What Musicians Need to Know About Digital Marketing (A 10-Step Guide)

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Introduction

Growing your brand as a musician is an exciting process. The music industry is becoming increasingly competitive, but with the right mindset and smart marketing tactics, it can be done! The music market is extremely broad and rapidly growing.

It is estimated by 2022, the number of subscribers subscribing to a paid music streaming service will reach 350 million. Of only USA residents listening to streaming music platforms, each listener listened to an average of 32 hours a week and the numbers are expected to rise. That’s a lot of people out there, ready and waiting to hear your music!

So how do you put together a great music marketing campaign? Well, here are some tips to help you get started.

1. Define target audience

Your target audience is who you target with your marketing campaign. Figure out what type of listeners you are creating music for. Check out this blog to help you decide what questions you should be asking as you figure out your target consumer.

2. Analyze the market

Study and identify your “competitors”. What makes you different and what makes you stand out from them? What can you offer your audience that your competitors can’t? That is what you highlight.

3. Specify your goals

These are both your long term and short term goals. What do you want to accomplish? Release an album by a certain date? Write that down. What do you want to communicate to your audience through your music? Write that down as well.

4. Grow your social media presence

With 3.96 billion people worldwide using social media, it is a must in your marketing campaign. Post your practicing and your songs, create music tutorials, and engage with your audience on a human level. This list provides some of the best recommended music marketing tools to employ in growing your music industry.

5. Network with other musicians

Find social media influencers and other musicians on social media and invite them to collaborate with you. Start with smaller influencers and gradually reach out to others.

6. Get a website

Although social media is optimal for engaging and reaching out to your audience, a website is your brand. It’s your portfolio with your music, your bio, lists of concert dates and so on. The great thing is that building a website doesn’t have to be hard. With plenty of website building sites, it’s easier than ever.

7. Create an email newsletter

Now that you have a website, you can collect the contacts of your audience. Employ this tool to inform your audience of music release dates, concert events, and other music events you are planning. There are plenty of tips and techniques you can use to make your email newsletter visually appealing.

8. Build your electronic press kit

Your EPK is a central location of all your assets that editors, bloggers, radio directors, and the media will see. It must contain your bio, your contact info, photos, press quotes, as well as links to your music and social media platforms.

9. Get on playlists

With the majority of music listeners on music platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, Soundcloud, and Amazon Music, it’s time to reach new listeners by getting on playlists. This is the surest way of getting your music heard.

10. Release singles from an album early on

Plan to slowly start releasing your music from your album on, building audience engagement and interest with each one. Treat each single as a mini-release, each with its own round of social media posts and press.

What’s next?

And that’s 10 handy tips for getting your music out there. Sure, getting your music heard is hard and competitive. But with the right mindset and tactics, it’s something that anyone can do. For more digital marketing tips and training, check out The International Institute of Digital Marketing.