The Top 7 Music Marketing Strategies for Aspiring Artists

Table of Contents

• How to Market Music Organically
• Social Media Music Marketing Strategies
• 7 Music Marketing Strategies

With the tens of thousands of new music albums being released every day, it has never been so difficult for an artist to put their craft out in the world. If you are serious about getting heard or want to create a fan base that believes in you, then music marketing is not an option anymore; instead, it’s a necessity. 

Marketing is everything in this digital world, especially if you dream of becoming a successful musician in this notoriously tricky industry. It’s not always the best albums that receive the fame, but rather those songs that have been diligently and creatively marketed. We are not asking you to shift your focus to marketing instead of creating wonderful art, but your music couldn’t find the audience it is meant for.

Source

The digital world has been the noisiest that it has ever been. And if you are trying to make yourself heard through the chaos, continue reading. 

How to Market Music Organically

Marketing is all about sharing your craft with the larger world. It comprises advertising, public relations, branding, social media, and other tactics. However, if you do not have money to spend on these marketing techniques, it might be challenging to find your audience. But, wait! We didn’t say it’s impossible either.

Social media channels can be the best medium to market yourself. All you need to be is funny, visually appealing, vulnerable, and outrageous at the same time. You can create engaging content and post them on different platforms. There is a bevy of music promotion strategies that you can use irrespective of money constraints. We are not saying that success is guaranteed with these strategies, for you are competing with billions of people from across the globe. But that doesn’t mean you lose all hope and don’t try.

Your social media content and piece of music are just a part of the thousands of things that just one person can find to see in a day. And, you need to stand out from that crowd; how? Here are a few tips, just for you!

Social Media Music Marketing Strategies

• Have a coherent, attractive, and active presence on social media channels.
• You don’t need to be everywhere. Choose your social channels wisely to match your skills and requirements.  
• Use your social presence to have direct conversations with your followers about everything that revolves around music and build a fantastic community around your craft.

Source

• Creating behind-the-scenes videos, theme-based posts, and non-music content to let your audience peep into your world is one of the strategies to keep your audience hooked.  
• Share upcoming tour dates with your audience to promote your music albums.
• You can also do live performances, organize collaborations, film music videos, etc.
• Paid ads are one of the music marketing ideas that can help you find your audience (but they are not free!).   

This digital world changes fast. And that’s why you need to keep your hands on the pulse of marketing trends. Great marketing is all about making everything exciting through storytelling and building traction over time, and it’s not going to be easy. To get your album to reach out to the right audience, generate momentum, and steady growth, you need to find ways to promote your music strategically. Besides the strategies mentioned above, we advise you to start with one or two strategies mentioned below that can help you get heard. Let’s uncover them.     

7 Music Marketing Strategies

1. Build a website 

If you want to market yourself, creating a website is non-negotiable. Your music website is your portfolio. It is a one-stop shop for everything that you are. If your audience wants to know your tour dates, attend your shows, and buy your merchandise, your website can be the first portal. 

Source 

Now, as you create your website, do ensure it comprises the following sections to make it easier for your audience to find the correct details:

• Tour dates
• Social media links
• A news hub
• Music playlist
• Merchandise store
• Contact details
• Your biography
• Newsletter sign up

2. Make an electronic press kit. 

An electronic press kit is an essential tool for artists and musicians to promote their craft. It comprises all the necessary elements that help people know about your career, music projects, and your entire universe in a better way. 

Source

Being an artist, you might not need it, but you need media by your side to create a buzz around your acts. You can send this kit to publications, playlist curators, bloggers, events, venues, and more. You may also incorporate an electronic press kit on your website to let everyone have easy access. Do ensure, like your website, it consists of the following:

• Your bio
• Your music
• Your videos
• Promo photos
• Social media links
• Press cuttings
• Contact details

3. Get on Spotify 

If you want to know how to promote your music, ignoring Spotify is like a deliberate act to lose a chance to get heard. And, you don’t want that, right? 

Source 

Spotify is one such platform where you can see who is listening to you, where your audience is from, and even browse through their playlists. Isn’t that interesting? Moreover, this platform allows you to pitch your releases and upload your albums directly to your audiences’ playlists. Voila!   

4. Pitch your music 

This music marketing strategy goes without saying. If you want to get heard, then pitching your music to blogs, playlists, and press outlets must be a part of the game. Get this right, and it can be a game-changer for your music career. As we have mentioned earlier, Spotify is one such platform that allows you to pitch your music directly to your audience. 

Source

Nonetheless, whether you are promoting your content on Spotify, YouTube, SoundCloud, or Apple Music, you need to maintain a digital presence as you do on Instagram and other social media pages.

5. Collaborate with brands and artists 

In this digital world, you have an opportunity to connect with people who would not have otherwise heard about you. If you are one of those people who prefer to pave their own way, we want to tell you that there is no other better way than collaborating with other artists and exchanging followers to achieve a wider reach. All you need is to adopt a networking mindset, and it can be one of the best music marketing strategies to help you accomplish your goals.

6. Start an email marketing campaign. 

Do not underestimate an email marketing campaign. You might think that it has no role to play in the music industry, so let us help you understand. 

Email marketing can help you raise your profile, build a community, and make money from your songs and albums. Statistics have shown that the average open rate for emails from the music industry is higher than in other industries. Do you know what it means? If you send an email to someone, they might sign up for your newsletter, join your social media links, and become your loyal follower.  

7. Launch a PR or radio campaign 

This music marketing strategy is for people who have money to invest in music promotions. You may hire someone to push your music to blogs, radios, playlists, and press outlets, but after spending considerable money. The amount of money you need to spend on these campaigns depends on the scale and scope of the intended campaign. However, let us clarify that it does not guarantee that your album will be a success.          

Source

The Final Word

If you are an independent artist, there are numerous ways to carve your own space in the music industry and make an impact. However, most artists ignore one of the most significant parts of reaching out to their audience, i.e., music marketing. 

With the sheer volume of songs and albums being released each day, the probability of you finding the right audience depends on how well your music is marketed. Of course, we don’t want you to become a marketer and not hone your creative skills. But, you can always start small so that you do not get lost in the digital ocean that this world is now. You can work on your website and network with people through social media and let things gradually fall in place.       

Key Takeaways

1. While creating an electronic press kit, do include a promotional video. If you have a video that perfectly captures your live shows, it is easier to fetch live gigs at festivals and other events.
2. If any press article has been published about you in the last 365 days, mention that. It is the best way to show that other professionals in the industry have already validated your project.
3. Although Instagram and YouTube are great platforms to upload music videos, Facebook and Twitter can be equally beneficial to help you fetch audiences to your music concert.
4. Share your music via smart links that can bring everything together for your audience. It makes it easier for your audience to learn about you and your projects.
5. Don’t judge yourself before sharing non-musical content. You can be serious about your music, but you don’t need to be serious as a person. Sharing non-musical content helps people know you better, which can somehow get what you have been seeking so far.  

FAQs