The music industry is competitive. And while some artists may be happy to be heard, the best and most successful artists will do anything they can to get their music in front of as many people as possible. As a result, there are many different ways to market your music, some more effective than others.Â
So, as an artist, you're always looking for new ways to promote your music. But, unfortunately, traditional marketing methods like radio play and TV appearances usually require an upfront investment of anywhere between $2,000-$25,000 just to get your foot in the door! And that's just for one song! But what if I told you there was a way to get all the benefits of traditional marketing methods with none of the costs?Â
IntroductionÂ
The answer to marketing and promoting your music is to do it cost-effectively and efficiently. Larger companies like Universal Music Group spend millions of dollars every year on advertising for their artists. However, this does not mean that you cannot compete with them or other big companies to promote your music. Here are some tips that will help you market your music without breaking the bank.Â
Understanding the goal of your music marketing campaign!Â
The goal of a music marketing campaign can be to sell a product, build buzz, increase awareness, or do any other number of things. It's easy to see that the most successful campaigns have a clear goal from the start and keep it in mind as they put together their strategy.Â
If you don't have your end goals clearly defined before creating your music marketing campaign, you might get lost along the way. Knowing where you want to go will help you stay on track throughout your music marketing strategy.Â
There are many goals that music marketers might be trying to achieve, including:Â
- Building buzz about your music before an album releaseÂ
- Generating sales for your new albumÂ
- Producing collaborations with other artistsÂ
Now give your goals some thought.Â
Finding your audience/customers or potential clients for your music!Â
What is your music genre? What kind of people are listening to this? Are they on social media sites, forums, etc.? If you don't know anything about your target audience, go find them!Â
The idea of finding your audience or customers is a widespread one in the music business. But, unfortunately, it's also one that confuses many musicians, often with dire consequences. The fact is, you can't just put out any kind of music and expect to find fans for it.Â
You have to look for your niche - who is your potential audience? Begin by looking at the demographics of the artists who are most popular in your genre(s). You can do this by Googling "top 100 ____" (fill in the blank with country/genre). Then, check out their profiles on social media.Â
Traditional marketing methods (radio, tv, etc.) are still very effective in the world of music!Â
A growing number of online music artists are making their living selling songs on iTunes, Spotify, etc. But most of them are not earning much money doing it. So if you want to succeed in this business model, you need to understand how the traditional way of marketing works in the music industry.Â
Three things that work well in the music industry are concerts, merchandise sales, and sponsorships. Concerts make up a large part of the total revenue for musicians because they can sell tickets at a high price. Â
Radio and TV are still popular, but that doesn't mean they work for everyone!Â
Here are some pros and cons of traditional media promotion:Â
Radio Pros:Â Â
Broadcast reaches millions of listeners at once; a chance to get on iTunes chart; a great way to get discovered by other artists
Radio Cons:
In the past, radio provided a good return on investment for an artist. Yet, as more people have access to the internet and stream music for free, radio has lost its effectiveness as a marketing tool.Â
TV Pros:Â
Tv is one of the most powerful mediums to promote your music. It reaches people in the comfort of their homes. It has a larger audience than radio because you can reach older adults who don't listen to the radio anymore.Â
TV programs are also top-rated among children, teenagers, and young adults. This is important since these are the ages that first start paying attention to new artists.Â
Your music will be heard by millions of people.Â
You'll get great exposure. If you have a killer song that everyone loves, it's going to spread around social media like wildfire when it's played on TV. If someone comes across the video online, they might check out other songs or videos from you on YouTube or Facebook. It's also likely that their friends will see the video and share it with their friends.Â
TV Cons:Â
Firstly, the audience is limited to people who are watching TV at that time. Secondly, there is a lack of control over how you will be represented on the TV because you often have little to no say in how the broadcast will be.Â
Digital marketing methods (social media, video marketing, etc.) Social media is powerful, but it's not everything! Â
Digital marketing is the process of using web and internet-connected services (e.g., mobile devices, apps, blogs, social networks) to promote your products and/or services.Â
