"How to Become a SoundCloud Superstar, One Fake Fan at a Time"

[Manu]

Nothing new here, just a different level. You get big corps such as EA who were caught with their pants down, threatening game reviewing press with revoking access to early copies or special press events if they don't like the scores they're getting. That's a lot worse than trying to fish for comments on the internet.

I also remember recently not being able to walk into a shop without being assaulted with that "starships" garbage from Plastic Minaj, it was bombarded over the airwaves 40 times a day. Soundcloud plays/comments pushing third party websites are just another angle to that trend, scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.

I tried these a couple of times, one thing that irritated me more than anything else is having to comment on randoms "My first trap" or "banging dubstep" stuff that was obviously made in half an hour using either Justice or squealex synth packs and deadmaus drum packs, poorly composed, poorly produced, and obviously not much of a clue about sound production altogether. Sometimes it's out of key/sync/distorted etc, most hip hop I've heard there were made by someone with a 5$ mic and a laptop.

In pure music production terms, it's called polishing a turd. It only goes so far, because you can only go as far as where your real fanbase is. On the other hand there is nothing wrong with exposure, though I'm not sure if scoring condescending comments is a good thing. I'd rather have genuine feedback, and if something sounds wrong or out of place please let me know. I certainly do not want to dwell into, but also fool myself into making a turd while everyone else is faking my greatness. One example of that was a kid commenting over a 30 second teaser bit that I posted online: "Great, shame it isn't a longer finished track". Now how generic does that sound?

[AdrianR]

Numbers aren't the issue. It's people manipulating the system because they want to see a counter increase that's the issue.

I don't think it benefits people. I think it hinders them, because I think you can only very rarely use discretion to separate real comments from fake ones and still have the real comments be useful to you. Having fewer comments that are all real is far more useful.

I agree to a degree. Yes, I would like less comments that are more genuine as opposed to more. However, look at the world we work in. You have to be realistic no matter how painful it is to bare the truth.

A promoter wants the guy with 10,000 Facebook friends than the one with 200. Labels want the guys with 10,000 Sound Cloud followers, comments etc than the ones with 200. It's not a pleasant situation, it's not the ethically right situation, but, it is the situation as it is. Now, it will definately make it easier for shit artists to get a head and harder for those who aren't. It's disposable. Even the BEST music I hear on Sound Cloud is disposable. No one wants to use a catchy vocal anymore. No one wants to create a catchy melody or riff anymore. It's all just a beat followed by a heavily manipulated bass sample or loop, and, thats it.

My position is this. .... I had many, MANY great years as a Dj. I love it. I still do. Luckily for me, things got easier as far as logistics, but, harder as far as politics, marketting etc.
At a young age, I KNEW, from the outset that, I can't be a Dj forever. I also knew I loved this music and would always want to play a part in it. So, 10 years on since I started, the dynamics changed. My fans I had, (The ones who would greet me in the streets), they grew up! They had kids etc. Yeah, they all got Facebook and that's great, but, I can't rely on them to support me as a fan base anymore. I must turn to STRANGERS, just as I did them. Before we were fans/ friends etc, we were strangers. You have to move with the tides.

Now, back then, I had access to a lot more people. I still had school friends etc. I can't exactly rock up to a high school and say "Will you be my friend and come to my gig." My actual friends aren't going to come out anymore. And, with everything the way it is I've had to move forward much earlier than I wanted. As I said, I KNEW I couldn't Dj forever, I just didn't think the situation would turn so bad it would mean having to scrap the notion this early. But even though I knew that I knew there was other options. Production, Labels etc. So I'm focussing on that. But, again, I don't have access to the same people as I used to. So, it's a means to an end. If things were the way they were, A- I'd still be Djing. I'd be getting gigs, hosting gigs, there'd be a hell of alot more venues to do it in, I'd be signed to a label, but, it's not. So I have to do what I can to stay in the game. This is the most ethical way I can find with out bowing out completely.

Sometimes, you can't just wait for the networking to come to you

[Sigma]

Only 2 large paragraphs about yourself in that post. You're slipping.

[AdrianR]

lol shut up. I can't help it if Im more important than any of you ... Maybe my experiences may help you?

[Sigma]

2 out of 3 sentences about you. Even in short posts, you get the ratio about the same.

[AdrianR]

You focus too much on the me aspect. You have to focus on what happens to me .. Don't worry dude, when the biography comes out you'll understand

[CountElectrfique]

I am member of this forum for quite short time, but I already feel pretty annoyed by AdrianR and his posts. I thought I am the only one

[AdrianR]

join the cue.

[Sigma]

I am member of this forum for quite short time, but I already feel pretty annoyed by AdrianR and his posts. I thought I am the only one

That made me laugh so hard man. The brutal honesty of the first sentence combined with thinking that you could be the only one annoyed by his posts is just pure gold. I wish I could give you all of my rep stars for that, but I've boosted your rep to 2 stars at least, lol.

I think that's my favourite post of all time on here, except maybe that one from the guy who was asking where he could download "instringmentals".

[thehadgi]

Oh man lol that was good, gonna have to give rep haha


Also, I don't even like the idea of 'helpful feedback' in general on my tracks. Maybe when I started out it was good, but I feel sufficiently good with 95% of my productions, so when I get comments about 'tweak your snare' or 'needs a bigger drop', all I'm thinking is, 'No, it doesn't, I wrote it that way in purpose'. I guess what I'm really saying is I could give a crap about what rando's say about my track lol (enter adzm on if I use that colloquialism correctly)