Release Queen

Here is episode #21 of the Release Queen podcast, and it happens to be the very last one! I always talk about following your dreams and living your life to the full, so I have taken a few weeks to understand and accept that it's now time for me to follow my heart which is in motivational speaking, mindset development and manifesting your dream life! I will be creating a new podcast, socials and website, and I truly hope I have inspired you enough to join me on my next journey, which starts with me going by my legal name KRISTY DAVIS. Check back for the new website at www.thekristydavis.com it's being created as I am writing this! Thanks so much for your support, love, contributions, shares and overall, just being awesome to me! Catch ya on the new Kristy Davis journey, where we talk about designing the life YOU want to live!

It's been a long journey for me to finally come to the realisation that LIFE IS WHAT WE CREATE... we either let life happen to us or we let it happen FOR us! That's what this episode is all about!

I used to do New Year's Resolutions, and recently I found a book of some of my old ones that I am sure I just jotted down for a bit of a laugh! I do believe that January 1st does carry some magical motivation, but I don't believe it's enough to last you the year.  I think there are two things we do wrong, and in this episode of the podcast, I break those two things down so you can recognise if you do this and if you do, you can change it.  The first thing I always did was put a time frame on my goals. For example, I will lose 6 kilos in 3 months. Instead, we should be looking at creating lasting habits, like cutting soft drinks from our diet.  The second thing I did was make too many resolutions. The only thing the list didn't have was "create world peace". You should have a maximum of 2-3, possibly 4, big goals on your list. I now break mine into personal goals and professional goals.  Listen to the full episode for the action steps that will help you achieve your New Year resolutions for 2023.  If releasing music is on your list for 2023, you can download my free "Release Music" training so you can learn the steps that you need to take to get your music out in the world successfully in 2023! Just head to www.releasequeen.com/smart-training Happy New Year, and catch ya in 2023!    

I always tend to get myself in trouble around Christmas time because I LOVE Christmas, I have lots of Christmas spirit, and I am probably only acutely aware that not everyone feels the same as me 😆  But! You can make money from the silly season! In this episode, I break down how you can record and release your own version of popular Christmas songs, and it will cost you hardly anything! But the best thing about this is, it's the gift that keeps on giving! You can create your Christmas song marketing campaign just once and then run the same one every year! Mariah Carey has made an estimated eye-watering 70 million dollars from "All I Want For Christmas Is You".  Cash in on the Christmas season like everybody else does and play on the emotions and good feelings of your audience. Have them add you to their Christmas playlist, where they will associate a happy memory with your version of their favourite Christmas song, in turn, making your connection with them stronger and building your brand and fan base! It's a win-win! Lots of reasons to love Christmas!  Plus, as a Christmas bonus, you can download my list of contacts for 30 Spotify curators and start pitching your music to them today! Let's get some more ears on your awesome music. Grab it here: www.releasequeen.com/spotify30

Oh lordy! If we all thought we were going to be too old to do, have, be or start anything new by the time we were 30, then we wouldn't have KFC! Or many other amazing things! It wasn't until 2 years ago, at 36, I figured out what I really wanted to do! If you keep thinking about releasing music, but you keep putting it off, then you will just get older and worry even more about your age. If it's something that you want to do, then you have to do it! No questions asked! Age is just a number. You will have people who support you, fans that will love you, and you will make a difference in someone's life! You don't have to give up your job or your business or studying; just start this on the side and slowly build it up to be what you want! That's how I started all of my career paths and businesses. If you want it bad enough, you will find a way; I have no doubt. But age is just a number, or maybe just an excuse 🤔 Make changes in 2023 ... you can start by taking my FREE "Release Music Like A Pro" training. It's a super easy step-by-step video training that will give you the steps for releasing your music in a simple and effective way. Get instant access here: www.releasequeen.com/smart-training

