Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Be ready to promote your music
• Method 2 of 3: Promote your music online
• Tips

It is not easy to promote your music with so many other talented artists and bands around you. But if you know how to promote yourself online and if you learn how to build a network, you are well on your way to launching your music into the world in a professional manner. Read this article to learn how to effectively promote your music.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Be ready to promote your music

1. Get ready to share your music with the world. That is actually the most important. If you're promoting a bad track, or even a bad album, you're already starting to catch up. You should not share your music with the world until you are ready, there is no point in sharing music that you will regret later. Here are some tips to know when you're ready:
   • Try to get feedback from respected people in the music industry first. Build relationships with producers and ask them if they like a particular song. Don't share your music with the world until at least 60% of these people think it's a good idea. The producers will be more critical than your fans. Understand that you first have to build a relationship with people, that takes time.
   • Put your music online on a website where you can get feedback. This is a faster way to know what others think of your music, very useful if you don't have a good network, and if you care more about what potential listeners think of your music than producers. Singrush.com is a platform on which artists, bands and producers can post their music for free. You compete with others, every week the song with the highest rating gets a lot of attention.
2. Discover your brand. Promoting your music is of course the most important, but you have to realize that you are also promoting yourself. You have to understand that you are not just a musician or band member, but also a product. The product has to be as attractive as possible, so you have to find a way to make your brand as unique and exciting as possible so that fans are enthusiastic about both your music and your person.
   • Think of yourself as Jessica Simpson or Kim Kardashian. These women understand that they are brands, they can put their name on all kinds of products, from shoes to creams. They know the products will sell well just because their name is on them.
3. Identify your target audience. Good music can also be poorly received if it is in the hands of the wrong target group. When you make Techno you need to know the difference between Deep House, Tech House and Electro. Understand which sub-genre your music falls under and which people will love it the most. This can help you reach the right people, play in the right places, and market your music in the right way.

Method 2 of 3: Promote your music online

1. Promote your music on Twitter. Twitter is a very useful medium to connect with your fans, to promote your content and to get more people excited about your music. To promote your music on Twitter, you must regularly update your timeline with news about events, promotions and new music. Here are some things you can try to promote your music on Twitter:
   • Tweet about events live. If you have a unique point of view on something, you can tweet live to keep your fans occupied. This can be about your own concert, but also about a festival.
   • Provide links to your videos or music.
   • Get better at using hashtags to get more people excited about your music.
   • Post good photos that your followers will notice and want to see more of.
   • Take the time to reply to your fans. Answer people in public and show everyone how much you care about your fans. Send fans private messages with more content and they will feel very special.
   • Use the Vine app to promote your music. Celebrities like Paul McCartney and Enrique Iglesias also use this app.
2. Promote your music on Facebook. The best way to promote your music on Facebook is to create a fan page. This way you can communicate with your fans while keeping your private life separate from your artist life. Use your fan page to provide fans with basic information about your music, to provide exclusive content, and to provide information about new music, concerts, and other things that may be of interest to your target audience. Here are some things to keep in mind when promoting your music on Facebook:
   • Never post the same information multiple times. Once is enough.
   • Use "likes" as a way to distribute content such as videos and downloads. If a fan likes a link, he or she can listen to more music afterwards.
   • Communicate with your fans. Ask your fans for feedback and take the time to reply to your fans. This way you ensure that your fans feel connected to you and your music.
   • Connect with other artists on Facebook. If you come across a popular artist who makes music that is similar to your music, but who has a much larger fan base, ask him or her to promote your music on his or her fan page; that way you suddenly get a lot more likes.
   • Create events. Use Facebook to create events, for example to invite your fans to your concerts. Even if the room where you play has already created an event, you will reach more people if you invite your own fans as well.
3. Promote your music on Instagram. You can use Instagram to connect with even more fans. Link your profiles from Instagram and Facebook to reach more people, and use popular hashtags to increase your visibility. For example, post pictures of band rehearsals, or a crazy photo of yourself or a band member to show that you are very human.
   • Take the time to interact with your fans. If a fan posts a photo of your concert, you must like the photo.
   • Post your content in the afternoon during the week - then you will reach the largest audience.
   • You can get more likes on Instagram by liking photos of your fans and commenting on more photos.
4. Promote your music with a website. Social media is an excellent platform to promote your music, but you still need your own website. With a website even more fans can find you, and it looks professional. The website should contain information about concerts, music, the genesis and other things that will make your fans more enthusiastic about your music.
   • Use social media to promote your website and post a link to your website in all social media profiles.
   • You better pay for your own domain name and your own unique website if you want to stand out, that's better than a website that also features other bands.
5. Distribute your music online. Your music must be available on Spotify, RadioAirplay, Deezer, Singrush and iTunes. That way you come across very professional when a room owner or fan asks where he or she can listen to your music.
   • Use so-called "audio drops" when you distribute and promote your music. That means adding a message to the beginning or end of a piece of music, informing the listener where they can find more music from you.
   EXPERT TIP

   Build personal relationships. You can always be busy maintaining your network in the music industry. You can start small, by following producers and artists online, and then you can start meeting these people for the first time at concerts, small venues or even parties (if you have been invited yourself too). Don't force it; take the time to grow as an artist and to get to know as many people as possible in the music industry.

   • Always stay friendly and courteous. You never know who you might have something to do with later.
   • Also build relationships with fans. If a fan wants to interview you, online or in person, always say yes. That is always good promotion, even if the audience is small.
6. Work on a good press kit. The press kit should arouse interest in you as an artist and as a musician. It may include your biography, a fact sheet, a brochure, press photos, positive reviews and articles, three-issue demos, and contact information. Here are some things to keep in mind when putting together a press kit:
   • Don't include too much background information. Don't tire your target audience.
   • Keep the fact list short. Provide information about your hometown, the names of the band members and the instruments they play, information about your album release date, tour dates, recording studio, producers and contact information for your manager.
   • The demo CD must be of good quality and made in a professional manner - never burn a CD at home. Remember, you have at most 30 seconds to grab the listener's attention, so make sure you take that opportunity.
   • Include a list of gigs, future gigs as well as past gigs. You should be able to see from this list that your popularity is increasing and that you are a good investment.
   • Put a few professional press photos in the folder, 20 x 25 cm. The photos should show how special you are.
7. Find a manager. A manager can advise and guide you and your band in various aspects of your career. Look for a manager who has already worked with successful artists and who has many contacts in the music industry and a solid reputation. Look for managers in music industry magazines and ask other artists if they have recommendations.
   • Do not send your press kit around unsolicited. Instead, contact a manager and ask if you can send your materials in. If it doesn't work out, you have at least worked on your network.
8. Play as often as possible. Concerts are a great way to promote your music and connect with your fans. It does not matter whether it is a support act in the Ziggo Dome or a performance in a pub, always use the concert to promote your brand and to give everything you have. Take the time to connect with the fans before and after your performance.
   • Fans love free stuff. Use your gig to give away free T-shirts, or other things with the band name on them, such as linen bags. Do what you can to get your name out there.
   • If you're playing with another band, talk to them to expand your network. Give them compliments on their music, and if they click you can ask if they want to promote your music.

Tips

• Hand out your music as a free download. Before you start thinking globally, pay attention to potential fans at the local level. Once you have fans you can use them to get more success.
• The biggest mistake you can make is to spread your music before it is good enough. Make sure you only make the music public when it is really ready.