Music promotion is one of the most important aspects of the music industry that artists and labels need to consider. You could be the most talented artist in the world, but how can you expect to reach new audiences and grow your brand if you don’t understand how to promote your music? This article aims to guide you through some of the basics, as well as introducing you to them.
Social media
Social media is an inescapable part of modern life, and an essential music promotion tool when harnessed correctly. Familiarise yourself with Facebook, Twitter and
Use your social media profiles to interact with existing fans and gain new ones, and make sure to engage with other artists, labels, and blogs. You can give regular updates about everything from new material and live performances to your gym routine. Keep things balanced – a mix of conversational and promotional material is the most effective tactic. It may be worth spending some money on Facebook ads or sponsored posts in order to boost your reach.
Whether it be a one-off campaign or full-time management, our label services team are hugely experienced in helping our clients develop social media strategies and implement campaigns.
Building an artist website
Your personal website should be stylish, professional and reflect you as an artist. It should list your performance dates and contact information, alongside music, images, videos and a biography so that fans can get to know you better.
Your website provides you with an opportunity to sell music and merchandise directly to your fans, as well as keep them updated with new content including songs and videos, or more informal footage of you in the recording studio or backstage on tour.
Writing a personal blog can be a great way of increasing traffic to your website You can write about your own career as well as publishing content more broadly related to your genre of music.
Most important of all is setting up a mailing list which you can use to directly inform your current fan base of important updates. Dedicated email marketing is much more effective than social media marketing – it’s a more personal connection, and you don’t have to worry about algorithms hiding your content. Use a free email client such as MailChimp to send out updates. In order to convince people to sign up, you might like to offer them exclusive music in exchange for their email address.
Pitching to music blogs
From mainstream magazines to prominent YouTube channels to specialist websites, getting your music reviewed on a music blog can help you to grow your audience. Creating links with existing audiences can have more impact than trying to build an audience yourself from scratch.
Familiarise yourself with relevant blogs and target the ones you think are the best fit for your music. In order to establish a relationship, reach out with a personal email including a short introduction and a link to one of your songs. Have a sense of why your music would be a good fit and make sure to communicate this. If your music ends up getting featured, make sure to ask the blogger to include a buy link. This FADER article contains lots more useful information.
Drawing on our own network of PR and media contacts, we can connect you to the best services and also co-ordinate TV, radio, print and online campaigns.
Getting your music online
You should already be uploading your music to platforms where you can manage your own artist account – YouTube, Soundcloud, and Bandcamp being the most important. Making a playlist on YouTube – whether it consists of your own tracks, or music by other artists that you want to share with your fans – can be a great way to create content for your social channels.
When it comes to digital music distribution, our established network can help you get your music to all major online retailers. We have close relationships with a wide variety of digital sales, streaming and music discovery platforms including iTunes, Spotify, Beatport, and Shazam.
Live music
Promoting your music online is crucial, but gigs can also be a powerful tool in your arsenal. They provide an opportunity to gain new fans and also interact with your existing fans in real life. Selling exclusive merch or debuting new material can help to make it a special experience. Encourage fans to sign up to your mailing list, and make a note of any useful music industry contacts you meet on the night.
Contact local venues and booking agents who work with similar artists in order to get on their radar. Try and get support slots with similar artists. Make sure to promote your shows on listings websites such as Songkick and Bandsintown.
Licensing and sync
We understand that most artists want to focus on their music and leave the business side of things to someone else. A good publisher can work wonders when it comes to extending the lifespan of your releases. Our label services team negotiate and advise on third-party and sync licenses for TV and film. We also manage and license releases for compilations and territorial exclusives.
If you want to gain more listeners but don’t necessarily have experience in how to promote your music online, a label service and management company like MN2S could be exactly what you need. Contact us today