Phase-2: Social Media & Self-Promotion for Electronic Music Artists

Getting Your Music Heard by the Right Audience

ArtistMap is an online roadmap program and an artist support community created by 6AM Group to help guide electronic music artists towards a successful and sustainable career.

Our Mission:

- To help artists develop mental strength and discipline for their journey ahead
- To help artists develop actionable insights and strategies that can be implemented today
- To help artists stay focused on their path to turning pro from Phase-1 through Phase-4 aka the artist lifecycle

In Phase-2, you will gain insights into strategies and tactics for social media and self-promotion in your artist journey. These strategies have helped 6AM grow as a brand and have unlocked opportunities for my artist career. You'll also learn the various approaches to take for different music labels as well as how PR and online music outlets operate to help you keep leveling up.

After an artist has gone through Phase-1, the following phase is all about understanding how to get your music heard beyond your own circle and how to ensure the right people are listening to it. This phase will only be available to artists who have completed Phase-1 as this course is a continuation of those fundamentals. Without first going through Phase-1 course work, you will not understand many of the terms and concepts discussed in Phase-2.

WARNING: This journey is not easy; as a matter of fact it's very very difficult and rough. This is the reality of coming into the house & techno industry so please be mentally prepared for this road you are about to embark, or is currently already on that path. ArtistMap aims to only deliver the truth, and we all know the truth hurts but by knowing the truth you'll be better positioned to reach some of your goals as an artist. If you are willing to put in the work, the sacrifice, and the time with the right attitude, you will reach the goals you set for yourself, this is something we have been analyzing since 2006. We have seen many of our peers do it and the author himself has done it as well, so these are practical strategies and insights from firsthand experiences and stories from our own journey as well as our peers and friends who are also embarking on this path. Please treat this community with respect and treat your artist journey with respect too! We hope to see you in there!


Your Instructor


JIA
JIA

Jia is the creator of ArtistMap and the founder of 6AM, a global house & techno community that promotes and fosters the culture of work & play. Since entering the scene in 2006, he has developed working experiences in all aspects within the field starting off as a fan of the music, to getting his hands dirty as a serial promoter, DJ, event producer, festival organizer, talent buyer, booking agent, artist manager, tour manager, and industry consultant giving him a unique 360-degree view into the electronic music industry from all angles. It is through the years of dynamic interaction with various facets of the industry did he develop a true understanding of what it takes to propel an amateur artist into becoming a successful electronic music artist in today's environment.

Personal Message:
"The journey since 2006 has been quite the experience both personally and professionally. I fundamentally believe that creative artists of all levels and experience should build the right mindset and discipline as it has become very clear that this is the most important foundation anyone in the industry should develop early-on when committing to this journey. Most of the battles artists face are lost within their own self-doubt, anxiety, paranoia, ego, and misguidance from their internal (mind) and external (society) forces.

My passion to educate, inform, and guide the future artists of this industry is really what drove me to create ArtistMap, along with all the years of my interaction and engagement with professional artists and peers that provided me the inspiration to get this out despite my very own resistance (both internal and external). I've always believed deep-down that my biggest contribution towards our scene is how I am able to utilize my platform to bring the global electronic music community together and along with that, how many artists and industry peers I can help along the way who decided to take this difficult path and alternative choice in life.

Simply put, this journey is really heavy! No more do I want to see aspiring creatives falter to their own internal resistance nor be affected by external resistance that often hinders their growth. I may not have all the answers, but I'm part of a greater community within this global scene who do have the answers, and I humbly welcome anyone who is dedicating their life to "this" to join me and help as many in our community by providing additional guidance and insight, so together we can help re-shape and re-define what it means to be a true professional in our industry today. Let's get ON THE GRIND!



