How To Promote Your Music Independently In 2024

Independent artists now have more chances than ever to launch their career, without the support of major labels or big budgets.

Many new and promising artists don’t have a clue about how to create a successful marketing campaign for their music or earn money through music .

How To Promote Music In 2024

Making great music should be your first priority. If you follow this advice to the letter but your track, album, or EP is not well-written and has a tight instrumental, then you will fall at the very first hurdle.

Let’s now look at how to best promote your music in the current music industry.

Sign up to artists services.

The majority of the largest music streaming services offer platforms that are designed specifically for artists. Signing up for a music streaming service is easy if you are releasing new music.

These services allow you to gain access to a variety of features and benefits that are reserved exclusively for artists who use and release music on the platform.

Signing up for Spotify for Artists, for instance, allows you to upload a profile picture, add music to Spotify’s playlists, and more (more information below! Edit your Spotify bio, view streaming statistics and access Spotify’s ‘Artist’s Pick’.

There are many other services that cater to the needs of artists.

Create a mailing list & website.

A professional, slick website is a must for your online presence, but building a large and dedicated mailing list is even more crucial.

Include a sign-up form on your website. It should include links to music, bios and images, as well as tour dates. Email Marketing allows you to reach people who are most likely to be interested in your music.

A fan’s email address is a sign that they want to be contacted. An email about your new release or tour will reach them much better than a post on social media, which can have a limited reach.

Create a social presence that engages your audience.

It is not a secret that a solid social media strategy can be very effective. It is important to maintain a consistent and interesting presence on Instagram, Twitter TikTok Facebook, and other platforms, such as Snapchat. Keep your profile names consistent so that people can find you easier online.

The amount of information available on managing your social media channels is overwhelming, and the platforms themselves are always changing. Check out these resources to learn more about how to manage and maximize your social media presence.

Playlist.

You cannot ignore playlists and streaming. Spotify, Apple Music and Deezer playlists reach hundreds of million listeners around the world, with billions of streams. You can get thousands of streams by getting your track on a popular playlist. This is not only a great way to increase your visibility, but it also puts Spotify royalties into your pocket.

It’s important to consider all options. While being featured on curated playlists can help you gain more exposure and credibility, placing your music on an algorithmic playlist like Discover Weekly could make a huge difference in your stream count as well as your royalty payments. It’s well worth exploring all options.

Get press & blog coverage.

Your music can be featured in music magazines, blogs, and webzines. This will help you build buzz and boost your career.

The best way to ensure that your campaign gets great coverage is to hire a professional public relations executive. This is not always possible or affordable for new artists with limited funds.

Artists with a small budget can do their own PR. It’s crucial to reach out to bloggers and journalists the right way. You’ll first need to create an online press release. It should include all of the important information about you and your music. These resources offer advice to musicians who wish to do their own PR.

Music videos.

Even if the song is not a big hit, a music video that’s exciting, original and interesting can go viral on the internet.

When it comes to making a video to promote your new release, don’t be afraid of thinking outside the box. Consider the videos of acts such as Childish Gambino and OK GO that have exploded online thanks to their popularity. The videos have had a unique quality, whether it was a hidden message or a quirky topic.

It’s perfectly acceptable to create a music video based on a live performance or if you want to make purely visuals. Your videos can be a huge success if you put in the time, effort and thought.

Surround yourself with a strong team.

If you prefer to promote your music alone, there are many benefits to working with like-minded individuals. It makes sense that if you have a group of people who are well-connected and passionate about music working for your benefit, your chances of being successful will increase.

You’re in luck if you can assemble a group of friends to help you for free or for a share of your future earnings. You may need to hire professionals to give you an edge on the music market. Accepting help is fine, whether it’s from a publicist, radio plugger, or promoter/booker.

You should also hire a great manager. Make sure that they are passionate about your music, and that they believe in you. You’ll be worth the weight of gold if you have a manager who will go above and beyond to help you.

Know your audience & focus on your niche.

The way you promote your music and who you target can make a huge difference. There are thriving music subcultures in every corner of the globe, some large and sprawling and some small and dedicated. Your promotional campaign will be successful if you can identify, understand and utilize your musical niche.

If you are a band that plays metal, then join a community of metal bands and gain metal fans. If you are a rapper, search for rap venues and join rap communities to win rap lovers. So on.

Niches aren’t always determined by genre. Start locally if your music is more popular. Most people want to see a local artist succeed. This mentality can be used to grow your fanbase locally before you expand nationally or globally.

You can maximise your marketing efforts by using the various features of artists services. This will also allow you to unlock new engagement opportunities with your music among your fans.

Play live often & make an impact.

This is more difficult to do in the post-Covid-19 age, but concerts and tours are a great way to meet fans. You can quickly build a fan base by booking at local venues and playing awesome sets to local music lovers. Remember, they have to remember you so make yourself memorable.

After you have built up a local fan base, you can go on tour and take on new music scenes, city by city, or country by country. This is because it’s very simple and easy. It’s hard work to tour and play gigs every night, but the rewards are worth it if you have a killer show.