The music industry is always changing, and that’s especially true now that we live in a digital world. Not too long ago, big record labels would sign artists and then take care of their organic music marketing and digital marketing in general. But this isn’t true anymore. Independent music promotion is on the rise because there are more and more musicians who work on their own. Independent musicians are a part of the music business that is growing quickly. To become one and get noticed, you need to have a good marketing plan. You need a plan for everything, from making music and making a music video to launching your album and promoting your music. Having said all that, do you desire to know which of the multiple marketing music companies is good for you, or what their job is, then read on.
What Is Music Marketing?
Music marketing is the use of strategic messaging and advertising to connect musicians with their fans and tell new people about their careers and new music. Traditional music marketing plans, like putting out mixtapes with new songs on them, were used by early hip-hop artists. More modern digital music marketing plans, like posting videos on social media platforms, are also possible.
Independent artists can market their music themselves to get it in front of their loyal fans, or they can work with a record label and a music publicist to plan a bigger strategy.
Overview
Your product is music, and as an artist, your goal is to sell it with the help of marketing either through companies or personal. There’s no harm in hoping that big record labels will find you one day and help your music get to the top. That’s what happened to Ed Sheeran, after all. He was busking on the streets of LA and trying to get into as many open mics as he could until Jamie Foxx found him. His total wealth is now $64 million.
But it would be foolish at best to only count on that possibility. Music marketing companies’ businesses are very competitive and full right now. With the rise of social media and opportunities to get noticed, more and more artists and musicians are trying to share their work with the world.
To get noticed in the market, you need to make a marketing plan, which is a report that explains how you will market your music over a certain amount of time. If you are new to marketing, this might seem like a lot to take in. But once you get started, you’ll quickly learn what to do and how to do it.
Here’s how to get going:
#1. Define Your Audience
Your audience is the group of people who might like your music. They are also called “music fans.” Depending on the type of music you are making, you will need to choose a specific audience to aim for.
#2. Analyze the Market
In this case, the music business is the market. Find out who your “competitors” are and what you do better than them. This will be your unique selling proposition. When making a plan for marketing your music, it will also help to study the market.
#3. Establish Your Long-Term and Short-Term Goals
Do you plan to put out new music, music videos, or an album by a certain date? Make a plan of what you will do to get ready for your new releases. Tell us what your short-term and long-term music and tour goals are.
#4. Determine Your Marketing Strategies
Once you know what you want to achieve, you can choose marketing strategies that will help you get there.
#5. Set a Budget for Your Music Promotion
After you determine your marketing strategies, you need to set your marketing budget. How much are you willing to spend to get your music out there?
Try to finish each of these important steps before you start the promotion. Without a plan, it will be hard to get people to listen to your music.
What are the Responsibilities of a Music Marketer?
Among the responsibilities of a music marketer are the following:
#1. Developing Campaigns
The music marketing manager job (especially in some companies) explains how the artist’s new album or upcoming tour will be promoted. They work directly with the artist to come up with the campaign’s message and with the label’s artists and repertoire (A&R) department to coordinate promotional (or “promo”) efforts to reach current and potential fans.
#2. Securing Collaborations and Media Opportunities
Building relationships with other people in the music business is part of an organic music marketing job like DJs, tastemakers, and curators. They work with the press department of the record label to set up interviews for their artists with radio shows, print magazines, bloggers, podcasts, and online music services. They also help interviewers and writers make electronic press kits (EPKs) about the artists.
#3. Tracking Analytics
Whether they work on their own or as part of a record label’s marketing team, music marketers track analytics to see how effective email marketing campaigns, social media posts, and other ways of reaching music fans are.
What is the Best Place to Sell Your Music?
You will be able to reach a far bigger audience and increase the likelihood that your music will be heard with the assistance of online music stores. Bandcamp is one of the best online sites to use if you want to sell your music there. Bandcamp is an independent platform that gives you the opportunity to sell your music to fans in a variety of formats, including MP3 and WAV files.
How Do I Find People to Invest in My Music?
Investigating the many business communities in your area is the simplest step you can take toward obtaining investors to fund your recording career. When searching for financial backers in the music business, going to organizations comparable to Small Business Development Centers might be an efficient first step. Additionally, look for local business angels in the area.
