Why does Brave Sound exist?
“… You can’t record music once every three to four years and think that’s going to be enough. The artists today that are making it realize that it’s about creating a continuous engagement with their fans.”
Daniel Ek, CEO of Spotify
The above quote caused an uproar amongst musicians. People painted Ek has a cold, capitalist CEO who doesn’t understand the War of Art…
While Spotify and streaming certainly have their issues, the above quote is an undeniable truth of our modern world that artists can get with or get left behind. I would even argue that it’s always been true. In the past, a tiny minority of independent artists were fortunate enough to work with record labels who provided all the resources to accomplish this. Today, record labels revenues have been slashed and the artist, themselves, are expected to self-manage. It’s a massive shift that has many musicians’ heads spinning but with the power of media and the internet at your disposal, building a personal brand, reaching fans, and getting heard is actually easier than it’s ever been.
Our mission is to preserve, give platform to, and foster community around wonderful NYC musicians.
Outwardly facing, we are a digital venue for wonderful NYC musicians. We curate artists to present through our YouTube channel, Live Stream Store, and Podcast. We do this to promote our favorite artists and to help them reach new audiences.
Behind the scenes however, we are a music studio. A proudly, unpretentious music studio actually loves your music and wants people to hear it. What a concept right?
We take pride in the face that we don’t have $20K vintage mics and vintage consoles that constantly need repair. If we did, then you couldn’t afford us!
We know that modern musicians need content (and a lot of it). So come by Monday to record an Instagram clip, then Thursday for a Facebook Live, and then have us come record the gig on Saturday.
To inquire about recording in our studio, please see our Services page.
Who is Brave Sound?
Austin Zhang
Zhang started out listening to Dexter Gordon while mowing lawns and playing Deep Ellum bars by night. He left his Texas hometown to study at the Manhattan School of Music where he met his mentors: Jaleel Shaw, Stefon Harris, John Riley, and Wynton Marsalis. Since then he’s been able to share the stage with giants of this music: Terri Lyne Carrington, Wycliffe Gordon, Lynn Seaton, and others. In 2019, Zhang immersed himself into music technology and co-founded Brave Sound Productions. Further information here.
