Como Vender Mais Músicas Mesmo Não Tendo Um Contrato

How to Sell More Music as an Unsigned Artist

How to Sell More Music as an Unsigned Artist

The music world is going through an independent revolution, with more and more unsigned artists breaking into the mainstream and earning money from their music through online sales.

There’s never been such a level playing field for independent musicians. With the help of independent music distributors like Ditto Music, unsigned artists can easily sell music on iTunes and upload their tracks to Spotify among other major platforms, and start collecting royalties.

With more sales and streams, comes more money in your pocket, especially if your distributor allows you to keep 100% of your rights and royalties. But how do you maximise your online sales without the backing of a major label? Hopefully these tips will help you earn more money from your music.

Make it easy for fans to find

As obvious as it may sound, putting your music in front of as many potential listeners as possible is the first and most important way to sell more music. Make sure your music is live on as many different platforms as possible, from the most popular mainstream stores including iTunes, Apple Music, Amazon and Google Play, to the alternative platforms like Deezer, Akazoo and eMusic.

Get a website

Not only does creating your own website give you a more credible and professional online profile, which will make fans and potential labels take you more seriously as an artist, but it also offers the perfect place to link to and promote your music. Make sure to put links to your tracks on iTunes, Spotify and other platforms on your homepage, where they’ll be most visible.

Start a PR campaign

A well-planned PR campaign can help you to get more press coverage for your music, boosting your profile and helping you to reach new fans. There are companies out who offer music PR campaigns for independent artists, and if you have a decent fan base and are ready to start taking your music more seriously, a PR campaign could be just thing you need to increase your online sales and streams.

Improve your social media presence 

Never underestimate the power of social media to get your music out to the masses. Posting exciting original content, as well as links to your tracks, on your social media pages, whether that’s Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, offers a great way to engage with current and new listeners. 

Pre-release & SMS Keywords

The best independent music distributors will offer access to the same tools that major label artists use to boost their sales, like pre-release and SMS keywords.

With pre-release, fans will be able to pre-order your track well in advance of your release date, with all of the sales counting towards your release day total, giving you even more opportunities to earn more royalties. SMS keyword also provide an innovative way to sell your music. When you set up SMS keywords, fans can purchase your tracks by simply texting a specific word to a chosen number, saving them the trouble of finding you online.

Play live as often as possible

Playing live is perhaps the best way to win new fans and get them to purchase and stream your music online. Just make sure to let fans at your gig know your music is available to download. A great live performance can make a big impression on potential listeners, so the more gigs you play, the more people you’ll reach and the more music you’ll sell. 

How much can I expect to make from selling music online?

Realistically, selling your music online as an independent artist isn’t going to earn you a fortune. Spotify only pays out about $0.0011 per stream, while iTunes offers only marginally more for each download. That’s not to say, however, that selling music online isn’t a fantastic way to earn some extra money from doing something your passionate about!

Aside from earning royalty revenue, getting your tracks featured on Spotify, iTunes and other major stores can have huge benefits. If you’re looking to develop your fan base or get spotted by a major label, releasing your music through an independent distributor is crucial. A promising independent music career is a massive first step towards mainstream success, and there’s no telling where it could take you!

Google Pode Comprar O SoundCloud

Google reportedly considering purchase of SoundCloud

A report has also revealed that major labels Sony, Universal and Warner have stakes in the streaming platform.

Google might be in the running to purchase SoundCloud. 

The Berlin-based streaming platform, amidst efforts to monetize its service, has been courting buyers. Spotify and Twitter (the latter now owns a stake in the company) were among the rumored purchasers who have since turned away. Now, according to Music Business Worldwide, Google is the latest company to consider buying SoundCloud, for around half the $1 billion price tag that SoundCloud originally floated. The report also revealed that major labels Sony, Universal and Warner—some of which had pulled music from the platform before reaching agreements—have ownership stakes in SoundCloud. 

RA has reached out to SoundCloud, who declined to comment. 

