Making amazing music is no longer enough to gain recognition and establish an audience, especially with the hurdles to entry into the music industry being lower than they have ever been.
Artists must be able to develop and execute a plan for releasing and promoting their music in order to create and keep an audience and earn revenue from music streams and purchases in order to stand out in an increasingly competitive industry.
Start your own website
Creating and maintaining your own website may seem like a lot of work, but trust us when we tell you that a well-maintained website is the most important point of contact between you and your followers. As your fan base expands, you may expect more people to want to show their support by purchasing music and items straight from your website.
Your website is your own place, and you are free to post any information you like to help tell your band's or artist's story, as well as keep followers informed about any exciting future news or events.
Engage your audience
You'll want to start engaging with followers right away. Whatever stage you are in the music creation process, letting fans know you have something coming soon is a terrific way to generate excitement and make them feel like part of the creative experience.
You may interact with your fans in a variety of ways, including posting promotional video teasers on Facebook and Instagram and keeping them up to date with photographs and posts chronicling the creative process. You may use your own website to promote and publicize your music, but social media is fantastic to use with or without a website.
Set up a pre-order
Pre-orders on iTunes may be a fantastic way to promote your new album. A pre-order allows you to make your album/EP/single available in all retailers and online download outlets before the actual release date.
You may choose whether to provide a 90-second preview, varying rates for each item, or "immediate gratification tunes." Instant gratification tracks can be released on various days prior to the actual release date, and fans who pre-order your album will get them right away.
Release your music
It's critical to carefully consider your release strategy. Do you want to put out a whole album right away? Or do you want to build anticipation by releasing two or three singles ahead of your album's scheduled release date? Do you want to start with an EP release to get some internet content before approaching labels?
Once you've determined what kind of release you want to do, make sure you pick the correct digital release date and give yourself enough time to plan your advertising around it. Fridays and Tuesdays are usually the ideal release days, and we recommend scheduling it at least four weeks in advance so you have enough time to arrange your marketing.
To provide enough coverage and spark your followers' anticipation, your release date should match with email newsletters, social media postings, and other promotional efforts.
Promoting your music
As a budding artist, making the most of any promotional possibilities available to you is critical, and thanks to tools like social media, most of it can be done for free or at a little cost.
Of course, if you have a large enough budget, employing a PR agency to contact journalists and influencers would be quite beneficial for spreading awareness, but if your budget is restricted, you can also check out our helpful DIY guide to PR relations for some pointers on how to handle your own PR.
Social networking
For up-and-coming artists, social networking is a must-have tool. It's a great method to stay in touch with current fans and keep them informed about your music and upcoming projects. Artists may utilize methods like Facebook ad campaigns to get in front of any possible new fans who have yet to find them, in addition to communicating with existing fans.
Mailing lists
Email lists are an often-overlooked resource that are critical to the success of your online music sales. This is because an email list gives you access to a database of admirers that you can view and download at any time.
Unlike social media, most individuals check their email at least once a day. If fans have signed up for your newsletter or purchased anything from your website, they are certainly eager to hear from you and learn about new releases. You should always utilize the chance to send an email to your fan list with a link to buy your new single or album, in addition to your other promotional activity.
