We are already a week into December, and gearing up to celebrate the end of the year. These last few weeks of the year are known for great food, an overall sense of relaxation and unwinding, and of course, iconic songs that we’ve been singing since our childhood.
If you are a musician, this is one of the most fun times of year to explore and share your art with the world. Whether you’re looking at writing original holiday music, or create your own cover of an existing holiday song, here are some tips that might help you reach more listeners:
Do your homework
From a legal standpoint, each song comes with different copyright regulations. If you are creating a cover of a public domain song (like Jingle Bells), the rules differ. If you’re putting your own spin on an existing holiday song whose composer owns the rights to the song, the rules are different. And if you are making original music, you own all rights to the song, and have to follow a different set of laws.
Make it yours
Are you a multi-instrumentalist? You can add multiple layers to your song. Are you a Western vocalist? You can put a mellow, acoustic spin on Santa Claus is Coming to Town. Covering a song gives you an
opportunity to be as creative as you’d like, and put in your personality into your art.
Create a holiday story around your music
Remember, there are thousands of artistes making and sharing holiday music. You can make your work stand out by keeping your audience hooked by making fun holiday artwork, posting behind-the-scenes photos and videos of yourself putting the song together, and sharing teasers (on social media, or as emailers and direct messages). If you are making a music video, use social media to take your listeners through the journey of recording, shooting, and editing with your team.
Release your song on all platforms
Use a distribution service like CDBaby, TuneCore, or Wiseband to put your music on streaming platforms. You can also submit your music to popular holiday playlists on these streaming platforms; if the editors select your music, it is a one-way ticket to popularity! You can drive more people to your music by sharing links on your social media platforms, conducting live online sessions to connect with your audience, and posting your track on popular groups that are known for sharing and appreciating new music.
This is a great time of year for feel-good music. Whether you’re recreating an existing holiday favourite that makes your listeners nostalgic, or trying your hand at making new and exciting art to close out the year, December is a really special time to get started.
Bindu & Ambi Subramaniam
(The authors run SaPa - the Subramaniam Academy of Performing Arts)