Músicos: Fazer A Checagem Do Som É Importante

Musicians: Learn How to Soundcheck

A Guest Post by Simon Tam

One of my biggest pet peeves as a performer is a band who doesn’t know how to soundcheck properly. It shouldn’t be – it usually reflects inexperience and ignorance rather than disrespect and apathy. The truth is that most bands are taught how to soundcheck, it’s just a skill that gets picked up along the way. Despite this, the soundcheck is often an indicator of the professionalism of the band.

Here’s a lesson on how to soundcheck the right way:

Before the show

Once you have a show confirmed, you should send a stage plot, technical rider, and input list to the sound and lighting engineers. Having detailed needs spelled out in advance can help overcome any issues early on, including deficiencies in equipment, limited inputs or monitor mixes, etc. For larger shows, you could send audio tracks or performance footage showing the kind of mix and light design that you’d like for the show (assuming you don’t have your own sound/lighting crew).

You should be prepared to bring everything needed for your instrument: the instrument, cables, adaptors, amp, stands, microphones, batteries etc. Unless you have a detailed list of what is being provided by the venue, assume that you are responsible for your own gear. I also recommend keeping a backup set of power strips, extension cables, strings, drum sticks, gaffer tape, setlists, sharpies, DI boxes, power cables, and vocal microphones. Things should be clearly labeled so that they can be quickly identified – something that is often useful on dark stages.

The biggest issues with soundchecking that are under your control include:

• Weak or dead batteries, especially in wireless systems or electronic pickups
• Loose or damaged cables
• Poor mic technique (standing too far back, holding mic improperly, etc.)
• Noisy channels caused by effects, grounding, or wireless systems
• Over-aggressive padding or attenuation of devices (mixers on stage, DI boxes, etc.)

The more that you can take care of these common problems ahead of time, the more time that can be spent making you sound good.

When you arrive

Show up at the designated time (or earlier if you need more loading time) and ask the sound engineer where they would like you to place your gear. When loading onto the stage, begin with larger pieces of equipment – the drum set, amp rigs, etc. but watch out for the mixer snake, power outlets, or areas where XLR cables will be run. Find a place for “dead” or empty cases to be stored off stage.

Whether you will be getting a full soundcheck or only a line check, prepare your gear in advance so that you can be ready at a moment’s notice. This means setting up the drums, positioning stands, tuning, etc.

The soundcheck

Most shows will soundcheck in reverse order of the show. In other words, the headliner will soundcheck first and the opening act will soundcheck last. Sometimes, the acts in the middle will only get a quick line check right before their set. Whether you you get a full soundcheck or not, the process is generally the same.

The sound engineer should guide you through the process, asking for one instrument at a time. No one else should be playing or testing their gear at this time, only the person being addressed by the engineer.

Most of the time, engineers will check in this order: drums, bass, guitar, keyboards or electronic samples, horns, lead vocals, backup vocals.

When your instrument is being checked, play a quick sample at the intended volume and test any gear that might increase that volume (pedals or effects). Usually, as each instrument is being checked, the engineer will ask which band members require it in their monitor – simply gesture whether you want it up, down, or not at all in your monitor. This is also the time to address any mixing requests for the house as well (e.g, we’d like stage right guitar louder in the mix).

After all of the individual channels are dialed in, you’ll be asked to play a song. Play one that incorporates all of your instruments and vocalists if possible, so that the engineer can get a good mix for the house. In fact, try to play the same song every time you soundcheck so that you can listen for consistency.

Band members can also walk through the front of the house (one at a time) or have a member of the road crew listen for any abnormalities or changes.

After the soundcheck, if you’re requested to move your gear (such as sliding it back to make room for the next band), try and mark the positions of amps and stands with brightly colored tape so that you can quickly re-set the stage.

After the soundcheck/show

If you have another act coming on after you, clear off your equipment as quickly as possible. Try and get the larger things out of the way, such as drums or amp stacks, so that the next band and can load their gear on stage. Tasks, such as breaking down drums, wrapping cables, putting things in cases, etc. should be done offstage. A quick tear down is a courtesy both to the act following you, the sound crew who needs to set up for the next band, and the promoter who is trying to run a show on time. Before the acts begins playing, do another quick walkthrough to make sure that you got everything.

