Guide to becoming a music influencer
As streaming platforms are more inundated with new music than ever, busy listeners need engaged tastemakers to help sort it all out. Here, we look at how you could become that person.
Guest post by James Shotwell of Haulix Daily
With Spotify adding over 60,000 songs every day, the world needs music influencers to make sense of it all. Maybe that’s you, and if so, we can help!
Is music your world? Do you feel like you could spend forever talking about your favorite artists and albums? Are you open to hearing musicians from all walks of life? If you answered yes to all three, then maybe you should consider becoming a music influencer.
Music influencers is a blanket term covering many areas of music conversation. Whether you want to write about music news, review the latest releases, create video content, host a podcast, or try your hand at a little bit of everything, the goal is the same: You want to influence people to choose one artist over another.
Building a career as a music influencer is hard work. It’s a labor-intensive process that can take years to lead anywhere financially beneficial, but it’s the only way to live for many. It’s a calling heard by those who spend more time with music than friends, and it demands devotion. Those who excel do see thanks to a mix of obsession, ego, and drive that compels them to consume, digest, and discuss as much music as humanly possible.
Music Biz host James Shotwell began his career in music journalism. For the first time, he uses this video to lay out the four essential building blocks of music reporting, influencing, and criticism. It’s easy to start, and we encourage everyone who enjoys discussing music to give it a try. You never know where your life might lead.
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James Shotwell is the Director of Customer Engagement at Haulix and host of the company’s podcast, Inside Music. He is also a public speaker known for promoting careers in the entertainment industry, as well as an entertainment journalist with over a decade of experience. His bylines include Rolling Stone, Alternative Press, Substream Magazine, Nu Sound, and Under The Gun Review, among other popular outlets.
