Why Social Media Marketing for Music Artists Matters

Are you holding yourself back from success in your music career because you find social media marketing for music artists too cringy to take seriously?

In this episode of Boomcast by Boombox, Fabio (Noize London) interviews musicbyLukas and Lauren Z. Ray to explore how Lukas went from social media skeptic to building a huge thriving community around his music with TEAMMBL.

Wondering if it’s worth using social media to gain a following for your music? Listen to success secrets from two people creators who are actually making a career out of creating.

Listen:

DISCOVER:
How Social Media Creates Deeper Connection Between Fans And Your Music
The Mindset You Need To Unlock Growth In Your Career
How To Keep Your Music Career From Feeling Like Work
If There’s Room For Your Music In The Music Industry
How To Get Noticed For The Right Reasons

RESOURCES:
Win $500 in tools for your music career by answering the QUESTION OF THE DAY: If you got the $500 sponsorship for your studio, what would you buy with it?

Looking for an audio file collaboration tool? Get 4GB free on sign up for boombox.io.

FOLLOW US / Send me a Message:
Boombox.io – https://www.instagram.com/boombox.io/
Fabio Lendrum – https://www.instagram.com/noize_london
Lukas Ray – https://www.instagram.com/musicbylukas/
Lauren Z. Ray – https://www.instagram.com/laurenzray/

Thank you all so much for tuning in.
Please remember to LIKE & SUBSCRIBE!

Video Transcript (Why Social Media Marketing for Music Artists Matters in 2023):

Lukas:
Welcome to Boomcast, the official podcast of Boombox.io

Fabio:
I’m Fabio from Noize London.

Lukas:
And I’m musicbyLukas

Fabio:
And this is our special guest…

Lauren:
Lauren Z. Ray

Fabio: Boombox is a collaboration tool to provide a connection point for musicians, producers and engineers to be able to share, store and synergize creativity.

Lukas: Also, this month, we are doing a special giveaway. If you are one of the first 1000 subscribers, you might just win this. We are going to be sponsoring you with up to $500 of free gear for your studio. So make sure that you click that subscribe button below and also hit the bell button so you’re notified about future uploads.

Fabio:
So today we have not one, but two very special guests.

Lukas:
I will be I’ll be a special guest today.

Lauren:
We’re very special. Yeah, we feel special.

Lukas:
I feel special.

Fabio:
Victoria and David Beckham, John Legend and Chrissy Teigen.

Lauren:
This intros amazing.

Fabio:
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds.

Lukas:
I like that one.

Fabio:
musicbyLukas and Lauren Z Ray, are you next?

Lauren:
I mean I think we’re first.

Fabio:
The power couple position and you know, interviewing you both is such a pleasure because you are such an integral part of the team. But also you have your own team.

Lauren:
Yes

Fabio: too.

Lukas:
That’s true.

Fabio:
Lukas you started off as a music producer.

Lukas:
Yeah.

Fabio:
Correct?

Lukas:
Yeah.

Fabio:
And then in.

Lukas:
Oh, my gosh.

Fabio:
Yeah.

Lauren:
Wow.

Lukas:
He did some research.

Fabio:
And during your music career, you’ve had some incredible releases, including a couple of tracks on Spinning Records and Armada. A lot of people knew from musicbyLukas. They know you for your production, but why did you start TEAMMBL?

Lukas:
So actually funny story. We started TEAMMBL to get my music heard in the first place. Lauren was actually the one that said You should do this YouTube channel and you should start TEAMMBL and you should start this group to get your music heard.

Lauren:
Yeah, because Lukas was saying, man, you know, I’ve been creating this good music, but no one’s listening to it. Like,

Lukas:
that was kind of the problem. Yeah.

Lauren:
And I already knew kind of how to build a team, how to build a community online, which I know 2014 sounds like a long time ago, but at the time really or even maybe sounds like yesterday, depending on how you look at it. But at the time, like influencing and creating communities was relatively new. But I had been going to these conferences to figure out how to do it for my own career, because I was an actor in L.A. at the time, and my agent was always telling me, like, You need to create a fan base so I can use that to pitch you for these auditions, for different TV shows. And so I was looking into building a YouTube channel for myself. So I was going to these conferences and I was learning all about that. And then Lucas was, you know, having that struggle about his music. And I was like, Hey, the solution is this. And what was your response?

Lukas:
Oh, I didn’t want to do it.

Lauren:
And he was anti social media, just so you know.

Lukas:
I also had no idea.

