The motivation to keep pushing through failures and keep fighting for success can make even a mediocre person extraordinary.

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Sadly, sometimes being noticed with such a large influx of new producers can be difficult and a lot of people make some very common mistakes that keep them from reaching their goal. In the following article we will go through 5 of the biggest mistakes new producers make when trying to reach stardom and how you can avoid them.

1. Lack of a unique style. So many producers now sound like cookie-cutter clones of already popular artists. I cannot express how important it is to stand out of the crowd. To have someone hear your music for the first time and say, “I’ve never heard anything like this before,” is huge.
2. Lack of social media. Surprisingly some producers don’t use social media or only use a limited number of social media outlets. Social media is one of the most important tools if you know how to use it correctly.
3. Charging people for your music. A lot of new producers seem to run into a problem with this one. Everyone wants to make a quick buck or two and as soon as they get the option to post their music exclusively on Beatport, iTunes, etc. they quickly take that option.

No drive. As cliche as it sounds, if you want something you have to go get it. Share and talk about your music with everyone you can. Network with as many people as possible. Post your music on forums, EDM blogs, and any website possible. Just keep that drive everyday, all day. The motivation to keep pushing through failures and keep fighting for success can make even a mediocre person extraordinary. The sad truth is a lot of producers just don’t want it bad enough.
Fight for it.

EDM soon became one of the most popular music genres all around the world and some of the forms of electronic music are Breakbeat, Dance-punk, Eurodance, Freestyle, House, Techno and Trance. Though the roots of electronic music are based in the disco music which was very popular in the 1970s it was only in 1990s, that this type music was widely accepted and it became one of the contemporary music styles in following years. Electronic music is generally created by means of electronic equipments and instruments like synthesizers, drum machines and sequencers and it mimics the unique sounds of the traditional acoustic instrumentation.

Apart from electro music genres like trance, techno, house and breakbeat which are primarily intended for dancing. Some genres of electronic music like IDM and trip hop are more associated with listening rather than body movements. Trance, which is also one of the forms of electronic genre of music, is a combination of techno, house and industrial music. The name is undoubtedly linked to perceive the ability of music to induce an altered state of consciousness.

With the growth of computers and music technologies, and reduction in the cost of music equipments, a number of upcoming artists and disk jockeys have emerged, showcasing their talent and taking electronic music to the next level. Also, with the advent of hard disk recording system, it is possible for any computer user to become a musician, hence we see a rising trend of bedroom bands where often only single player is the band himself.

Over the past year, Trap music has become the fastest growing genre of music. The overall music production of this genre consists of elements taken from predominantly Down South Hip Hop, House and Dubstep. This new style of music has been making quite a buzz in the music industry with new producers, dj’s and artists popping up daily.

This pairing of EDM (electronic dance music) and Hip Hop has turned out to be quite the perfect match. Two genres that had previously been on completely different sides of the spectrum are now working together to bring a new energy and sound to the club scene. We now have Hip Hop producers/artists working with EDM producers creating an exciting new genre of music.

With this sudden surge of this style of production, we have been blessed to hear great new music from artists such as RL Grime, Flosstradamus, and Baauer. As with any new trend, we also have to filter out all the generic “Trap Remixes” and tracks that seem to flood websites such as Soundcloud on a daily basis. I’ve seen well known producers as well as bedroom producers make miserable attempts in creating Trap Music.

The question that now looms for Trap Music is whether it will have any longevity. Is this just another trend that will fade away? Does this genre of music have what it takes to last for years to come?

I feel that Trap Music has the potential to last. I feel this way based off the fact that the genre has roots in Hip Hop. Because of this, there are familiar sounds used in its production that can be recognized by even the newest listeners. Nightclubs are a good way to gauge any given genre of music. Dj’s will play music that keeps the energy levels high in nightclubs. Trap Music might be relatively new in the clubs, but many of the sounds used in its production come from Hip Hop tracks that have been playing in clubs for years.

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Now it is no longer necessary for aspiring musicians to even be signed to a label, be it and indie or a major. With the birth of web 2.0 it is possible for artist to be visible within their market with the use of online tools to map out some form of PR strategy. We are no longer restricted to hearing new artists via radio play and the record store’s new artist sections. In today’s society everybody is online with their own individual online presence enabling them to interact with the masses through the use of social media, which includes social networks, websites and Apps. This now means that as an artist you have an audience of maximum reach as there are no limits to your distribution.

A couple of UK artist we can see that heavily use online PR within the urban scene includes the likes of, Wiley, Skepta, JME, Lethal Bizzle and the list continues. These artists use social media including Twitter, Facebook and official websites to interact with fans and keep them up to date on new releases, tours, competitions, merchandise availability and also to show the world that they are human through normal interaction and conversation with their fan base.

The rise of Lorde and electronic dance music, or EDM, across the world has brought a new level of attention to music festivals in the country of New Zealand. The country is currently producing a number of leading popular musicians and acts and is the birthplace of the latest worldwide pop sensation, Lorde(1). The music scene supported the rise of acts Gotye, The Naked and Famous and Mt. Eden.

