Hello indie creators there! We all know that creating music is one piece of the puzzle. Getting your songs noticed by the audience can sometimes seem as challenging as scaling a mountain in footwear. Fear not. I’m here to help with a manual on how to market your music in the current digital era.
Cracking the Secret to Crafting the Perfect Spotify Playlist
Starting off, let’s dive into the popular streaming service. Spotify! Securing a spot on playlists isn’t a stroke of luck; it’s about having a well-thought-out plan in place.
Submit your playlist to Spotify through the channel.
Make sure you sign up for Spotify for artists if you haven’t already done so! It’s your key to sending your music to Spotify’s team.
Submit your unreleased tracks at least 4 weeks before release. Fill out everything in the submission form—seriously, those details matter. Be strategic about picking your genres and moods. Tell a compelling story about your track—what inspired it? What makes it special?
Pro tip: Your music might be the best thing since sliced bread, but Spotify wants to know you’re serious about promotion. Make sure you’re actively updating your profile, engaging with your Canvas videos, and using tools like Countdown pages before submission.
Independent Playlist Promotion
Spotify promotion is crucial to getting your music heard in front of Spotify’s millions of users.
Getting on editorial playlists is awesome, but don’t sleep on independent playlists. Research relevant playlists using sites like One Submit to find playlists in your genre. Look for playlists with engaged followers and check the monthly listener count of playlist tracks. Avoid playlists that seem to accept everything—they’re probably not legit.
When it comes to pitching, keep it short and sweet. Include links to your music and mention similar artists featured on their playlist. Make it personal—show you’ve actually listened to their playlist. When following up, wait at least a week, keep it friendly and professional, and accept rejection gracefully—you might want to pitch them again in the future.
Navigating the Music Blog Landscape
Music blogs, similar to music magazines, might seem “old school,” but they’re still crucial for building credibility and getting those sweet, sweet backlinks.
Finding the Right Blogs
Start by creating a spreadsheet of potential blogs to pitch. Look for blogs that regularly feature your genre and are actually active; check their last post date. Focus on blogs with engaged social media followings. Don’t overlook smaller blogs that might be more likely to feature new artists. Great places to start include Hype Machine, Submithub’s blog directory, and Reddit’s music subreddits.
Crafting the Perfect Blog Pitch
Your pitch email can make or break your chances. For your subject line, keep it clear and specific. Something like “New Indie Rock Single—FFO Tame Impala, Arctic Monkeys” works great. In the email body, start with a brief intro, explain why you chose their blog specifically, and provide a quick description of your track or release. Include relevant links to Spotify, SoundCloud, and your press kit. If you’ve got impressive social media stats or previous coverage, mention those too.
Remember: Bloggers are busy people. Make their job easy by providing everything they need in one email.
TikTok: The New Music Marketing Powerhouse
Let’s talk about everyone’s favourite short-form video platform. TikTok has become a game-changer for music promotion, but you need to approach it right.
Building Your TikTok Strategy
First off, forget about going viral; focus on building a consistent presence. Your content should include behind-the-scenes footage, the music creation process, snippet challenges, duets with fans, tutorial content, and day-in-the-life videos. Post at least once daily, use trending sounds in non-music content, and engage with comments quickly. Cross-promote on other platforms and use relevant hashtags, but don’t overdo it.
Creating TikTok-Friendly Music
Want your music to blow up on TikTok? Consider these factors when producing: strong hooks within the first 5-10 seconds, clear sections that could work for transitions, lyrics that could inspire trends or challenges, and distinctive sound that stands out on mobile speakers.
Promoting Your Music on TikTok
During your prep phase, create several different video concepts using your track, test different sections of the song, and prepare a “tutorial” showing how to use your sound in videos. When launching, post your best concept first, immediately create multiple videos using your own sound, and engage with every comment. Reach out to micro-influencers in your genre. During the momentum phase, monitor hashtags related to your sound, engage with videos using your music, create response videos to successful uses of your track, and consider running TikTok ads to boost performing content.
Putting It All Together: Your Promotional Timeline
Starting six weeks before release, submit to Spotify editorial playlists, start teasing content on TikTok, and begin outreach to blogs for premiere opportunities. Four weeks out, start your playlist pitching campaign, create your content bank for TikTok, and prepare your press kit and press release. Two weeks before release, ramp up social media presence, begin blogger follow-ups, and create your Spotify pre-save campaign.
During release week, launch your main TikTok campaign, send release announcements to blogs, activate all social media content, and begin your playlist follow-up campaign. Post-release, monitor and engage with TikTok users, continue playlist pitching, share blog coverage and playlist adds, and analyse what’s working to double down on it.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Spend your efforts on a platform instead of trying to be everywhere at once. It’s always better to prioritise quality over quantity in the long run. Make sure you pay attention to your analytics. Keep track of everything and take notes on what’s effective and what isn’t working well. Steer clear of sounding too pushy or sales-oriented; concentrate on nurturing connections and offering value before making any requests. Above all else, don’t throw in the towel; success rarely comes overnight; staying persistent is crucial for achieving your goals.
Closing Reflections
Just keep in mind that promoting your music is a journey and not a quick race to the finish line! What may be effective for one musician might not necessarily yield the results for another artist. So don’t hesitate to try out strategies and discover your unique approach along the way! The important thing is to stay true to yourself and your sound while staying on course with effort and creating awesome music consistently.
The effective way to promote yourself is by being consistent with your efforts and starting with tasks that you can build on over time as they prove successful. Remember not to let promotion overshadow your focus. Creating music that truly resonates with you.
Continue to create your art with passion and dedication while actively sharing it with others who appreciate it too; your audience is waiting to be discovered by you.
