We live in a world that reveres extrovert personality traits. Everywhere you’ll find tips on how to be more sociable, how to gain more friends, how to stand out more, and basically how to be more like extroverts.

The truth, however, is that extroverts aren’t “more normal” than introverts, and introverts aren’t lacking in some particular way. Neither personality type is better than the other. In fact, whether you’re extroverted or not does not affect the quality of your music. Being an introvert, however, does make it difficult to go out there and expose yourself to criticisms.

That’s where the real struggle is and that’s what we hope this article will help you overcome. The good news, however, is that history says you can overcome your limitations and that you can be outrageously popular too. You see, some of the most famous musicians of all time are introverts.

Image credit: Sapphire Ng

Get Ahead With Social Media

Because of social media, introverted musicians today have it easier than ever before. At least in the virtual world, where introverts can think before they respond — a core trait of many introverts — and interact without all the noise of the real world, and without leaving their homes. This is the general preference for all noise and socialization-avoiding introverts.

Indeed, when the gods of the internet made social media, they must have had introverts in mind.

On social media, you don’t have to respond to comments the minute they’re made and people don’t expect you to. You can socialize with your friends anytime you feel you have the energy to do so, and without the pressure of a face-to-face interaction.

Image credit: CAREERS IN GOVERNMENT

Social media provides one of the very few ways you can connect with your fans without getting tired or feeling anxious about it, so you should really take advantage of it.

Taking advantage of this opportunity means still responding within a reasonable time and being “present” on these platforms: that consists of posting somewhat regularly and engaging with your audience. It’s a lot of work but nothing a little scheduling can’t handle. This is how you can use social media to get noticed and gain fans.

You will also be needing followers — and a lot of them, if you want to have a better social media presence. If you’re on SoundCloud, you can buy SoundCloud Plays or Followers to kickstart your follower count and your popularity.

People love joining in with a large online following. Make the decision to check out your tracks easier for others by having plenty of plays and followers.

You don’t want people to spend a lot of time thinking about whether to follow you or not. You want them to look at how popular you are and then click that follow button (assuming they enjoy your music, of course). Because chances are, in most cases they won’t spend a lot of time deciding, they’ll just click that x button on your page and move on.

Build your social media influence

As mentioned above, building your social media influence starts with growing your followers. There are many ways you can do this. Just pick the ones you’re comfortable enough with and then do them consistently and with all your introverted passion.

Are you shy on top of being an introvert? Then cultivate online friendships. When you have made many friends and a face-to-face gathering comes up, socialization won’t be as difficult.

Is this you?

Image credit: Your DOST

Shyness comes from the anxiety of being put in a spotlight and found lacking. Friendship takes away all of that. A friend, even one you only made through the internet, is not likely to judge you the same way a stranger may.

Use SoundCloud to Promote Your Music

Do you have a SoundCloud account already? Create your own if you don’t have one yet. SoundCloud is for music like Instagram is for photos.

If you have one already, are you using it to build relationships with others on the platform? Are you joining conversations or sharing your opinions via comments on other people’s tracks? If you aren’t then it’s time to step up your game.

Use SoundCloud to promote your music and let your tracks do the talking for you. This is your chance to introduce your music and showcase what you can do. Don’t pass it up. Instead, make the most of SoundCloud and buy SoundCloud Plays to extend your reach even further.

SoundCloud Plays have the same effect as bought followers. They make people want to listen to your tracks too, giving the impression that they’re wickedly popular. They also have the added bonus of making your tracks more visible on the platform, thereby attracting more listeners.

Stay True to Yourself (and your fans)

There’s no shame in being an introvert. Embrace it, welcome it, and make no apologies about it. Love and accept yourself for who you are. When you do that, you can stay true to yourself, without shame, judgment or self-loathing, and move forward from there.

Introverts are generally more attuned to their inner world. Logically, that means they’re quite receptive to their inner creative source. If that is you, then you’ll have no problem channeling your inner creativity and creating music that moves and speaks to the heart.

Act Like an Extrovert During Live Performances

Acting like an extrovert is one of the things you must learn to do when performing live. It will be exhausting, for sure, but you can pull it off.

According to Carl Jung, one of the founding fathers of psychology, no one is completely introverted or extroverted. All introverts have some extroverts in them and vice versa.

Did you know that Michael Jackson was an introvert? How about Elvis Presley? They were both introverted yet they managed to become some of the most incredibly successful musicians of our time.

Image credit: NPR

If you want a living example of an iconic introverted musician, look no further than Bob Dylan, Lady Gaga, Rihanna or Justin Timberlake.

There is no doubt that introverts can perform and have a lively interaction with the crowd while they’re at it. The only difference is that they tend to tire more easily because they are more sensitive to their environment.

For instance, when an introvert walks into a room, he may notice and absorb everything, from the blaring music to the murmurs of conversations around him. Everything is “loud.” So, when there are a lot of things going on, he shuts them off to protect himself. This is why an introvert can often appear aloof, why the experience can be emotionally taxing, and why all he can think about is going back home.

Image credit: Pen&Prep

What you can do as an introvert is to start small. Pick smaller venues in the beginning until you grow comfortable enough with the crowd. If everything feels fake and unnatural, go back and read the item before this and then just focus on your music and not what people are going to say.

You can also arrange for your sets to have plenty of rests in between. Instead of two sets of one and a half hours, opt for fewer sets with more breaks in between. This may not always be possible, but in some cases you might be able to arrange it. Just make sure you spend that time backstage, where it’s quieter and there are fewer people to talk to.

If you feel like you totally need to stop talking to anyone, bring your headphones and wear them to ward off people who might want to approach you. Don’t feel guilty. Tell yourself you need the quiet because really, you do.

Image credit: The Introvert Entrepreneur

You can also schedule your public performances in between plenty of breathers. Stress is your enemy and one of the best ways to combat that is by regrouping after every performance.

Connect through your music

Music is the world’s universal language and even science has proven this. Speak through your music and use it to connect with others.

Music has the power to connect us through the emotions it evokes. Trust that power and just express your joy, sadness, hope, and love through your songs. Remember that great music attracts attention.

Collaborate with others

Collaborate with other musicians. Work with extroverts or introverts. Not only will you learn from the collaboration of skills and talents, but it will also help you deal with stage fright if you have to perform on stage.

Image credit: Business Insider

On SoundCloud, you’ll meet lots of talented people with the same goals as you. So, don’t forget to engage with and build relationships with other musicians, as well. By engaging with others on the platform, you’ll also be exposing yourself to their followers and listeners.

Remember, you can buy high-quality SoundCloud Followers or Plays to grow your SoundCloud channel. The results can be phenomenal if you can pair this with an organic marketing campaign, attracting more people and convincing them to stay with your great compositions.

Break Out of Your Shell!

Get out of your comfort zone and break out of your shell. You may not be interested in fame, like most introverts, but if you’re dying to share your music with the world, then just go for it!

Embrace your nature, be happy and be proud! Remember all the other talented musicians who are introverted like you.

Adopt the ways of the extroverts but never lose yourself. Express yourself. Believe in what you can do. Follow your heart and follow your music. Soon, you’ll also have people following you.

Date: September 15, 2017 / Categories: Tips, / Author: Chell