Spotify is a powerful music platform that allows users to listen to various artists, save albums, create playlists, and more. They’ve become global sensations, bridging the gap between artists and their fans, allowing them to make their music more accessible to the public.
In recent years, Spotify released a fantastic feature that changed the music industry’s game, and this was called pre-save campaigns. Pre-save campaigns are now used to allow fans to pre-save music into their accounts leading up to the day artists release their music. It’s a great weapon that can help music rank higher, garner more streams, and measure the reach of your music.
If you’re curious to know what you get from employing a pre-save campaign in your audio marketing strategy, read on. In this article, we’ll share with you the benefits you gain from pre-save campaigns. Let’s take a look!
Benefit #1: Reminds Fans of New Music
When you’re ready to release a new single or album, you need to kickstart campaigns to gain some traction. However, tweeting or posting a photo on Instagram or making some noise on other social media platforms may not be enough, especially since you need to be mindful of your consistency as well.
With that being said, it only makes sense to employ a pre-save campaign to help trigger recall to your audience. Because after teasing your song and posting some relevant content on social media, you need another reminder for your audience to help check out your music once it goes out. And that’s what pre-save on Spotify can do.
Benefit #2: It Saves Straight to Their Library
The great thing about the pre-save feature in Spotify is that the moment a listener pre-saves your song, it goes directly to their library the moment it’s available to stream on the platform.
This feature is important because chances are not everyone will see your online marketing efforts, which could greatly affect your stream numbers. With that being said, since Spotify automatically saves your song into the user’s library, they won’t miss out on streaming your newly released song, no matter how busy they are in the day.
Benefit #3: It Builds Momentum
When creating an audio marketing strategy, you need to remember that you need to keep a constant flame in your campaign leading up to the release. But one of the best ways to build momentum is by employing the pre-save campaign option in your strategy.
The great thing about Spotify is that it can help you build momentum leading up to your release date. After you employ a pre-save campaign and users start saving your song or album, you can then create playlists to keep your audience excited for the release.
With a pre-save campaign, you’ll get to improve your marketing strategy, allowing you to increase your streams, followers and even expand your reach.
The Bottom Line: Utilize Features That Can Help Boost Your Audio Marketing Strategy
Audio marketing strategies are much different than the usual digital marketing efforts. This is because audio releases are a slow burn, and you need to be meticulous about the techniques you employ to ensure steady streams and high numbers. With that being said, pre-save campaigns can do loads to your music, allowing your audience to save your music even before it comes out and get sure plays once it’s out on the platform.
Here at Promoly, we help innovative brands promote their audio in a saturated digital landscape through email and social media. With our audio and content promotion tool, you’ll get to drive downloads, grow your audience, track recipient engagement, push sales, and more.
Learn more about our tool and boost your strategy today!
The landscape for music has drastically changed over the years with the integration of technology. There’s so much software today compared to the last two decades. With the improvements in recording devices and computers involved, it can take less than a day to create and record a song, podcast episode, or any sort of audio entertainment.
The shift isn’t limited to production, though, as promotions have changed as well. Many brands and artists are able to directly promote their content to others via social media now, which has accelerated the acclaim of the indie music scene.
Instagram is deemed as one of the most effective platforms for it.
Although it is initially a visual platform, there are still ways to utilize it in order to advertise to your audience. There are also features where you can showcase music and other related content.
Instagram used to only allow videos under a minute, which can limit the audio that you can allow IG users to hear. However, with the past introduction of IGTV, accounts can now post videos that would take up to 10 minutes. Instead of just posting pure snippets onto your profile, you could now upload a lengthier recording.
Most people do create extra music videos that are shot vertically since this does give a more user-friendly experience visually to those on the mobile app. Others provide sneak peeks into more raw performances and covers of the songs.
It doesn’t always have to be about the song, though, as showing yourself behind the scenes can also be a good way of connecting with fans. Post up short interviews with people or even just edit vlogs that would make you more relatable to future fans.
Create Instagram Posts
Dropping an Instagram post once in a while can be good. Spamming doesn’t seem to be the move, especially since it can affect the way your Instagram feed would appear. Be a little more tactical about your posts by making them personable.
Share images of how excited you are about future gigs, pictures of you wearing your merch, and photos for an upcoming album. Don’t forget to try and engage with fans in the comments when you can, too.
Put Links in Your Instagram Bio
It might be odd how a space for photos can promote something that should be heard, but placing links can be effective. If you have your audio up on Spotify, YouTube, Soundcloud, or other streaming services, be sure to put up a link. It’ll be more convenient for followers to find your stuff and listen to it.
Interact Through Instagram Stories
If you want to be a little more spontaneous in communicating with your audience and sharing something about your music, Instagram Stories is a perfect way for that. Many users also view this first when logging on since posts expire after a day. Make the most of it and create, such as sharing updates on how production is going or starting a little Q&A.
Conclusion
Following these steps should be able to get you a good following. It can be overwhelming for some people to experience growth too quickly after successive promotions, especially if you’re on other platforms as well. Remember to keep track and fully utilize it for the success of your audio.
