How To Promote Your Music In 2021
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What’s the best way to reach music fans in 2021? Tik Tok? Instagram? Twitter? That’s the question of the hour heading into Summer ’21. As technology continues to provide more and more opportunity for artists to attain success.
I believe it’s important to point out a mindset that all artists should embrace when it comes to promoting new music. One of the single biggest changes in the music industry besides streaming is the concept of discovery.
In comparison to the old model of physical music distribution, music streaming provides an unmatched amount of accessibility. There’s literally — no barriers — when it comes to the amount of music that can be discovered.
With a simple Google search, a person can now listen to a artists’ whole catalog. One of the biggest aspects of growing a fan base is putting your content in a position to be discovered.
This can be achieved organically and through paid advertising. Overall, “content” can be defined as what you produce on social media and through the release of music.
Your main goal should be to convert first time listeners into repeat consumers.
For example, when a person hears one of your songs on a streaming platform or YouTube, do they search for more of music? Being able to entice listeners to consumer more of your music is — just — one piece of the puzzle. The real leverage lies within what you’re able to build around your music.
Infrastructure = People, Process & Technology
For new or upcoming artists, you will want to have a number of prerequisites in place for discovery. This includes your mastering daily routine, content schedule and social media platforms. The advantage you have is this: discovering content is a learned behavior.
Thanks to platforms like Netflix, we have been trained to ‘mentally’ discover content. You can take this same approach with music. To paint a picture, is there a difference from an artist with a catalog of 200 songs versus 1000 songs? For a quick comparison let’s use SoundCloud catalogs.
- Gucci Mane = 3,000 tracks
- Future = 600 tracks
- Drake = 400 tracks
- Young Thug = 300 tracks
- Russ = 180 tracks
More Content = More Revenue
Positioning is everything when it comes to content discovery. Even more important is how you organize the content that is being presented.
Consistency will always be key. Being consistent can help you perfect your craft and build awareness around your music. The next key is infrastructure. Do you have a system in place that leads back to your music and merchandise?
A great example of this concept is a recent video that LVRN & RapCaviar released showcasing the artists on the label.
Once you have a system in place, it’s about brand positioning from local, national and international perspective. Your best bet will be to create a loop using a marketing funnel. The key is to provide value in some way, either through social media posts or music.
So when people do discover your content, you have the proper pieces in place for them to consume and join your community. Marketing funnels assist in establishing a fan base, provide growth and are key in presenting a culture around your content.
Lets check out the five stages marketing funnels are divided into:
First Stage — Awareness
Discovery: Social Media, SEO, Email, Paid Advertisements, Content Marketing, Word of Mouth, etc.
Second Stage — Consideration
Mastery Mode: Period of exploration, content consumption and develops a deeper desire.
Third Stage — Conversion
Deepen Commitment: Joins community on social media, makes a purchase (ticket sales, merchandise, etc.) and transitions to a loyal supporter.
Fourth Stage — Loyalty
Manage The Relationship: Cultivate a sense of community with branding and consistency. Continuously feed your supporters with content.
Fifth Stage — Advocacy
Word of Mouth: Loyal supporters transition to advocates of your brand. Offering recommendations and sharing your content with friends.
The goal is to create a fan base around your brand and get people to advocate for you. This is how you continuously gain fans, the key is to stay consistent and provide value for the people that shared your content in the first place.
In return, your supporters will help you spread the word and share the experiences that are being cultivated within your community. This is the value associated with a marketing funnel. People on the outside start to look at the value, lifestyle and culture on the inside.
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