock ballad. In fact, the very act of learning and practising music can improve your memory and help your spatial reasoning. Using both sides of your brain means you give your grey matter a full workout.
But can you just pick up an instrument and learn to play? The answer is a resounding yes. It might take you a little while longer than when you were very young but the art to learning is practice, practice and more practice. If youâre dedicated to the idea of playing guitar or piano or any instrument, quite simply the more you practice, the better youâll get.
Perhaps your musical interest lies in the production end of things. Before you commit to buying the most expensive software, have a look at hip hop instrumentals online and practise your skills.
When youâre ready, why not take a music class at your local music school or hire a teacher for one-to-one lessons. Ask around and get a recommendation for someone whoâs great with beginners. If youâre still a little shy to demonstrate your skills, then find your way up and down the scales using a YouTube tutorial.
Art
Are you always doodling and would love to develop your skills even further? Youâre in luck, painting and drawing is one of those hobbies that you can pick up with no more than a few pencils and some paper. As such, itâs relatively inexpensive and can be taken with you for long train journeys or waiting for the kids at football practice.
Youâll find a host of books at your local bookstore or library, not to mention tutorials online. Donât be afraid to showcase your skills to trusted friends and family members and watch your confidence grow. For more specialised art forms such as pottery, youâll need to either make a significant purchase for equipment such as a kiln or youâll need to take advantage of an evening class. You wonât be alone as a beginner, most people will either be revisiting an old hobby or not have touched a potterâs wheel since school.
Performance
Now this one requires a little more courage, but youâve got this. Why not? You were great at school, performed in plays and always harboured a longing to take to the stage. Combine this love of acting with a chance to make new friends and join your local amateur acting group.
Youâll probably start off in the chorus line but as you become more confident and acquire more skills, youâll soon start landing the bigger parts. If you were to born to sing, consider the same process. Hiding at the back of your local choral group will soon change as you find yourself just as good as anyone else and competing for those significant solo parts.
If you enjoy performing, either as an actor or singer, you might even consider enrolling on a course to see how far your considerable talents will take you. You may even find yourself landing more regular singing and acting jobs on the professional circuits.
When youâve spent so much time keeping your talents hidden, now is the time to set them free. Acquiring your skillset might not happen overnight but put in those hours and soon youâll be painting, singing or acting up a storm. Youâll wonder why you spent so long telling yourself you couldnât when all it took was a little courage to show yourself you can.
Start off with some private practise, following online tutorials and mastering the basics before you get ready to take your rehearsals offline and start showing the world what youâre capable of. A new hobby and the chance to meet some like-minded people is a great investment of both your time and your money so give in and finally let your creative side loose, itâs about time.
