Superstar DJ. Gifted producer. And now… motivational presenter. As if Hardwell wasn’t busy enough, the world renowned DJ and producer recently gave a presentation at the The Next Web’s TNW Conference, known for its focus on innovative technology.
In his presentation, Hardwell explained how technology helped blossom his career over the years. He went through a series of tips that explained how various media and social platforms allowed him to gain so much exposure and how people like us can benefit from them.
Here are some key takeaways that we found to be particularly interesting from his talk:
First, Hardwell began his presentation by shedding some light on his passion for DJing. He explained how this passion allowed him to never really work as a DJ. This passion led Hardwell to search for effective ways to promote and expose his music.
From the early 2000s through today, Hardwell has used technology platforms to promote his passion-driven music. He first started creating free content for people to listen to. He would post his music on Limewire and sites of that nature until he turned 18 and eventually began making CD compilations.
Then, from 2006-2009, Hardwell went into mass distribution. This included sending his music to radio stations, outlet stores, TV ads and creating his own YouTube channel (which now has almost 4 million subscribers).
One extremely effective promotion tool Hardwell talked about were download gates that he began using eight or nine years ago. He explained that in order to download a free song, you would have to like his Facebook page, tweet at him or like his Soundcloud page. I, for one, have done this many times with many different artists – after all, what’s better than free music?
And finally, he talked about creating his own platform and being the first to use new technological innovations. He started Revealed Recordings and Hardwell On Air to promote both his music and music from other artists. He was also one of the originators of live streaming sets and posting recorded live sets online.
It definitely seems as though Hardwell thinks outside the box, and he has proven to be quite effective at it. Listening to him explain how he used technology to connect with his fans and promote himself was enlightening to say the least.
You can watch Hardwell’s entire TNW Conference presentation below. Try to use some of what he says in your own world moving forward!