Want to keep tabs on your music marketing strategies? Promoly is an easy-to-use, affordable, and effective tool that helps in promoting your audio content through email and social media. Get a free trial now!
The great thing about running a Spotify pre-save campaign is that the artists, in turn, get to build up their fan base before each release. The more people that pre-save, the more exposure their music gets, which over time is like the snowball that keeps on growing. All the artists need to do is get their fans excited about their new track. Everyone wins. In the age of streaming, it’s still possible for everyone to win, with Spotify pre-saves.
Pre-saves are nothing new, but they were previously only on offer for significant, successful artists. Now, all independents, labels, music producers and artists can make use of the feature too.
But to make effective use of Spotify pre-saves, you first need to understand the ins and outs of them and what they mean for you.
What is a pre-save on Spotify?
Spotify pre-saves function precisely like any other kind of pre-ordering system. They allow your fans to save your upcoming release before its release date. While this traditionally involved pre-ordering and paying in advance, the subscription model of Spotify means you pre-save it rather than pre-order. Then, on release day, the album, single or EP is automatically added to the library.
This makes the process extremely easy on the part of the consumer. You deliver the pre-save campaign by posting a link to your upcoming music, and all the consumer needs to do is click the pre-save button. That’s all! The process is seamless, and we’ll discuss that in more detail below.
Engage with your fans
What Spotify pre-saves allow you to do, aside from promoting your music, is getting your fans engaged before releasing the song. This means that Spotify (in theory) will notice the traction on your new song from the moment it’s available on release day. When fans pe-save your music, it shows Spotify there’s interest in your music.
Building pre-save energy improves the Spotify algorithms. Algorithms detect music that is doing well and may promote it through their semi-automated editors’ official playlists like Discover Weekly and Release Radar.
These playlists display on other Spotify users’ homepages and automatically update once per week – the good thing is the playlists are based on listening habits and will provide music the user will enjoy. Also, once getting on these playlists means your music is more likely to reach a wider audience due to Spotify distributing to their userbase, which in the long run builds momentum over time.
Release Radar
The Release Radar is a playlist readjusted to each user on Spotify. It’s updated every Friday with new music from artists users have already listened to, along with some the algorithm thinks they’ll like. So while having lots of fans will help you get on more people’s release radar, you can also boost your chances by getting more listens as soon as your song comes out.
Discover Weekly
Discover Weekly is another playlist tailored to individual users. Spotify algorithms put music into playlists they think users will like, based on their current taste. So, along with the Release Radar playlist, Discover Weekly is where you want your music to end up. It’s a fantastic way to generate more streams and more followers. Keep hitting these playlists month over month; you’ll create a following in no time.
Generating a successful pre-save campaign and making use of these playlists involves a few key factors. However, before we get into that, let’s talk about the overall Spotify pre-save campaign setup.
How to set up a Spotify pre-save campaign?
The Spotify pre-save process is very straightforward. With just a few steps required on your part, you can have your pre-save links generated, which you can send out to your fans in no time.
With Promoly, it’s easier than ever, and we take care of all the technical bits. In addition, Promoly’s built-in pre-save tool can be used to create a campaign and distribute the campaign in record time.
Step 1 – Schedule your music for release.
To start a pre-save campaign, the first thing you need to do is set your music’s release date with the distributor. This date is the day your music will become available to stream on Spotify. When you set a release date and publish the music, the distributor will start delivering the music to the shops, like Spotify, Beatport, iTunes, Apple Music, etc. Once you set the date, you’ll need to work backwards to give you enough time to kick off and promote your campaign.
Step 2 – Get your music barcode.
Promoly can generate a pre-save campaign using your music barcode. Other services depend on the Spotify URI and many fiddly setups, but we like to automate the process by using the barcode to reduce the manual work. Promoly can also pull in metadata from the barcode, like your release details, artwork, and information.
If you’re not sure how to get the barcode, it’s usually called a UPC or EAN. Ask your record label or music distributor if you are unsure. Once you have it, create a Promoly account, log in, press ‘new campaign’, and then select ‘pre-save.’
Next, plug in your barcode; Promoly will search for your music on Spotify (and all the other stores) and create a campaign automatically.
We only need Spotify for this campaign so that the other shops can be disabled for this campaign. That’s it, and providing everything is looking correct, you won’t need to update anything else. You’ll notice that Promoly creates a Spotify pre-save link and landing page for you – you’ll need this landing page link to direct fans to your music.
Step 3 – Kick off your campaign.
The final step of the process is to kick off your Spotify pre-save campaign. This step is critical, as it’s the way you’ll get people to pre-save your music. You can start by giving fans the link so that they can pre-save your new tracks. To do this effectively, you need to know how to get people to pre-save your songs, and I’ll explore this in more detail below.
How do you get people to pre-save your songs?