If you don’t have another act following you, there isn’t as much of a rush to clear the stage but you should still ask the venue when they’d like you to tear down. The last thing that you want to do is to keep up any staff waiting to close and go home for the night.

Finally, be sure to thank the sound engineer. You might even consider tipping them or buying them a drink so that you can develop a good rapport.

If you want to be a professional musician, you have to learn how to deliver a professional experience. Everything from how you load in, how you soundcheck, to how you perform on stage is a part of the process. Not only will this help set you apart, but the venue staff and other artists will appreciate your efficiency as well!

Um Processo Sistemático Para Fazer O Booking De Sua Apresentação

A Systematic Approach To Booking

A guest post by Schwilly Family Musicians.

One of the most common topics I get asked questions about is booking. There are a lot of musicians out there that have spent countless hours honing their skills and writing their songs, but have no idea where to start when it comes to finding gigs. So I would like to take this opportunity to lay out a systematic approach that you can use to get your gigging circuit started.

There are a bazillion different types of gigs and venues. One could write an entire book about the intricacies and possibilities of booking. But what I want to do here is give you a template to follow so that you can get your feet wet and start getting your music heard. So let’s get started…

Finding a Venue

The obvious first step is to find an appropriate venue for your music. Finding venues is pretty easy. But finding the right venue to showcase you music takes a little more effort. So here are few ways to find your venue:

• Google & Yelp: Just make sure to use your genre as a keyword in your search so that your results show venues that will be compatible with your music.
• Local Weekly: You know, that free paper that lists all the local shows and venues.
• Other Bands: Find a band that is sonically compatible and check their schedule to see where they are playing.
• Indie On The Move: The single most comprehensive listing of venues I have ever found.

OK now that you have found the venues that you want to play, it’s time for Phase II…

Contacting The Venue

Although, you will ultimately need to do most correspondence through email, in my experience I have found that it is a good idea to make phone contact first. This gives you the opportunity to introduce yourself to the decision maker and make a good first impression. More importantly, they will be more likely to open your email if they are expecting it.

When it comes time to sent that email, keep it simple. In fact, here is a template that I recommend using:

Subject: [Your Band Name Here] seeking show for Nov, Dec, or Jan. (Pop Punk)

Body: Hello! We are [Your Band Name Here]. We’re looking to book a show for [List Dates].

We are a [Genre] band. We sound similar to <list similar bands that the booker would have heard of>.

Listen to our music and see our videos here: [Provide Link]

If the above dates aren’t available, we’d be open to playing other times if you need us. Please check our booking calendar for our availability: [Provide Link]

Thanks for your time,

Sometimes you will get a response right away with a confirmed date. More likely, though, you won’t hear back. That’s ok. Wait 2 weeks and repeat. Continue until booked.

If you get a “no”, that’s ok too. Wait 2 months and try again. There is a good chance that either the person in charge of booking or the style of the venue has changed. Plus you never know when the stars will align and you’ll send that message the day after another bands cancels on them. So keep trying.

If all else fails, go D.I.Y. Look into renting a venue and producing your own show. The venue possibilities are only limited by your imagination. Here are some examples:

Theatres (movie or otherwise), malls, skating rinks, churches, radio stations, parks, restaurants, art galleries, houses, frats, stores, conventions, fairs…

You get the point.

Or do a show online with Bandpage, StageIt, StreetJelly, Ustream, or Google Hangouts.

Remember, even if it’s an online performance or a segment on a radio show it still deserves a spot on your show caldendar.

The work doesn’t end once the gig is booked. Obviously you’d better get plenty of rehearsal. But other than that, don’t forget to promote your show!

Show Promotion           

Start as soon as the show is booked. Things will go much more smoothly.

Before you get started on promo you should put together a promo schedule. Use a spreadsheet & calendar to keep track of everything you do and when you do it. That way you can gauge the success of your efforts as well as be sure that you covered all your bases effectively.

You can use a tool like Hootsuite to schedule Tweets and Facebook posts to go out at regular intervals. One key thing to remember is not to overdo promo to your own list. Mix your posts up so you are not always selling. A good rule of thumb for social medial is to share 80% engaging and entertaining content and 20% promotions.

