Given the high volume of music being churned out these days, it can be easy to get lost in the crowd on platforms like SoundCloud or Spotify, regardless of how good your music is. Here we look at some more unconventional avenues for online promotion that may have an increased likelihood of attracting attention.
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Guest post by Jeanette Kats from the Symphonic Blog
The internet is a place full of endless music promotion. It can be easy to get lost in the commotion on popular music sharing platforms, such as SoundCloud and Spotify, but there are many other avenues for self-promotion. Spotify streams and SoundCloud plays are important, but you can look to other platforms for sharing your music and growing your audience.
Below are 10 non-traditional ways to share your music in 2018.
Reddit is a unique social media platform that allows millions of users to post, vote and comment in different communities organized around their interests. As the No. 3 most-visited site in the US, Reddit has millions of potential new listeners waiting to hear your music. Some subreddits to consider are r/Music, r/ThisIsOurMusic and r/WeAreTheMusicMakers. Make sure to search for subreddits specific to your genre of music as well. You can get banned from subreddits for spam posts, so make sure to interact with posts from other users and differentiate your own content as well.
Newsletters are one of the most under utilized avenues for self-promotion by musicians. Make sure to take full advantage of your email subscribers by alerting them of upcoming releases or new music. Check out our top picks for email marketing services here.
YouTube
YouTube is one of the more obvious choices, but a lot of musicians fail to take advantage of the platform. There are many ways to share music on YouTube. Whether it’s a music video, lyric video, visualizer or behind-the-scenes, there is an endless number of ways you can get creative. Learn more about our video marketing services to take your channel to the next level.
Feature.fm
Guarantee airplay on streaming radio stations, such as Deezer, 8 Tracks and more, with Feature.fm. Your songs are guaranteed to be heard by your target audience, and if the song is skipped in under 30 seconds, it’s free. Symphonic Distribution clients receive 25% match to 400 free plays. Learn more here.
Play MPE
Play MPE provides promotional music distribution to all major labels and thousands of independents around the globe. Play MPE puts your music into the hands of tastemakers in radio, press, film, TV and more. Expose your music to as many people as possible with Play MPE.
Wavo Boost
Wavo Boost is a promotional tool that promotes your music on some of today’s most influential music sites, such as Dancing Astronaut, Your EDM, Hype Machine, Noisepornand more. Wavo Boost is designed to increase online exposure and visibility for artists & their new material. Basic campaigns start at $5 per day and reach a maximum of 5,000 fans. Learn more here.
Instagram Stories
Instagram and Spotify recently announced a partnership that allows users to share what they’re listening to in Instagram Stories or Instagram Direct straight from Spotify. Instead of posting your Spotify code, simply share your track, EP, album or playlist onto your story and enable listeners to easily gain access to your music. Here’s how to take advantage of the newly integrated function.
Snapchat
Snapchat is still a widely used platform that is perfect for music promotion. Connect with fans, preview new clips, give behind-the-scenes glimpses and more. Snapchat has even integrated a link feature so you can link your fans directly to your music. Make sure to share your Snapcode on your website all social media platforms!
Music Blogs
Music blogs are a great way to reach new fans. This one requires some research, but once you find blogs that are specific to your genre or style, you can look for an appropriate contact and send them a promo email in the hopes of getting some coverage. There are many dos and donts when it comes to contacting music blogs, so make sure to check out our tips on how to get featured on blogs here.
Bandcamp
Bandcamp is a user-friendly service that allows artists and labels to share and earn money from their music. Listeners prefer different platforms for purchasing and streaming music, so utilizing Bandcamp can help you to make sure you have all of your bases covered.
Last, but not least, make sure you are teamed up with a digital distributor to ensure your music is properly delivered to Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music and more.