Where Can I Post My Music and Earn Money?
TuneCore can assist you in taking control of your career and beginning to sell your music on platforms such as Spotify and iTunes, regardless of whether you are an established artist or just getting started in the music industry. Simply create an account, upload your music, and distribute your release to retail outlets, and you’re done.
What Degree Do You Need for Music Marketing?
First, and this may be the aspect that is of the utmost significance to students, it is a complete Bachelor of Music degree, complete with all of the benefits, possibilities, and requirements that are associated with the other sections of the BM degree. This indicates that all students majoring in Music Marketing are required to audition, take individual training, and participate in ensemble performances, just like students majoring in any other genre of music.
Top Music Marketing Strategies
Here are 10 good ways to market your music that many well-known musicians have used successfully and that still work today. Let’s begin to find them!
#1. Create a Music Website
Don’t think that you don’t need a website just because you use social media and streaming services. Your website is a big part of what people know about you as a musician. It’s your online portfolio, where you show off and sell your albums, list the dates of your shows, connect with your audience, and just tell your story.
The good news is that making a website doesn’t have to cost a lot of money or take a lot of time. Choose website builders with templates that have already been made by professionals to save time and money.
Think about making a one-page website because it’s better at keeping the audience’s attention on one thing, in this case, your music. Make sure your website is easy to navigate so that people don’t have to click around to find what they need.
Once your website is ready, you can tell your audience and possible fans about it.
#2. Share Your Music on Digital Platforms
With the rise of digital technologies, reaching your target audience has become easier. Platforms that let you stream music are a great example. Tidal, Apple Music, SoundCloud, Spotify, Deezer, YouTube Music, and Amazon Music Unlimited are some of the most popular ones.
These sites make it easy to share albums, connect with listeners, and share songs.
Choose the platform you want to use carefully. First, think about who you want to reach. You should have already done this in your marketing plan. Where do they do business?
For example, electronic music and remixes work well on Soundcloud. So, if you make this kind of music, you should be on Soundcloud.
Don’t stick to just one platform. The more platforms you use, the more people will hear about you. But if you know how to get people to notice you on these sites.
You can find independent or unofficial Spotify curators who will put your song on different playlists. Or, if you want to be on Apple Music, you need to find a music distributor or an aggregator.
Find out what each platform can do and how it differs from the others. If you’re happy with what you find, you can share your music.
#3. Use Social Media for Music Promotion
With 49% of the world’s population using social networks, it seems like it wouldn’t be necessary to say that social media is one of the most popular ways for organic music marketing. It can help you find new fans for your music, get your fans more involved, and maybe even make your next song go viral.
But how do you make a video that goes viral on social media? People love reading and sharing content that makes them feel good or makes them laugh. They are especially interested in video content, which is good for you. A well-made video of your song can get a lot of users’ attention.
Social media can help you build a group of fans who are loyal to you. Build up your social media profiles, post original content, and talk to your audience often. You can also meet new people by sharing your music in social media music groups.
Again, you should think about which social media sites your audience uses. Then, make a plan and figure out what kind of content you want to share. Find out about putting videos on Facebook, promoting on TikTok, and putting videos on Instagram. If you use the best ways to market your music on social media, your community will grow over time.
#4. Contact Social Media Influencers
Influencer marketing is a new area of marketing that is booming, but it hasn’t reached its full potential yet.
Who is a person with power? A person who has a lot of followers on different social media sites is called an influencer. They can be bloggers, vloggers, famous people, or YouTubers with a lot of followers.
You need to find influential people in your niche and reach out to them to work together. At first, it can be hard to get the attention of people who have a lot of power. Start with smaller influencers and move up to bigger ones as your following grows.
There are many ways to work with people who have a lot of power. They can put your song in the background of their videos or use it to start a new dance challenge as long as they credit you. This can help you a lot, especially if you’re just starting to get people to follow you. You will be able to reach their viewers and explore organic music marketing.
#5. Send an Email Newsletter to Your Contact List
One benefit of having a website for your music is that you can get people’s contact information. So, you should plan your email marketing campaign if you have people who want to stay in touch with you through email. Send out email newsletters to stay in touch with your audience.
