Letting Go of Yet Embracing "Genre"
So you go to distribute your music or post to a new platform and there it is: the genre drop down pick list. (Insert dramatic organ music here.) You have to choose a genre or two or three (maybe even a sub-genre). Ack! "But I don't fit any of these!!!" you might be thinking. Or perhaps you are offended that you should even have to choose. Why should you give anyone any expectation as to what they are getting into? Why should you pigeonhole yourself for the sake of search functions? You're original right? You're you!
Here's the thing: if you think you want to distribute your music across streaming platforms, catch the eye (and ear) of bigger bloggers and reviewers, or are hoping for radio play in the future, you need to categorize your sound. Getting people to listen often means giving them a reason to click that play button. Would you buy a box of snacks with an odd name, no ingredients, and no indication of type of snack? Are they corn chips or peanut butter cookies? Adding a tag doesn’t mean your music isn’t interesting or original or fits all the standard definitions of a single genre, but the casual listener won’t (usually) know an obscure artist from just the artist name alone. Many artist and band names are vague and give little-to-no clue as to the music style. If distribution, radio play, etc don’t matter to you, that’s fine. You are free to shun labels and tags, but don’t lament your slow climb or minimal plays due to your lack of discoverability.
Okay, so you’re going to bite your lip and choose a genre (or two) to describe your sound. This might seem ominous because it is possible to mislabel yourself. You probably would not mistakenly call your music heavy metal when it’s clearly bluegrass of course, but what about trying to label a really mellowed out pseudo jazz soundscape? Is it ambient? Jazz? Experimental? Tough call. Then there are the gray areas: Where do you draw your line between rock and pop? Even pop vs country is getting difficult for some artists. Choosing a couple or a few genres is not uncommon in these cases and several platforms have multiple sub genres that may be suitable to your style. But if you are limited to the broader categories or your particular genre blend isn’t on the list, you may need to ask other musicians and your fans how they would categorize your style. Reach out to your music community. Also, read through all of the genre options. Don’t just choose the first one on the list that sort of matches maybe. This does require time and thought. Don’t go it alone if you are unsure.
In an ideal world you could define your own genre or not have to even worry about labels, and for some platforms you can type in your own genre. Problem solved right? Not necessarily. This can be tricky too because you still want to be searchable. You might label your sound as something that isn’t descriptive enough (“experimental” can mean a lot of things for example) or gives people the wrong impression (you might be very pop but if you have a clear twang or country vibe, you would do better to include the word “country” with maybe an extra descriptor). It’s best to type in an existing genre (or mix two well known ones) or add an adjective to a popular genre. You might feel you are somewhere between electronic and pop so just combine them. If you are considering a specific phrase or genre tag, search it and see what / who comes up. Go to the sites with several genre choices and see if any particular wordings feel right for your music. Check out how Spotify is labeling their playlists.
There is another side to this, and that is letting go of the purist ideas of your genre. If you are angry that someone is calling their music blues because you feel they are dirtying up your genre, take a step back for a moment. That artist had to choose a genre (or two or three) and that was likely the closest. They may have started as pure blues and then began experimenting with the basic structure, creating a new form of blues that doesn’t have a fully defined genre yet. You can tout yourself as traditional blues, but remember that there is room for growth and there are often blurred lines and gray areas from one genre (or sub-genre) to another. And remember too that you can’t always label a whole album or artist by listening to one song. My one song that borders on Billy Joel style piano rock does not make me a rock artist nor does it throw me out of the other genres with which I’m most associated.
If you truly feel an artist is mislabeled on a platform, it is best to listen to more than one song and ask yourself where you would place them given the genre choices available on that platform before being bold enough to announce to the world that a particular artist is masquerading as genre X. It’s not worth getting bent out of shape by a newcomer in your genre that takes a different approach especially if their music is getting noticed. Rather than being “offended” that something non traditional is growing in popularity, learn from it or ignore it. If it’s a fad, it will fade. If it’s the direction your genre is heading or giving birth to a new genre, maybe make your own new roads in the direction you envision. Focus on your music rather than dwelling on theirs.
I’m sure I’ve rambled enough, so going to try to wrap this up. I’ve witnessed several sides and takes on genres, from those offended they should categorize their music to the artists bellyaching about recent changes and evolution of their chosen genre. I want to make it clear that I’m not trying to call anyone out. I personally detest that drop down menu with limited genre choices presented on some platforms, but I’ve come to understand that it is a necessary evil. I also think some platforms would better serve their artists by expanding their lists or adding sub-genres. I get the anxiety that comes with potentially mislabeling your music. Remember that the end goal is to attract listeners that will become fans. And to those trying to preserve the sanctity of their precious genres, go research the history of your genre. It did not likely magically come into being as it exists today. It evolved. It will continue to evolve. Rather than shaking your fist for the kids to get off your lawn, consider that your style (perhaps even within your lifetime) was once that unwelcome kid on someone else’s lawn.
