Music promotion in all it’s forms
As indie artist, may wonder how you can promote your music and yourself. Let’s take a look at all the ways you can… be your own promoter!
A successful musician I know once told me that he would make music and perform for free, and it’s everything else that’s the “work.” That’s truer today than ever before, when artists must wear many hats – Radio promoter! Publicist! Social Media manager! Booking Agent! Tour manager! It’s a lot, but it’s doable. Let’s take a look :
Radio Promo
You’ve read in other blogs how important radio is and that remains true. Radio just hits a little differently as far as respectability goes. A report from Nielsen and Edison Research shows that adults spend more than four hours with audio every day, and radio accounts for 67% of ad-supported listening. Most audio content is consumed outside of the home during the day, the report showed, with 80% of specifically in-car listening dedicated to radio. So even though the chatter may be about streaming, your best bet remains terrestrial radio, and that’s where Play MPE can be a huge help.
If you use the Play MPE service Caster, you can promote releases directly to verified music industry professionals in radio, music supervision, media, curation (retail, restaurants, airlines) and more. You can also target curators seeking releases in specific formats such as pop, rock, alternative, jazz, hip hop, non comm, college and more. Plus, if you want to track where your single is popping, you can use MTR , which tracks airplay across 5000+ radio stations in North America – 10% off for Caster users!
Publicity
It’s easier, and harder, than ever to be your own publicist. Easier, because so much is online now, and harder because…so much is online now. It’s smart to make sure you have some good photos and a bio written. You can do a fun Q&A with your bandmates to craft your biography or, if you’re a solo artist, write one yourself. Next, add the bio and photos to your website, plug in a playlist of your songs, add your social channels and you’re ready to start pitching. Begin by making a list of local websites, zines and newspaper editors who you can contact. Pro tip – people are more apt to cover you if you’re also playing in the area. Which brings us to…
Booking
You’re in a band and you must have the essentials to succeed: Website – check. PR – check. Social channels activated – check. Radio promo underway – check. Now you need to book some shows. Depending on where you live, and what the nightlife scene is like, it may not be so hard to get a few low paying gigs. You should let everyone know you’re available to play out, especially if you live near local colleges or high schools. Summer camps are also a great, often untapped, place to perform at and who is more loyal than a 12-year-old who sees their first show at sleep away camp?
Social Media
The minute you have your band named, grab every social channel you can, even if you’re not going to use it. The point being you don’t want someone else with your name to use it at all. So even if you have no intention of posting on Threads, register the name any way – this goes for you too, solo artists. And if you have a name like Jane Johnson, and there are a few others, a good way to differentiate yourself is by using words like MUSIC, OFFICIAL or SINGS with your name. Once you’ve secured everything – start posting!! Take photos, make videos, go live – remember, content is king!
There’s no better time to make music than right now. There is a lot happening in the world to inspire songwriters and many avenues to promote your music, but being prepared helps you stand out. Make sure you have the right tools, a positive outlook, some amazing tracks and get on out there!!!!