The saturated music
and entertainment industry might be so overwhelming if you want to do it for a
living. And yet, there are people who actually succeed in it. But what does it
take to succeed?
I recently had the
amazing opportunity to talk to the talent, craziness and action behind the
global digital broadcasting platform – UG Media - Phill Marshall and Martin
Jones. It might sound weird to use these words to describe people, but my
conversation with them was such an exciting and fun but at the same time
insightful experience for me that I do feel these words describe them best.
Both Phill and Martin
have musical backgrounds as guitar players in bands and as radio personalities,
but their common vision and desire to do something differently, resulted in the
creation of UG media, which mission is to make global music feel local.
Their platform
embodies diversity and blends not only a variety of musical genres, but also a
wide range of different forms of arts. They allow a lot of space for music, but
they also make room for comedy, sports, martial arts, gaming and much more.
Not only did Phill and
Martin share with me the key elements to their success, but they also gave
their insights on what makes a musician stand out and grab their attention.
If I had to pick my
biggest takeaway form what they told me, it would be the power of the question “What
am I doing differently?” This is the
question that played a crucial role in the rapid development of their brand.
There are tons of internet radio stations and video platforms, but the first
thing that makes UG stand out from the crowd is their personal connection with
both their listeners and the talents they work with.
They are always
themselves and do and say exactly what they think. No matter if they are having
a friendly chat on a drink or are talking on-air with their audience,
authenticity, genuineness or any other synonym of these would sound like a cliché
when it comes to describing their openness. They both value the up-front
conversation – something, which a lot of digital radio stations don’t have.
Phill who hosts the WWPMD What Would Phill Marshall Do? Show on Fridays gives an amazing
perspective on criticism, which I bet would be helpful for musicians, as well. He
says:” If someone calls in live and says I’m a cunt, this gives me an
opportunity to hold a conversation and ask them why they think so”
Another key thing for their success (and for anyone else’s) is NETWORKNG. Every conversation counts. They started UG
media from scratch and took their time to meet people, talk to them, bring
value to the artists, which in turn spread the word about them and support
them. They built their talent base one artist at a time, and the word of mouth
got them in touch with more and more acts, huge promoters and entertainment
professionals. Martin says that the snowball effect applies to networking 100%.
So, go ahead and put
the time to expand your network and build personable relationships it WILL PAY
BACK! It might be time-consuming, but if you are committed enough, you will make
it happen!
Which leads to another
quality that both Phill and Martin have and lays in the base of UG Media’s
success – passion and commitment. That’s
what drives them to spend every minute they got on getting out there, talking
to listeners, to artists, to potential partners on creating content with the
audience in mind, and on making the global music feel local.
But what if you’re on
the other side? (an act who wants to get their music out there)
Well, as an artist,
you should, too, ask yourself what you’re doing differently. You should
maintain a recognizable image, but in the same time, you should dare to be
different. And needless to say you should put the time and effort to hone your
craft.
UG media aims to give
exposure to talents who have invested the time to practice, create good music,
and do a great job with the production. Yes, you need to put time, effort, and some
money in order to produce your music properly. You want it broadcasted on
media, then it should be of broadcasting quality. A few years ago, production
might have been on the pricy side. But now all it takes is to be resourceful.
There is tons of free software out there, you can find affordable gear, and gazillions
of tutorials on the internet. You can even negotiate someone who has the skills
and equipment to produce you music for you in exchange for credit and part of
the royalties.
Another piece of advice
Phill gave when it comes to production is that when you look for an analogue
sound, you’d better initially record it digitally, and then use the plug-ins
and tools (there are plenty of them) available on your software or on the
internet and get the desired sound. Unless you have access to a studio with the
proper equipment, chances are that recording directly an analogue sound, will
not get you a broadcast quality result. In other words, DON’T RECORD ANALOGUE
SOUND IN YOUR GARAGE OR BASEMENT!
Of course, I also
asked the guys what sound they look for, when choosing what music to play on
air…and I loved the response.
“When you listen to a
song, and you can completely ignore the genre and say” Damn, that’s good”, that’s
what we looking for and that’s what makes the global music feel local”.
I hope this article
has left you with some valuable food for thought that you can act on, as well.
I bet you’re gonna love
the UG experience, so you can now go straight to their website: https://theug.media/shows/
and
explore their shows and on-demand section, I am pretty sure you are going to
find at least one thing that will resonate with you and you will enjoy, among
the diversity of informative and entertaining content.
And if you are an
unsigned musician of any genre form anywhere in the world and have some decent
quality music, go ahead and get in touch with Phill and Martin (Check the
pinned post on their Facebook page for guidelines) https://www.facebook.com/ugmediaglobal/ .
You will not only explore a great opportunity to get airplay for your music,
but you will also make great friends!
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