Let’s say you’ve spent weeks, months, or even years working to create something great that you’re really proud of, the next step is to share it with the world. But in today’s competitive music industry, it’s not enough to just share something. The truth is, no matter how good the music, effective marketing is often the difference between a hit and a miss.
Now, music marketing is essentially anything that can help promote your music by increasing its visibility, attracting fans, and ultimately, driving sales or streams.
Here are twelve effective music marketing practices and tactics to help you.
1. Get to know yourself first
If knowledge is power, then self-knowledge is the almighty secret to success. Indeed, any good marketing strategy is based on authenticity and with that in mind, it’s really important to understand yourself first because marketing your music to the world as an artist essentially means marketing yourself.
Now, keep in mind that your professional profile doesn’t have to be the same as your private profile. In fact, a great marketing tactic that many artists have used is opting for a persona to represent their artistic personality – think of Beyonce’s alter-ego, Sasha Fierce. Or David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust.
In a way, it’s like establishing a unique brand identity that sets you apart in the crowded music market and it can be a really smart marketing tactic to get more visibility, as well as more freedom when it comes to expressing yourself.
Now, to achieve this, you need to do some soul-searching and ask yourself some serious questions about who you are and how you want to show up in the world.
2. Do your research and target your audience
Another great marketing practice is to narrow down your target audience. After all, the key to a successful marketing strategy is efficiency, and, with that in mind, you really don’t want to waste your time and energy promoting your music to people who probably won’t be interested in it.
Instead, you need to identify your potential customers who are most likely to be interested in your music.
A very good practice is to look at someone who is similar to you or similar to the artist you want to be. Got a name in mind? Great, now you have a blueprint or roadmap for success. Look at who their target audience is and tailor your marketing efforts, such as your messaging and branding, to reach that demographic and connect with them.
3. Make some good music
Now, this is perhaps the most essential practice in music marketing: making good music. Indeed, it follows the logic that if you create a product that sells itself, you’ll have to do less of the selling yourself.
Of course, this should be taken with a grain of salt, as even excellent content can go unnoticed in today’s crowded market. After all, you’re competing with millions and millions of other people for what seems to have become the scarcest commodity of all – attention.
But one thing that can put you ahead of the game is creating unique and memorable music, so even if you get lost in the marketing and promotional side of the business, making good music should always be your number one priority.
4. Create and optimize your musician’s website
When it comes to the importance of having a strong online presence as an artist, most people immediately think of social media platforms. But having a professional website for your music can actually be what gives you that credibility as an artist.
Having a website is a great first step, but it’s important to improve your online visibility by optimizing your website for search engines. To do this, use relevant keywords, meta tags, and content optimization techniques to improve your rankings and attract organic traffic.
Another great addition to your marketing strategy could be to use landing pages on your website. A way to use them effectively would be to create one for each goal you have in your music marketing campaign and common landing page objectives include promoting a new video, a new Spotify release or an album pre-sale.
5. Tap into the power of email marketing
We’ve talked about the importance of having a professional website so that all your information is available in one place. Now let’s look at email marketing. It’s something that’s often overlooked, especially by young artists who’ve grown up in the age of social media. But it’s actually a great tactic for music marketing and should be used consistently to promote new releases or updates and drive traffic to your website and social media channels.
So take the time to build a list of fans and subscribers to stay in direct contact, as email exchange is a great way to get in touch with your audience and nurture deeper relationships.
Now let’s dive into social media marketing. You need to make sure you have accounts and are active on all social media platforms and channels, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube to maximize your visibility. These platforms attract millions of users and are therefore fantastic for promoting anything, including music.
Now, content marketing plays a crucial role in promoting music, so make sure you develop a social media strategy that includes engaging content, regular posts, and interactions with followers because by creating all of this on a consistent basis, you can build brand awareness and connect with your audience on a personal level.
7. Forge strategic partnerships with fellow artists and brands
There is strength in numbers and working with others who already have an established and dedicated fanbase is one of the best ways to increase your own visibility as well as give you credibility within the music industry.
A great example of this is the collaboration between American DJ and producer Calvin Harris and British singer-songwriter Dua Lipa in the song “One Kiss. » Released in 2018, the song became a massive hit, topping charts in multiple countries. Now, while Calvin Harris was already an established figure in the electronic dance music (EDM) scene, Dua Lipa was still relatively new to the mainstream music scene at the time and this collaboration provided her with a platform to showcase her talent to a global audience, exposing her to fans of Calvin Harris’ music and EDM enthusiasts worldwide. For Calvin Harris, the collaboration demonstrated his knack for producing chart-topping hits and collaborating with rising talent, further solidifying his status as one of the most influential figures in the electronic music industry.
Make sure you collaborate on music tracks but also on co-branded events, cross-promotional campaigns, and product endorsements. Bear in mind that collaborations are also an excellent way of cultivating a community of fellow artists around your music that actively supports and promotes you as a musician yourself.
8. Include influencer marketing
This is in a similar vein to creating strategic partnerships. Working with influencers in the music industry or other relevant niches can help you extend your reach and connect with new audiences. Indeed, influencers can help promote your music to their followers and introduce your work to a wider audience, and in doing so can significantly boost your profile and credibility as an artist. Remember when we said that authenticity is one of the most important factors in a successful marketing strategy? Well, influencers often have a loyal and engaged audience who trust their recommendations, which means that when they promote a song or artist, it can come across as authentic endorsement rather than traditional advertising.
9. Consider paid advertising
That said, traditional advertising can still come in handy! For example, it can be particularly effective for promoting new music releases, upcoming concerts, tours, or other events and by running targeted ads, you can generate buzz and drive ticket sales or streams.
Now, not everyone necessarily has the same resources to allocate to marketing, and to be fair if you implement the previous tactics we’ve seen, you may not need to put a lot of money into advertising. But if you can, consider investing in paid advertising. Spotify, Google, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook offer the option of running ads and what’s good with these platforms is that they offer advanced targeting options that allow musicians to reach specific demographics, interests, or geographic locations and this precision targeting ensures that the advertising reaches the most relevant audience.
10. Maximise live performances and touring
Live performances and touring serve as powerful marketing tactics for musicians as they provide opportunities for direct fan engagement, as well as networking, merchandise sales, and media exposure.
But the truly great thing about gigs is that they often lead to word-of-mouth promotion, as people share their excitement with friends, family, and social media followers, and this organic buzz can help generate further interest and attendance for future shows. So with this in mind, you need to capitalise on live shows and touring opportunities to promote your music and connect with fans on a personal level.
11. Don’t overlook traditional media channels
Remember that a well-balanced media strategy is one that includes both traditional and digital media. So, it’s important not to neglect traditional media channels such as radio, television, and print publications, as getting coverage on these platforms can significantly increase your exposure and credibility.
With this in mind, don’t hesitate to send your music to blogs and press outlets, and to make this process easier, you can use a service like Groover which can help you send your songs to blogs, radio stations, playlist curators, and labels.
12. Analyze the results and carry on learning
Always bear in mind that a good marketing strategy is an efficient strategy and so a good practice to adopt is to track key metrics such as website traffic, social media engagement, conversions, and ROI, using tools such as Google Analytics.
In the same vein, it’s important to keep abreast of the latest trends, tools, and techniques in music marketing and to remain flexible and ready to adapt your strategies to changing consumer behavior and market dynamics.
Conclusion
Overall, by using these best practices and tactics for music marketing, you can effectively promote your music, connect with your audience, and achieve your business goals in the music industry.
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Send your music to curators and pros 👇
