02/24/2023 Click here for Spotify or Apple Music. This is my 32nd official release. Consistent with the theme of the track, this is significant because on average, it takes 32 songs to “break” an artist. “Blow Me Up” is an introspective and energetic track about hoping to get a break in my music career, as I will explain.
The beat is from Destinybeats.com. The cover art came from Gigzlogo from Fiverr. I recorded the vocals and it was professionally mixed and mastered by KeyAnobeat.com. Martin Dalesio from fiverr did the guitar solo. I told him what I wanted and gave him a freestyled guitar example with my vocals and this is what he came up with. I personally love it and think it turned out incredible.
How I talk about how much I spend on this track is real. I roughly spend $165 per track by the time I pay for the beat, production, cover art, and punishment on average. Some tracks are cheaper, some are more expensive. For example, for this track I paid about $20 for the beat, $45 for production, $30 on cover art, and $5 for punishment, so $100 total. But “Michigan love “ which comes out next Friday was $25 for the beat, $60 for production, $40 for a feature, $30 for cover art, $5 for punishment, and $10 miscellaneous, so it was $170.
I’ve been trying to save money by cutting costs by spending about $75 per track so I can release 4 tracks a month because $300 is basically my budget per month. It’s to the point I can’t really afford basic necessities or things like vacationing because I’m investing what little money I have in music.
This is what I do for promotion. I spend $5 on Fiverr to promote each song on Spotify. That gets the track some traction and gives it a chance of being discovered. I’ve also recently started spending money on paid audiomack promotion. I basically did it to get 25 followers so I could sign up for their partner program. I plan on spending between $5 and $30 a month promoting. The reason is I’ll see some of that money back in revenue, all while being able to propel my music. I have had more traffic to my website and Apple Music ever since I started paid promotion on audiomack.
In any real terms, that’s nothing. Basically, I don’t spend money on promotion, especially compared to what production costs me. So if you wanna help, share, or recommend me to a blog or radio. I’m hoping releasing every week and promoting like this will cause an eruption 🌋. Blow me up!
This is the start of releasing every week until at least June. I really want to make it but I’m sure what will end up happening is I’ll prove releasing a track a week does not build momentum. I do a word-of-the-day rhyme everyday and Friday announcement and Sunday update online and I haven't grown in months. I’m basically going to prove you either need to do paid ads or make your videos so polished they attract engagement, both of which cost money I don’t have.
I got online with my music to try and grow a fan base so that when I would do shows I could get my followers to show up. But the opposite is more likely, where I do shows that leads to fofollowersn my social media. I’ve been waiting to run this like a business, hire people, promote, and do shows until I move. I got into graduate school and I’ll find out in March where I’ll be and if I have funding. I’ve been waiting on graduate school and to move and start to grow my movement. Until then, I’ll be investing in my catalog hoping my hard work will get me seen, but I doubt it.
You can stream or download the track wherever music is sold. Thank you for your support. Be sure to follow because new music is released every week!
Lyrics:
I’m barely getting by
But I got my eyes on the prize
That’s right, every new week I set this money on fire
Burn it, burn it up for me
This music is just what I need
Indefinitely investing see
This recipe my destiny
Don’t have a fan base
Never had a major co-sign
I’m an academic indie artist
That creates his own ill rhymes
Can’t afford to promote
I spend my money on production
So if you think this music’s dope
Let’s make an eruption
This is just how I rap dawg
I invested in a catalog
In a couple years they’ll be like how did he lap ya’ll
Don’t got money to eat
Because I spend it on beats
Cover art and production
My tummy is rumbling
I’m hungry for another one
But can’t afford the marketing
So I hope one day to find the funds
To pay for more than standard leasing
Like Mac Miller when
Before the story begins
Don’t have the money to spend
To buy Patron for your friends
Cuz
I’m barely getting by
But I got my eyes on the prize
That’s right, every new week I set this money on fire
Burn it, burn it up for me
This music is just what I need
Indefinitely investing see
This recipe my destiny
Don’t have a fan base
Never had a major co-sign
I’m an academic indie artist
That creates his own ill rhymes
Can’t afford to promote
I spend my money on production
So if you think this music’s dope
Let’s make an eruption
Blow me up
I live on disability
And can’t afford the finer things
Or really all my wants at needs
Like vacationing and toiletries
I spend 50 on the best lease
50 on production
50 on the artwork
And 15 for publishment
I’m ballin on a budget
I walk the talk then run it
they looking, yeah I’m Stuntin
They think this pays, but it Doesn’t
I do this for the love of it
Build my catalog and publish it
Hope this pays off, and be patient
Stay humble but audacious
But right now
I’m barely getting by
But I got my eyes on the prize
That’s right, every new week I set this money on fire
Burn it, burn it up for me
This music is just what I need
Indefinitely investing see
This recipe my destiny
Don’t have a fan base
Never had a major co-sign
I’m an academic indie artist
That creates his own ill rhymes
Can’t afford to promote
I spend my money on production
So if you think this music’s dope
Let’s make an eruption