Your music might be, or probably is, rather amazing! But is your messaging? When you want to ask your audience to follow you, stream your music or join your email list, you should have done some groundwork, and that includes giving to them first.  Creating a community of loyal fans who respect you. Now, how the hell do you even do that? In this week's episode of the podcast, I talk about the absolute BEST way to make that happen, and it's through your stories.  Storytelling or Storyselling as it is also known, is a very powerful connecting tool. Some studies show that it is possible people can remember stories up to 22 times more than they do words. I'm not a great storyteller, I kinda just like to give the facts and move on, but the truth is, I am working really hard in my business to change this because I know the impact stories can have on people when we share them.  Your music isn't the problem, and it's your messaging! It's the way you are going about trying to get people to listen. It's like everyone is yelling at everyone, trying to get their attention when what we really need to do is provoke an emotional reaction, and we do this ... through the story!  If you've already released music and want to work on getting it out there more, practice your storytelling and try getting it onto some Spotify playlists. I am giving away a contact database of 30 Spotify independent playlist curators that you can contact instantly to pitch your music to. To get the list completely free of charge just head to www.releasequeen.com/spotify30

Sometimes it's hard to see the positives in getting older, especially when your career or goals are related to building a music career. There is such a stigma around age and releasing music. In Episode #15 of the podcast, I break down these stigmas and talk about why it is better to release music when you're older!  I would know. I started releasing music when I was just 14! I knew bloody nothing!!! Then had another crack when I was a young single 23 year old mum, still ... knew nothing. Then I spend a further 9 YEARS in the music industry just learning. It wasn't until I was 32 and signed a record deal that I felt like I knew who I was as a person and as an artist, and it was then that all of the crap stopped. No more taking me for a ride, mistreating me or trying to trick me.  There are many benefits of releasing music when you are older, you know the work it takes, you aren't competing against the younger artists because you have your own target market, and you know what your own expectations are!  You are never, ever too old to be releasing music, and that is my message for the independent music world! If you would like to get the party started and release your own music, you can grab my free training that will show you in 5 simple steps how to release your music, no matter what your age is! Access the training instantly here: www.releasequeen.com/smart-training

Wanna pitch your music to Spotify? Grab the contact details for 30 Spotify Playlist Curators from my own personal list here: www.releasequeen.com/spotify30  I almost didn't want to put this one out! Every day of my life, I have known that my brain is different to most! I knew that it was fast, I knew that it never stopped and I was pretty sure that not everyone had these consistent thoughts. So at 38, I was diagnosed with ADHD!  I'm organised, I work well with deadlines, I never miss appointments, I'm never late, I am clean and tidy and basically everything someone with ADHD is generally not. BUT! That took 8 solid years of retraining my brain! You see, I got so sick of being lazy, not succeeding, being unorganised, missing appointments and letting my kids down that I knew I had to change!  So I started my personal growth journey 8 years ago... but man being this way is tiring. If I don't write it down, then it doesn't exist! And why do I always feel like I am underachieving even though I have achieved so much? They were the things that drove my doctor to offer a possible ADHD diagnosis.  So I made the decision to be medicated because I have done every other kind of therapy and even though I can function without medication, I have never been able to maintain long periods of deep work.  So why am I sharing this with you? Well... because I want you to know that we all have our struggles, and I have come from some really big ones... but they didn't stop me. I think no matter what, you can absolutely achieve your goals! I love my ADHD brain, and I am not afraid to talk about it. Love who you are... love everything about YOU!

🛑 Warning Trigger Post! During my time as an artist in the music industry, I have lost some good friends to suicide. Mental health challenges are very real, and even though we have come a long way, there is still very little awareness about them. 👉 How do you recognise and combat anxiety? 👉 How can you create a new mindset that will improve your life and help you reach your goals? 👉 How does food impact your overall mental health? 👉 What changes can you start to make today to improve your mental health? On this podcast episode, I talk with Mick Davies from KUDOS Health about all of the above and HEAPS more that will hopefully help you, even if it's just about awareness. Mick is a health coach who has trained his body and mind to be strong, resilient and healthy. He now shares what he has learned through his years of training. Learning to treat yourself as you would someone you love is actually the BEST thing that you can do for your loved ones. You have to fill your own cup before you can fill anyone else's cup! 📌 Check out the KUDOS Health programs below so you can get a kick-start on your 2023: 👉You can join the free KUDOS Health 7 Days of Mindfulness program here: https://www.kudoshealth.com.au/7daysofmindfulness.html  👉 OR join the 9 weeks of Wellness coaching program and use the code RELEASE9 to save 20% when you book for 2023 here: https://www.kudoshealth.com.au/9weeksofwellness.html The books we referred to in this episode are as follows: The Power Of Habit - Charles Duhigg Atomic Habits - James Clear The Gap and The Gain - Dan Sullivan You, Happier - Dr Daniel Amen 👉 GET YOUR SPOTIFY30 LIST OF PLAYLIST CURATORS HERE: www.releasequeen.com/spotify30

