POV – you just wrote your latest banger and you’re looking to get it heard, but you don’t know where to start.
Marketing your music can be confusing, especially considering how many marketing channels there are for you to promote your music through (we cover those in our music marketing starter kit; if ya haven’t copped that yet, here’s the link).
With that being said, here are 5 easy ways to market your music for free.
Make a website
Your website is a place that is controlled by you, the artist. It isn’t controlled by an algorithm or is a place for distractions – it truly is all about you. Now because all the attention is on you, you need to make sure your site loads fast, has a great design, and has all the relevant info you’d want to share with your fans. A website is a great asset to have as a musician. It’s essentially a “one-stop-shop” for your fans.
Here are some things you should have on your artist website:
- Biography
- Merch
- Music
- Event dates (for tours, festivals and live streams)
- Press images
- Contact form
- Email list sign up
Not only is your site a great information hub, but it’s a also great way to showcase what you’re all about through responsive design, colors and graphics.
Note: If you don’t have a website yet, check out this post to weigh out your website/domain options.
It goes without saying that being active on social platforms such as TikTok and Instagram are crucial to any marketing strategy. Artists are getting signed to majors and blowing up left and right because of the power that social media has. Not to mention, music discovery is driven heavily by social media now more than ever. Artists can connect with fans (both existing and new) through meaningful content that connects with social media goers.
Below are some examples of organic content our client contradash posted on their TikTok.
You can find more in-depth analysis on the types of posts here.
- artist name goes your genre name
- one take vocal performances of your tracks
- fun lifestyle pictures of you/your band mates
- 5 Things About you/your band mate You Didn’t Know
- you/your band member’s Spotify Picks
- you/your band member’s Rig Rundown
- you/your band member’s* Gear Spotlight
- Tour Horror Story Series
- Song Title: Lyrics Explained
- Song Title Instrument Lesson
- Song Title Instrument Play-Through
- Merch Reveal
- Merch: Explained
- Artwork Reveal
- Artwork: Explained
- How you/your band member Joined your project
- Why your project Was Formed
- How You Chose Your Artist Name
- project name Writing Style: Explained
- How We Demo Our Songs
- How We Name Our Songs
- How We Write Our Songs
- you/your band member’s Favorite Shows
- you/your band member’s Favorite Festivals
- you/your band member’s Favorite Vinyls
- you/your band member’s First Tattoo Explained
- you/your band member’s First Piercing Explained
- you/your band member’s Favorite Bands
- you/your band member’s instrument Warm Ups
- you/your band member’s Dream Tour
- you/your band member’s Dream Guest Vocalist
- 5 Pieces of Gear You Can’t Live Without
- How We Use insert pedal name in Our Music
- Q&As (make a post asking for fan questions a week before and post a video answering them and shouting them out)
Alright – say it with me: blogs do not drive music discovery nor fans.
The biggest misconception with getting featured in music publications is that it will generate more streams and or build a bigger fanbase. While this may have been true in the early 2000s, this is not the case nowadays.
Say it with me: blogs are not useless. That is not what I am saying.
They have their place, just like every other marketing channel out there.
Music blogs in 2023 and beyond can help artists:
- Improve your SEO
- Establish authority in your genre and scene
- Establish talking points when pitching to labels, managers, and DSPs
- Share your story with your existing fans via interviews and features
Note – we have a free list of music blogs you can submit your music to here.
Follow gates
If you have an existing audience that you’re looking to capitalize on, follow gates are great options to check all the boxes in your fan journey. A follow gate is where a fan takes an action in exchange for an exclusive link or file download. These actions could be pre-saving a song, following your Spotify artist profile, sharing their email with you.
The exclusive link or file download could be:
- An unreleased song
- A preview for an upcoming track
- Early access to a music video
- An exclusive live performance video
- A coupon for your merch store
There are many smart link services out there that offer their own versions of follow gates.
These include:
- Social Unlock by ToneDen
- Reward Links by LinkFire
- Action Pages by Feature.fm
Note – you can find our full comparison on music smart links and link in bio tools here.
Live streams
Live streaming has grown rapidly in music, mainly due to the pandemic.
In fact, viewership on Twitch’s music and performing arts category increased by 526% according to this Forbes article.
Regardless of the pandemic making live streaming more common (and accessible to indie artists), live streaming has become a staple in any music marketing strategy.
Whether it’s a full fledged live experience, such as Joji’s “The Extravaganza”, or simply going live on Instagram like my friend Donovan from Hail the Sun, there is something out there that can fit your style.
A more intense way of live streaming is a regular weekly or biweekly stream on a platform such as Twitch.
Some prime examples of artists who live stream regularly are Ronnie Radke of Falling in Reverse, Matt Heafy of Trivium, Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park, and many many others.
Upon perusing their Twitch channel, you may notice that most are not just performance oriented, meaning they’re not just playing music 24/7.
You don’t need to just stream music related content. Meaning you don’t have to do live performances all the time.
Here are some ideas for your next live stream:
- Live performances/remixes
- Q&As
- Gaming
- Production/instrument tutorials
There is no rulebook for live streaming – just be you and connect with your viewers and you’ll reap the benefits from it.
Marketing your music can seem daunting, but honestly a lot of the best marketing comes from trial and error. You truly will not know what works best until you give it a shot.
If you need help defining your marketing strategy, feel free to hit us up below.
