As digital becomes the new norm, marketing yourself as an Indie artist has never been easier.
And so it should be, as with music now becoming a far more accessible career (major labels no longer have the power they once did), the scope to make it yourself in the music industry has never been greater! That is providing of course you know how.
And just be clear, I won’t sugarcoat it – music marketing is not as easy as it seems! Granted, if you’re the rich type, this is something you can outsource to an agency & forget all about if you so wish, however for the majority of indie artists, that’s not viable. So in reality, up & coming music artists are now faced with a choice: learn how to master music marketing, or have their award-winning music video get lost in some dusty corner of the internet.
So while it may take time to master, music marketing is not just an area of being a musician or singer/ songwriter that you can afford to casually brush over. If anything, it’s what’ll make or break your career!!
So, to help you wrap your head around the best ways to market your music, here’s a brief overview of music marketing + some tactics on how you can get started…
What is music marketing?
Much as it sounds, music marketing is basically a blanket term. One that covers a whole host of marketing practices (both on or offline) that you as an artist can use to get your work seen & heard.
QUICK DISCLAIMER: Contrary to what you might have been led to believe, music marketing is a whole lot more than just paying some random dude on Fiver to pitch your music to a bunch of playlists.
If anything, that’s one of the most simplistic forms of music marketing you’ll come across. There’s a whole lot more to music marketing than meets the eye, especially technical or SEO-related tactics.
However, don’t think music marketing is just a huge money pit, which you have to keep filling with coins in order to get your music heard. Do your marketing right & you should manage to create a brand that automatically attracts attention – i.e. has journalists eager to speak with you + influencers begging to take a picture with you… all for FREE!
Interested? Keep reading…
The 3 major music marketing skills every Indie needs…
When we refer to music marketing, there’s no shortage of areas/ skill sets that you as an indie artist need to master, or at the very least become proficient at.
Manage to do so & you could actually stand a chance at not only effectively promoting your work, but also creating a compelling online footprint that’s getting you new fans every day; why do you think your online presence is such a BIG deal when signing to a major?
So with that in mind, here’s a couple of the areas of music marketing that you seriously need to brush up on…
Pushing out PR & online promo
Building your digital footprint online is key – get on the right side of Google & it can actually do an awful lot to help you passively gain fans. Investing in PR is such a wise business move if you ask me. Get your brand name out there as much as you possibly can!
Have a snoop around online & you should be able to find a whole bunch of music blogs where you can pay to get yourself a feature. Prices will of course vary depending on what sort of piece you’re after + how much exposure the magazine can get you; some have millions of readers per month! However because of this, it’s incredibly easy to get ripped off, so before committing to buy, do your due diligence.
Typically, music blogs will allow you to publish a press release about your song, submit your music for their editor for review & even arrange an interview if they so wish.
Building your own website/ online store
Sounds kind of techy, but (trust me) if you can make your own website, you’re already ahead of the pack. Fact remains that most artists (especially those on majors) don’t even have control over their websites! Quite annoyingly, control remains in the hands of labels or their developers, who will likely charge if any adjustments need to be made. Fees you can get around altogether by making your site yourself.
* For beginners who have no coding knowledge, I’d suggest checking out Shopify & Wix. Although, if you don’t mind getting a bit geeky & want something that’s completely custom, you’d be hard pushed to beat WordPress.
Approach social media marketing from a new angle
Although it can be quite controversial, social media marketing can still be worth doing if you know how.
Ask us & we’d say the days of doing paid ads on Facebook are pretty much extinct & that if you’re at all serious about advertising your music over social media, you need to change strategy. Nowadays, influencer marketing tends to be the most effective. Simply because it’s less ‘in your face’.
Pay to put an ad in people’s face & in today’s world it looks pretty desperate. Maybe even borderline needy! Something you can get around by using an influencer to plug your project to their followers.
Why being because instead of plastering fans with ads – i.e. treating them like sheep – you’re instead giving them a reason to be curious about who you are. So in the end, they feel far less like they’re being ‘sold to’.
Music marketing extras: 3 other marketing assets to consider…
Get professional press photography
Whatever you’re doing, be that building a website or posting on social media, to really stand out, it pays to invest in high quality press photography.
Because not only does it give life to your website & social profiles, but it also says a lot about you. Have high quality pictures & chances are, fans will see that as a reflection of how seriously you take your music.
In music marketing there’s a saying: “you can judge whether an artist is worth your time by their profile picture”, & to a large extent, it’s true. So before pumping money into your music, be sure that your online presence is best set up to encourage people to check you out!
Master your branding & logos
As reiterated earlier, music marketing isn’t just about getting the odd piece of publicity & that’s it. It’s about creating a brand.
One that your fans can not only rely on but also sense across your socials, as well as any promo you do, be that online ads, music videos or even banners for a live show. Think of it as a psychological nod to who you are. So as you’d expect, one of the main aspects of any brand is a kickass logo. Generally in the case of artists, this will be something like your name in a specific font. The design may include a couple of graphics, but for the most part it actually tends to be quite simple.
Ask us & it’s best to consult a skilled graphic designer when doing this. Because aside from the fact they’ve got the eye to pick out a great font first time round, they can also help you bridge the hurdle that is font licensing. Something you simply must consider before using any form of font you find online.
Fail to do & the consequences could get expensive!
Secure your Trademark
Just as with licensing a font, trademarks (while a bit boring) are arguably the first thing you should register for, before you release any music.
And that’s because if you choose an artist name that’s already in use, or even a name of a business that operates in another area, you could be liable to a trademark lawsuit, especially if you as an artist don’t have the best reputation. Gucci Mane knows all about that!
Plus, then consider that your artist name is also likely the domain name of your website, your social media handles & a major part of your logo, & you can soon see why trademarking your artist name is such a necessary precaution to take, especially if you’re expecting to ‘make it BIG time!’
* Trademarks aren’t cheap, especially in the US, but consider just how much legal hassle they can save you + how they act to safeguard your brand, & it’s certainly worth parting with the cash to get one locked down.
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