In this episode, I dig pretty deep to share with you some lessons I try to pass on to my children. I was a young mum of 2 babies when I became single and broke! I knew that I had to get a job to put food on the table for my kids, but I also knew that I wasn't cut out for the9-5 lifestyle, I had tried it before, and it affected my mental health immensely. But I was willing to do it for my kids because we would do anything for them. But it was really at that moment that I realised I was about to teach my kids something very valuable. I was about to make a choice that would impact how they saw the world and their future.  So much to the detriment of my family, I decided to once again pursue my music career. See, I wanted to teach my kids that they can do, have and be whatever they choose. If I decided to run back to safety and security but for me, unhappiness... then what was I showing them? What was I teaching them? I was teaching them that they had to make their decisions based on other people and not what they wanted in life. I decided I didn't want to teach them that, and every day since, I have worked on building my career. I am pleased to say that they have never missed a meal 😜 there has always been food on our table. What decisions are you making for yourself in life? It's your life! Make the decisions that will afford you the most fulfilled life. 👉 Want more streams on Spotify? Pitch your music to this quality list of Spotify curators and start getting your music playlisted: www.releasequeen.com/spotify30    

One of my songs landed on a Spotify editorial playlist, and before I took it down because I signed with my record label, it gained 40k streams in just a few weeks. Then there were the algorithmic playlists that my songs were added to. Plus! There were the playlists listeners made and added my songs to. This equated to over 100k streams, and I haven't even spent very much time on the platform.  The more exposure you gain, the more chances you have to turn your listeners into fans. Playlists are a game changer! And in this episode of the Podcast, I talk about the four different kinds of playlists your music can land on.  If you want to start pitching your music to Spotify playlist curators now but don't know how to, don't worry! I got you covered. You can have access to 30 quality Spotify curators that I have taken from my own list to share with you. Grab the Spotify30 here: www.releasequeen.com/spotify30. Additional resources mentioned in this episode: Wanna Know My Secret Weapon For Reaching Out To The Media When It's Time To Release Your Music?  Eps 6: https://www.releasequeen.com/podcasts/release-queen/episodes/2147795569 Are You Confused About What Genre You Should Release Your Music In? Here Are 3 Tips To Help Choose! Eps 7: https://www.releasequeen.com/podcasts/release-queen/episodes/2147797449 3 Reasons You Should Treat Spotify Like Your Other Social Media Platforms Eps 10: https://www.releasequeen.com/podcasts/release-queen/episodes/2147805509

Social Media is a great marketing tool available to artists. It gives us a platform to share and connect with potential fans, but one great platform artists don't use to their full potential is Spotify!  I never did either! After I eventually put my music on Spotify (I didn't want to) I kinda just left it there to do whatever it does. But, as time moves on, Spotify has grown and developed the platform into a tool that all artists should be taking advantage of.  Spotify has over 422 million listeners ready to discover your music! You can add a lot to your Spotify page.  You can add; - a bio - your concerts - pictures - your social media links - a fan contributor button  - generate sharing codes Not to mention, there are many opportunities to land your music on playlists, which we will talk about in next week's episode.  👉 If you wanna jumpstart the chance of landing on a playlist, you can grab the contact details for 30 Spotify curators that you can start pitching to today! These curators are from my own personal list! Grab it here: www.releasequeen.com/spotify30