So here are my thoughts on a variety of promotion strategies:

Flyers: Clubs like them. There effectiveness for getting people to the show is questionable, but you at least get your name seen around town, which plants the seed. Make sure to shop around for flyer prices. Office Max & Office Depot are cheaper than FedEx and Kinko’s. But you probably have a local business in your area that specializes and could use your support. Always support local business when you can. If you do, they will return the favor.

Make Your Show an Event. Use Wikipedia to see what’s significant about the day of the show. Births, Deaths, historical Events, Current Events, New Music, New Merch, Raffles, Contests, Theme or Story (get in free if you dress like a zombie). It’s a great way to show off your creativity before people even hear your music!

Update ALL of your online calendars with Theme & Event title. These could include but are not limited to: your website, booking calendar, Facebook, ReverbNation, Google+, Songkick, BandsInTown, Local Papers, Magazines, Forums, Groups. ArtistData is a handy-dandy tool that will update all your band profiles at once for you.

Make a YouTube Video. Send out a personal invitation to your fans with a quick video to get them excited. 10-20 seconds in length is plenty. Make sure to include text with all the pertinent information. Especially if you mumble like I do.

Contact press: Don’t rely on the venue to do it for you. Make sure to let the community calendars, radio stations, local papers, and anyone else that posts this information in on it. They can’t share it if they don’t know about it.

Facebook Promo: Experiment with Facebook Ads. They are cheap so you don’t have to spend much. But if done properly they will be more effective than paper flyers. You may even want to experiment with running a contest.

At The Show

Your number one priority at the show is to play the best show of your life. Every show. No matter what distractions, disappointments, delays, or malfunctions may occur, once you get up on that stage you are living your dream. Enjoy it. And do it well so that you can continue to live your dream.

Make sure you have your email signup ready to go. Mingle with the fans after the show so that you can start to build the connections that will make your career rewarding and successful. Have business cards or download cards to pass out. Learn people’s names. And most importantly, BE POLITE to the sound guy, the venue staff, the fans, and everyone else that made it possible for you to have the spotlight.

The Next Day

The single worst thing you can do after the show is fail to follow up. Make sure you thank the venue and the fans for participating, share video and pics, update the event page and spreadseets. The review your notes. Figure out what worked and what didn’t so that you can leave a lasting impression and give everybody a reason to look forward to next time.

As Vendas De Música No Reino Unido Cresceram 1,5% Em Streaming E Vinil Teve Um Aumento Expressivo

U.K. Music Sales Grow 1.5 Percent In 2016 as Streaming, Vinyl See Massive Gains

Strong growth in streaming helped music sales in the U.K. increase by 1.5 percent in 2016, according to annual figures from labels trade body BPI.

A total of 123 million equivalent album units were streamed, purchased on physical format and downloaded by British music consumers last year, with the total volume of music sales across all formats equivalent to more than approximately £1 billion ($1.2 billion) in retail.

BPI notes that 2015 was a '53 week' chart year, with retailers benefitting from an extra week's trading. Applying a like-for-like sales metric over a 52 week period, the rise in music consumption would have been higher at around 4 percent.   

As to be expected, streaming was the main driver in fueling consumption, with 45 billion audio streams delivered in 2016 -- up 68 percent year-on-year and up 500 percent on just three years ago. That's equivalent to over 1,500 streams for each of the U.K.'s 27 million households. The number would also be far higher were video streams from platforms like YouTube included in Official Charts Company data.

December also saw British music fans listen to over 1 billion audio streams in a single week -- the first time that such a milestone has been crossed. Audio streaming now accounts for over a third (36 percent) of all U.K. music consumption.

"We believe this performance is indicative of the promise of a new era for music, where recorded music's investments in a digital future fuel compelling benefits for fans, artists and the entire music ecosystem," says BPI chief executive Geoff Taylor, noting the resilience of physical formats in the digital era, most notably vinyl.