Music Festivals NZ

Music festivals have experienced the subsequent rise in attendance and prominence as well(2). They’ve been able to attract larger acts to the country both as openers for their own success stories and artists who are looking to make a wave in a new market. This has been especially prevalent in the dance music world, with prominent EDM acts such as Chet Faker, Peking Duk, Poniiboi and Hardwell headlining events in the country.

Because of this, a survey was conducted bout the various music festivals that have or are occurring in New Zealand this year and it shows that more people than ever are getting off the fence when it comes to attending the music festivals NZ throws. Over 30% of people surveyed said that they actually attend festivals, while just over 20% say that they do not normally attend, but they do check the line-ups. Those people are sure to find their way into music festivals because of the ever-larger names that New Zealand continues to attract!

Most Popular Music Festivals

The Rhythm and Vines (2) festival continues to be the most popular of all of the music festivals NZ holds with 13% of people surveyed saying that they look forward to it every year. The BW Summer Festival comes in second on this festival survey. Over 32% of people have not chosen a favourite music festival.

Favourite Music Acts

With all of the big names that have been coming to festivals in New Zealand lately, it is also difficult for people to pick a favourite act from any of these festivals. The festival survey found that three of the top five acts at festivals in New Zealand were from the dance genre – Chet Faker(3), Peking Duk(4) and Flume(5) – indicating that EDM is perhaps the most popular genre of music when it comes to festivals. The survey also had Maxwell and Bastille as the other top two acts that people enjoy.

Many artists are defining music as the new dubstep; it certainly has become the new craze in the industry. Although the history of the genre dates back to a decade ago, it has only recently started to gain recognition and hype.

Many people consider the fact that since trap’s crossover to EDM it has started to grow in demand with sold out glow-sticked arenas due to EDM Trap’s popularity. The major reason why this genre has been ambushed by the world is the transformation trap music has gone through, with not as much rapping and more feet moving beats involved in the songs.

To get a better understanding of music, it could be broken down and described as a combination of dubstep, hip hop, and dance music.

So basically what kind of music is trap music? Traditionally it’s a term generally used to describe hip hop music from the Southern regions of America. Music has pretty much become identifiable with Hip-hop and takes influence from the rap sound in the South.

Numerous artists like Flosstradamus, RL Grime, Baauer and Gladiator have had astounding demand since implementing trap into their own music.

Trap has become a raging craze with the masses of people at clubs, parties and underground gigs. It is no surprise that it is such a big hit with the people considering the music is so likeable and trap stylings can be injected into any form or style of music. No wonder it has caught everybody in its trap much faster than dubstep or electro and it’s fairly simple to see why.

The first DJ we caught was Nicky Romero. A great energy to open our Ultra weekend! Then came Avicii with a strange set. Super strong start, everyone was rocking out SO hard. Great energy, great lightshow and then… live folk-inspired music. It was good, whatever it was. And it certainly proved Avicii could live mix quite well, only I felt it went on too long. The crowd become more and more confused about what was happening. People started to leave, wondering where their dance-beats went. Our crew stayed, enjoying the show. By the 5th folky song I turned to my boyfriend and said “Alright, that’s enough. It’s good and everything but I want to dance to some EDM. That’s what we paid all that money for.” I respect his new music and the courage to premiere it there. I just think it went on for too long and had too much “folk with a little EDM” rather than “EDM with a little folk.” I wasn’t the only one. Some tweet I read were far less forgiving! Avicii eventually had to defend himself via Facebook, although many were not convinced. I’m curious to hear the new stuff in a different environment though. I think I might like it.

Someone that demands a mention is none other that Mr. Tijs Verwest, also known as Tiesto, who finished off Friday night at Ultra. He really knows how to play a crowd. It’s a journey, really. He pulls you up and takes you places you totally don’t expect and then suddenly he’s dropped it in some dub-house breakdown that I’ve never heard before but LOVED! It had to be good, especially since he got on the mic and said “expect the unexpected ultra!” and boy he did he deliver! Tiesto closed it down so strong on Friday I felt like he was closing down the festival. He never half-asses a set and I’ve seen him four times! Great set.

The return of Deadmau5 on Saturday was insane. I had never seen him before even though I’ve been listening to him for years. It was surreal hearing my favourite songs come to life and watching everyone dance to them. The light show was also incredible! Some were bored with what they called the “same old Deadmau5” but for me, it was flawless! Other Saturday highlight were Calvin Harris, who was so much fun to listen to and groove with friends and strangers alike. Although in EDM, no one is a stranger. Fatboy Slim is always a highlight for me. I love his wackiness, repeated vocals, fun and unapologetic style and the visuals are always unique. I also caught a little dubstep with Doctor P, Flux Pavillion, Zed’s Dead and my favourite dub-master Bassnectar.