Once you have your pre-save campaign ready to go, you’ll need to start building traction. For example, simply sending out emails to your followers asking them to pre-save your music might not be enough on its own. While your fans might take action with your campaign email, the open rate benchmark for media and entertainment is 21%. Therefore, 21% read emails leaves 79% unread. That’s a huge number, which means a good chunk of your fan mailing list will never see your email or hear your music.
Giving your followers an incentive to pre-save your music is essential for your pre-save campaign to be successful. You need to give your followers a reason to click your link, and the music might not be enough to build initial momentum. At first, anyway.
If you already have a massive following, you might be able to count on your followers by clicking the link straight away. But if you’re trying to grow your following, you need to be proactive and creative.
Run a competition
You want to get your fans excited about your new music. A great way to do this is to run a competition and run a pre-save campaign alongside. Ask your followers to pre-save your upcoming music, and in return, enter them into a prize draw once they show you proof of the pre-save.
This draw could be for anything, from T-shirts to exclusive content. The main point is to get the fans warmed up to pre-save your music whilst getting them to take action simultaneously.
For example, you could post your pre-save on social media and say:
“Want to win a signed T-shirt?
When you pre-save my music, post a screenshot of the tune in your library in the comments, and I’ll choose a winner at random.
The competition closes Friday!”
This post will definitely get more attention compared with a post just saying ‘pre-save my music’. Why? For starters, everyone wants to win something.
The top line is called the hook, and it’s designed to grab someone’s attention. Then you tell them how to win. In this case, it’s simple. So that someone has to pre-save and post a screenshot of their Spotify library in the comments. It’s a simple task but does you massive favour (by building your engagement) in the long term, and someone wins a T-shirt.
Artists do this with exclusive T-shirts, limited edition vinyl, and lots of other unique items. This is an excellent way to give your followers more than just the music. Try it.
Pin a Tweet and ask fans to Retweet
Twitter has a cool function where you can pin a Tweet. Or, in this scenario, pin your Spotify pre-save link. This means every person who comes by your Twitter page will see your pre-save page link pinned to the very top.
Having the Tweet at the very top of the account is great for optimal impressions. To make things even better, ask your fans to Retweet to help build traction and awareness.
You could think about running a Retweet, like, and follow competition. Give your followers a little more of what they want by requiring them to follow or like you in return for a chance to win.
A Twitter contest can be an excellent way to increase exposure and follower count. By giving people multiple ways to enter contests, it can also improve follower growth and engagement.
You could then give your followers points for Retweeting and liking, which would add up over time. These points could then be redeemable for backstage passes, merchandise or early access to other music.
You can really get creative with driving a pre-save campaign, so don’t be afraid to try something out of the box. The idea is to engage your audience and incentivise pre-saving your song.
Once you know how to run an effective pre-save campaign, you can reproduce the technique for every release.
How to get insights and learn from Promoly
Spotify pre-save link campaigns are great for boosting your presence on Spotify. But by monitoring and tracking how your fans engage with your music, you can better understand your fanbase.
Promoly can also generate shop links campaigns too, so once your pre-save campaign is over, you can log in to Promoly and enable the other stores. Promoly will automatically update your campaign without you having to do any manual edits.
When you launch your pre-save campaigns on Promoly, we don’t only provide you with an awesome campaign, but we track everything that is happening and display that you in easily digestible stats.
Once your campaign is live and running, Promoly will collect all the relevant data from your fans so that you know where your fans are pre-saving/clicking on your music.
We take care of all the complex stuff so you can focus on your music promotion — no need for difficult Google Sheets tracking here… well, unless you want to, of course!
Promoly helps you track these results; know who you’re reaching and where they’re listening. This will allow you to grow as an artist or label and become more successful in the process.
For musicians, one of the best tools for both creative self-expression and marketing is music videos, which can do wonders for exposing new audiences to your music and artistry.
For independent artists, the work of quality music video marketing doesn’t just begin and end with conceptualizing and executing the video itself. Still, it continues into promoting that video to get as many eyes on it as possible.
So if you’ve recently made a music video for yourself as a music artist, here are ten ways you can learn about music video promotion.
1. Have a Pre-Release Strategy
You probably already know that most artists can’t just pull a Beyonce and drop something with no lead-up or fanfare when it comes to releasing new music and expect it to be a success. Well, the same thing goes for videoclip marketing. Before you put out your music video, you’ll want to build up as much hype as possible among your established fanbase.
From letting your fans know that a music video is coming to releasing images and teaser clips from within the music video, you want to make sure you mention the music video release date several times to give as many people as possible the opportunity to find out it’s coming and get excited.
2. Find Your Unique Selling Point
This is a tip that applies to musicianship in general and each particular music video you release. When you go into marketing your video clip, you need to know what makes it special and sets it apart from every other music video out there. Understanding this can help you know what to use to hook in your target audience. When you start sharing and promoting, you’ll want to draw attention to this particular aspect, whether it is the video’s unique story, unexpected medium, stunning visuals, or whatever else it may be.
