This week's question from our Q&A portal "Francis Freedom Fighters: Ask Roxie + Lucas" comes from several people this week who’ve asked us the same Q, so we had to answer!

“I have multiple genres of music that I LOVE! And I can sing and songwrite in all of them! How do I find my unique sound and style? Should I stick to one genre, or can I do all of them? I’ve heard about finding my microgenre, but what exactly is this? I’m so confused!”

If you want to become a great artist and have a lasting music career, you’ve got to know who you are and what microgenre of music you’re creating in.

No amount of vocal exercises will find your unique voice and style, but asking yourself the right questions will. Asking the right questions will set your voice free.

The commercial music industry is saturated and it can seem like there’s too much competition and no way you can possibly compete, right?

We’re here to tell you that you’re actually wrong about the success you can achieve right now.

Remember this, your microgenre = MEGAFANS.

There are 1000+ booming microgenres out there; where do you fit in?

The truth is that with the last decade of streaming platforms like Spotify + YouTube, microgenres have exploded as independent artists have taken their unique sound in their own hands and built a raving niche fanbase and subculture around their music.

Here’s an analogy of a microgenre in the dating world:

Dating > Dating For Women > Dating For Women Over 50 > Dating For Women Over 50 Who Want To Date Younger Men

Here’s some musical examples:

Soul > Soul/R&B > Neo-Soul/R&B > Retro Hip-Hop Neo-Soul/R&B

Pop > Electronic Pop > Indie Electronic Pop > Chillwave Indie Electronic Pop

The more you nail your microniche, the more you’ll attract MEGAFANS that LOVE your branded sound.

There are no rules or limits to the genres you can blend. Except 1:

Your microgenre must be authentic and true to your voice, personality and style. Because no one sounds like you and that is your gift!

If you try to make yourself sound like anyone other than yourself, you’re short-changing your unique strengths, gifts and talents from shining through!

It’s your authenticity that will have you standing out from the crowd!

So if you want a piece of the pie you simply have to be a big fish in a smaller pond where there’s much less competition so you can stand out and dominate!

You don’t need millions of fans! Your microgenre = MEGAFANS!

And you only need a few hundred megafans to build a successful career!

So what’s YOUR microgenre? Let’s find out!

Here are some of the crucial questions we dive deeper into at the event.

Q: What is your unique identity? Your one-of-a-kind freak flag? What do you love about your voice, music and/or your personality?What’s your WOW factor?

Q: What is the difference between your primary and secondary genre and what purpose does your third genre serve? Which microgenre lights you up the most?

Q: Who are you soul-singers? Which singers do you consider to be your kindred spirits? Knowing the answer to this question will really help you know your voice and determine how you approach marketing to your fanbase!

Know that there is already a Frank Ocean. There was already a Frank Sinatra. But there isn’t a you! You are going to sound glorious when you get this, when you love your voice and start giving yourself permission to sound like you!

Believe in the power of your unique voice and microgenre, and keep following your heart!

If you’d like to submit a question, email us at info@iheartmyvoice.com.

Your Microgenre = MEGAFANS