Here's the thing: if you think you want to distribute your music across streaming platforms, catch the eye (and ear) of bigger bloggers and reviewers, or are hoping for radio play in the future, you need to categorize your sound. Getting people to listen often means giving them a reason to click that play button. Would you buy a box of snacks with an odd name, no ingredients, and no indication of type of snack? Are they corn chips or peanut butter cookies? Adding a tag doesn’t mean your music isn’t interesting or original or fits all the standard definitions of a single genre, but the casual listener won’t (usually) know an obscure artist from just the artist name alone. Many artist and band names are vague and give little-to-no clue as to the music style. If distribution, radio play, etc don’t matter to you, that’s fine. You are free to shun labels and tags, but don’t lament your slow climb or minimal plays due to your lack of discoverability.
Okay, so you’re going to bite your lip and choose a genre (or two) to describe your sound. This might seem ominous because it is possible to mislabel yourself. You probably would not mistakenly call your music heavy metal when it’s clearly bluegrass of course, but what about trying to label a really mellowed out pseudo jazz soundscape? Is it ambient? Jazz? Experimental? Tough call. Then there are the gray areas: Where do you draw your line between rock and pop? Even pop vs country is getting difficult for some artists. Choosing a couple or a few genres is not uncommon in these cases and several platforms have multiple sub genres that may be suitable to your style. But if you are limited to the broader categories or your particular genre blend isn’t on the list, you may need to ask other musicians and your fans how they would categorize your style. Reach out to your music community. Also, read through all of the genre options. Don’t just choose the first one on the list that sort of matches maybe. This does require time and thought. Don’t go it alone if you are unsure.
In an ideal world you could define your own genre or not have to even worry about labels, and for some platforms you can type in your own genre. Problem solved right? Not necessarily. This can be tricky too because you still want to be searchable. You might label your sound as something that isn’t descriptive enough (“experimental” can mean a lot of things for example) or gives people the wrong impression (you might be very pop but if you have a clear twang or country vibe, you would do better to include the word “country” with maybe an extra descriptor). It’s best to type in an existing genre (or mix two well known ones) or add an adjective to a popular genre. You might feel you are somewhere between electronic and pop so just combine them. If you are considering a specific phrase or genre tag, search it and see what / who comes up. Go to the sites with several genre choices and see if any particular wordings feel right for your music. Check out how Spotify is labeling their playlists.
There is another side to this, and that is letting go of the purist ideas of your genre. If you are angry that someone is calling their music blues because you feel they are dirtying up your genre, take a step back for a moment. That artist had to choose a genre (or two or three) and that was likely the closest. They may have started as pure blues and then began experimenting with the basic structure, creating a new form of blues that doesn’t have a fully defined genre yet. You can tout yourself as traditional blues, but remember that there is room for growth and there are often blurred lines and gray areas from one genre (or sub-genre) to another. And remember too that you can’t always label a whole album or artist by listening to one song. My one song that borders on Billy Joel style piano rock does not make me a rock artist nor does it throw me out of the other genres with which I’m most associated.
If you truly feel an artist is mislabeled on a platform, it is best to listen to more than one song and ask yourself where you would place them given the genre choices available on that platform before being bold enough to announce to the world that a particular artist is masquerading as genre X. It’s not worth getting bent out of shape by a newcomer in your genre that takes a different approach especially if their music is getting noticed. Rather than being “offended” that something non traditional is growing in popularity, learn from it or ignore it. If it’s a fad, it will fade. If it’s the direction your genre is heading or giving birth to a new genre, maybe make your own new roads in the direction you envision. Focus on your music rather than dwelling on theirs.
I’m sure I’ve rambled enough, so going to try to wrap this up. I’ve witnessed several sides and takes on genres, from those offended they should categorize their music to the artists bellyaching about recent changes and evolution of their chosen genre. I want to make it clear that I’m not trying to call anyone out. I personally detest that drop down menu with limited genre choices presented on some platforms, but I’ve come to understand that it is a necessary evil. I also think some platforms would better serve their artists by expanding their lists or adding sub-genres. I get the anxiety that comes with potentially mislabeling your music. Remember that the end goal is to attract listeners that will become fans. And to those trying to preserve the sanctity of their precious genres, go research the history of your genre. It did not likely magically come into being as it exists today. It evolved. It will continue to evolve. Rather than shaking your fist for the kids to get off your lawn, consider that your style (perhaps even within your lifetime) was once that unwelcome kid on someone else’s lawn.
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