The Basics of Music Promotion for Indie Artists

Thanks to modern technology and websites, it’s easier for indie artists to promote their own music. You don’t have to wait until you get a manager or sign a record deal to reach out and build your fan base. In fact, you’ll probably have trouble getting a manager or signing a record deal if you haven’t already made efforts to learn how to promote your music.

So, if you want to make a name for yourself, you should learn the basics of music promotion for indie artists. Start with these basic tips.

Release and Distribute Your Own Music

The first step is to begin releasing and distributing your own music. You need to upload music to websites that accept music. This includes SoundCloud. You can also try to get your music onto Spotify.

Before trying to submit music to any of these spots, you should make sure that you have quality music to share. If you haven’t already started recording your own music, check out some of our other articles on music production. You’ll find great advice on setting up a basic home studio.

You don’t need a lot of money to purchase the basic equipment that is needed to produce your own music. Several hundred dollars should cover it. Keep in mind, you’ll not be buying the best equipment, but it will get the job done.

Build a Website for Your Music

Every artist should have a website. Not only should you have a website, you need to keep it updated. You don’t need to have any experience with web design to make a basic website. There are website building platforms that are easy enough for an elementary school child to build a website. This includes WordPress – the most popular blogging platform.

You can start with a free website. Though, it’s definitely recommended that you purchase your own domain. They are cheap. You can generally get a domain for free with a hosting account. The hosting account may cost between $5 and $10 per month. That’s only $60 to $120 per year for a central online location for all information related to your music.

Promote Your Music on Social Media

Once you start distributing your own music, you need to promote it through social media. Share links to the locations where your music can be found. You should also try to gain more followers. The best way to do this is by continually sharing new content.

Not only should you share links to your own music and other content, you should share links to the things that you love. This could include causes that you are passionate about, other artists, and anything that you think that your fan base will appreciate.

Also, take part in online communities. This includes Facebook Groups. If your local area has a large music scene, they likely have a website or a Facebook Group dedicated to local music. Get involved with these sites. Share your music and links and talk to other artists.

Release Music Videos on YouTube and Vimeo

Next, you should begin releasing music videos. If you don’t have the budget for an actual recording, you could place your digital music over a slideshow. Though, recording a live video is not difficult. Using affordable or free video editing software, you can easily splice together a video using footage from your live shows. Sync this up with one of your digital songs to release your own music video.

Upload these videos to YouTube and Vimeo. This is a great way to reach out and get more people to listen to your music.

As with the previous tip, you should share links to these videos through social media. Share links on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

Book Your Own Gigs and Tours

After you’ve completed these steps, you need to book gigs. Playing live music is the oldest and the best way to promote your own music. If you’ve had trouble booking gigs, a great place to start is with local bars and clubs. Even if you need to drive 30 minutes to find a town that has bars and clubs, you shouldn’t have trouble finding a place that has live music.

Find out who is responsible for booking acts at the venue and send them links to your music. Make sure that you target bars and clubs that enjoy your genre of music. This will increase your chances of booking a gig. Don’t be afraid to play a show that doesn’t play well, early in your career. Here’s a cool video with tips on booking your first gig:

Once you book a gig, remember to promote it through social media. You need to let your followers know how to find your live shows. If possible, include a link to the official website of the venue where you will be performing. This way, your followers can easily find directions to the location.

How to Get a Record Deal

Learning how to promote your music is one of the first steps to getting a record deal. You need to build a name for yourself. ArtistPR can show you how.

Sign up for this upcoming webinar to discover the 5 secrets to promoting your music. This special webinar is for indie artists that need help getting their music heard. Sign up for this webinar while space is still available.

Don’t Give Up – Keep on Trucking

The final tip is to keep on going. Don’t give up on your dream. It will require hard work and you will not get results overnight. It can take months before you start to notice any positive feedback after you’ve shared links to your online music.

You may get great results for a little while and then nothing. Remember that it’s a cumulative process. You’ll slowly build your fan base and gain more followers, as long as you are consistent and keep at it. Good luck out there. Remember to check out some of our other articles. We’ve got plenty of advice for budding indie artists. Take advantage of all the information that you can find.

Source: ArtistPR Music Marketing