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By the end of the second week of my journey, I felt like I was really starting to make strides toward building something meaningful with my music. The momentum I built in week one felt exciting, and I knew I had to keep that energy going. As I reflected on the progress I had made so far, I realized that the foundation I was creating for my music, my brand, and my business was starting to take shape.

 

One of the main areas I focused on during week two was refining the vision for my music website. I knew it had to be a place where my listeners could connect with my sound, get to know my musical influences, and discover more about my journey as an artist. I had already selected a web host and template, but now it was time to customize it in a way that reflected my unique voice and brand.

 

I wanted the site to emphasize my love for jazz, blues, and Latin lounge music while also celebrating my original works. I focused on making the design elegant but not overdone. The clean, vintage-inspired aesthetic I had in mind for the site was important because it tied into my music’s roots in the Golden Era of jazz, which has such a timeless and soulful appeal. At the same time, I made sure that everything on the site was easy to navigate. The last thing I wanted was for my visitors to feel lost or overwhelmed. I wanted them to find everything they needed—whether it was a link to my music, a glimpse into my personal story, or a place to buy merchandise—quickly and easily.

 

It was also important for me to establish a solid identity on the site. While I had introduced my artist name, SoulePhix, and discussed my music on my Facebook page, my website allowed me to go deeper. I worked on crafting a description of my sound that would resonate with my audience while reflecting my personality. I explained how my music blends jazz, blues, and Latin influences to create a soulful experience. I also added personal touches about my love for the classic jazz era and my commitment to writing original music that speaks to timeless emotions. It was important for me to make it clear that my focus was on creating quality, meaningful music—whether I was singing a jazz standard or sharing an original composition.

 

As I continued to tweak the website’s design and content, I started thinking about the next phase of my business: getting my music out there to more listeners. I already had some songs available for streaming through platforms like Spotify, Tidal, and Apple Music, but I wanted to take it further. I knew I had to make more of an effort to engage with my audience on those platforms. I realized that building a deeper connection with my fans wasn’t just about posting on social media—it was also about ensuring that my music was accessible and easy for people to find.

 

One of my goals was to get my music featured in playlists. I'd created playlists for my own listening pleasure but I'd never put together any sort of playlist with my own work.  I’d seen how powerful playlists could be in helping new artists gain visibility. So, I created three different playlist sets.  The first was a playlist dedicated to classic jazz standards which incorporated other prominent perforners in the genre.  I did the same with my blues material.  The last playlist was dedicated entirely to my own body of works, which I called the "SoulePhix Spotlight" playlist.   I also made sure my new music playlists were available on all major platforms, so no matter where my listeners discovered me, they would have easy access to my work.

 

At the same time, I began planning how to promote my music more effectively. I wasn’t performing live, so I had to rely on other methods to get my music heard. That’s when I began looking into ways to use Facebook advertising to target potential fans using shorts along with utilizing Instagram reels.  I set up my first marketing campaign, targeting people who were interested in jazz, blues, and Latin music. I created an ad with a short video featuring snippets from one of my original songs, hoping to draw people in and encourage them to check out my full catalog on Spotify and Tidal.  My first short, honestly, was not so great but my second one was better, the third better still!

 

I also spent time thinking about the long-term vision for my music publishing business, Cinco Verde Publishing LLC. My ultimate goal was not just to release music, but to build a brand that could support a range of creative projects. One of the things I had been thinking about was expanding my merchandise offerings. In addition to physical albums, I started brainstorming ideas for lyric books and creating sheet music for my original works. I had always wanted to see my songs in sheet music form and tell the stories behind my songs and a lyric book would be a perfect way to do that. It would also serve as an additional income stream. I spent a little time outlining how I could make this dream a reality. I knew I needed to figure out how to create and print the books, as well as how to market them effectively alongside my music.

 

Throughout this week, I also reflected on my overall marketing strategy. I wanted to ensure that everything I did—whether it was creating social media content, launching an ad campaign, or planning merchandise—aligned with my brand. I spent some time revisiting the vision I had for SoulePhix: an artist who blends classic jazz with modern influences, delivering songs that speak to both timeless emotions and contemporary sensibilities. I realized that this was something I could lean into more in my branding efforts, as well. Whether I was promoting my music on social media or writing content for my website, I had to make sure everything reflected that vision.

 

Looking back on this week, I’m proud of the progress I made. It wasn’t always easy, but the work I put in laid a stronger foundation for my music career. I had designed a website that truly reflected who I was as an artist, created specific playlists to increase my exposure and even started thinking about long-term projects like lyric books and vinyl LP's to complement my music. There was still a lot of work to be done, but I felt more confident in the direction I was heading. This week was all about taking the first steps toward solidifying my brand and making sure my music reached the right people.