3. Optimize for SEO
When you post your music video on Youtube, it’s important to increases its chances of being seen and come up on search results by optimizing it for search (SEO). This includes doing several things like filling out the description, tagging with relevant keywords, categorizing your video appropriately, and choosing an eye-catching thumbnail. When it comes to tagging, consider using keywords like your music’s genre and names of similar artists in addition to just your song and artist names. The more tags, the better – as long as they’re actually relevant and accurate. When it comes to organic promotion, these tips will really help you.
4. Post on Every Platform
Naturally, just posting your music video on YouTube Music and leaving it at that isn’t going to be enough. You’ll also want to cross-promote the video on as many different platforms as you possibly can. We’re talking Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok, and Facebook at the very least. You can post your video on these platforms more than once, which is a huge advantage, and it also allows you to reach a different audience than you do on YouTube Music.
Share it on your personal pages as well as your artist page and ask for friends and family to share it with their networks, too. And make sure to optimize the video for each platform individually, as some of them have different preferred video formats. Doing this will significantly boost audience engagement.
Finally, know that when you post on social media, it can help engage with viewers in the comments to encourage more hype and conversation and signal to the social media networks that the content is interesting and should be boosted to a more visible place on people’s feeds.
5. Pay for Ads
Of course, there is a limit to how far organic content on social media can go, so if you want to guarantee that more people will see your music video than just your followers, you can always go the paid ad route. The process of creating ads on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram is actually very simple and straightforward, and, best of all, it allows you to target specific audiences that you believe will like your music. So instead of just having your ad sent out into the void, you’ll know it’ll be seen by the type of person who might enjoy your video and become your fan.
You can choose who you want your ad to be seen according to demographics like age, gender, income, parental status, traits (like being a college student or new parent), interests, and even life stage (like if they’re soon to be getting married). This means you can really specify who you want to see your video, even picking people who are fans of artists that are similar to you. This will highly increase the chances of the person actually becoming a fan after seeing your music video.
You probably already know this, but one of the best avenues for music to succeed these days is through @tiktok_us#musicpromotion
You probably already know this, but one of the best avenues for music to succeed these days is through TikTok. Why? Because when a dance blows up on TikTok and everybody is posting their own TikToks with them dancing to a particular song, they’re actually engaging with the music, and they have high motivation to share it with their audiences. TikTok is awesome for song promotion!
We’re not saying here that you have to invent a viral dance move to your song to have people see your music video. Rather than coming up with some kind of way for people to engage with it beyond just watching, it can help it spread.
You’ll have to get creative to figure out what you can do to encourage music fans to engage with your video. Still, anything that allows them to participate in it, like asking people to send you videos of their friends reacting to it or challenging them to recreate a certain part of it, is some of the options you can consider.
7. Get it Shared
Another way to have people beyond your already built-in audience see your music video is to have it shared with the existing audiences of others. This could be influencers, magazines, a music blog, or something else – essentially an entity that reaches people who might be interested in your music video.
So check out what magazines and blogs like to post about new music and reach out to them to see if they may be interested in posting yours. Some of them may have an established process for submitting music videos, while, for others, it may just be a matter of sending a nicely-worded email. Just make sure to check and see how it works and to be as polite, concise, and convincing as possible in your communication.
8. Share in Online Communities
While magazines and blogs absolutely still exist today, another place where large audiences of music lovers gather is online communities such as forums and subreddits. Here, people are actively looking for entertainment and something to interest them, and they’re also highly motivated and engaged. This makes online communities a perfect place to share your music video. This involves two things.
First, you have to find the right communities relevant to you, like those that are specifically related to promoting one’s own music or those about the genre you’re in. And second, you have to be wise and strategic about how you post to the communities.
The tighter-knit the community, the more they’ll frown on an absolute outsider coming in just for self-promotion. Hence, it’s a good idea to first participate and, when it comes to those types of forums, actually become a part of the community before you promote your video.
And on communities specifically made to allow musicians to promote their own music, you’ll have to find a way to stand out among everybody else, so use that unique selling point we talked about in tip number two.
Some forums that you might consider posting your music video on include:
Let’s not forget the power of real-life, in-person interactions to build excitement about a new music video. On the day of your music video release, consider putting together a viewing party in its honour. Invite family, friends, fans, and local music lovers.
Of course, make sure that there is more to draw people to the party than just watching your music videos. Different ways to make the party appealing include playing a live set, inviting other local bands to play, having an interesting theme (ideally one that will be somehow related to your music video), and bringing in exciting refreshments like a food truck or even an open bar.
10. Use Email
If you don’t already have an email mailing list for your fans, you’ll definitely want to put one together because they’re an absolutely indispensable marketing tool for musicians, useful for promoting pretty much anything you’re doing, including music videos.
Using an email marketing list, you can directly get in contact with people who have shown interest in you by signing up for your mailing list, reaching them with a personal message. You can use your email list to build up hype for your upcoming music video release by sending out teasers and reminders and sending the actual music video out to your fans on the day that it comes out.Before you send out your email, it’ll be a good idea to brush up on the basics of email marketing, like how to use your subject lines to get people to click on your email, as well as how to include calls to action within your email to get your fans to do things like click through to watch your music video.
