A common question that I receive from artists is "Can you give me feedback on my music?" While there's nothing wrong with trying to get feedback on your music – there are a few problems with this question. So, in this post, I’m going to share 3 mistakes that artists make when asking for feedback on their music.
1. Your Request Is Too Broad
Almost every artist I know has made this mistake at least once. When asking for feedback, you need to be specific. Should I give you feedback on your flow? Your rhymes? The beat? Or something else? Without direction on what to give you feedback on – giving feedback is difficult.
So, make sure that when you're asking for feedback on your music, you ask them a specific question to answer instead of just saying "can you give me feedback on my track?"
2. You're Asking The Wrong People For Feedback
Another mistake that music artists make when asking for feedback is that they ask the wrong people for feedback. It's completely understandable if you want feedback from people you think are successful and can help you become successful, but the main people you should be trying to get feedback from is your potential fans.
You should be focused on getting feedback from your potential fans because, at the end of the day, they will be buying and consistently listening to your music. They are also more likely to give you accurate feedback instead of saying “that's cool” or “sounds dope”.
Side note: If you’re not familiar with finding your potential fans, read this article on finding your target audience.
3. You Don’t Utilize The Advice And Follow-Up
Not only is this mistake completely unnecessary, it's also bad for building relationships and networking in music as well.
When someone takes the time out of their day to give you feedback, you should follow up with them. Tell them about your results after following their advice and if you didn’t follow their advice, let them know why.
Now, I'm not saying you have to report your every move just because they gave you feedback. However, by following up and letting them know that you were actually listening and taking action – you’ll build a relationship that can translate into more / better feedback down the road.
Side Note: You don’t always have to contact the person who gave you feedback and directly tell them that you listened to their advice. Some of the best ways to follow-up is to send them your updated music and let them see first-hand that you followed their advice.
What’s Now?
Go out there and start getting feedback on your music from people that matter. It may be cool to get feedback from celebrities or popular people – but in a lot of cases, it’s the less popular, potential fan’s feedback that’s going to really help you hone your sound.
