In the modern music industry, being talented and unique isn’t enough to help you stand out from the crowd of other artists, and gaining the kind of recognition you want in a competitive market requires careful strategizing, and a good understanding of your strengths.
________________________
Guest post by Becky Holton
The present-day music industry is making it harder for aspiring musicians to gain fame and recognition. It’s not enough to just be talented or unique – you have to know how to advertise your skills and target the right audience. With the rise of social media and streaming services, the competition is tougher than ever and the stakes are sky high.
So, how does one achieve recognition in a competitive market? It’s not that hard; all you have to do is strategize and know your strengths.
To help you rise from obscurity, we’ve assembled 7 essential ways to promote your work and expand your fan base. Implement them wisely and you will see the results you’ve been waiting for. You can do it!
1. Have a simple website
No matter how adept you are at social media management, you should always make your website a #1 priority at all times. The reason for the persisting importance of websites for musicians is the isolation factor. This means that you’re in total control of the look on your website.
You don’t have to adhere to rules that exist on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. What websites offer musicians is a chance to establish their branding.
Social media might be useful for extending your brand influence, but the website is where it all begins. It’s your territory and you should adjust it so that every component helps you express your music. What should a website include anyway?
- Your logo and brand colors
- The bio of your band/project
- Artists that influenced you (so that people who like those artists have a reason to give you a listen)
- Links to social media and streaming services
- News
- Media gallery
That’s it! Websites are supposed to be one-page, simple and accessible to everyone. No need for complications and tons of media and images.
2. Focus on written content, too
It’s not about what you say, it’s about how you say it. Even if you recorded the most amazing song in the world, it’s going to sit idle without the right text to accompany it. People don’t like unknowns in a market oversaturated with musicians that sound the same. It’s up to you to use written content to help fans understand what you’re all about.
The best way to ensure your content is effective is to use custom writing services. For concert promotions and tour announcements, EssayWritingLab and Best Essays are the best options.
Don’t forget about song descriptions and bios. For these purposes, we recommend Rush My Essay and BestDissertation.com.
These tools save you valuable time and ensure that your content will have an effect on the fans.
3. Generate hype
The modern-day music business is all about hype. You see lackluster projects topping the charts precisely because of cleverly-generated hype. Use snippets, teasers and previews to get your fanbase excited for an album or a new single. Accompany them with custom descriptions from tools such as EssayOnTime.co.uk.
A good idea for online hype generation is the Instagram collage posts. Use several images to form a bigger one. It can be an album cover, the name of a new song or some cool graphic.
Post them one day at a time to maximize hype. People will see something weird on their timeline, wonder what’s it about and follow you more closely.
4. Contact playlist creators on streaming services
Despite Apple music and Spotify having excellent algorithms for discovering music similar to the one you like, very few people actively look for new music. The chance of disappointment is too big, so listeners rely on other methods of discovery instead. One of them is listening to playlists.
For example, if you’re a techno producer and you want your music to be heard, you just have to contact popular playlist creators. Send them an email or PM with some of your music and ask them to add your songs to their playlists.
Once your songs are grouped with other popular techno (or whatever genre) names, people will become even more interested.
5. Don’t forget about YouTube
If you’re not an internationally popular superstar, you can’t afford to disregard YouTube. First of all, it’s free. Secondly, it’s the largest music streaming service in the world and the second-largest search engine, only behind Google. Everything you add to streaming services should go to YouTube as well.
A lot of music listeners prefer YouTube’s interface, algorithms or the lack of having to pay. This will open up a whole new fanbase to you, allowing your music to be seen and heard.
6. Get visual!
Even if you don’t have music videos for every song, that doesn’t mean you can’t add visual components to your songs. When you upload music to YouTube, add an animated video with geometric shapes. UKF Drum and Bass are known for their simple, but enticing animations.
If you don’t want to spend money on animations, you can always design immobile graphics that grab attention. They work, trust us.
7. Interact
When someone comments on your videos or social media posts, interact with them. Too many listeners are sick of musicians thinking they’re bigger than everyone else. While PPC campaigns, music videos and launches cost money – it doesn’t take even a dime to act human and interact with fans.
Be a musician that you wanted your idols to be when you were a kid. Fans will recognize this and will spread good word and stories about you. It’s free, but it can have lasting effects on your fanbase and be profitable in the long run. Don’t be a jerk.
Conclusion
Applying these tactics will not only expand your influence but also solidify your image. As your fanbase grows, each and every fan will know what to expect from you and know you are. Image is important in modern music, as much as finances and influencing. Don’t let so many tools scare you – use them to your advantage and don’t give up on your dreams. If you don’t believe in yourself, who will?