It seems like every week, there's some new platform popping up on the internet. Every other day, there's an update on popular social media platforms. Every day, there's something new going viral.
All of these statements might sound like an older person complaining that the internet moves too fast, but I'm actually pointing out the many opportunities available to you for music promotion if you're doing enough research and are willing to take the risk.
Yes, there will always be a risk, so if you're looking for old-fashioned methods like sending demos to a major label, this might not be your blog post to read.
Here are the three significant things you need to have in order to make your music promotion work in 2021: Time, Consistency, and Money.
You may have two out of those three things, and that's okay. We're all recuperating from a pandemic, and even before then, most artists and musicians were broke. Most of us live paycheck to paycheck somewhere in the ever-growing range of middle-class living.
If you're low on money, you can still make some of the ideas I'm about to list work. If you're low on time and have the other 2, you will also be in luck. But if you're missing good ol' consistency in any facet of your life, you might want to sort that out first.
Related Post: Check out a free way to market your music to radio stations.
Youtube music promotional channels have been holding on very strongly over the last few years as an effective way to introduce new songs to listeners who are looking to discover new music.
As you can imagine, the more popular the channel is, the pickier they are about who it will promote.
Still, if you're making really great music, chances are you will get a placement that will at least get you a few thousand new listeners that were not aware of your music before.
A few years ago, I (when I went by Rachel Marie) was lucky enough to get featured on one of the most relevant channels in the future-bass world with a single I collaborated with Eli way and Night Owl Records. The channel has over 4 million subscribers and still gets a good number of plays.
I still use several other smaller music discovery channels as a part of my promotional plan when releasing music and don't plan to stop any time soon. Youtube is a social media giant that isn't going anywhere!
Spotify is a streaming media giant that has recently focused on bringing the spotlight to very talented independent artists and bands who are looking to get more exposure.
Not only is Spotify easy to get your music onto, thanks to distributors like Distrokid and Tunecore, but Spotify is also paying one of the highest royalty rates in the music industry, with Tidal beating them by a few fractions of a cent.
On the one hand, similar to Youtube, several independent playlist curators accept independent submissions from artists for little to no cost. I recommend finding relevant and popular playlists through a music submission platform like SubmitHub.
On the other, there are very popular Spotify Editorial playlists handpicked by people who work for the company Spotify itself. Check out the process to submit a music pitch.
Related Post: Read about How To Make Money On Spotify.
I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook. My hate for them stems from the fact they're really invasive, for one, and the second and way more important reason is they are always trying to charge brands for every single thing you do to an audience you built yourself.
I think it's unfair how they want you to pay to get your posts on your fan page seen by more people who have already liked the fan page. Shouldn't they be automatically seeing these posts?
But on the positive side, Facebook's invasiveness has really allowed them to build a huge database of advertising data that makes Facebook ads pretty much unbeatable.
While I don't recommend paying to get to the fans you already have on your fan page, I do suggest finding brand-spanking new ears and eyes to consume your music through all of their very in-depth targetting features.
You can target potential new fans by the groups they like, the amount of money they make, the location they're in, things they've bought through companies that shared their data with Facebook, and a lot more.
This is the method that will be the riskiest and doesn't necessarily have enough past data for you to get good data from research, but this also has the most viral potential. TikTok and Instagram are the current go-to's for hiring influencers to feature your music in their post.
The good thing about this method is that you will often find some good deals and prices that are affordable since mid-range influences have a lot of reach and aren't trying to milk you as a business would.
On the negative side, communicating and doing business with influencers may be like pulling teeth since, again, they aren't businesses.
So, it's pretty clear that the music industry is constantly changing, with new platforms constantly popping up. And while it might seem overwhelming, it's actually a great opportunity for unsigned artists to promote their music.
Of course, there's always a risk involved, and the old-fashioned methods of sending demos to major labels might not be as effective as they used to be. But with some time, consistency, and money, there are plenty of ways for independent artists to get their music heard.
Some effective ways to promote music include using YouTube music channels, Spotify playlist curators, Facebook Ads, and influencers. While there is a little tail and error and patience involved, taking advantage of these platforms can help artists gain new listeners and grow their fanbase.
Related Post: How To Make Money On Spotify
As a session singer, writer, and producer that has worked with over 300 clients to provide high-quality jingles, singles, and features, Yona spends her time creating and marketing new music and helpful resources for creators. Check out Yona’s latest releases on her Spotify, her Youtube and share if you like it!
If you are in need of singer, songwriter or song producer services, see what Yona Marie can offer you on her services page.
