Whether you’re a performer, songwriter, DJ, singer, or band, music marketing is essential if you want to successfully sell your music, engage your fans, and hold concerts.
It has never been easier for musicians to promote their work with new technologies that influence the industry. Yet, the challenge of selling and getting credit for their creative work is still facing musicians. Gone are the days when we’d go down to the record store to buy our favorite singer’s latest album. Now we subscribe to music streaming services and watch music videos on YouTube. How can musicians make money in this saturated and ever-changing market?
If you are starting your career or are an experienced professional, there are many ways to promote yourself as a musician without hiring a manager or marketing agency.
Denny Strickland, a singer and songwriter who has amassed real success in recent years with his music talks about the keys of music promotion using his own experience. His collaboration with the rapper Juicy J. offered him a breakthrough, and now he is steadily becoming of the top-tier artists of recent times.
In fact, Strickland is set to release a full feature album soon. With that being said, here are some of his tips on creating a music marketing plan today:
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Create a brand
You are a musician, but also a business. This means that you need to create a strong brand to stand out from the crowd.
What does that mean? Imagine a famous singer, you know, like Beyoncé. What is the first thing that comes to mind? Maybe words like “extraordinary singer,” but also “powerful,” “empowered,” “Queen Bey.” All these elements add up to be part of a mental image or brand. Think about how your brand should be from the beginning. It will become a part of every content you create, and it should be consistent across platforms and promotions.
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Start a website
Likewise, some wonderful platforms like Squarespace, WIX, and Shopify provide customizable templates to help you create your music marketing website. You must use your website to sell your music and feature it on the home page.
Your website will also serve as a place for your fans to see your upcoming shows and buy tickets. Even if you don’t have concerts in sight, your music website should contain your details or a contact form so that clients can easily book you for a private event.
Make sure to consider your brand when creating your website and include your logo, fonts, colors, and related images.
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Enter social networks
Cross-post
Create Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube accounts. It may seem like a lot to manage, but you can repurpose and publish the same content on multiple platforms using scheduling tools like Coshedule or Hootsuite. You can create a music video for YouTube, cut it out, post a 5-10 second trailer to Instagram and Facebook, and tweet about your new release on Twitter with the link.
Create a fan base
If you’re concerned about growing your audience from scratch, one trick you can try is to transform your existing personal accounts into your brand account. That way, you will keep all of your existing followers. This works on most platforms, except Facebook, due to their strict business page policies. Make sure what you post is about the brand. Change the image of your profile to your logo and update the bio section that describes your music and what you are doing. Don’t forget to include #hashtags and relevant emojis.
Capture your fans
Before looking for fresh ones, earn back existing fans. Whether you’ve got five followers or 500, first make them your biggest fans. Ask them to participate. Try the option to “ask a question” of Instagram in your story to get your fans’ opinion when naming your songs, for example.
Promote your music
You can promote your next show or album by running contests to win tickets or a free signed merchandise pack. Try live streaming some pre-show scenes to build buzz.
Paid advertising is another profitable way to promote your music. For as little as $ 10, you can increase your posts on Facebook or Instagram to get them to the right audience. Target your campaigns to people who are already interested in your gender.
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Post on music sharing platforms
In addition to social networks, you must have a presence on music sharing platforms such as Spotify or Soundcloud. These platforms are great not only for promoting and selling your music, but you can also get feedback and see how your fans react to your songs.
Before choosing a platform, think about which one suits your genre and where your fans might be. For example, if you make electronic or house music, the most suitable platform would be Soundcloud. Also, consider the characteristics and price of each platform before deciding.
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Document everything
Today, video marketing is everything. We are obsessed with finding out more about you as an artist, and there is no better way to share that information with your fans than through a vlog. It can be a mix of non-musical and musical content. You have to document each step of your journey with a video recording.
