The Internet has made the world a very small place. Even if you compose your next EP in your bedroom or record your songs in your friend’s garage, your fans can be anywhere in the world. Sharing a simple Spotify link is no longer enough and your communication must therefore be “global.” Errors can be fatal and you can quickly fall through the cracks. But by using smart links, there is no need to worry!
With smart links, you can share your song, album or playlist from different streaming services in a single link. And the icing on the cake is that the data analyses generated by the smart link allows you to know who your fans are and how they discover your music. Groover explains smart links in 5 major points.
1. What is a smart link and what is it used for?
There is now a multitude of streaming platforms on which you can play your songs: Deezer, Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube etc. However, your listeners are unevenly distributed across all of these platforms which raises several questions:
- Where can I find the sharing links on the different streaming platforms?
- What link or links should I share on my social networks to reach the widest possible audience?
- On which social network are my fans most willing to stream and buy my songs?
With a smart link, links to platforms where you can listen to your music are available on a single page. It takes the form of a promotional page that can be shared and tracked for your music. It is in a way your “business card” as a musician- an essential tool when you are in the promotion phase!
| Check out: How much do artists get paid on Spotify?
Example of smart links on Amplify.link
On the one hand, this tool saves you a lot of time. No need to share the Spotify, Deezer or Apple Music links independently. On the other hand, the smart link offers your listeners the possibility to easily choose on which platform they want to listen to and/or download your music and will be able to make their purchases in the right language and currency according to their location.
| Check out: Spotify for Artists: The Ultimate Guide to Boosting your streams in 2021
2. What does a smart link look like?
Smart links are designed to be “responsive” and can therefore be adapted to all device formats. In addition to the list of platforms on which your music is available, it is equally possible to add disc purchase links and also elements concerning playlists, upcoming events and links to your social networks.
Example of a smart link – Out In The Dark by Magon | https://fanlink.to/OutInTheDark
Smartlink | Magon – Out In The Dark
3. Analyze your listeners
The smart link is a powerful tool for music marketing because it allows you to:
- Develop your fanbase by providing people with easy access to your music.
- Increase your amount of streams and sales.
- Gather all links to your social networks in one place.
More generally, the smart link also allows you to better understand your fans. Indeed, you have the possibility to obtain valuable information from your fans through data analysis.
It’s not just about making sure your fans listen to your music. The smart link is also a powerful tool to better identify them, discover the platforms they prefer, where they are in the world, and above all, to better manage your marketing strategy. For example, it’s a great way to find out if you need to invest more in a Facebook or Instagram sponsorship campaign.
“Data analysis generated by smart links allows you to know who your fans are and how they discover your music.”
4. A complementary tool for the pre-save function
As stated above, the smart link is the ideal way to boost your streams by giving your fans the opportunity to choose the platform of their choice. In addition, the smart link also allows you to add the pre-save function to boost the visibility of your new titles even before their official release.
| Also read: Pre-save: A new essential tool for artists to promote their music
5. How do I create smart links?
There are a multitude of services that allow you to create smart links. Among the most popular in music marketing are Feature.fm, Soundplate, Linkfire, smartURL, Snipfeed and urlbio. They all offer a free service with a basic offer. As far as fee-based packages are concerned, prices and features vary enormously. To learn more, we have prepared a comparative table of these different services so that you can compare and decide the best option for you.
Comparative chart of different Smart Link Platforms
> Special offer for feature.fm: get 50% off your first 3 months by following this link and using the code GROOVER50 while subscribing.
> Special access to Tellie: for now in beta version, you can get access to Tellie as an exclusive premiere right here. Tellie is a great link-in-bio/website for musicians. Promote new music, sell more tickets & merch, drop exclusives for your NFT holders, and display your full campaign in one place. Creators using Tellie have seen 6x increase in sales.
Special offer for Snipfeed: Create your smart “link in bio” for free, customize it as you wish and add cool features such as the possibility to ask for tips! By following this partner link, you will have access to special features for Groover users and a 10% commission rate on received tips (instead of 20%).
Smart links are very important to make sure that everyone has quick and easy access to your music on any platform. Adding your smart link in your Instagram bio is a real plus!
– Article written by Amy Cimpaye in its original version, translated by Mackenzie Leighton –
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