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GarageBand Hacks: Creating Professional-Sounding Tracks Without Expensive Plugins

October 1, 2024

GarageBand is often seen as an entry-level DAW (Digital Audio Workstation), but it has powerful tools that, when used effectively, can create professional-quality tracks. Many indie musicians and...

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Solving the General MIDI Program Change Dilemma in Ableton

October 1, 2024

When working with MIDI in Ableton, one might notice that although MIDI clips can send program changes, most of Ableton's native plugins don’t seem to respond to these changes effectively. This can...

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Escaping 'Tutorial Hell': Stay Motivated and Actually Progress in Music Production

September 21, 2024

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Should You Write Music or Lyrics First? Solutions from Famous Creators

September 20, 2024

One of the most common challenges for songwriters is deciding whether to write the music or lyrics first. This can feel like a "chicken-or-egg" situation, but there's no one-size-fits-all answer...

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How to Plan the Perfect Release Day for Your Single or Album

September 20, 2024

Releasing a new single or album is a huge milestone for any musician. However, without proper planning, your work may not get the attention it deserves. It’s not just about putting the song online...

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Mastering the Low End: Compression Tips for a Tight Mix

September 20, 2024

When it comes to music production, getting the low end right can be tricky. Many producers face a common issue: after the initial mix sounds perfect, a few days later, the low end starts to feel...

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How to Turn a Bedroom into a Professional Home Studio on a Budget

September 19, 2024

For many aspiring musicians, the dream of creating a professional-quality home studio seems out of reach due to costs and space constraints. However, with the right strategies and tools, it's...

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Remote Music Collaboration: Tools and Tips for Seamless Production

September 18, 2024

Collaborating on music remotely has become more common, but as you’ve experienced, it can be a challenge to get it right. Audio latency, control sensitivity, and lack of real-time feedback are...

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How to Build a Loyal Fanbase Using Social Media in 2024

September 18, 2024

In today’s digital age, building a loyal fanbase is essential for musicians to thrive. Social media platforms have become powerful tools for connecting directly with fans, sharing music, and...

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Best Apps and Websites for Creating Instrumentals When You Don’t Play Instruments

September 18, 2024

As a songwriter, it can be frustrating to have melodies or lyrics in your head but no way to bring them to life without instrumental skills. Thankfully, with modern technology, there are apps and...

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How to Match Chords to Your Singing – Overcoming the Struggle

September 18, 2024

Creating music often feels like an intricate puzzle. You might have a melody that you love, but when it comes to pairing it with chords, you feel stuck. If you're in this situation, you're not alone.

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The Top 10 Free Tools Every Indie Musician Needs to Succeed

September 18, 2024

As an indie musician, creating professional music while sticking to a budget can be challenging. You might not have the resources to afford high-end software or pay for expensive marketing...

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Snapchat Announces a $100,000 Monthly Grant for Artists

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Photo: How to Geek

Snapchat has recently announced Snapchat Sounds Creator Fund, a monthly grant program of up to $100,000 awarded to independent artists distributing music on the platform. Snapchat claims that through this fund, they want to recognize and support independent artists for their role in the entertainment space. The criteria for artist selection remains undisclosed, however, most likely Snapchat will analyze the artists’ level of engagement and choose the top-performing uploaders. Popular sounds will also be included in Snapchat Lenses to further increase exposure and potential for audience reach.

Currently, there are 2.7 billion videos created using the “Sounds” feature on Snapchat, resulting in more than 183 billion collective views. Thus, proving Snapchat’s key role as a distribution tool for music creators that wish to share their music globally and gain recognition.

Photo: Tubefilter

Although Snapchat claims to be driven by altruistic motivations, the Sounds Creator Fund is probably an attempt to compete with TikTok’s popularity. It is evident that music creators and artists have been a critical component of TikTok’s engagement and new user growth. TikTok has quickly amassed 1 billion global users in a short span while Snapchat only has 332 million users. Additionally, Snapchat is facing financial pressure as it revealed that it missed its financial forecast for the second quarter of 2022 despite already reducing it. Snapchat’s market cap is now at $16.1 billion, which is less than half of what it was at the start of 2022, and is only 12% of its peak market cap reported in September 2021. Hence, the Sounds Creator Fund may be a strategy employed to replicate TikTok’s success.