Lauren:
Wait. He needs to know about your anti social media

Fabio:
because what I want to know is why were you so reluctant?

Lukas:
Right. I actually kind of, for whatever reason, took pride in the fact that I didn’t have social media. So I was like, I don’t have a Facebook, I don’t have an Instagram. And so, yeah, I think a lot of that was just nerves because when also kind of that frustration about social media and needing to be so integral and I think a lot of producers go through this, but especially, you know, if it’s not something that’s your thing and you kind of look at it in a certain light of like it’s something you have to do and how like, ugh, now you have to do social media marketing for music artists. If you want to grow and stuff. And I think that was the problem too, is that I was like, I just want to do music and I don’t want to do social media. But I think you don’t realize at first that social media is a way for you to reach people that you wouldn’t necessarily reach with that music and make a deeper connection with them than you would make if it was just the music. Because the music obviously can make a connection with people, but when you actually want to connect with the person and not you know what I mean? Like you can go deeper with them and it’s a deeper relationship.

Lauren:
And he started the YouTube channel, maybe for vanity reasons, it sounds like. But what happened is when we started it right away with our first videos, they got really good plays and we also started the community took off like almost immediately. I think there was really a need for it on YouTube and it was so much more it became so much more so quickly. It was amazing to be able to help people and to guide them. While Lucas himself was being, you know, guided in the industry to bring them along for his journey and then all everybody to have the journey together. And it ended up being a community almost immediately

Lukas:
And it’s funny too, because my music really wasn’t all that great back then. Like, like quality wise it was, okay.

Fabio:
We all have to start somewhere.

Lukas:
And I think that a lot of artists also think that they shouldn’t necessarily start their socials until their music is at a certain level. But the reality is that you’re always going to be getting better. Like you said, everyone has to start somewhere and there’s always something that you can give if that’s what you want to do. If you want to do like teaching, for example, you don’t have to do that on your videos. It can be different topics, but even with teaching, there’s always something you can give. There’s things you do know how to do that you can discuss and show.

Fabio:
So obviously I’m familiar with what it is, but for the viewers and the listeners at home, what is TEAMMBL?

Lukas:
Yeah. So TEAMMBL is team musicbyLukas. And basically it’s a producer community and a website where artists can go to learn how to grow as a music artist. And it has a bunch of different resources and it has we have Discord website, social media.

Lauren:
Well, like what sort of stuff on the website

Lukas:
We got Like if you need like an artist logo, if you need to learn how to produce, if you need mixing and mastering, if you need, you know, for example.

Lauren:
And you have a membership too

Lukas:
yeah, there’s tons of stuff on there. So it’s really developed. And actually we’re looking at launching a record label soon too. So there’s, it’s, it’s an entire producer community.

Fabio:
It’s very impressive. You have to go check it out. The first time I did, I was like, Damn!

Lauren:
And for TEAMMBL, I am co-founder with Lukas. We started it together. I edit and direct a lot of the content that we do, whether that was on YouTube before or Instagram that we do now.

Lukas:
You’re also behind the scenes in so many things like so many.

Lauren:
We don’t really have like titles. This person does this specifically. Like there is a little bit of that, but it’s a lot of blurred lines of like just helping each other out with each other because I have my own company as well. LZR Films. Yeah. And it’s just like helping each other out with each other’s, like, best skill sets
.
Fabio:
So, who’s who’s muse? Or are you each others because you’re the videographer

Lauren:
Well.

Fabio:
You clearly filmed this.

Lauren: Yeah.

Fabio:
Rright? And I seen your style of filming.

Lauren:
Yep.

Fabio:I know. this is you. You’re filming, Lukas, but you’re featuring her too

Lukas:
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Fabio:
So there’s so much synergy and your relationship, which is incredible. Who’s who’s muse?

Lauren:
That’s a really good question and because Lukas and I have been together for over a decade, it’s like very blurred lines now, I would say, of how we operate.

Lukas:
This is another thing, but Lauren’s a documentary filmmaker, and with her most recent documentary, I started helping a lot more with the helping with being a second cameraperson, and I learned a lot more about how cameras work and stuff like that. And then also started filming her more for her YouTube channel because she has her Lauren Z. Ray YouTube channel and so I’m a lot more comfortable with filming now.

Lauren:
Yeah. So that’s filming wise. But in general, I think the answer to your question and see if you feel the same way. But Lukas and I have very similar personalities and we’re very like similar in general. And so we’ve always fed off of each other greatly with every decision we’ve ever made in each other’s careers and the company we built together.

