LWMR Wiki

Marketing and Networking for Engineers

5 min read

Marketing and Networking for Engineers

Summary

Abstract

The biz-talk community strongly favors organic relationship building over traditional marketing. Networking at venues, attending open mics, and building genuine relationships with artists is consistently cited as more effective than posting rates online or running social media campaigns. cypress/cy.mk and ehutton21 are the channel’s primary voices on career development strategy.

Detail

Networking at Venues and Open Mics

The community’s most-recommended career development strategy:

Source

Author: cypress — Channel: biz-talk Going to open mics, attending local shows, and building genuine relationships with artists in person is consistently more effective than any online marketing strategy.

Why venue networking works:

  • Artists at open mics and small venues are actively creating music and need production/engineering services
  • Face-to-face interaction builds trust faster than social media engagement
  • You can hear their music and provide informed, relevant conversation
  • The barrier to entry is low — showing up consistently is the main requirement
  • Word-of-mouth from one artist to their network creates organic referral chains

Building Natural Relationships vs Transactional Approaches

The community distinguishes between effective and counterproductive networking:

Effective (natural) approaches:

  • Show genuine interest in the artist’s music first, business second
  • Offer useful perspective without immediately pitching your services
  • Be a consistent presence in your local scene
  • Share knowledge freely — it builds reputation and trust
  • Follow up authentically, not with a sales pitch

Counterproductive (transactional) approaches:

  • Cold DMing artists with rates and service lists
  • Treating every conversation as a sales opportunity
  • Only showing up at events when you need clients
  • Posting “DM me for rates” on social media without context
  • Networking only “up” — ignoring artists who aren’t yet successful

When to Take Royalties on Early-Stage Artists

A strategic career-building approach:

  • Working with promising early-stage artists at reduced rates (or for royalties only) can build your catalog and reputation
  • The key is genuine belief in the artist’s potential — not desperation for work
  • Set clear terms: reduced upfront rate + royalty points is better than royalty-only
  • Limit the number of these projects — they should supplement, not replace, paid work
  • Success stories from the community validate this approach when done strategically
  • See also: Royalties and Backend Revenue for the reality of backend income

Decision Frameworks for Accepting Low-Rate Work

Community-developed criteria for evaluating below-rate opportunities:

  • Will this lead to more work? — from this artist or their network
  • Will this expand your portfolio? — into a new genre, format, or credit level
  • Will you learn something? — new techniques, workflows, or skills
  • Do you genuinely want to do it? — passion projects are valid, but be honest about the motivation
  • Can you afford to? — financial sustainability must come first
  • If none of these apply, it’s not a strategic discount — it’s undervaluing your work

International Perspective on Career Building

mixedbywong_my provides valuable non-US context:

  • Rate expectations vary dramatically by country and market
  • In some international markets, there’s less competition — being competent is a significant differentiator
  • Remote collaboration has made it possible to serve international clients from anywhere
  • Cultural differences affect how business relationships are built and maintained
  • Language skills and cultural fluency are genuine competitive advantages

Practical Application

  • Attend local shows, open mics, and music events regularly — consistency matters more than frequency
  • Lead with genuine interest in the music, not your services
  • Build a referral network: one happy client can generate 5+ new leads
  • Maintain an updated portfolio that showcases your best and most relevant work
  • Use social media to share your process and perspective, not just advertise rates
  • Be selective about below-rate work — use the decision framework above

Common Mistakes

  • Posting rates on social media as your primary marketing strategy — this is the least effective approach
  • Only networking with artists who are already successful — they already have engineers; growing artists need you
  • Being transactional in every interaction — people sense a sales pitch and disengage
  • Not following up — meeting someone once means nothing without sustained connection
  • Ignoring your local scene — the best opportunities often start locally
  • Comparing your career trajectory to others on social media — curated online personas don’t reflect reality

See Also

Source Discussions

Discord Source

Channel: biz-talk — Date Range: 2021-02 to 2026-02 Key contributors: cypress, ehutton21, mixedbywong_my, oaklandmatt Message volume: ~350+ messages on marketing and networking

Discord Source

Channel: general-talk — Date Range: 2021-02 to 2026-02 Networking context: 260 networking & relationships messages (182 from verified experts). bobby k (10 reactions, pinned): “We generally aim to make friends, not fans.” oaklandmatt (56 reactions): “Two very strict rules we have here are ‘no self-promotion’ and ‘no politics.’ It keeps this place focused on helping each other make better records.” See also: Career Development for Audio Professionals, general-talk Channel Summary

Graph View

Backlinks