Writing and playing songs is a fine means of self-expression. But if you want an audience larger than the familiar looking person in your bedroom mirror to hear them, at some point your songs need to leave your clutches behind. It’s not called a “release” for nothing!

Once you release your songs, your audience will have a reaction. If it’s a live performance, the initial reaction will be immediate—whether it’s the wildest applause or that awful, awkward silence with the odd embarrassed cough. But if it’s…