Lukas:
That’s a good point too, though, because not everybody has another person that they can work with when it comes to building stuff, but it’s still possible. Like with you, for example, you built the Noize London brand. I mean, it’s it’s not that you have to have another partner, but it is helpful. I think the main thing also is just surrounding yourself by supportive people, because even more than just us, I think there was a lot of people that were involved in the success of TEAMMBL.

Lauren:
For sure.

Fabio:
And we first met in Amsterdam at your incredible TEAMMBL event where you had some incredible and very well-known EDM DJ’s playing.

Lukas:
Yeah.

Fabio:
Did you make those connections through TEAMMBL? I mean, is that the power of TEAMMBL in its physical form?

Lauren:
Absolutely.

Lukas:
The coolest thing about TEAMMBL is that it gave us something to talk about with these artists instead of just being like, Hey, here’s my USB because as a music artist, you know, a lot of times there’s that pressure when you’re meeting another artist in person, like, how are you going to make this connection? What are you going to talk about? And a lot of times I think when you’re just kind of pitching them your music, it can seem very like, you know, Hey, look at me, you know, come with TEAMMBL it was different. It’s like, hey, I have this thing and we can work on it together and we’d love to show you to our audience and made it so it was such a seamless introduction that that was something we could do together and that was fun.

Lauren:
Right. That as well as like in any relationship, it’s nice to have it like a give and take or like you both – there’s something in it for you both, I guess I could say. But it’s not just, Hey, listen to my music and make things happen for me. We were like, Hey, we could also promote you, we could work with you. We’ll put you out there, we’ll talk about your stuff. You know, it’s nice.

Fabio:
There’s a lot more value to the relationship.

Lauren:
Yeah, exactly.

Fabio:
Absolutely… and then all that kind of all the other stuff like sharing your music is secondary to that and it feels way more organic because then you feel like you’re hanging out with friends and ultimately that’s how you would share music with your friends. You’re not going to share music with your friend, and they’re going to be like, What do you want from me?

Lukas:
Right

Lauren:
Yeah.

But in that scenario that you’ve created or that we do try to create as much as possible, well, you know, obviously we want to encourage, you know, up and coming artists to go to shows and give that USB. To, to, DJs I still think that’s better than the demo email face to face. What I suggest to people is keep turning up those shows because they will recognize that
you’re there.

Lauren:
Exactly. And we do that with like certain fans of ours. Like they’ve become like really good friends when we see them. It’s like so exciting to see them again. And they started out as just fans who went to our DJ show in ADE like four years ago.

Lukas:
Yeah. And so I think also one of the biggest things is to keep in touch and to build those relationships. And if you meet anyone, whether it was just you handing them your USB or whatever, always following up with them and sending them a message. Hey, it was so nice to meet you at this show or at this thing and not even necessarily following up and being like, you know, trying to pitch them something, but just staying in touch and saying, it’s so great to see you.

Lauren:
And even that like just staying in touch, I think also just engaging and this has turned into a tip from us classic but to engage with their content. So if you’re following them on social media marketing for music artists, if you like, leave a comment or like their stuff or share in your story, they’re going to remember your name when they see it pop up all the time and that’s another really great way because they might just ask you if you have any music after a while.

Fabio:
Now it’s time for the box where we ask an off topic question. This isn’t that off topic.

Lauren:
Okay.

Fabio: But you know, it’s just not so much about music. The UK and the US are meant to have a special relationship. Yeah, are we – do we have a special relationship?

Lauren:
Well, I would say that the moment I laid eyes on you, I was like…

Fabio:
You laid eyes on me. One second.

Fabio:
We want to take this moment to say thank you to Boombox, for making this collaboration possible and bringing myself Lukas and Lauren together. We are here to bring you the best information possible on how to help you grow as a producer in both the technical side of things and the marketing. I do have one question, which I feel that you have answered anyway, but what’s the secret sauce to your dynamic collaboration?

Lauren:
sriracha for sure. We put that on everything.

Lukas:
It’s good stuff.

Fabio:
Everything.

Lukas:
To us working together, I think a lot of it has to do with consistency and also being willing to not just be like super stubborn.

Lauren:
Yeah.

Lukas:
I think that’s been helpful too.

Lauren:
Because we both, when we first started working together, it was like we both believed our ways were the best ways because as individuals in general, I think growing up you trust your own intuition and your instincts. So when you first are working with somebody, it can be difficult because of that.