In 2016 over 3.2 million vinyl albums were sold in the U.K., up 53 percent on 2015 and the highest annual total since 1991. While still very much a niche format, vinyl now accounts for nearly 5 percent of the U.K. albums market and 2.6 percent of its overall recorded music market. Significantly, over 30 titles sold more than 10,000 copies in 2016, compared to just 10 in 2015, with David Bowie's Blackstar the year's biggest selling 12", followed by Amy Winehouse's Back To Black and the soundtrack to Guardians Of The Galaxy.

CD sales fell by 11.7 percent in the same period, although still accounts for just over 40 percent of total music consumption throughout the U.K. with 47 million units sold in the calendar year.

"We've definitely entered a multi-channel era," says Vanessa Higgins, CEO of Regent Street and Gold Bar Records, and an independent label member of BPI Council, noting that the CD "remains popular both with upcoming artists, who need an attractive physical product, and consumers, who still like to gift, collect and own the recordings they love."

In line with previous years, download sales continued to fall and now account for just 22 percent of Brits' music consumption, with digital album sales and track equivalent albums totaling just under 28 million, down from 39 million the previous year.

Adele's 25 was the UK's best-selling artist album for the second year running and has now sold a total of 3.2 million copies in the singer's home country. Coldplay's A Head Full Of Dreams was the year's second biggest selling artist album, followed by the Michael Ball and Alfie Boe's duets collection Together, which was 2016's most purchased new artist release despite the fact that neither Ball or Boe (aged 54 and 43, respectively) are exactly what you would call ‘new' artists.   

Now 95 was the year's best-selling album title overall, with the Now compilation series occupying three spaces in 2016's top 5.

In the singles chart, Drake's "One Dance" featuring Wizkid and Kyla was the year's biggest selling release, beating Lukas Graham's "7 Years" and Sia's "Cheap Thrills" to the top spot.

"One Dance" was also the most streamed song in the U.K. in 2016, while Drake additionally topped the Official Charts Most Streamed Artist tally, ahead of Justin Bieber, Rihanna and Kanye West.

O que Será "Bacana" E O Que "Não Será Bacana" Em 2017

What's 'hot' and what's 'not' - 2017

Now that 2016 is finally over, it's time to start looking ahead to the coming year. 

If you're into tech, you may wondering: Is my hoverboard still cool? Are Snap's Spectacles worth buying? Is the Amazon Echo going to fade in popularity? 

 Below, we've compiled our predictions for what's "hot" and what's "not" in for 2017. 

Hot: Wireless headphones

Getty

With Apple's elimination of the headphone jack, wireless headphones became more crucial this year than every before. Thankfully, BI's Jeff Dunn has compiled a list of the best wireless headphones you can buy. 

Not: Wired headphones

Brad Barket/Getty Images

While some people are still hanging onto the hope that wired headphones will make a comeback or just flat-out refuse to make the switch, our cordless future is upon us. Don't worry: if you don't want to invest in a Bluetooth pair, this $20 device will do the job.

Hot: Spotify

Spotify CEO Daniel Ek.Andrew Burton/Getty

When it comes to music streaming services, Spotify reigns supreme — and it's not going anywhere in 2017. In fact, the startup is aiming to IPO in the second half of the year. In 2016, the Swedish company announced it had reached 100 million monthly active users and 40 million paid subscribers compared to Apple Music's 17 million. 

Not: Tidal

From left: Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Madonna, Deadmau5, Kanye West, and Jay Z, Tidal's owner.Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Roc Nation

It's been a tough year for Tidal. Most recently, musician Prince's estate announced it was suing the streaming service for copyright infringement. In September, documents revealed Tidal had lost $28 million last year and was accused of not paying its bills. Even owner Jay Z's friend Kanye West blames Tidal and its feud with Apple Music for "f--king up the music game."

Eu comecei a Tocar Piano Ao Meus 20 Anos - Um ano Depois Aqui Está o Meu Progresso! Video

I started learning piano in my twenties — one year on, here's how it went

First of all thanks to Rob Price for this article.

When I was about seven or eight, I went for a taster violin lesson at school. The idea was to get an idea for the instrument, and see if I wanted to learn properly. I enjoyed it — but the expected lessons never materialised.

