- Music promotion;
- Streaming platforms;
- Artistic persona;
- Artist branding;
- Approaching: Electronic press kit, website, what is an elevator pitch;
- Playlist pitching;
- Blogs;
- Radio stations.
Why do artists need music promotion and streaming platforms?
Before releasing a song, album or EP, you need to have a plan to draw attention to it. Basically, this is what we call doing music promotion. And there isn't just one way to do that. You could start by organizing your expectations, getting into streaming and managing your social media and branding. Talking about streaming platforms, they're the face of the music industry today. According to the latest IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry) report, they represented 67% of the recording industry’s $26.2 billion total haul in 2022. Spotify alone has more than 500 million users — a huge audience, which is essential to any artist. During the past two decades, this new mechanism has changed the way people listen to their favorite tracks. With that in mind, it's vital to find a music distributor that can put your songs in these places. Magroove is a service founded to help independent artists with free and easy solutions. We make your tracks available in more than 40 high accessed streaming platforms globally. To mention some, there's Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, TikTok, Tidal, Facebook, and more.
Magroove allows users to keep 100% of their royalties, and we don't charge upfront. You'll only be charged if you make more than USD 5 a year per release. Magroove keeps those initial 5 dollars, and all further earnings are entirely yours. If you make less than that, don't worry! We won't charge you any extra fees nor take your songs down. We also provide smart features to support your music promotion for free.
However, only adding your music to streaming platforms isn't enough. You need to cut through the noise and garner attention to your work. There are many more possibilities for an indie artist to promote their tracks. Let's take a closer look at some of them.
Creating an artist persona
First things first: before reaching out to places where to send music to get noticed, you must improve your artist persona. But what is an artist persona? To summarize, it is your identity as a musician. That includes your personality traits, interests, goals, looks, and skills. They will guide you through important decisions and creativity choices. By defining your persona, you'll be able to stand out in the very crowded music market. Besides that, you'll feel more confident to strategize plans and reach your objectives. It will also provide a clear picture of your identity to develop a stronger and more honest brand. Okay, but how can you find your own? These questions can lead your journey to self-discovery:- Who are you outside of your music?
- What are your goals?
- What are your inspirations?
- What differentiates you from others?
Branding
After defining your identity as an artist, you'll need to build a brand. Branding is what a musician uses to promote themselves, by means of distinctive design. It's how you visually express your creativity. Branding can be divided into three areas: design, imagery, and personality. Besides being valuable to music promotion, it is also very dynamic. Rebranding is very common, you don't have to be locked into an image during your whole career. A logo, press kit or website may be the first impression you give. So they should cover aspects that represent you and are particular to you. Your branding has to be unique and different so the audience can set you apart from others. Put your essence in it: a movement you're part of, the message you defend, your mission statement, your personality, special characteristics you have… the possibilities are endless. Of course, musicians can get inspiration from similar artists or use aspects that are recurrent in their music genre. But remember to never copy them! Keep your authenticity. A Pinterest board can help you find more diverse references. If you have the means to, hire a professional graphic designer to help you create a solid brand. A strong brand can even boost your engagement on social media. You can use the designs and imagery you create to sell branded merchandise, as well. By the way, Magroove offers a free webstore builder, in which you can sell merch, music downloads and more.
Be ready: Have a portfolio
Ok, we already have an artist persona and a brand! Now, it's time to set up a portfolio. Let’s think about three ways to be ready to anything:- Elevator pitching: Imagine the following situation: you are in an elevator and suddenly a major contact from the music industry comes in. What would you do? You should be prepared to present yourself and your work super quickly. This is just an example, of course, of the importance of polishing your speech so the public gets your message efficiently. Just like playing instruments, pitching needs rehearsing. Make sure you know your objectives, target audience, and how to define your content.
- Electronic press kit (EPK): An EPK can help you book concerts, create buzz around upcoming releases, and boost your relationship with the press. To compose this eletronic portfolio, you can add photos, links to your songs, music videos and social media information. It's also nice to display a brief biography, your touring schedule, relevant press appearances and any awards you've won. Don't forget that your EPK must have your visual identity and branding!
- Website: Another popular option for online portfolios are websites. Make sure to gather all important information and use tools like SEO, newsletters, and mailing lists to increase your page's access numbers.
How to do playlist pitching?
Without any doubt, playlists are one of the most famous places where to send music to get noticed. Spotify, for example, has thousands of famous playlists curated by their users. Those creators are called music influencers. To start preparing a pitch, find playlists that fit your sound and check their potential. How many likes does it have? What's the tracklist profile? Finally, search for the curator's contact details. Here's a template of a message to them:Hey! I’ve really enjoyed the playlist you’ve created and I think it matches with my music and artistic message. I’m sending this email to inquire about your submission process.
On (date), i released my new single (name). OR: I will release my new single (name) on (date).
(Talk a little bit about your single).
I’d be honored if you listen and find a good fit for your playlist. Here’s the link: (link).
Here's my portfolio with more information about me: (link).
You can also use your Spotify for Artists page to pitch upcoming, unreleased songs to their editorial playlists. They're curated by Spotify's team and have an even bigger reach than user's playlists. Spotify could also add your new tracks to your followers’ Release Radar playlists, which are updated weekly. And you can also pin it to your This Is playlist, if you're entitled to one. The pitching process is simple: log in, select “Pitch for next release”, choose a song, and fill out the requested information.