Tips to Promote Your Indie Music Online
The following article is a guest post from freelance music blogger Sally Writes. You can reach Sally at
sally@diamondmail.net.
Tips to Promote Your Indie Music Online
Today, the music industry is particularly cutthroat, with thousands and thousands of aspiring musicians and songwriters trying to get noticed. In your genre alone, there are thousands of competitors pushing for their music to be heard. You may think that "indie" automatically means less competition, but unfortunately that's just not true. So what can you do to make sure your music gets heard?
The Importance of Promotion
Promotion is your key word. Music promotion today is harder than it was in the past; previously, it involved performing live and sending demo CDs to magazines and record labels. However, the Internet suddenly made music so much more accessible, and it's very easy to find new music. In fact, there's too much music and too many artists to choose from. This can be discouraging for any artist; however, there are some steps you can take to promote your tunes on the Internet and make sure your music gets heard.
Open a YouTube Channel
Did you know that YouTube is now reaching 1.5 billion monthly views? You can take advantage of that too!
Fans like to see the real, performing artist as opposed to simply listening to an audio file. Open a YouTube channel to have a stronger impact on your fans, but remember to update it as often as you can - at least weekly. Don't be discouraged if your fanbase doesn't grow at first and remember you need to be persistent!
Understand the Importance of Websites and Blogs
With the Internet, it is now very easy to search for artists online; however, the stronger your presence, the easier it will be for fans to find you. Consider creating a website to promote your music and control your image. A website can be a point of reference for fans, who can see tour dates and venues.
If you connect your website to a blog, you can add a more personal twist to your writing; you can talk about new songs or a new album you're working on, the way you write and your sources of inspiration, or really anything you want in order to connect to fans. All you have to do is pick the best blogging platform for your needs and, from there, it's just a few clicks to get started. Once again, remember to be consistent and post as often as you can; don't forget to include links to your music, such as links to your Soundcloud profile.
Be Social!
Not everyone is in love with social media, but it has completely changed our interactions and relationships. It's important to dedicate some time every day to work on your social media presence. You need to have a Facebook page and it wouldn't hurt to make your presence stronger through Twitter and Instagram, provided you're using them correctly. Remember: people love to see the person behind the music so don't forget to post often.
Consider Online Promoters
No one gets into music with the aim of becoming a marketing expert! New artists have a hard time keeping up with the demands of today's music industry, but that's where online promoters come in.
Online promoters, such as MusicSubmit can help you put together a press kit and take the work out of contacting blogs and radio stations - they simply do it for you. Artists spend so much time promoting and marketing tracks that they often don't have much time left to actually work on the music. Wouldn't you like to free yourself from those boring obligations and just spend your time simply making music? Exactly! An online promoter can help you do just that and connect you with thousands of potential fans every day.
Stream Your Music
Selling your music on iTunes isn't enough with so many people using streaming services these days. Upload your music on streaming platforms such as Spotify to make sure you get heard more.
Don't Give Up!
There is no magic wand which makes things happen in the music industry; it's not enough to simply set up the social media profiles and wait for the fans to appear. You need to understand that it's important to invest time in music promotion to get results, even if you're disappointed at first because nothing happens. Don't forget to be constantly active on the Internet and perform your indie music live at every chance you get - your efforts will be rewarded!