11. Mobilize Your Fans
We’ve already covered how it’s a good idea to ask your friends and family to share your music video on their social networks to get it seen by as many people as possible, but when it comes to promoting your music video, why stop there?
In fact, you can even get your fans involved in the process of sharing your music video. Reach out to them on social media platform of choice or through your email marketing list, asking them to share your music video with their friends and networks. You can even include a draft of a pre-written message they can send out or create a hashtag they can include in their posts about your music video.
Of course, it’s ideal to also offer some other incentive to your fans to get them to share your music video other than just doing you a favour. That’s where things like contests and giveaways come in handy. Consider giving out free t-shirts or other merchandise to fans who share out your music video. In fact, this is a great idea because it even serves as a double promotion since a fan walking around with your t-shirt on is another great way to get the word out about you and your music.
12. Collaborate with Others
Our last tip is to use the power of collaborations to give your music video a boost. Even if you don’t have another artist featured in your music video, you can plan to cross-promote with somebody else by sharing their video to your fans and asking them to do the same for you. This will essentially double both of your audiences, making it an attractive arrangement for both parties. And you can do this with more than one collaborator to increase your reach even more.
If you’re planning to give this method a try, just make sure to be strategic and realistic about who you’re reaching out to, asking for collaborations. If you have 5,000 followers, it may not be too successful in asking for an artist with a million followers to share your video. If you think you can make a solid case for them to do so, there’s no reason not to give it a shot, as long as you do so professionally, politely, and don’t waste anybody’s time.
Conclusion
Being an independent music artist is a lot of work. Not only do you have to put your heart and soul into making popular music, but you also have to follow that up by putting your blood, sweat, and tears into getting it out there to reach people and maybe even have a career as a musician. Music video promotion is a lot to deal with, but when you see those comments on your music videos saying how much a person connects with your song, it all becomes worth it. So go ahead and give these ten music video promotion strategies a try. You’ll be able to expand your fan base, increase the level of engagement with your music, and maybe even make some money.
Although it’s the 21st century devil, it’s essential in this day and age that you have a strong online presence. Show people your music, how hard you’re grafting, your studio sessions, your personality. People love a behind the scenes insight into the life of an active artist. Showcase what you’re cooking up, get interesting with your content and make sure all of your socials look tidy and themed.
‘How you present yourself online is critical when marketing yourself as a new artist. It’s important to be positive, and a good contributor to the your “scene” rather than simply hard selling what YOU do as an individual all the time. Your online persona / presence is key to developing relationships and, over time, showing your value and skill set. Your hard work doesn’t go unnoticed!’ – J Fresh (International DJ and artist)
2. Network, Network, Network!
This is a top music marketing strategy but often overlooked. Go to events and socialise with artists, ravers, everyone! It’s not as snaky as it sounds. Not only is it good to meet people in a networking sense, engaging with like-minded people may spark new ideas and give you the energy you need to work hard in what can be a tiring industry. It’s also a great way to remind yourself why you became an artist in the first place, because you love the music! It’s an added bonus that the people you meet may also like the music you’re making.
3. Spread the word…
Talk about what you’re doing with people, post your music on your personal Facebook page, make it known that you’re an artist. You never know, your mother’s, boss’s, son’s girlfriend might work in the office of the label you’ve always dreamt of being signed to, so be vocal, but be humble.
4. Attend industry music conferences
These are great environments to mingle with some of the key industry players. Get yourself a pass and try connecting with a few labels, managers and agencies, or, don’t get a pass and get the intel as to where the best industry parties are being held and hope you end up waiting in the queue for the toilet next to London Elektricity with your favourite Hospital Records T-shirt on.
Here is a list of conferences useful to attend as a new artist:
ADE (Amsterdam Dance Event)
IMS (International Music Summit)
Winter Music Conference
Brighton Music Conference
BEC (Beats Evolution Conference)
IMS and ADE are two conferences which can help newcomer artists gain a greater insight into the music industry. Not only can it put you in touch with people face to face, who can help progress your career and give you invaluable advice, but these conferences can also teach you just how important it is to get a better perspective on the inner workings of the industry, as well as how to stay on top of its changes – especially within the digital age.’ – Hannah Helbert, (Freelance PR agent for Ram Records, Hatched Music, Sofa Sound, Cygnus Music)
5. Familiarise yourself with software like Adobe Photoshop/Audition so that you can create your own content
To up your music marketing strategy game, start producing professional-looking online content without spending your own money paying a graphic designer. This is perfect sorcery in leading people to believe your music career is poppin’ off enough to make you enough money to afford a designer, when really you’re a behind the scenes wiz when it comes to creating content.
6. Get on the radio!
Get yourself a show on an internet or community radio station. This is a great way of marketing what you’re about and platforming yourself as a personality. People will connect with you as a person, leaving them feeling warm and familiar about connecting with your music.
