Being an independent artist in today’s music industry can feel a bit like being David taking on Goliath, aka the giant that are the major record companies, equipped to the max with heavy armor (credibility, legal support…) and weapons (financial resources, a large network…).
But like David, armed only with a slingshot and a few stones, you can be the underdog who overcomes the odds. However, you need that slingshot to get your music heard and connect with your target audience – in other words, you need to promote your music.
Let’s explore some of the best ways for indie artists to promote their music and stand out in the crowded music industry.
1. Get your music featured on a popular playlist
One of the best ways to promote your music is to use online music streaming services such as Spotify, SoundCloud, and iTunes, and what you want to do to promote your music on these platforms is to get featured in popular playlists that play songs in a genre similar to yours.
Now, securing placement on popular playlists as an indie artist can be a bit tricky and requires a multifaceted approach. Bear in mind that these playlists often feature professionally produced tracks so it’s crucial that your music is of high quality and professionally recorded, mixed, and mastered to meet industry standards.
One way to get your music featured on a popular playlist is to go through a music distribution platform such as DistroKid, CD Baby, and Tunecore, that offers pitching services and submits tracks directly to playlist curators.
In any case, the first thing you will want to do is do your research and target playlist curators then you will want to establish a strong presence on social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube. Your focus should be on building genuine relationships with playlist curators through networking on these platforms. You need to engage with their content, share their playlists, comment on their posts, and reach out directly with a personalized message showcasing your music.
Bear in mind that playlists curators often get inundated with emails and messages from indie artists wanting to promote their music. A great way to stand out from the crowd is to submit your music through a platform such as Groover which specializes in connecting emerging artists with industry professionals such as playlist curators. Most music promotion platforms are open to everyone, no matter where you are in your musical journey and they are particularly useful for indie artists.
Whichever road you go down, make sure you craft a compelling pitch that highlights what makes your music unique and why it would be a valuable addition to the particular playlist you have in mind. And consider collaborating with other indie artists as this can also broaden your network and increase your chances of playlist inclusion.
Remember that getting featured on a playlist is competitive, so don’t get discouraged by rejection and instead, keep refining your craft, building your fanbase, and reaching out to playlist curators.
And you could always curate your own playlists within your genre to showcase your music alongside other talented artists, demonstrating your taste and contributing to the community.
Now as soon as most people hear the word advertise, they think of money. And it’s true that in most cases, advertising on various platforms can be quite costly and that as an indie artist, you may not have the resources to invest in such a thing. But the truth is that advertising on social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, and TikTok as an indie artist can be an effective way to promote your music and engage with your audience. And it can actually be quite cost-effective if you utilize the right strategies.
A very important thing to do here to reduce costs while multiplying effectiveness is to pick the right platform to focus your efforts on. Rather than trying to be present on every social media platform, identify the ones that are most relevant to your business and invest your resources there. You want to pick the one where your target audience is most active and which can better help you achieve your marketing goals, be it increasing brand awareness, driving website traffic, generating leads, or increasing sales or streams. For musicians, platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and YouTube are popular choices and each one has its own strengths and features.
The next step is to determine how much you’re willing to spend on social media advertising and set a budget accordingly. Most social media platforms offer flexible budgeting options – see below a video that explains how much Instagram advertising costs.
Most social media platforms offer advanced targeting options that allow you to reach your target audience and you can pick which users your ad will be shown to based on factors like location, age, gender, interests, behaviors, and music preferences. You really want to take advantage of these targeting options to ensure that your ads are seen by the right people in order to maximize their effectiveness.
Ok, so your ad is up on the platform. What next? You need to monitor your ad’s performance often and most social media platforms provide analytics tools that allow you to track metrics such as reach, engagement, clicks, conversions, and return on investment (ROI).
Don’t be afraid to experiment with different types of ads and targeting options as it’s always a good idea to test different approaches to see what resonates best with your audience.
Bear in mind that it won’t do you much good to invest in advertising on social media platforms if you don’t then engage with your audience. You need to respond to comments, messages and mentions from your audience to foster meaningful connections, build a loyal fanbase, and create a sense of community around your music.
3. Make music videos for your music
A fantastic music video can elevate a good song to greatness and it can serve as a powerful promotional tool for you to promote your music as an indie artist.
The great thing about a music video is that it can add a strong visual representation of you and your music and in turn, this can allow you to express yourself, your personality, and your style beyond the simple audio track. This means that by consistently creating high-quality videos, you can help establish a strong visual identity for yourself as an artist, contributing to your overall brand image.
And with video-sharing platforms and social media platforms, a well-produced music video has the potential to reach a wide audience, including both fans and industry professionals, helping to increase visibility and exposure.
This sort of goes hand in hand with our next point which is that music videos are highly shareable content. Indeed, when people come across a video they enjoy, they are more likely to share it with their friends and followers, helping to spread the word about you and your music.
Another thing to bear in mind is that music videos encourage audience engagement as viewers can leave comments, can like the video, and all of this can foster a sense of community around your music.
A great example of how a music video can help promote your music as an indie artist is Gotye, aka Wally de Backer. He had been active in the indie music scene for some time, having released several albums and EPs and gaining a modest following. But then “Somebody That I Used to Know” brought him international fame and the track was particularly aided by its accompanying music video featuring Kimbra.
