As an upcoming artist before you can get to the top and start making money from the Music Business you have to understand a lot of things such as – Your Fans, Your Manager, The Studio, The Social Media, Your Personal Brand, Music Promotion, Music Sponsorship, DJ, Record label because your success in the industry involves being in good terms with them.
The music industry is ever-changing, especially in this Digital Age where we have social media and various forms of communication. Before you must be signed to a record label that will handle your marketing and promotion but that is no longer the case with the growing number of independent artists and also independent music promotion is now fast-growing. For you to become an A list artist, you must have a robust and effective promotion strategy, which involves the making of the music, making of the music video, launch and also keep in mind that the digital music promotion is fast-changing, you must look at what is happening in your environment and what people are interested in at the moment.
One of the most important things in getting to the top is music promotion – Following the creation of your music and its distribution on streaming platforms, Music promotion begins when your track/EP/album is complete and your release strategy is in place. Music promotion links you to your fans. Music promotion allows an artist to connect to his fans, and music listeners, resulting in more streams, likes, views, shares, and sales, propelling your music career forward. With the kind of competition going on in the music industry you can’t be at the top if you don’t promote your music.
Things to consider BEFORE promoting your music –
a. Your Fans and your Audience – Your fan base matters a lot, your audience and your fans are your main group of people that potentially enjoy your music, depending on the genre of music you are creating, you will have to define a specific target, create a fan base, know what they want and give them what they want.
b. Your music – Depending on the genre of music you are creating, you will have to define a specific genre of music. You can’t be a HipHop Musician today and tomorrow you are singing R&B.
c. Know and study your competitors – Always study your competitors with the aame type of music as you, what makes you different from them, what are the trend they are following that you need to jump on, and what excites their fans.
d. Have a budget – Before you start promoting your songs plan yourself very well, so that you won’t overspend, have a robust and also cost-effective budget, plan yourself, it will be best to contact a music promoter to help you with your budgeting and to make it cost-effective.
e. Have DJs. Bloggers, OAPs, and Influencers around to promote your song – Connect with those who are in the business of music promotion, this might cost you some money but it will definitely be worth it in the end.
f. Consistency – This is very important, you just have to be persistent in what you do, don’t just drop one track and go away for months. You must also not give up if you promote a song and it doesn’t get high download as expected change platforms and promoters to find what best work for you.
Before you start promoting your song you have to first analyze your market to define your audience, establish your goals, set a budget for your music promotion, and determine your promotion strategies.
Music promotion strategies you should try after the release of your song:
a. Share your music on streaming platforms like Spotify, iTunes, Soundcloud, Audiomack, Distrokid, Boomplay, and other platforms, you will need to pay so that the song will get noticed.
b. Promote your music on social media – Leverage on Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and even WhatsApp to share and distribute your music.
c. Contact music influencers – For your song to go more viral you will definitely need the services of music influencers on Tikitok and Instagram who can add creativity to your craft and make it more appealing for you to gain more fans at the same time.
d. Notify your friends, relations, and contact list of your new song by sending a broadcast message – It’s important to know that your friends, and relations are your first fans, never underestimate their capability in your journey to the top, notify them of your new track and you can also tell them to share on their status or social media platform.
e. Use paid advertising to promote your music – Your journey to become an A list might never become a reality if you are not ready to spend, the more you spend on promotion, the more your reach and engagement.
f. Optimize your presence on all social media platforms for more visibility – Create an appealing social page, post consistently and also respond to comments when necessary.
g. Collaborate with other artist musicians to increase your reach – Feature other artists, this is one of the best ways to climb the career ladder in the music industry, start by featuring your fellow upcoming artist before featuring bigger artists you can afford.
h. Reach out to music bloggers to be featured on their blogs – As it has been said in things to consider when trying to become an A list artist, you must be pay top blogs like Naijaloaded and Tooxclusive to promote your song, leverage on their promotion packages and check out for the one you can afford.
i. Personal Branding – This is very important, you must be able to brand yourself distinctly, don’t try to copy another artist’s character or change your character too often, and try as much as possible to be original while also making sure you are branded in a way that your fans will like.
In conclusion, the business of music is a very serious business that’s why it requires a lot of strategies to get to the top, it might not be easy at the beginning but you have to be consistent while still making sure you are always in touch with your fans.