‘Becoming a presenter on a radio station, no matter the size of the station is a great way to build yourself as a presenter as well as a DJ. It’s worth mentioning at this stage that being a DJ and a presenter are individual skills to develop. Yet I’ve found that the most beneficial style is somewhere in between. Use your radio show as a way to convey your unique personality and engage with an entirely new audience. Pride yourself on your curation and show your passion to the scene. Not only will the promotion of new (and established) artists help build direct relationships, but by associating yourself with some of the larger artists you play on your show, this will help you to get noticed by potential promoters, managers and labels.’ – Gully B (Reprezent Radio Presenter)
7. Remix, remix, remix!
Be daring and smash out a monster bootleg of a well-known track to draw attention to your style. Or, if you know other up and coming artists starting out in a different genre, you could suggest remixing each other’s tracks for maximum exposure. Everyone’s a winner in this situation as your sound is exposed to a totally new audience. When your name becomes more established, you’ll be paid to remix another artist’s track. Using the technique of having your tracks remixed by artists from different genres is an industry favourite, even with the bigger artists, so it’s good to get some practice under your belt.
8. Support other artists by tagging them online when you rate/play their tracks.
As the old saying goes, what goes around comes back around and if you’re seen to be supporting other artists on their mission to get their music heard, not only does it make you a solid person, the good eggs will acknowledge and may even return the favour when the time is right. There are a lot of people grafting as hard as you are, so make good connections and be known to support the scene you work in, it won’t hinder your progression.
‘Make genuine connections, support others, share their stuff online, post a few positive words etc. because you want to, not because you expect anything back directly in return. If you like something or appreciate someone’s work, no matter how big or small, why not let them know?’ – Nausika (signed to Blu Mar Ten/Subtitles)
9. Get a job in music
Having a job in music can open up endless opportunities for a new artist. It’s a great way of learning about the industry, and a great way to show professional bodies, who may be up for checking out your artistic side, how passionate you are.
A warning with this, be careful you don’t go in on your first day with ‘I WANT TO BE A WORLD FAMOUS DJ’, written on your forehead. If a professional establishment susses out you only had one motive when applying to work in that office, and your work starts to slack, you’ll lose their respect which may hinder your reputation. Only apply for jobs you want and know you’d be good at. Be smart but be genuine, it’ll help you stand out.
10. Make sure you have your best mixes, full of your best tracks, available online
If you have good DJ mixes on your Soundcloud, make them downloadable. People are more likely to stick them on repeat and then watch out for your next upload. Electronic music listeners are attracted to accessible content, especially mixes, so if you have a good mix that’s circulating online, it will attract people to you as an artist and encourage fans to see you play live.
When your following starts to grow, this would be when you’d tone down online mixes to introduce exclusivity, but for up and coming artists, the more people can hear what you’re about, the better. Besides, who doesn’t like smashing out a good mix and sharing with the nation? Go wild and have fun!
A lot of businesses have been directly or indirectly affected by the pandemic, and the music industry is no exception. Record labels, now more than ever, have been forced into experimenting with new marketing tactics to keep their artists relevant.
In this article, we’re presenting 9 tips for record labels to stay connected with their audiences during this unprecedented time.
1. Do Live Streams (A lot)
You’ve seen those, right? Well, how can you not with so many video platform algorithms taking every chance to feature them at the top of your feed!
To be honest, no one is complaining. I mean, live streams are as close as you can get to the real deal, only from the comfort of your couch, or bed. Also, doing live streams is one of the major ways EDM artists are coping during covid 19.
Unfortunately, such gigs aren’t exactly money makers (in fact, they are rarely paid), however, they’re fantastic exposure and help so many people stay entertained in these times of distress.
2. Host Drive-in Concerts
Even in the pandemic, people in the US have figured out a way to party. It was only a matter of time until musicians and promoters saw the potential in the old school concept of drive-in theaters and made something equally awesome – drive-in concerts.
Some of the names who have joined the automotive part scene so far include Snoop Dogg (aka DJ Snoopadelic) and The Beach Boys. Just remember to check for safe spatial requirements and keep the ticket prices reasonable, fans aren’t making as much money either!
3. Tread with Empathy
As much as they love music, fans are also affected by the pandemic, so purchasing your music may not be their top priority. It’s crucial to keep this in mind when promoting new albums.
While it’s nice to keep selling, your marketing approach needs to show a lot of empathy so that people know you don’t just care about their money. Make sure your messages and narrative across any platform are more relevant and insightful.
4. Be a Part of the Community
Your record label is not the only one out there, so don’t act like it. The last thing you want to be is the ‘one’ brand that only talks about itself.
Granted, it’s important to be promotional, but it’s just as important to be social. You can toot your own horn across social media, but spend as much effort giving back to the community and engaging with the fans. Help out aspiring brands, do collabs, give shout outs – it’ll pay off to be kind.