4. Send your music to blogs, journalists and music media
Getting media coverage is important for any artist, but especially for an independent artist trying to break into the mainstream music scene. What you want, after all, is for people to know your name and remember it, and for that to happen you need to get it out there.
There are a lot of music blogs out there that are all about discovery and are always looking for a new emerging artist to feature. What you need to do is look for music blogs that write mainly about your genre and contact them. A good tip for finding them is to look at artists who are in your niche and who are a bit more established than you. Google them to see who’s written about them recently and you’ll know who to contact. Most blogs have their contact details available because they’re keen to hear from smaller artists.
It’s also a good idea to contact music journalists or indie radio stations which, like blogs, are on the lookout for emerging artists. When contacting them, make sure you follow any submission guidelines that may be on their website and also use your social media platforms to get in touch with them and promote yourself. If you’re having trouble getting a response, you might consider using a music promotion platform such as Groover to get in touch with them.
We all know how important it is for emerging artists to know their genre and to target their marketing efforts at a very specific audience. But how about going a step further and finding a concept around your persona as an artist that you can use to develop your social media presence and, ultimately, promote your own music. A great example is artists who are first known for their high-quality covers of popular songs. You may be a little sceptical about whether this is for you or not, as you may be afraid of being branded as a cover artist forever. But in fact, many very popular artists got their start by posting covers online. Think Justin Bieber, Charlie Puth and Kinna Grannis, all of whom have had successful careers as musical artists in their own right. It is important to note that what made them successful as cover artists was that they let their own voice shine through the cover and made the song their own. What’s more, they made sure the quality of the cover was professional and they released their covers regularly to keep the momentum.
Whatever concept you choose, make sure it’s something you’re passionate about and bear in mind that it doesn’t even have to do with music at all, but can be used as a promotional tool for your music.
For a concrete example of this, take a look at Lindsey Stirling. What really helped her stand out on social media wasn’t so much her music, or at least it wasn’t just her music. It was the fact that she combined her music with dance and choreography.
Another thing that works incredibly well, especially on social media platforms, is humour. After all, everyone loves a good laugh. So why not try to get your message across in a funny way (and by being funny, you can also be a bit political without upsetting too many people).
Look at the success of Garfunkel and Oates, who started out by posting a video on YouTube and built an entire musical career around it. Take a look at one of their early videos and if you yourself have a knack for humour, why not take a leaf out of their book.
6. Enter music contests to have a better shot at getting your music out there
A little competition can be a good thing, and while music competitions are great for scouting out the competition and raising your game, they’re also a fantastic way for independent artists to promote their music.
If you’re particularly good at writing meaningful and relatable lyrics, why not enter a songwriting competition to put your skills to the test? And if you’ve got a track ready to go, why not enter it in an online music competition to get it out there?
All this can contribute to your credibility in the music industry, especially if you take part in a reputable competition where the judges are themselves well-known artists and their opinion is respected. If they like you, it can be seen as a huge stamp of approval by potential listeners and fans, and even by industry professionals who may be more inclined to work with you after you’ve been ‘validated’ by their peers.
Speaking of industry professionals, music competitions are also great for networking. Not only will you meet other independent artists who are also trying to break into the industry, but record companies and the media are always on the lookout for a deserving artist who manages to shine amongst a pool of talent.
And bear in mind that if you win the competition in question, the prizes can also help you promote your music. And that doesn’t just apply if you win, say, a major performance opportunity. But also if you win something like studio time or an opportunity to collaborate with an established artist.
If you’ve never entered a music competition before, it’s probably wise to start small and work your way up (to the Independent Music Awards!). Try to select a few in your niche, according to your musical genre, and always concentrate on what you do best (composition, production, performance…). Research the various competitions and pay particular attention to the submission guidelines so that you follow them to the letter. You don’t know where to start? Don’t worry, here are a few ideas for music competitions that might be right for you.
7. Open for popular acts during tours or at festivals
Last but certainly not least, opening for popular acts during tours or at festivals can be an excellent way for an indie musician to promote their music as this exposes your music to a much larger audience that is already engaged and interested in the headlining act and that might not have heard of you otherwise.
On top of that, it also gives you a lot of credibility within the music industry as it sort of works as a stamp of approval by a fellow artist and it opens up many networking opportunities for you with industry professionals, including other musicians, managers, agents, promoters, and journalists.
It’s also a great learning experience and it helps you hone your live performance skills, build your stage presence, and learn how to engage and connect with diverse audiences. It can also provide you with access to resources and amenities that you wouldn’t have as an independent artist, such as access to professional sound and lighting equipment, promotional materials, transportation, and accommodations.
For a concrete example, look at Halsey, who gained exposure and recognition by serving as an opening act for larger artists. One notable instance was when she opened for The Weeknd during his “The Madness Fall Tour” in 2015. At that time, Halsey was still relatively unknown but had released her debut studio album, “Badlands.” Opening for The Weeknd provided her with the opportunity to perform in front of larger audiences and showcase her unique blend of alternative pop and electropop. After this, her career soared and she released her second studio album.
Conclusion
Overall, there are many ways to promote your music as an indie artist and just like David’s victory over Goliath, always remember that with the right combination of courage and conviction, you can achieve great things as an indie artist.
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