It’s a sad situation we’re seeing, isn’t it? 22 million views on YouTube, and only 200 people attended the concert. What’s going on?
Buying views on YouTube is the “new normal”, but it only gets us numbers and nothing more.
If you are looking for a real audience, followers that are not fake, have real reactions, and want to promote a song or album without fake views, then this text will be useful for you.
As an unsigned artist, promoting your music can feel like a daunting task. But don’t worry – we are here to help.
In this text, you will find out how to start promoting your music in 5 simple steps.
So, music lovers, let’s dive in!
How to promote your music in 5 steps?
Although many people think that this will achieve something, buying views on YouTube is not a good way to promote music, and can actually cause backfire.
In short, don’t waste your money on view counts – focus on creating quality content and promoting it the right way.
But, there are many better ways to get a real audience without resorting to fakery. Things you should do if you want to promote your new song or album are:
- Create a social media calendar (clear posting plan)
- Post different versions of songs and videos
- Take care of storytelling
- Don’t ignore the illustrations
- Focus on the content
By taking these steps, you’ll be able to build a group of real fans and attract your target audience.
1. Social Media Calendar – Plan for posting
First and foremost, it is important to have a clear plan for how and when you will release new songs.
This plan should be tailored to each individual song, taking into account the genre, length, and overall feel of the track.
Once you have a plan in place, it is important to start building excitement for the release by making announcements and posting teaser content on social media (or other marketing channels).
Only after you have built up anticipation, you should begin releasing the song itself and reach the target audience through organic and paid promotion channels (YouTube ads, Meta Ads, etc.).
By following these steps, you can ensure that your song gets the attention it deserves and stands out in today’s crowded musical landscape.
2. Post different versions of songs and videos
The practice of releasing different versions of the same song is big business in the music world.
For example, Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Rudimental, Rihanna, and many other top artists have all released multiple versions of their hits in an effort to reach a wider audience. And it seems to be working.
Acoustic versions of songs are often more popular than the originals, proving that there’s something for everyone when it comes to music.
If you want to help people find their cup of tea on YouTube, post songs in the following variations:
- Official video,
- Visualizer video – In the form of animation that accompanies the music,
- Lyrics video – This is extremely important because someone can abuse your song by throwing out the words and “stealing” the views. But, if the correct SEO is done, you will rank ahead of all of them in time.
- Remix – DJ version of the song
- Acoustic Versions – Version of a song on the piano, guitar, etc.
All this allows you to run different mini-campaigns on social media and target new people, who are not primarily from your target group.
3. Take care of storytelling
It’s no secret that storytelling is essential in promoting a song. After all, a song is practically a story.
And what’s the best way to promote a story? By telling it, of course!
Whether it’s posting lyrics or making games out of them, there are lots of ways to get creative with words.
But that’s not all – you should also focus on the behind-the-scenes stories of each song.
Promote the activities that happened during the creation of the song (backstage stories), as well as comments from others, interviews, press clippings, etc.
By doing so, you’ll give fans a well-rounded view of each tune- and maybe even inspire them to create their own stories about your songs.
For example, the famous Avicii had one of the top marketing campaigns where he made a game out of posts on different Instagram profiles. You can see this cool story HERE.
4. Don’t ignore the illustrations
In the era of social media, it is more important than ever for musicians to create a visual identity for their music.
A well-designed album cover or a striking piece of artwork can help a song stand out from the crowded field of online content.
In addition, artwork can provide a valuable opportunity for musicians to connect with their audience on a more personal level.
By sharing the story behind a piece of artwork, musicians can give fans a glimpse into their creative process and create a deeper emotional connection with their music.
In an increasingly competitive marketplace, artwork can be an essential tool for music promoting and marketing new music.
5. Focus on the content
Quality content is essential for successful social media music promotion.
As has been mentioned before, songs should not only be about the music but should also create an emotional connection between the followers and the artist.
The world’s biggest stars make totally off-topic videos and post them on YouTube and social media.
This creates a feeling of knowing you, that people who follow you have the opportunity to identify with the “stars on the screen.”
Therefore, it is essential to put out quality content that will create this feeling of connection, rather than simply posting songs without any context or background.
Doing so will help followers connect with the music on a deeper level, and ultimately lead to more success for the artist.
In addition, celebrities use various types of music promotion through posts that are not just related to the song, such as off-topic, lifestyle, and competition posts.
Off-topic posts
Off-topic posts are a good first step to perfect music promotion.
Proof that this is true is the following example: already mentioned world star, Rihanna released a makeup tutorial on her YouTube channel, and people love it!
Also, there is a famous Drake who became one of the most famous meme characters. These memes have brought him a lot of popularity and are attracting people to know more about his career.
Lifestyle posts
On the other hand, lifestyle posts on all social media are also welcome. Another great way to promote your music is to post tutorials on how to play your songs.
Not only will people be able to hear your music, but they’ll also be able to learn to play it from the best possible mentor – you!
Additionally, posting live rehearsals on your YouTube profile is also a good way to music promotion.
These days, fans want to see the behind-the-scenes action and get a glimpse of what goes into making a great performance.
An example of this way of music promotion is Ed Sheeran who has a tutorial on how to play his song on the guitar.
Competition posts
Competitions of various kinds can be a great way to music promotion on social media.
For example, Ed Sheeran’s recent YouTube Shorts contest asked fans to record something interesting related to his song #sheeranshorts.
This was an incredibly successful promotion that increased engagement and got people talking about the song.
Contests are a great way to get people involved and excited about music, and they can be an excellent way to promote new music.
On the other hand, giveaways and even dinner with a favorite band can be great prizes for winning competitions, and they can help to promote music to a wider audience.
What are the best sites for music promotion?
There are a number of music promotion sites that can be incredibly useful for artists looking to get their music out there.
Some of the best sites for music promotion are:
- Spotify
- Groover
- Music Gateway
- Pandora
- YouTube
- Stageit.com
- SubmitHub
- Tumblr
- TikTok
Whatever route you decide to take, there are plenty of options for promoting your music online.
To conclude
Music promotion, like any other promotion, is an essential thing if you want to reach your target audience.
Now that you have the crucial steps to promote your music, it’s time to get started!
The more people who know about your music, the better. And don’t forget to keep practicing so you can continue releasing great music.
After all, the key thing is certainly creativity. But that shouldn’t be difficult for artists, right?