Whether you enjoy creating content or you don't, the thing is, it takes a lot of bloody time! I'm not saying I'm not a huge fan of creating content. That's not exactly true. I love to create content, I just don't like scheduling it all and then writing captions. My brain hurts! I don't know what to post for the day. But! If you've chosen a career that includes content creation, then you need to find the best and fastest way to create content for ALL of your platforms. In this episode, I give you the 3 super handy steps of the framework I use to create my own content. This strategy allows me to create a month of content for all of my platforms in just two days! This content creation framework is what I live by, and it's what I teach my students. The one thing your fans are going to expect from you is consistency! If you put out 10 pieces of content one week, none the following and maybe another one the week after, you will confuse your audience. If your audience is confused, then they won't stick around.  If you wanna grab the Spotify30 freebie, which gives you the contact details for 30 Spotify playlist curators, then head here: www.releasequeen.com/spotify30      

This week in Ep #8, I take a look at how to tell if you are ready to release music! So many artists will release music when they just aren't ready. Doesn't mean that they aren't good enough, and it doesn't mean that they shouldn't be releasing music; it just means that they haven't got their ducks all in a row! Listen to the podcast to hear the 3 most important things you need to check off before you are ready to release your music. Don't worry if you're already releasing music. Listen to this episode and make sure you're ticking off the three boxes so you can maximise your next release. Below I have left a FREE training video that will give you the best framework to release your music! It's how my students and I release our music in a way that builds our audience, gets us on the charts and grows our career. Take the FREE training and discover how to release your music like a PRO: https://www.releasequeen.com/smart-training

This week's episode is for all of the genre fence-sitters! Are you a genre fence-sitter? And by that, I mean, are you an artist that just can't really figure out what genre of music you're recording and releasing? I know, along with many of my students, I just couldn't figure this out for years! And this was one of the most detrimental things to my career. When you're targeting everyone, you're targeting no one! You have to get clear about who your target market is, which means you have to know which genre you release music in! In this episode, I give you 3 tips to help you decide! Are you thinking about releasing music? Take the FREE training and discover how to release your music like a PRO: https://www.releasequeen.com/smart-training.

👉 Take the FREE training and discover how to release your music like a PRO: https://www.releasequeen.com/smart-training It’s no secret that money can be pretty tight for indie artists. I’ve spent the majority of my 25 years plus years in the industry as an indie artist, so I get it. At times I’ve had the money for a publicist, but most of the time, I couldn’t afford one. So what happens when you can’t afford one? Or you forgot to budget for one, and you are releasing your music as an indie artist? The job falls in your lap, and if you have no contacts and no prior history or relationships, then you will struggle to get any kind of media attention at all. In this episode, I give you my secret weapon that will totally change the trajectory of your career! You will never be worried about doing your own publicity again! I use this little secret weapon for every business I have ever owned and will use it for any business I own in the future. P.S. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast, so you don't miss out on the weekly episodes!

👉 Take the FREE training and discover how to release your music like a PRO: https://www.releasequeen.com/smart-training Do you feel like you’re not good enough? Or maybe you need a little more time to get it right? Or perhaps just a little more time to practice so you can improve? At what point are you ready? And at what point are you procrastinating because you’re scared that you might just not be good enough? Maybe you just feel like an imposter? In this episode, I give you three ways to crush that feeling of imposter syndrome. It can wrap its hand so tightly around your neck that you can't breathe! Which leaves you paralysed to progress in your career. If you enjoyed the podcast, I would love you to leave a review on Apple podcasts so I can help more indie artists just like you!

Take the FREE training and discover how to release your music like a PRO: https://www.releasequeen.com/smart-training Are you releasing music and it’s just flopping every time? Nobody cares or listens? In this episode, I talk about 3 things that skyrocketed my release results!

Talking with Nikki Tuckwell from APRA AMCOS about copyrighting/protecting your music and the various ways you can be paid for it. Plus, we discuss how to protect your music in the recording studio.

There are three things I wish I knew when I first started releasing music. In this episode, I talk about what a distribution house does for you, what you need to do to get your music uploaded and ready for distribution, and what package to choose.