When starting out as a musician, promoting yourself or your band can seem a daunting prospect. To help you get started, we've listed here some of the best promotional methods which are likely to give you great results.
Building an online presence should be your first priority. If you set up an official web site, it's easier for your audience to find you and keep up to date with your music.
You can build a web site yourself using a platform such as Wix or Bandzoogle, or you can use our Share Tracks system, which gives you a web page for each track. You can stream and share your tracks and visitors can contact you using a web form on each page.
If you like the idea of writing about your music, you can connect with fans through a music blog. You can write about your creative processes, your inspirations, your studio and equipment, your new releases - the possibilities are endless.
We also accept Blog posts from our Users, so you're welcome to submit articles, tutorials and reviews here, with links to your Blog or music site.
If you're serious about promoting your music, you'll need a Press Kit. This is a concise promotional package that is basically your resume designed to showcase your musical career.
Ideally, your Press Kit should include the following:
Keep your Press Kit short and concise, but make sure it gives a clear snapshot of you, or your band's, musical career. You can post it on your web site and send it to the Media, bloggers, promoters, venues — anywhere you want to raise your profile and increase publicity.
Your Blog Posts can form the basis of a regular newsletter and help you build a mailing list. A weekly or monthly newsletter can be a powerful tool to build your audience and keep them informed about your work.
Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are essential to getting your music out into the world. However, remember you need to post more than just your music.
Facebook can be a great option for getting in front of your audience and building your name recognition, even though its organic reach is not as strong as it used to be. It may be worth considering Facebook ads if your budget allows. If you have a Maztr Pro Plus account, you can also post free to our Facebook account on a monthly basis.
On the other hand, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat are great to converse with your fans and put out real-time notices or promote events. They give you the option to promote your music in a more personal way without sounding like a sales pitch.
Don't forget about TikTok. Although it's a newer arrival on the Social Media scene, it's rapidly becoming a very popular tool to promote your music online. In many cases, its organic reach far exceeds the other platforms and can help you find new fans and build a bigger audience.
Remember to cross promote your social media profiles and web site by adding links between them all. Most social media platforms allow you to do this to increase your exposure and audience engagement.
Many people use Youtube to find new music and discover new artists. By creating your own Youtube Channel, you can catch their attention and help them get to know your music. When choosing a title for your Channel, think about the promotional possibilities and make sure you include your name or your band's name.
To get people to subscribe to your Channel, you'll need a lot of content. You can upload music videos and organize your tracks into playlists, but that may not be enough. Think about adding other types of content such as chats with band members, discussions about your creative processes, your musical favorites and influences, interviews with other musicians and music tutorials. It may help to think of some of your content as a type of podcast. Your goal is to create a personal connection with your fans and build a community.
Distribution is the link between your music and your audience. Important considerations when choosing a Music Distribution Company include:
A leading Music Distribution Company that ticks all these boxes is Ditto Music. They are the only distributor that let's you try before you buy, offering a 30 day free trial, so they're high on our list. With offices around the world, they distribute music to 160 digital music stores, including Spotify, iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, VEVO, Apple Music, Beatport, Deezer and Shazam. Try their free trial to see how much they can help you grow as an artist.
Bandsintown is a music discovery web site. It allows users to receive notifications about tour dates and live music in their area. Bands and artists can use a range of tools to manage tour dates and connect with their audience.
Many artists build their audience and recognition with free merchandise. As your fame grows, you may even be able to sell your merchandise down the track.
The obvious "must have" merchandise items are t-shirts, but there are many other options you should consider such as caps, beanies, tote bags, stickers, patches, keychains, pins, koozies and posters. How do you create custom merch the easy way without worrying about inventory and fulfillment? Try Printful's print-on-demand drop shipping service. They'll take care of the whole process for you from printing to delivery so you can get on with your music.
You can probably think of loads of other ideas to promote your music. One idea we like is branded guitar picks. The possibilities are endless.