When you have your contact list, you can get in touch with your contacts when you release a new song or album, tell them about your next live show, or send them the dates of your upcoming tour. Through email, you can share not only news, but also songs, pictures, and videos.
You can use graphic design templates to make eye-catching images for your newsletters to let people know about upcoming tours, new albums, or other exciting news.
#6. Promote Your Music via Paid Advertising
Have trouble getting organic music marketing traffic? You are not alone. In the past few years, posts’ organic reach has dropped quickly. If you want to reach more people with your music marketing, you might want to use paid ads. Remember, you also have to pay for this job. Google Ads, Facebook Business Manager, and YouTube Ads are some of the best tools for your advertising campaigns.
#7. Sign up to Live Streaming Platforms
Go live! Now, you can share live videos from your garage or bedroom. Interacting with your listeners in real-time will help you build a strong fan base. Talk with your audience about what they’d like to hear from you, and give live concerts now and then.
You can go live in many ways, like on Facebook, Instagram, or Youtube Live.
And if social media platforms don’t work for you, there are a lot of other live-streaming sites like Concert Window, Twitch, YouNow, StageIt, etc.
Live streams are a great way to build a strong connection with your audience and boost your music marketing efforts, you will have to do a job for this to happen.
#8. Record Music Podcasts
Podcasts are another way to promote yourself online in a good way. There are two things you can do with podcasts: make your own show or be on someone else’s.
SoundCloud is one of the best places to host podcasts on a streaming service. Record your episodes, upload them to your feed, and share your podcasts on social media sites where you have a large following. You can also put podcasts on your website by embedding them.
Make sure you ask your audience for feedback to find out what they are most interested in. It could be live shows, the process of writing or recording a song, or something else. Choose topics based on what they suggest and what they’re interested in because if you don’t grab their attention, they won’t stay with you for long.
#9. Optimize Your Presence on YouTube
When we think of places to share videos, YouTube is the first thing that comes to mind. It is thought to be the second biggest search engine after Google. If you haven’t already, put your music on YouTube and optimize it for better results if you haven’t already.
What kind of videos should you put on your YouTube channel? As a musician, there are a lot of great YouTube video ideas you can use, like music covers, lyric videos, singing lessons, and so on.
Also, don’t forget about music visualizations, which let you post your songs with interesting visuals to give your listeners a better experience. Adding personalized thumbnails and playlists can help you attract new viewers and fans.
#10. Create Your Merchandise
Do you need more money to pay for your shows and recordings? Having your own products can be a good way to do this. As a music artist, the first thing you need to do is get an LLC. Then make a brand that is unique and feels real to you. If you don’t already have a logo, making one for your music is a good place to start.
What merchandise do you want to sell? You can choose between real and virtual ones. This could include signed albums and posters, stickers, vinyl versions of your album, phone cases, music lessons on video, online lyric books, t-shirts, and notebooks.
Music Marketing Companies
The following are notable names of music marketing companies.
#1. Planetary Group Los Angeles, California
Exertion describes the possible outcomes of any band, so it’s a good idea for entertainers to work on improving their media when they’re just starting out. Professionals don’t always find it easy to do a great job of checking, which is why PR tasks like those done by Planetary Group can save their lives. With their smart ways of getting the word out, advertising has reached the next level. The best way to get ahead is through well-written letters, and these sharp-witted advisors are the best sponsors California has in 2019. These smart facilitators have a wide range of decision-making skills and use a lot of insider information from their homes in Los Angeles.
#2 Lyriplex PR Firm — Los Angeles, California
Lyriplex PR Firm is among the music marketing companies based in Los Angeles that isn’t afraid to mix old ways of showing off music with new ways of making music job progress. Lyriplex PR Firm’s main goal is to make deals with Spotify for promotion, events, and underwriting. Recently, this company has gotten a huge number of clients, with Universal Music, Interscope, and Atlantic Records likely being the most well-known. Lil Pump, Kodak Black, Blueface, and Billie Eilish, all rappers, are also on the list of happy customers. Even though Lyriplex PR Firm has grown, it also offers mixing and acing organizations.
