The introduction of peer-to-peer file-sharing and streaming services irreversibly altered the music industry. If you only read the headlines, you might believe the industry is in trouble. If you Google “Napster killed the music industry,” you’ll get 242,000 results. Is this the end of music marketing? In this article you will get to know 5 ways of organic music marketing.
The truth, however, is rather different. In reality, the music industry has been rising at a healthy rate every year since 2013. Global sales is expected to exceed $65 billion by the end of 2023.
Not bad for a struggling industry!
Regardless, music is a famously unequal playing field. Famous personalities such as Paul McCartney, Jay-Z, and Madonna have become multi-millionaires, if not billionaires, as a result of their success. There are tens of thousands of unknowns for every superstar.
Approximately half of the musicians tracked by online music analytics and insights company Next Big Sound are classified as “undiscovered.” These acts have limited (and frequently diminishing) social followings, few (or no) Vevo and YouTube views, and few (or no) radio plays.
Next Big Sound tracks hundreds of thousands of artists worldwide, but imagine how many more it is unaware of. That fraction of “undiscovered” artists is almost certainly far larger.
How do you make the transition from unknown to well-known?
To begin, you must create incredible music. Aside from that, you must be perfect in organic music marketing .
What Exactly Is Music Marketing?
Confoundingly, the term “music marketing” can refer to several different things:
It could be about incorporating music into a marketing strategy.
It could be about musicians marketing the music they make.
In this essay, I’ll discuss the second of those two groups.
I might not be a global music sensation (don’t worry; that’ll change when my mixtape comes), but I sure know a lot about digital marketing. With that in mind, here are my top recommendations for improving your music marketing.
1. Create a website
If you want to sell yourself online, you must have a website. It’s your one-stop shop for anything related to your act. Your website will be my first port of call if I want to check out your tour dates, book you for a show, read your backstory, or buy your merch.
Another compelling reason to develop a website is: You have complete control over this space.
Sure, you’ll want to establish a following on social media, but those sites are owned by third people. These third parties can (and frequently do) make algorithmic modifications that drastically restrict your reach overnight.
So you need a website, but what should it contain? Given that it’s your website, everything goes. However, at the very least, it should include:
A news hub is a place where you can announce new releases, upcoming tours, and media appearances.
Merch store: Assuming you want to make money as a musician, you’ll need an internet store to sell items like hoodies, vinyl, and CDs.
our scheduled dates: People want to watch you perform live, so let them know when and where they can do so (and provide information on how to get tickets.)
Make it simple for visitors to find your social media pages.
Contact information: Whether it’s a fan asking a question or a venue owner looking to book you, make sure you provide an email address, contact form, or another way for people to contact you.
A built-in MP3 player (or something similar) to make it easy for folks to hear your music.
Newsletter signup: Make it easy for people to sign up for your newsletter, which will help you establish an engaged fan following.
.Your brief bio: People that visit your website have actively sought you out, so tell them about your past, influences, and identity as an artist.
2. Put together an electronic press kit
You don’t need a record deal to make it as an artist (ask Chance the Rapper), but you will need the media on your side to raise the profile of your brand.
That is why you should have a digital press kit (EPK). Creating an EPK and distributing it to media, blogs, radio stations, playlist curators, venues, record labels, and festivals, among others, can help you gain bookings and generate buzz for your act.
Many musicians provide an EPK on their website. That makes sense: it contains a lot of the same material, and if someone is looking for your press kit, they’re likely to start on your website.
Furthermore, rather than emailing someone a PDF, simply direct them to your EPK landing page.
For starters, eye-catching images can mean the difference between your EPK being read or ignored. Second, media publishers or promoters may require images quickly, so ensure they are of excellent quality and provide a variety of formats (vertical and horizontal; colour and black-and-white).
Your music: Because these folks may have never heard your music before, offer links to your most popular tracks or include a music player in your EPK.
Your video clips: Include your greatest videos in your press kit because the press, venues, and festivals frequently embed music videos into their articles or artist sites.
Press clippings: Have you already gotten some press attention? Include links and quotes from reviews and articles in your EPK to demonstrate that you’re worth talking about.
While your website presents a more static portrait of who you are, your social profiles should be updated on a frequent basis to provide more real-time insight regarding your performance. Include links to your most active profiles, especially those with engaged and expanding audiences.
Contact information: Make it simple for people to book or write about you by putting all of your contact information in one spot.
3. Create Music Social Media Accounts
Once upon a time, music fans preferred their favourite artists to be secretive and aloof; now, we need 24/7 access to the artists we like. We want to know where you are, what you’re doing, and what is currently inspiring you. We head to social media to find out.
A strong (and rising) social media following on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter may make or break an emerging talent. It’s not uncommon for artists to generate a lot of social buzz before the media even notices them anymore.
Use your social presence to communicate directly with fans, promote your music, announce new tour dates, and overall create a community around your work.
4. Improve Music Marketing by Creating Interactive Content
According to research, when consumers encounter with content that stimulates several senses, they are more likely to think favourably about your brand and purchase your goods (in this case, your music).
Furthermore, 43% of customers prefer interactive video content to other types of video. Why? Because it allows them to choose what information they see and when they view it.
In short, providing interactive material for music performances may be a huge triumph.
5. Promote Your Music on as Many Platforms as Possible
Look at the folks who enjoy the band Weezer on Facebook and YouTube
We can see that the average Weezer fan is a man between the ages of 25 and 34, but there are also many between the ages of 35 and 44, as well as some interest among 18 to 24-year-olds (particularly women).
It’s likely that not all of those admirers just use one digital platform. We know they’re on Facebook, but they’re also likely to be in a variety of other places like YouTube. Those on the younger end of the spectrum may choose TikTok and YouTube, whilst those on the older end may prefer Pinterest and Twitter.
The same holds true for your audience. That is why it is critical to market your music across multiple platforms, including social media and streaming services.
Also, don’t pass up opportunities to cross-promote across different platforms, such as uploading your most recent video to YouTube and then sharing the link on Facebook so that you will get YouTube video views more than Normal.