5. Branch Out
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social platforms are excellent for staying connected with the audience, but there’s more to the internet than that. Not all music fanatics are scrolling through their social media all day, some like to play games, get creative on Pinterest, or have discussions on Reddit.
Consider branching out to different areas of the online world. A terrific example is what Travis Scott did when he, along with his team, partnered with Fortnite for an insanely popular concert.
The event drew around 12 million players into the in-game show and The concert drew 12 million fans into the in-game show and helped his new single to an explosive launch.
6. Hold a Live Charity Event
Just like a live stream, only with your label donating for charity the more fans are watching and spreading the love. Spreading hope during a pandemic is a remarkable thing to do. Just look at recording artists holding live charity events to raise funds for frontline workers and charitable organizations. Lady Gaga helped raise $128 million for health care workers through the virtual “Together at Home” concert where various artists and celebrities took part.
Record labels can also organize similar online “quarantine concerts” featuring their artists. Fans will love the opportunity to catch their favorite artist’s performance online while knowing that proceeds will go to a good cause such as COVID-19 relief efforts. Another option if you can’t organize your own online concerns is to join other online charity concerts that are being organized. Not only will record labels be able to promote their artists, but they will also be able to contribute to the community. I
7. Listen to the Fans
Listen to the fans and followers who take time out of their day to find you online and give feedback. Consider what they have to say, even if it’s not all positive things. In addition to social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, internet video platforms such as YouTube, Twitch and even Instagram live sessions are great ways to interact with fans and hear what they have to say.
For example, Chris Martin sang Coldplay songs during and Instagram Live. DJ Diplo did a series of live streams on Twitch called the Corona World Tour. One added bonus of these video streams is that fans can comment during the sessions and feel connected with their favorite singers.
8. Be Generous
If possible, offer discounts, promotions, or gifts-on-purchase. It’s a good deed and a great strategy to give the fans a little something extra to be happy about. They’ll remember it.
While holding ticketed online concerts is one way of earning revenue while physical concerts are not allowed, offering virtual concerts for free is an excellent way for record labels and musicians to show not just their generosity but genuine appreciation for loyal fans who have always supported them.
9. Know Your Audience
Every social media or online platform has its own unique culture. The way you deliver your content needs to match the type of audience in that platform. Delivery is key if you want to be acknowledged.
Should you use TikTok, Instagram Live or YouTube to share content with your fans? Record labels should know the online platforms that their audience use. Once you have selected your social media platform, think about the content that you will share. To truly engage fans, you need to have content that they can connect with.
You can have artists hold regular mini talk shows via YouTube. They can also perform songs or share their personal hobbies during Instagram Live. Getting on the TikTok trend is a great way to connect with millennials or Gen Z if that’s your main audience.
Another example of how a record label understands what their audience wants is when Epic Records organized online meet-and-greet sessions for selected fans to meet Meghan Trainor before her online concert. Think of it as the virtual version of backstage concert passes where fans can meet artists!
Although there are many ways to connect with your audience these days, remember that the number of views or subscribers that you get on your online platforms is not the most important thing. What matters is making an authentic and personal connection with your audience.
If you think creating your first album or EP was a challenge, get ready for your next steps into promotion.
Carving out a spot for yourself or your band in the music industry is no small feat. The competition is thick, and standing out from the crowd takes a significant amount of effort.
Thankfully, you have a mighty tool at your fingertips. Digital promotion is huge for pitching music. In fact, streaming has become the industry’s largest source of revenue as it makes up 41.1% of it across a whopping 176 million users.
But how do you tap into that? First, you need to get noticed. Below are some essential steps for pitching music to well-read blogs covering your genre’s niche.
4 Steps To Pitch Music Features to Popular Music Blog
If you’re serious about getting your music covered by influential voices in the blogosphere, here four steps to help you make it happen.
Step One: Research Content Creators
Before submitting music to blogs, you have to do some background research. Look into what blogs are trending in the music industry. There is more out there than just Stereogum and HipHopDX.
Make a point to find online publications relevant to your genre, as well as writers relevant to your genre. Most quality blogs have multiple contributors writing for their website.
Don’t just email them right off the bat. Take the time to follow them and read their work. Get to know the publication or writer you are planning to send your pitch.
Doing this may take more time than you anticipated, but your odds of success will be greater. Establishing a personal connection goes far in increasing your odds and getting future exposure on new projects.
Step Two: Tempt The Publisher with a First Look When Pitching
There is nothing better than an exclusive in the publishing world. Any time you can offer exclusive content, such as a new, unreleased song, do it. Aim for publications with influence and tempt them with the first look.
This will create a sense of urgency as they aim to be first to publish. If you already have a strong audience for your music, this is a great piece of bait for scoring an interview while debuting a new single.
Step Three: Avoid Mentioning the Blog’s Competition
Bringing up a competitor blog is like referencing someone’s ex in the middle of an introduction. Avoid planting bad vibes by leaving out any references to features or content covered by “the other guys”.
