Over recent years I’ve noticed some musicians and bands have assumed the way to get noticed is to release as many songs in any given period, sometimes weekly, or to play as many gigs as possible, good or bad, thinking this output will impress industry professionals and get them noticed, leading to more income––in dollars, gigs and crowds. The overabundance of unnoticed music, bands and artists flooding the market, making it more difficult for quality work to be noticed and heard, is proof that focus on quantity over quality needs to be reassessed.
Ask yourself:
“Would you prefer to have one quality ‘hit’ or hundreds of unknown songs?”
By focusing on producing quality over quantity, skinsNbones have had two Global Top 10 charting singles, “Forever On” and “There’s Reason,” both released many months apart yet charting together internationally for months. Our first single, “Is There Meaning?,” released early 2020, was selected to be on Bongo Boys Records Various Artists Album Howl-O-Grim Vol. 2, with “Forever On” being selected for both Bongo Boy Records Various Artists Album Krypt II Knight and their The 63rd FYC Album for independent artists music accepted by The Recording Academy that made it through the first voting ballot in consideration for The 63rd Grammy Awards. Our latest single “There’s Reason” is also on their upcoming Various Artists Album Krypt II Knight––Vol. II and charted three days prior to release, picking up hundreds of Billboard reporting stations.
The quantity of airplay, charting positions, and achievements of our few songs––though starting in 2020, so not being able to perform live––is a direct result of the quality of our three singles produced and the quality of those who make up team skinsNbones. Having a world-class audio producer-engineer, recording studio, radio and publicity promotor, etc. ensures that quality work is delivered by skinsNbones at all stages whilst highlighting the great value of a professional team.
Experience has shown that quality advice from one Industry Expert in their dedicated field is worth more than the multitude of opinions from well-meaning industry peers yet to fulfill their dreams; that the amount of notes or beats played doesn’t equate to better quality work, rhythm or melody; that lyrical quality is worth more than any amount of time or energy spent on them; and that one quality gig in a quality venue is worth more than many gigs in just any establishment, just as a small engaged audience at an intimate venue is worth more than a large crowd of uninterested patrons at the many venues here required to provide music to retain liquor licenses.
Over the years I’ve seen focusing on quantity over quality in our local area resulting in the undercutting of professional acts and artists by those who simply want more gigs, or that can afford to play for the love of it, so that payment is less than 20 years ago. Australia is known for the strength and quality of their live acts. This comes from treading the boards. The focus on quantity over quality hasn’t been helpful to our live local music industry, or to those seeking to become a professional artist here, or the ability for professional artists to make a living from music in Australia as they achieved in the past.
Being honest about the quality and value of your work goes a long way. From all experienced, the realistic big dreamer in me imagined larger quality pictures, wondering: “Would you prefer playing one gig to thousands of people or ten gigs to hundreds of people?” The simple mathematician in me just thought: “Would you prefer $1000s at once or 10 batches of $100s spread out?” And my expert advisor? “Keeping it real is extremely valuable for anyone that has a lot of creativity.”
Factoring in all the time, effort and expense of preparing for and traveling to play one good-paying quality gig versus multiple gigs, possibly lower in payment, the greatest profit and benefit clearly comes from quality, not quantity. So, skinsNbones first performances will be in the U.S. We focus on quality over quantity and the U.S. has shown they value our work as much as we value being able to work there. So, being honest about the quality and value of your work can also take you “a long way”––even “to the top” 10 internationally, charting alongside the Aussie legends who gave that Expert Advice in song long ago.
This little attempt at humor and play on words, at which I’m clearly no expert, shows not everything has to be taken so seriously, that there’s value by being able to still play and have fun. As at each stage there’s a lot that can distract artists from what’s important––focusing on your work and its quality, which involves playing. Enjoying what you are doing and who with, feeling where you fit in, knowing your place, where others are coming from, who they are and respecting that, staying real and grounded, especially when working as a band, are qualities that are invaluable––they’re not quantifiable. Everything has a quality but not everything is quantifiable, making quality that much more valuable again.
No matter how far you want to go, staying honest and focused on the quality of your work, getting quality airplay and charting positions, gigs, and top quality promotion, etc. naturally increases the quantity of audience, providing the greatest chances for your work to be heard and seen by larger and larger audiences. The opening of larger venues equal to your work’s quality again allows your work to be heard and seen by more listeners and viewers who want to engage with you, your performance and your work. Quality work brings quality crowds and more gigs of the same and/or higher standard. In this way, quantity of work is an outcome from the quality of your work produced.
Ultimately, focusing on quality brings quantity, especially as the amount of work you produce naturally grows with each quality release and performance. At all stages quality of work, and the quality of where and how your work is heard and marketed, is more valuable than quantity.
Quantity is the natural by-product of quality. So, focus on quality not quantity and you’ll get both, while knowing you’re playing a vital role in adding value to the music industry by providing the highest quality music and work that’s expected by fans and industry professionals alike.
RED is a musician and Co-Founder of skinsNbones
WEBSITE: skinsnbones.com
SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: skinsNbones @_skinsNbones
VIDEOS:
THERE'S REASON
- There's Reason (3 Min Acoustic Version)
FOREVER ON
- Forever On (3 min Acoustic Version)
IS THERE MEANING?
THE TRILOGY
- Part I: Is There Meaning? Part II: There’s Reason; Part III: Forever On.