Frequently Asked Questions


What is ArtistMap Phase-2 about?
ArtistMap Phase-2 shares social media insights and self-promotion strategies and tactics aimed to help electronic music artists navigate the online and branding worlds. After an artist has learned how to play and produce music, the next step is to get their talents heard by people (the fans and community) beyond their immediate circle. Almost all production courses only teach an artist how to "produce music," but not what to do with that finished product. Some topics ArtistMap Phase-2 covers are shopping for the right label, self-release options, and approaching online music outlets. It also discusses how to create a steady everyday flow to constantly push your music and artist profile, so you can achieve continuous growth as you go through your artist journey. Producing good music is only one part of the journey and not the final destination. At this stage of your career, this is the time to get your music heard by the right people, so you can keep leveling up.
How long do I have access to ArtistMap Phase-2?
After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.
When does ArtistMap Phase-2 start and finish?
It is an on-going, self-paced online course. You decide when you start and when you finish. Remember, no one is forcing you to be the next professional electronic music artist, so how much effort and time you put in is all up to you.
How is this social media and self-promotion course any different than the ones already out there?
While there are hundreds, if not thousands, of social media courses out there, one thing I can be certain about is that 99.9% of them do not approach their lectures with the mindset of speaking (and teaching) to electronic music artists (specifically house & techno artists). Promoting a luxury sofa or restaurant on social media is very, very different than promoting your next music release as well as your artist persona. ArtistMap was created with only the artist in mind. Everything in these course lectures is directed to electronic music artists today.
How many followers will I gain after taking this course? Is this something you can guarantee?
The course can't guarantee a specific growth of followers because increasing your online following requires a multitude of ongoing content strategies and tactics. Each artist's account results will vary depending on how they are using social media. However, what this course can guarantee is that you will begin seeing new followers over time if you implement the strategies laid out. Our growth strategies are based on tried and true (organic) tactics we have done in the past resulting in a healthy growth of followers. Please understand that "growing organically" also means the growth is slower because it's organic. ArtistMap Phase-2 has developed actionable strategies on how you can speed up your organic growth process, and there is even a dedicated lecture on growing your account the right way: without buying followers or doing the follow/unfollow tactic.
Will you be teaching me how to run paid ads on social media?
No. As mentioned, this is a social media course for electronic music artists, and I personally do not see a need for electronic music artists to run any paid-ads on their music promotion. If you disagree with this answer, I am sure you come from the pop music world, and while that might be something applicable for pop-music it is certainly not the way to go for aspiring electronic music artists specifically house and techno artists.
What do you say to people who do not believe that you need social media to grow as an artist?
I will say that they are correct but think about it, a person can walk from Los Angeles to Portland, but who does that? Most people fly or drive. We live in the 2020s now, the vehicles and technology that are available to all artists should be used to help advance your goals as an artist. There has never been an easier and faster way to share your music with the world than through social media. Why run against something that everyone is using? Some of the older legends who started without social media are using social media to maintain their relevancy and legacy. At the end of the day, I am not here to change anyone's perspective but I will say that an artist is missing out on a lot of opportunities by not being present online, especially if the goal is to be discovered.
I really hate the idea of self-promotion as it feels too self-boasting and narcissistic for my personality. What can I do to overcome that mindset?
I totally get it. Sometimes I feel the same way too, but ultimately you need to figure out your own approach. Self-promotion doesn't mean you need to sound narcissistic or self-boast. If you think you'll come across that way, ask yourself why? Are you just over-thinking what others might think of you? This is a real struggle for many artists whether you're introverted or extroverted. Artists with a deeper sense of self-awareness and consciousness are usually the ones who struggle with this but one major concept I instill in artists who have this issue is to approach social media naturally. The answer cannot be "I don't want to do it" because that's really not an option. It's all about what you feel comfortable doing and how you can treat social media as more of an outlet to help you reach your artist goals rather than thinking you are self-boasting and being narcissistic. Reference in lectures in ArtistMap Phase-1 to help continue down the road during Phase-2 if needed.
Will I automatically qualify for Phase-3 upon completion of this course? How do you determine which artists are ready for the next phase?
The end of Phase-2 lists a few benchmark artists who are currently in Phase-3 of their journey. Please do a real assessment between those artists and yourself in terms of the number and quality of releases, past performances, time invested in their career as well as current projects. All of that will factor in whether or not you qualify for Phase-3, but for now, focus your efforts on getting your music widely heard and the rest of your journey will follow suit. More opportunities will only open up if you focus on producing quality music while simultaneously sharing it with the world and promoting yourself as an artist.

Get started now!