As a natural introvert, I’m not the sort of person to constantly produce content on social media platforms. I’m more of a "start to write a tweet and then think, 'what’s the point?' before deleting the message and closing down the app" sort of guy. Of course, that’s absolutely fine, but as a solo artist who wants to sell some tunes—especially to give something back to a label that has put some faith in me—this isn’t the approach one should take.

You have to embrace it to a degree, and the degree to which you embrace using socials to promote your music is entirely up to you. The way I see it, there are two ends of the scale: a high-risk, zero-promotion approach like that of Burial or a relentless, consistent promotional strategy like the one adopted by social media icon fish56Octagon. Both have seen phenomenal success, but I would suggest that the majority of independent artists err toward the Burial approach.

However, as I mentioned, this is high-risk. Whether you're just starting or you've been making music for years, promoting your work on social media platforms can help you reach new fans, engage with your current audience, and ultimately grow your music career—if that’s your aim. So, what’s the issue? For me, it comes back to the fear of becoming an annoying spammer, but that is something I’ve had to get over. Ultimately, no one is really going to be that bothered, and the likelihood is that anything we promote on social media is just a minuscule drop in an ever-increasing ocean of noise.

You’ve spent all that time making music, so why not promote it? And by promoting it, I mean doing it more than once. People are busy; they will need reminding.

Ultimately, making music shouldn’t be about reaching a level of arbitrary success. To me, it’s about expressing yourself in a way that is unique and personal. We all started making music because we want to make it, not because we want other people to like it. If they like it, that’s a bonus. But what is more important is finding people who genuinely connect with your sound, so don’t be afraid to send that track, post that link, or promote the release again. You have put in the work—now let people hear it. If you don’t believe in your music enough to share it, how can you expect others to believe in it? The only reason to not release something is if you don't like it.

Another thing I’ve learned that links to the above point on promoting music is that it’s important to set some expectations around the impact your music is likely to have. The likelihood is that your music won’t get a ton of views, you aren’t going to make loads of money from it, and even if you’re relentless with promotion, you’re probably going to get screwed by an algorithm and an oversaturated market that’s no longer conducive to a wide audience reach.

Basically, it’s harder than ever to make a career out of music, so don’t overthink it. We’re all in this together. I know loads of extremely talented producers, people who run radio stations, and record label heads who are constantly on the grind, working passionately to share their art with a wider audience. It’s natural to seek validation for our work, especially if it’s something you’ve put your heart and soul into making. If engagement is low, it can be disheartening, and there have been moments when friends of mine have said to me, “what’s the point?” But I think once you accept that it’s more challenging than ever to find that validation, you can get back to why you started making music in the first place. Do seek feedback—that’s incredibly important—but don’t let validation be the only driver for making music. If it is, there will be very few of us making it.

I started making music as a hobby; this then became a passion, and now I am completely addicted. There is always a new track to make, an album to work on, the buzz of learning new things, and the hope or chase that the next release will be my "best work." That’s what drives me. As long as I keep creating and pushing myself, I’ll continue to find joy in making it.

Maybe I’ll return to this statement in 20 years and see if it still rings true, but for the moment, that’s where my mindset is. Of course, there will be days, weeks, or even months when nothing clicks, and that can be incredibly frustrating. But when things do click, for me there’s nothing like it. It’s a huge buzz, a way of expressing myself, and an incredibly important creative outlet for the mind and soul.

Ultimately, don’t be held back by the existential dread of releasing music. Let go of that fear, keep making it, share it, make connections with people through music, continue to release stuff, and give yourself a big pat on the back when you do.