Tips on promoting music online
In times when Beyoncé embarks on the second part of what is probably one of the most important concert tours, Travis Scott wins hearts with the album ‘Utopia’ and Fred again earns his first Grammy, promoting music is much easier than it was just a few years ago. The opportunities that the internet offers mean that we no longer have to rely solely on radio stations, and not only well-known artists can reach millions of listeners worldwide. However, it’s hard not to notice that the music industry is developing at a tremendous pace. There are new styles and subgenres emerging, and with them, new creators who often still find it hard to break through in such a competitive market.
So, how to use the available tools to effectively promote your music?
STREAMING PLATFORMS
Currently, the main source of music playback are streaming platforms. The offer, although quite wide, has been dominated by a few well-known giants. According to the International Music Summit report, Spotify is the clear leader in this field. At the beginning of February 2024, 602 million active users were recorded, of which 236 million are paying subscribers.
In second place is Apple Music, which in 2023 had about 88 million subscribers. Despite the clear advantage of the above applications, we cannot forget about platforms such as YouTube, Tidal, or SoundCloud. The latter, in particular, can be very helpful in promoting your work.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media is a fundamental part of today’s online communication, and its importance in music promotion is invaluable. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter offer artists not only the possibility to reach a wide audience but also to interact with them in a direct and authentic way.
The key to effectively using social media is to regularly publish diverse content, such as snippets of tracks, behind-the-scenes of music creation, concert photos, or announcements of upcoming events. Authenticity sells best, so it’s important to create your unique style and not copy other creators.
In addition to organic reach, which can be built by regular work on your profile, it’s also worth using advertising tools like Facebook Ads and Instagram Ads, which allow creators to precisely target their ads and reach the right group of recipients, increasing their chances of successful promotion.
Tik Tok
TikTok has become one of the most popular applications in the world in just a few years, especially among younger users. The app allows users to create short videos containing various content, from lip-syncing and dance routines to short stories or education in different fields. The recommendation algorithm that analyzes users’ personal preferences is very important, so creators should not overlook this tool for promoting their music.
The recommendation algorithm that analyzes users’ personal preferences is very important, so it is crucial for creators to not skip this tool to promote their music. Sharing the creative process or recording creative content for your snippets (short announcements of the upcoming single) can make the song go viral, and therefore reach a large group of users and quickly gain popularity.
TikTok also offers advertising options such as video and banner ads that can be used to promote music. These ads may appear on users’ home page or while browsing content.
Discord
Discord is another tool worth remembering if you want to build a listener base. Creating dedicated servers allows artists to build an engaged community, organize online events, and communicate with fans directly. It’s good to remember to participate in other people’s servers that bring together fans of specific types of music.
Soundcloud
SoundCloud is an ideal place, especially for beginning artists, which allows publishing your work and building initial contacts with the music industry. It’s great for promoting independent work, such as remixes, beats, or DJ sets, which often have no chance of appearing on Spotify or Tidal.
Website
Having your own website is a very good solution, especially for music producers who want to sell their tracks. Often, there’s no room for this on social media platforms due to content saturation, so it’s worth creating your own separate place to refer potential clients and fans.
Due to the fact that organic activities are becoming increasingly difficult these days, many artists and labels decide to invest in promoting certain songs and albums. Almost all music playback platforms offer the possibility of paid promotion.
PAID ADS ON STREAMING PLATFORMS
Advertisements are displayed in various forms, usually in free versions of applications. Depending on the platform, these may be audio, video or banner ads. Their advantage is the ability to define targeting criteria and track campaign results using analytical tools to gain deeper insights about your listeners.
Spotify Playlists
Playlists created by platforms and various users are often a way to discover new music, so placing your tracks in popular playlists can significantly accelerate their popularity growth.
Spotify regularly creates official playlists in which it places songs that fit a given category, e.g. Hip Hop Generation, New Music Friday or Viral Hits. Playlists are publicly available and managed by groups of editors specializing in given music genres, who carefully select songs.
To be included in such a playlist, simply submit the selected song to the website at least 7 days before the planned premiere. Then editors will have enough time to listen to the song and place it on the playlist. It is important that you can submit a maximum of one song and that you cannot present a song with a guest artist.
In summary, there are many options to effectively promote your music online. The key to success, however, is patience, authenticity, regularity in publishing content, interaction with fans, and conscious use of available advertising tools. Thanks to this, even young and independent artists can achieve success in the saturated music industry.