Lukas:
And I think, that’s a good point, being able to take feedback because even when you’re like, for example, let’s say you’re going on a discord and you’re getting feedback from other producers, I think it’s really easy for you to feel like when someone gives you constructive feedback, to feel, you know, like either angry or defensive or whatever you want to call it but I think at the end of day, everyone, unless they’re blatantly trying to be rude, I think everyone’s trying to help each other grow and to be able to give them some kind of perspective.

Lauren:
Yeah. I also think the secret sauce for me is and I think you would agree with this, but to make it fun.

Lukas:
Yeah.

Lauren:
We took a lot of things very seriously for a really long time because we were serious about our careers, we were serious about it. But it created, I think, a lot of intensity and chaos and we just had a lack mindset and we don’t have enough time, we don’t have enough thisA ad we decided to just switch that and like have fun with it, have a mindset of abundance. You have so much time, you have you have so many things, and that has helped us a lot too.

Lukas:
It’s so funny how when you try to hold something really tight and like be in control of it, that you actually get less done. You have you run into more roadblocks and when you let go and you kind of just go with the flow, that things happen a lot quicker and you have a better time and you also are more creative. I think a lot of times you when you’re when you’re stressed out or whatever, that you block a lot of things in your mind mentally. And that’s the thing is we work in a creative space. Music is a creative, you know, career to be working in. And if you are being stressed out, if you are, you know, you’re blocking a lot of that creative juice that could be there for you to be able to hold onto.

Fabio:
And sometimes being under some sort of time pressure and constraints can be helpful. It can be helpful. But if you’re under that all the time, then it doesn’t really allow you to get into a flow state in the first place.

Lauren:
Even if you’re well, this is just my opinion. But even if you’re under a time restraint, if you still believe that you have an abundance of time, you get stuff done a lot faster if you believe that you have to be in a state of chaos to get things done. But you also don’t like it. It’s like you’re fighting against yourself. So if you could just switch your mindset slightly to like.

Lukas:
That and that may work in the short run.

Lauren:
Yeah, you can speak on this better than me.

Lukas:
It may work in the short run, but it leads – if you’re doing that, it could easily lead to burnout. And we’ve seen that because now we’ve been in the industry for a while now and we’ve seen so many artists that we know that have gone through these kind of things. And it’s it’s always that same, you know, super high pressure, intensive deadlines.And it leads to yet to you not being able to enjoy it and to making it feel like work.

Fabio:
because ultimately, we’re all fighting for the best product possible. We’re trying to create the best possible content. We’re trying to, you know, bring out our authenticity and be as genuine as we can across all platforms and support one another. And it’s, you know, musicbyLukas supporting Lauren Z. Ray supporting TEAMMBL supporting Noize London supporting Boombox.And it’s this incredible ecosystem which we’re starting to create here.

Lauren:
Yeah. And even with your own career, if you’re not in a place like maybe we are or whatever, you can still have an abundant mindset, even if you’re not getting good or you’re not better and it’s more fun because if you’re viewing everybody as competition or you feel like you’re too late to a social media game, that’s still a lack mindset, as if there’s not enough room for you or that person’s your competition like there’s only so many slots, which isn’t true. There’s so much opportunity to bring your unique perspective and who you are and what you have to like. Either it’s music or content to bring to the to the, you know, to the table. So no one’s in competition. There’s enough room for everybody at the table. And if you also choose to think that, I think that will pave the way for you to do more music, because we notice a lot of people like they’re like, oh, I’m just a perfectionist. I can’t get this done is like, what’s the deeper meaning behind that? Are you worried? Is it coming from fear? Because fear usually is a lack mindset as well. Like if you’re fearsome, if you’re like fearing some something, it’s probably because you’re worried that there’s not enough space for you or or you’re not good enough. And and it’s just.

Lukas:
Yeah.

Lauren:
If you take that all away, I think you can accomplish a lot more too.

Fabio:
What I’d like to do.

Lukas:
Ooo!

Fabio:
Is I want to hear your impression of me and I’m going to do my impression of you.

Lukas:
Who’s – wait – But you’re going to – are – your impression of who me or Lauren?

Fabio:
I think I think

Lauren:
I might be tough but

Fabio:
I think yours is going to be tough. But I could try.

Lukas:
Who wants to start

Lauren:
Definitely should comment. I don’t know, Lukas, you do your

Fabio:
Rock, paper, scissors. All three.

Lukas:
Oh, all three of us. I guess. okay.

Speaker 4
Oh, I don’t know what I was doing. She did rock. She beat both of us.

