7 Reasons to Release Your Music
Releasing music can feel scary—especially when you know criticism is almost inevitable. But the rewards far outweigh the risks. Here are 7 powerful reasons to finally put your work out there:
1. Finishing is incredibly liberating.
Just hitting “Release” brings a huge sense of relief and closure, no matter what the feedback ends up being. There’s power in completion.
2. You’ll get real-world feedback.
Yes, some comments may sting. But you’ll also (hopefully) receive positive ones. More importantly, you’ll discover what people actually like, don’t like, and why. This is priceless “real world” knowledge. It’s far more valuable than endlessly listening to your own music and guessing what people like.
3. You’ll become a better artist.
As the saying goes: “Experience means nothing unless you’re paying attention.” I’m paying close attention. I want to improve as a songwriter and recording engineer. The bottom line is that I want to learn to communicate more effectively. I won’t agree with every piece of feedback—and I don’t have to—but when I do agree with a criticism, I can make that adjustment in my next songs.
4. It opens the door to collaborations.
Releasing your music dramatically increases your chances of connecting with other musicians who love what you do. If the songs stay on your hard drive, there is a 100% chance those collaborations will never happen.
5. Someone else might want to record your songs.
There’s always a chance that another artist will discover and want to cover or record your work. But if the songs never leave your computer, that chance drops to exactly zero.
6. Your music will be there when people look for it.
Years from now—even in the distant future—someone might want to hear my songs. Or they might read my book Parallel and want to listen to the tracks that inspired it. Thanks to streaming platforms, they’ll actually be able to do that.
7. You learn far more by doing than by studying.
Reading about releasing music is useful. But actually releasing it? That’s where the real education happens. The lessons you gain from the full cycle of creation-to-release are irreplaceable.