How NOT to Get Your Music Posted: The F**k Sharebeast Edition Posted by Nathan S. on 08/22/12 | Filed under Opinion, How Not To

A Note from Nathan S: Rappers are constantly asking me how to better their chances of getting posted. There's really no magic formula to getting posted on any site, but there might be some simple things you're doing that are ensuring your music isn't getting posted. So I decided to invite the homie Max Pete, who helps us sort out what music to post over on the mothership, to drop some knowledge and answer your questions.

This week, he addresses the best ways to stream, and the worst ways to stream, your music. And because this column really is about helping, not mocking, I blacked out all the identifying details on the email, but I wanted to make it clear that this is a real example. This must be what it feels like to work for the CIA.

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For those that don’t know, along with a couple other music staffers, I regularly check the DJBooth submissions inbox. So I decided to write an advice column to inform artists on the correct ways of submitting their music. Recently, I got an email from an artist who submitted his music in the format we ask for, including artwork for their song and a short bio letting us know about the record. The part which ultimately a deal breaker was when I saw that he decided to host his song on ShareBeast.



Seriously, why do people use music sharing sites like these? I can’t go on that site without getting attacked by pop up ads and seeing five different places where there are download buttons, but only one of them work. Don't do what this guy did, and host your music on sites like ShareBeast, HulkShare, Limelinx etc, because most of the time I won't even bother clicking on those links.

There's just no way I'm risking my computer getting a virus or dealing with some fake Viagra pop-up ads just to hear your song. There are countless times where I get music submissions from artists whose emails are perfect otherwise, but then they decide to stream their music on sites not only myself but a lot of bloggers won't even check. The music always matters the most, so ensuring that it's streamed in the most professional way possible is essential.

With that said, I am going to give you some great advice that will always make sure your submissions get heard.....

At this point there are a number of easy, free ways to stream your music in a way that won't piss off everyone who wants to listen to it. Bandcamp is always good, and of course SoundCloud is becoming increasingly popular for exactly the reasons I laid out. Both are good choices, but I've also got to throw in a shameless but useful plug for AudioMack. There are never any pop-up ads, the design is clean, plus you can integrate your Facebook and Twitter feeds right into your page and have everything in one place.

Regardless of what you choose, it just makes you as an artist look more professional when you use a music sharing site that actually works. If the artist in the email above used Audio Mack, I would have definitely checked out his music without any worries of having to deal with a shitty music sharing site.

Feel free to hit me on Twitter (@Max_Pete) or email [email protected] with any of your questions. Don’t spam me your links though, it’s a waste of time.

See Also: How NOT to Get Your Music Posted Online

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