A few years later, I asked my mother why: Apparently the tutor had refused to teach me.

It's fair to say that I am not a natural musician.

But at the start of 2016, I resolved to change that. I decided to learn the piano.

A year of immense frustrations, endless Philip Glass, and deep satisfaction later, here's how it went.

Why? I wanted to do something totally new

I'm 24 years old, I live in London, and I've gone through life without knowing the first thing about music. I love to listen to it — I've got a pretty big collection, and I go to gigs regularly. But how it's made has always been one great big opaque mystery to me.

Both of my brothers play — saxophone and guitar, respectively — but the extent of my musical education was tapping out basic beats on a glockenspiel and learning the first few bars of "Neighbours" on the piano at school. So why did I take the plunge now? Well, there were a few reasons:

• I wanted to challenge myself. 2016 was the start of my third year living in London. I'd settled into a routine, and wanted to add some variety to my life — and something that would push me in a new direction.
• I wanted to do something totally new. Learning music for the first time isn't like taking up a new team ball-sport, or an unusual arts-and-crafts activity. Music is an entirely new category of human endeavour I have never meaningfully engaged in before. That makes it pretty exciting — and intimidating.
• I love music. Pretty self-explanatory. I hoped that learning an instrument for the first time would enrich my appreciation of the artform.

I also set myself a few goals — some strict, and some more nebulous.

• Pass my Grade 1 piano exam by the end of 2016. If you're not familiar with the system, you can take exams as you learn instruments, from Grade 1 through to Grade 8. A clear target of reaching Grade 1 by the end of the year would give me something to work towards, a way to measure my success or failure.
• Improve my knowledge of classical music. I had no strict timeframe for this, or a set point when it would be "completed." But I've never known my Bach from my Beethoven, and I wanted to change that.
• Learn "Metamorphosis II," by Philip Glass. This was a longer-term goal, beyond 2016 — it's a beautiful, flowing, and technically tricky bit of music that I wanted to work towards as I got better.

How did it go? The short version is that it was fantastic — I'm extremely glad I did it, and I'd strongly urge to anyone thinking about taking up an instrument to do it, whatever your age.

It wasn't all plain sailing, however.

Learning something new is a lesson in humility and patience

Note: The following sections go into some detail on what and how I learned. If you just want to know whether I passed the exam or not, skip down to the "arcane mystery" section below.

Let me make this clear: Piano is hard. Really hard. It requires you to think in a way you've never done before, juggling a thousand balls simultaneously. Interpret the music. Keep the tempo. Vary the volume. Move both hands independently of one-another. Make sure it all actually sounds good.

You know that brain-straining feeling when you try and multiply three three-digit numbers together? That's what it felt like to be interpreting and playing music on the fly.

To learn, I bought myself a new Yamaha P45 electric piano to learn on. (It goes for £350 in the UK, and $400 in the US.) I needed something with a full 88-key keyboard (like a traditional acoustic piano), touch-sensitive weighted keys (so it actually sounds and feels like a piano), and I didn't care about fancy voices and modes.

I also decided when I began that I was prepared to invest real time and money into this, and pay for a tutor to give me lessons on a (near-)weekly basis. This obviously isn't an option for everyone. But having a tutor means you get expert guidance and avoid learning bad habits — and I'm very glad I did it. For me at least, learning independently would have been far more difficult and infuriating. If you care about something, invest in it.

Though I had committed to learning piano by the end of 2015, an accident involving a very sharp knife and my thumb meant I was only in a position to buy the piano and start learning at the end of January 2016. For the first week or two, I tried learning using Yousician, a freemium app that can teach you piano and other instruments. It was better than nothing — but it was also limited, and I quickly began looking for a human tutor.

My first songs were simple, five-note affairs: "When The Saints Go Marching In" was a particular favourite. But an early frustration was the basic-ness of the stuff I was playing, often simplified versions of popular songs. I wanted to be better than I was. I wanted to play stuff I wasn't capable of.

In that sense, it was a lesson in patience and humility. It's increasingly rare that I go into something completely blind, starting from first principles. You gravitate towards fields and pursuits you're good at, and away from those you're not. Learning piano forced me to face my ineptitude head on, and try to change it.