Then came my 12-hour day with ASOT600MIA! Unreal. Started the day with Tritonal and W&W, then left ASOT to check out NERVO, Zedd, and Porter Robinson. While I enjoy all those artists, I would have been delighted to stay at ASOT600 all day. I was brought nearly to tears almost immediately. There’s just something about Trance that moves you.

About halfway through Porter Robinson we left so we could get in the VIP line early to see Above & Beyond and Armin van Buuren. See, the VIP tickets were awesome but at certain times the capacity for the VIP section would fill up and you had to wait ages to get it. We were in line for over an hour and Above & Beyond had already played half their set by the time we got in. We weren’t concerned though, no one disappointed!!! This was my first time seeing Above & Beyond and it was amazing. So much connection with the crowd, so much love!! They had words coming up on their video screen throughout the set that were so beautiful and inspiring it brought tears to my eyes throughout the set. I truly felt connected to every person at that stage. Armin is my #1 DJ so I was euphoric about seeing him for the fourth time! He played his new single “This is What it Feels Like” feat. Trevor Guthrie and it was soooo beautiful! I’ve been listening to it on YouTube on repeat. Judge me.

After Armin we headed for the Main Stage to see the much-anticipated final performance by Swedish House Mafia. It was fun and emotion-filled, but I was quite tired so I didn’t fight the crowd to get close or anything. I just danced closer to the back with my friends and boyfriend and then bolted for the exit by the last note!!

Luckily we were staying at the Inter Continental right across the street so we didn’t have to bother with taxis or trains. Something we will do every year if we can!! The view of the festival from our room was priceless.

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But first, a little background: I am a music festival addict to the bone. I cannot get enough. I attended Vans Warped Tour as a young punk rocker in high school and in college, along with other day-long music festivals, mostly in the punk and alternative genre. The punk scene was so attractive to me as a pre-teen and beyond because it had this amazing sense of unity and empowerment. I felt like I totally belonged. I wasn’t weird for making my own clothes or fighting for my rights and the rights of others. I truly felt like I could make a positive difference in the world. And I wasn’t alone. Punk wasn’t about lying down and taking it just because bad things are “going to happen anyway.” For me, and others, it was about standing up, fighting back, and bringing people together, no matter how different.

Punk rock eventually led me to having a more of an indie-punk fashion sense and to listening to post-hardcore. These post-hardcore bands started to use synths more and more as years went on. Although synths had been used in hardcore and similar genre since the early 90’s, the first albums I came across with a heavy synth presence were between 2006 and 2008. It sounded more like electro-hardcore to me. And I loved it, a lot! So more and more I developed a love for bands with electronic elements. Electro-pop, electro-core, and so on.

Then Bonnaroo happened. I had heard rumours of the modern-Woodstock and I knew I had to check it out. A couple of my close guy friends were going and I quickly claimed a spot in their car for the 17+ hour drive to Manchester, TN in the summer of 2011.

Because of cheap computers and music software programs such as Ableton Live, Pro Logic, FL9 or Reason, this enables would-be producers to create their own music in there bedrooms, eliminating the need for expensive recording studios and large equipment. Gone are the days of spending your hard earned cash booking a £150 per hour recording studio only to be watching the clock eve 5 minutes because you’re worried about finishing your track in time without spending even more money for extra time.

Many of today’s modern artists such as electronic and hip hop musicians and remixers need to use digital media sources and computer equipment to help them create their magic. Thankfully, the advent of the Internet means that established and up-and-coming musicians, producers and filmmakers can easily download a wide array of royalty free WAV samples , MIDI Loops and drum loops that can inspire them to create new and exciting electronic music productions.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7380840

Notation Programs VS DAWs

Notation programs are software used to create sheet music. You would need to know how to read and write music to use it. DAWs or Digital Audio Workstations are stronger for producing professional sounding audio. The amount of sounds libraries, virtual instruments and effects are endless. DAWs have more powerful ways to manipulate notes and sounds than Notation programs.

How do I decide which type of program to choose?

Generally, if you want to create great sounding audio, use a DAW. Alternatively, if you want to compose for live instruments, an orchestra, choir and won’t need to record your tracks in a studio, plus you’re game in music notation, choose a notation program.

Best Notation Programs for Music Composition

Finale

Finale is the cream of the crop in music notation programs and is used professionally by sheet music creators. The printed music at your local music store would most likely be made using Finale. The learning curve is a little high though, with tons of features. It may be too complicated for beginners but you can try Finale Notepad first which is a free, easier version to use.

Sibelius

The main competitor to Finale, Sibelius is great for all types of composers. Finale targets the traditionalists, and Sibelius the more general audience. Maybe too bold of a statement, but Sibelius tends to be popular with media composers such as film and video game music composers. The interface is very easy to learn and use, and is more beginner-friendly.

MuseScore

MuseScore is the best free notation program out there. It has a lot of features and is considered equal to the full blown programs such as Finale and Sibelius. A little hard to learn for the beginner, but will greatly pay off considering this is a free program with full capabilities.