#3 Quite Great PR Cambridge, UK
For people who work in the music business, persuaded thinking and sharp correspondence go hand in hand. Since its launch in 1996, this well-known music marketing group has been a major force among marketing companies primarily because of the job they do. Even though this relationship has been going on for over 20 years in the fast-paced entertainment space, it still feels new and supported. Since the beginning, Quite Great PR has been helping all kinds of performers clean up their photos and make friends with swarms. The accreditations shown at this unique European outlet can’t be displayed anywhere else. Their smart way of thinking about media relations is really changing the game.
#4 Artist PR Hollywood, California
Being a specialist can be a very lucrative job, but it can also be hard to get to the top. This is why more experts and entertainers are going to Artist PR to make more friends and get more of their work noticed. Skilled worker PR gives clients access to a wide range of music industry experts and products that can help your music reach many fans. Use the organization’s tools to make your music deals more dynamic and easier to manage, so you can focus on making great music for other people.
#5 BWR PR Los Angeles, California
BWR2 PR, which has won a lot of awards, has a good sense of what’s going to catch the eye of famous people and a lot of people. The company adds unexpected parts to fights that get people’s attention and interest. Its music department works with up-and-coming artists, multi-platinum stars, and Grammy winners to reach a huge number of people through digital, broadcast, and print channels. BMR2 was one of the first PR firms to use the idea of cross-pollination. Its services combine meeting reports, review support, great events, and advertising techniques.
Can I Be My Own Music Distributor?
Should you come to the conclusion that you want to launch your own music distribution company, we recommend that you begin from square one. This is due to the fact that in the sector as of late, it is highly improbable that any music distribution franchises are being put up for sale. Therefore, starting your own company is a terrific method to get a foothold in the distribution industry.
Do Music Distributors Own Your Music?
They do not own anything, despite the fact that some of them sell something called “label services.” These independent music distribution organizations are merely acting as service providers. You are in complete control of your rights, regardless of who you work with. Even if they take a commission, it will only come out of the money you make.
How Do Musicians Make Money in 2022?
Live performances are, by a significant margin and margin of victory, the most common and top source of revenue for musicians in the year 2022. Following behind in the second position are royalties earned from streaming, and in third place are instructing students. As I mentioned at the beginning of the piece, I believe there are a few distinct routes one might take in order to make a living as a musician: You have more show appearances.
Organic Music Marketing
Organic music marketing used to only happen when artists and fans met in person, like at live concerts, meet-and-greets, autograph signings, or even small shows in the neighborhood. The process of organic music marketing is now very much possible with digital media. Depending on the platform, artists can interact with fans in real-time by responding to comments or chatting directly with different people. Fans from all over the world can now listen to the artists’ music, so they are no longer limited by where they live.
Through different platforms, artists can also reach out to their fans in different parts of the world. Actions, but also content marketing through websites, blogs, and the management and optimization of social media. Unlike some other music marketing companies, DIGITTO Media’s job strategies are planned and carried out by real people. Algorithms help read the numbers, but real people do the math. Experts on the team read and make sense of all the data, which is then used to build new marketing strategies and campaigns.
With inclusive organic music marketing, they don’t have to use bots or apps that give them instant “likes” or “views” on their social media accounts, that’s a very good job, you know. When bots are used, it’s easy to trick people into thinking that an artist is really popular, and their content gets shared a lot. But some social media sites clean up accounts on a regular basis, and when they do, almost half of the “likes” and “followers” are suddenly gone, leaving the artist with little digital media presence. When the right organic music marketing strategy is used, artists’ “likes” and “followers” come from real people who found their music online and spent time looking at their profiles or watching their videos.
FAQs
Can you market your music for free?
You can use social media to promote your music for free. Try sharing your music, making Instagram reels to it, or making TikTok videos with your music in them.
How do I get started in music marketing?
An internship in the music marketing department of any record company would be excellent. Keep checking with the recorded music marketing companies and your schools or university for any potential internships.
What do music marketers do?
The music marketer’s job is to promote performers, brands, and albums, marketing managers are employed in all corners of the music industry.
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