Music marketing has changed a lot in recent years. In the past, new releases would be heavily promoted on TV and radio stations, with an expectation of big sales for those who heard them. Today, people listen to music on Spotify or Pandora. So how do artists market themselves today?Â
How to Create an Engaging Social media Profile?Â
Social media is a pretty big deal. It's the future of marketing and how we get our content, so social media is the only way to go if you want to be an artist or get your work out there.Â
Create an engaging bio. Make sure to use keywords like genre, location, etc. It should inform potential fans about who you are and what they can expect from your songs.Â
So what can you do to attract people to your social media profile? Instagram has its own set of guidelines that you should follow when creating a profile:Â Â
- include a profile photo and bio,Â
- use hashtags and Â
- post regularly and share often. Â
These three tips will help you grow your following on Instagram. It will also work on your other profiles like Facebook and Twitter.Â
What Do I Post and What Should I Avoid?Â
The following are some tips on what to post and what not to post on Facebook to promote your art.Â
- Post content that you have created or related to your art, but avoid posting your artwork directly.Â
- Post at least once a day, if possible.Â
- Focus on engaging visuals, including live performance photos, album art, and thumbnails. Be sure to include plenty of pictures that represent your genre. For example, if you're a rock band, pictures of guitars will grab attention more than pictures of flowers.Â
- Engage with your audience by responding to their comments and posts.Â
- Promote other artists' work by liking their posts or making comments about them in the comment section of their postsÂ
Your website (your online home) is essential! Â
Music is abstract art. There are different ways to express it. There are different genres, etc. One thing that can be said about all music is that it needs an outlet. If you are a musician, your website will be where you write about yourself and your music. Here fans can find your tour dates and buy tickets for them. It gives them a place to listen to your songs on repeat while they hold their phones or laptops in their hand. They can get more of what you have to offer if they enjoy themselves enough with the little bit of content on your site.Â
How do you build a website that is successful for your music career? The first step is to make sure you have a professional-looking site. It doesn't need to be huge, but it needs to look good.Â
The second thing you should do is add information about yourself and your music. Put up your bio, show pictures of yourself, including some video clips of you in concert or with other artists. Be sure to give details about upcoming appearances and gigs coming up soon. If at all possible, put up some samples of your music so potential fans can preview what they can buy or listen to on the streaming platformsÂ
So a website is vital for a musician because it provides:Â
- updates on their music, Â
- allows them to promote themselves, Â
- and draws in fans with multimedia content.Â
Music is a "word-of-mouth" business, so start with yourself! Â
Music is a word-of-mouth business. If we were to break down the critical components of our marketing, we would start with ourselves. We all know that music has the power to change moods and evoke emotions. We also know that music can create an energetic vibe or a relaxing environment depending on what one wants to achieve. All that said, how do we as musicians utilize this power?Â
Starting with ourselves and using our own music for self-promotion is the best way to jumpstart your career and reach new heights in your musical journey.Â
If you're a musician or in a band, kickstart your word-of-mouth machine by telling everyone you know about your music.Â
How to do it: Create connections between yourself and your friends and family by sharing stories with them often about what is happening in your life. Stories are the most potent form of content because they bring people into the moment with you. Show, don't tell.Â
People are always looking for the next great thing to listen to. But, more importantly, they're looking for something that they can share with friends and family members. A few of these people might work in the music industry, but most of them won't. So it's your job as a musician to make sure they remember you when that time comes.Â
Your musical skills are the first thing that people will see/hear!Â
Singing and playing musical instruments is a huge advantage, especially if you're trying to make it as an artist or band. It's like having a calling card that says "I'm talented," and people will pay more attention to you because of it.Â
To wrap things upÂ
With so many marketing options available to artists today, it can be hard to know which ones will give you the best results for your budget. However, by considering the different ways that you and your fans like to interact online, we can help you with a customized plan to fit your style and budget.Â
The best way to market your music depends on your specific needs and goals. We hope that our tips have been helpful for you! If you've found this article useful, please share it with your musician friends.Â
If you have any tips on how to best promote your music, please comment below. Thanks for reading!
#RP