Lauren:
Rock with lose hands.

Speaker 4
So yeah Lauren starts.

Lukas:
I think if you win you lose.

Fabio: All right. Who are you going to do?

Lauren:
I think that’s how you start, Lauren.

Lukas:
Hello, this is FAHbio.

Fabio:
I don’t say FAHbio

Lukas:
You say this is NoiZe LOnndnn.

Fabio:
Hey, giyz… It’s kind of up there but i can’t – It’s up there. it is.

Lauren:
Yeah, it’s up there.

Fabio:
Like, Hiy, gIyz, this is Muzik bIy LooKis.

Lukas:
Do the hands. That’s not bad. I think one of the biggest things though that we’ve realized from building a community and also just in our careers in general, is that you don’t need to have a five year plan. You don’t need to know every step of everything that you’re going to do, because everything that you do is going to evolve and a lot of things happen randomly. All you have to know is that you want a career in music that you want. Like, for example, you said, Oh, you were producing a lot more. You’re not as producing as much now or, you know, it’s basically it’s very fluid. Like I, for example, I’m actually working on a bunch of new tracks that I’m going to be doing with our new label, so I’m going to be doing that again. But your focus kind of shifts and things happen. Like, for example, I didn’t know I was going to be doing this collaboration with Boombox. I was going to get to know you. I saw your videos on Instagram. I didn’t know that we were going to be in the same room doing this in Nashville. I didn’t know I was going to have a producer, community or website.Like I told you, I wasn’t into socials at first. Now socials are like the thing that I preach for everyone to do. So I don’t think you have to know and I think you can let that pressure go. And I think that’s so freeing. And you should just be able to follow what you’re into and kind of just let yourself be flexible because flexibility also leads for you to be able to be your best self, for you to be faster and quicker and be able to adjust and be able to have fun.

Lauren:
And open to opportunities like you miss out sometimes on opportunities if you’re too closed off.

Lukas:
Yeah.

Fabio:
100%. And it’s funny because if you’d asked me ten years ago when I, you know, was doing production full time and I started in production full time, one, I would have never told you that I wanted to be a mixing and mastering engineer and secondly, YouTube channel. Are you kidding? Like I would have been NO, No, that’s not for me. But now YouTube, channel, Instagram, all those things. And you’re right, you just have to go with the flow and it will feel natural and it will feel right and fighting it. There’s no point but what you provide, I think, which I think so many people can learn from and need to learn now, is how to market yourself. Right, because the production, you could be the best producer in the world in your bedroom, but if you don’t know how to promote your music, whatever it is doesn’t have to be music. If you don’t know how to promote your talent, you’re going to be stuck in that bedroom for the rest of your life.

Lukas:
That’s such a good point to and there’s no one way to do it. It can be totally unique. And we’re seeing everyone that has different types of introverted content, extroverted content. Some people like me, I dance in my content. You do more like speaking and more like original audio and your content at this time.

Lauren:
At this time.

Lukas:
And they both work, right? Exactly. And it’s fluid, right? I didn’t always used to do my content the way I do it, but it’s like you just show, you just enjoy and evolve and go with the flow.

Fabio:
So remember, the question of the day is…

Lukas:
If you got the $500 sponsorship for your studio, what would you buy with it? You getting headphones, you’re going to get some cool – what are you going to get for your studio? plugins?

Lauren:
Just swag? Swag, you know, matching sweatsuits.

Lukas:
Also you can find me on also shows at musicbyLukas.

Lauren:
And if you’re interested in seeing any of my films, I actually do an upload to YouTube every week of our travel blogs and they’re incredible. They’re like mini documentaries and that’s Lauren Z. Ray and Lauren Z. Ray on everything, Instagram, etc..

Fabio:
And you can find me Noize_London on Instagram, but we will link everything down below so it’s easily accessible. Thank you so much.

Lukas:
Don’t forget to subscribe.

Fabio:
Don’t forget to subscribe.

Lauren:
Bell Button to be notified about the next upload.

Lukas:
And that’s it.

Fabio:
Thank you so much for tuning in and we’ll see you very soon. Peace

Lukas:
Buhbye

Lauren:
Bye – Lauren cut that.

Lukas:
People are going to comment that having Lauren on the podcast makes it way more fun?

Fabio:
Could we get ride of Fabio and Lukas please.

Why Social Media Marketing for Music Artists Matters w/ TEAMMBL – Boomcast Ep. 3

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Video Transcript (Why Social Media Marketing for Music Artists Matters in 2023):