Making your mark with a cover song can be a sure fire way to get attention and make a name for yourself. When people search in Spotify, Anghami, Apple Music, Youtube and more for the original track, your cover song will appear in the search results. Those sites are swamped with millions and possibly even billions of songs, but recording a cover song is a neat way of getting that all-important edge to your music publicity and attracting a new audience which could make a huge difference. We have 3 awesome tips on how to choose the perfect cover song, and why you shouldn’t ignore them.
In this blog we will discuss
- What to type of track to pick
- Whats the best choice
- Make it personal
There have been some amazing cover versions over the years which have gone onto become bigger than the originals – think of Whitney Houston covering Dolly Parton’s ‘I Will Always Love You”.
Theres was also The Beatles putting their own spin on the Isley Brothers ‘Twist and Shout’. More recently, Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse turning ‘Valerie’ by the Zutons into a modern classic.
A well-chosen cover song can help you reach a new audience. This will help you with your music marketing and promotion. It will also show off your skills and music knowledge in a different way. When you’re starting out, people won’t know your name – but they’ll know the band or the track title that you’re covering.
They give the listener an immediate connection as they’ll know the original, but it also lets the cover artist put their own musical spin on the track either with new melodies, new lyrics or even just simply covering the track in a totally different style.
Essentially, there are three ways to pick to choose the perfect cover song
#1 Go topical
We suggest you pick a current chart topper and put your own spin on that. This could be something big in the charts, something that’s recently gone viral or a track you want to cover from your own genre of music.
#2 Go back in time
Have a think and choose a track that’s been long-lost or forgotten. You could cover a long-lost jazz track, delve through the Beatles’ back catalogue for a lesser-known hit. Maybe you can indulge your inner 80’s geek and rework a barely-heard pop hit into a modern day wonder.
[bctt tweet=”Cover songs should ideally compliment your own body of work!” username=””]
#3 Put your own indelible twist on the track
Great music publicity for example was just like Jonny Cash covering ‘Personal Jesus’ by Depeche Mode, a brilliant flipping of the script.
Other tips include…
Try not to go too obscure. It’s all well and good wanting to raise your profile with a cover song, but if you’re covering a Peruvian pop song that flopped in 1987, then you’re probably not doing yourself any favours.
Don’t overdo the covers. One, maybe two well picked covers can make a big difference and help you reach a new audience. This can act as vital music publicity and PR.
You don’t want to be pigeon-holed as ‘just’ a covers band. The covers should ideally compliment your own body of work.
Hone your cover in the live arena. Practise, practise, practise until it’s perfect and it stands up to the original and then release it.
Please check out the leading entertainment PR agency in Dubai. The Ma’ana Music PR Agency for lots more FREE tips and resources to better your music career.
