// The Word This Week

Stay ahead of the game with must-know news and insights that could shape your next move in the music world.

// The Word This Week

The stats Fantano drops are staggering:

• There’s more music released in a single day now than in all of 1989.

• In 2023, Spotify saw an average of 120k songs released daily. That’s 43 million tracks a year.

• It’s estimated there are over 75 million music creators today.

So…how do you cut through the noise? How do you get someone to press play on your track—and keep coming back for more?

Here’s my answer: slow and low.

Make the Music Matter

The music has to come first. Period. Never settle. Never cave. Never fucking mid. It’s easy to get distracted by trends and content churn, but if you don’t have something worth listening to, what’s the point?

Consume music. Regularly. Talk about it, read about it, listen to podcasts, watch documentaries, and explore beyond your comfort zone. And when it’s time to create? Shut all of that off and let loose.

When my band hit the studio back in the day, we didn’t have the luxury of endless tinkering. Recording was expensive, so we practiced our set until we could play it in our sleep. When it came time to record, we ripped. I knocked out most of my vocals in one take—not because I was some virtuoso, but because preparation left no other option.

But here’s the thing: recording is just the beginning.

Respect the Mix

Mixing is where the magic happens. This is the step where your songs find their sonic identity. It’s wild to me that people treat mixing like some kind of group project, hosting “mixing parties” where everyone—including the bassist’s boyfriend—chimes in on EQ levels. No. Let the mixer do their job.

Mixing isn’t sexy, but it’s the workhorse of your sound. And as for mastering? It’s crucial, too—but if you’re letting AI master your tracks, you’re settling.

Craft, Full Send

This is what it comes down to: put your blood into your music. Make it matter. There were a million songs released last week. Why should I care about yours? Because it’s you. It’s what you stand for. It’s the sweat and blood you’ve poured into the craft.

Which brings me to this spectrum:

IT (the music) --------------------------------------- YOU (the artist)

Some tracks blow us away purely on sound. Others hit because of what the artist stands for. The greats? They nail both.

Take Matthew Good, for instance. By his own admission, the man’s a certified asshole. It’s not a secret—he’s literally sold merch that says it. And yet, his music? It hits deep, stirring something primal and profound. Sometimes, it’s not about who he is; it’s about what the music does.

So here’s the takeaway: don’t chase algorithms or play games with the social media gods. Make the music first. Make it count. Then share it like it’s the lifeline someone out there needs.

What do you think? Join the conversation in the Discord.

If you want to join our community and learn from us in real-time, check out our V1LLAG3 Discord server. Ask questions about music, the industry, promotion, and anything else your heart desires. Just don’t ask us to write your essay (Lance might actually do it)

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Stay ahead of the game with must-know news and insights that could shape your next move in the music world.