Slowly and surely, I improved — and it made a world of difference when I could begin playing stuff that didn't feel dumbed-down. John Cage's "In A Landscape" is haunting, and relatively technically simple. And Philip Glass's Metamorphosis II is actually very manageable, before the rapid-fire arpeggios begin. Without a doubt I've played it more than anything else in my repertoire — to my flatmates' resigned amusement.

Can you hear the mistake? Here's a live version of the full song. The finger-melting arpeggios start around the two-minute-thirty mark.

I expect I could have progressed faster had I applied myself more. Lessons, nominally once a week, sometimes happened much less frequently, and I had a gap of a month or two during the summer when I didn't play at all.

But in the early Autumn, I agreed to try for Grade 1 before the end of the year — and that's when it got frantic.

I forgot how much I hate exams

Having a play on the piano at my parents' house. Rob Price/BI

Exams! Studying! Tests! Revising! I thought I'd left this all behind when I left university.

Music exams are set and administered by external exam board organisations (I went with ABRSM). It involved learning and performing three pieces from a selection available, memorising scales and broken chords, doing sight-reading, and an aural test (listening to music, identifying traits, and singing it back as an "echo.")

In short, it aims to test the full range of skills required for you to be considered "good" at playing a given instrument.

It's all scored out of 150. You need 100 or more to pass, with 120 to 130 considered a "merit," and 130 above classified as a "distinction," the highest grade. The lion's share of the marks come from the three prepared pieces, worth up to 30 each, with the other three around 20 each.

After agreeing to take the test, I quickly realised I was nowhere near ready. My tutor must've rescheduled it at least half a dozen times to give give me more time to prepare, and I was practicing morning-and-evening by the end to try and get up to speed.

I ended up taking it in the first week of December — the last week available to do it before Christmas. I turned up with only minutes before it began, butchered the sight-reading, and actually felt my hands shaking at one point while performing. Not a great experience.

So, how did I do?

The Lincolnshire Poacher, above, was one of my exam pieces. Playing from memory without the sheet music in front of me, I'm wobbly on one or two bits.

Music is an arcane mystery I wanted to unravel

Part of the allure of learning music for me was the arcane mystery of it all. From the outside, the rules of music bear to no discernible relation to the "real" world. It has no clear grounding in scientific thought. Why are there only seven notes? Why is it written the way it is? Why do some notes have sharps or flats, and others don't? Why are some combinations of notes good, and others bad? Why is everything in Italian?

And yet somehow, it all comes together, like nothing else on earth. Like magic.

However I did in the exam, I knew that I'd made a little progress down this new road. I had learned the basics of a beautiful alchemy, of organic aural creation.

At least, that's what I told myself as I anxiously waited for my tutor to get back to me with the results.

After two long weeks of waiting, I finally got a text on Wednesday December 21, 2016. I passed!

In the end I did rather better than I thought would be, scoring 126, a merit. Even my sight-reading — which I had thought was diabolical, out-of-time, and incorrect — scored 16/21.

Na Krmitku, by Czech composer Petr Eben. This was my best exam piece — I scored 28/30.

I've got a long way to go — but I'm proud of what I achieved

All my life, I've loved drawing and painting. As such, I'm pretty good at it, and it rarely feels difficult. While I'm sure I struggled with it in the past, because I have two decades of experience to fall back on — much of it as a child — I can now produce relatively sophisticated pictures fairly easily. I don't really remember being "bad" at art.

Piano is not like that. I have to work at it constantly. I remember clearly when I sat in front of the keyboard, barely able to create a simple melody. Every plodding step and slow improvement I make, I have earned. And that makes it all the more satisfying.

Sure, I've got a long way to go until I'm as good as I want to be. Grade 1 is an exam more commonly associated with eight-year-olds than grown men. My rendition of "Metamorphosis II" is incomplete, and my education in classical music is still largely restricted to composers I have direct experience playing.

But I'm proud of what I accomplished, and I'd recommend it to anyone, regardless of age or ability. Take the plunge, you won't regret it.