If you’re a guitar player, try experimenting with how tightly you hold your guitar pick. Squeezing it tightly can make you sound much brighter and will help you stand out if you’re playing with a group.
In contrast, the lighter you hold your pick, the smoother you will sound, and you’ll start falling into the background with other players.
This has nothing to do with how hard you strum, but how tightly you hold your pick. Use this to your advantage the next time you play to “self-mix” the way you sound!