Instead, focus on other moments of merit, such as spotlights you’ve had on other forms of media or recent awards. Remember our advice about serving up exclusives that give the blog you’re pitching to a leg-up on their competition.
Step Four: Be Clear About What You Want
Don’t beat around the bush when you pitch music. Make it a point to state what you want early and clearly. Whether that’s an interview, a feature, or a review, make sure you make your request specific.
Simply saying, “Hey, check out this music!” isn’t enough. Remember, this blog or writer probably receives an overwhelming amount of emails and requests. If you wait on them to think of a way to use the content you sent them, you’re losing leads.
Also, don’t be vague. Add whatever information you can to your music pitch, including any press kits or audio that is relevant to your request. They may not have time to schedule an interview, but if you provide everything upfront they may reward you with a quick write-up.
Those who aren’t used to reaching out and asking for press may feel rude using a no-nonsense approach. However, busy writers and blogs love it when you reach out prepared and get to the point. It makes their job easier.
How to Draft a Short and Compelling Pitch
Now that you know how to approach today’s hottest music blogs, you need to craft a compelling pitch. We’ve broken down three main tips below in order to help you put together a strong request.
A Brief Message Gets Read
Time is a commodity in the journalism or blogging industry. You are one of the numerous requests the publication or writer must sort through on a daily basis. The odds are slim they’re going to do more than skim what you have to say.
Keep your message brief. You can attach or link to more information if your pitch hooks them. However, your call-to-action and your pitch should be within the first two sentences.
Think about what it is you’re offering the publication. What’s in it for them? Why would they say “yes” to your request?
Tempt them enough to make them want to know more, then give them the means to get that information.
Be Creative in Your Approach
“Hey, how are you? We are a band with a new album…” is not a unique pitch. New albums release every single week from musicians of all stages of experience and popularity.
What sets you apart? How is your pitch unique? Use creativity to sell it in a way that tells a story worth reading.
It doesn’t have to be paragraphs of poetry, but a few lines resonating the unique flavour of your music can be enough to give the reader pause and consider what you have to say.
Keep Your Quality Top-Knotch
Creativity is great, but don’t forget to apply some good old-fashioned quality control before you hit send. Poor grammar and typos convey the message that whoever you’re emailing wasn’t worth the time to edit and craft an original message.
Check your hyperlinks and make sure nothing is broken and make sure your tone is that of someone doing business. Using slang in your email isn’t going to win you any cool points. Be creative, but keep it professional.
Are You Ready for Your Music to Be Heard?
If you’re serious about pitching music, getting exposure, and hearing what people have to say about it, then it’s time you tap into our digital promotion tools. Here at Promo.ly, we make creating and managing campaigns a breeze.
Take a look at our packages to discover how easy and affordable it is to get your music out there. Sometimes the right move is just an e-mail away.
Spotify has just launched ‘Promo Cards’, a postcard shaped promotional image linked to music, designed to be shared on social media.
To create a card, head to here. Spotify gives you full reign to their catalogue, which is excellent. You need to define your search by ‘Artists’ or ‘Podcasters’ and choose the appropriate filters. Once done, search for your music.
Unfortunately, the customisation of the Promo Card is pretty limited right now. Spotify defines a few pre-set colours, which is sufficient for making stand-out images for social media. But if you have a specific brand colour, you will be limited in this aspect.
Customising your promo cards
Here’s the customisation screen. As you can see, the Promo Card is already made, but you can select the shape from square, landscape and square. You can also change the colours; here, I have the choice of pastel shades.
Different colours are available, but they appear to be defined by your search. For example, if I refresh the page and re-search for Muse, I’m shown the same colours as before. Whereas if I change the artist, I get different colours.
Sharing on social media
When it comes to sharing your Promo Card, Spotify makes it easy. You can download the image, which is pretty cool if you want to make visuals fast.
A sharing link is available for social media, but a Facebook & Twitter share button is available for 1-click sharing.
An embeddable clickable image script would have been helpful, which you can insert within HTML. You could use the link and wrap it in a <script/>, but you’ll need to be clued up with HTML for that.
Promo Cards are for you if you’re looking for a quick way of making great looking promotional images for your record label’s artists. You could achieve the same result using Canva. Still, the advantage of using Spotify is that the link to the artist/album is automatically injected into the post when used directly on social media.
Cards based on milestones
The latest 2021 Spotify release includes the ability to create promotional cards when artists’ songs reach any chart position on the Spotify charts website.
To create one, go to the promo cards site, search for and select the song, change “Focus” to “Milestone,” and share. From the charts site, click the “more” tab next to an item on the chart and then press “Share Promo Card.”
Matching the milestone notifications you receive in Spotify for Artists, artists can now create milestone cards for reaching 1k, 5k, 10k, 25k, 50k, 100k, 500k, 1M, 2M, 5M, 10M, 20M, 25M, 50M, and 100M followers on Spotify. They’re a great way to thank your fans for following you and encouraging others to do the same.
Create your own Spotify card based on the charting position by heading to here.
Conslusion
Spotify should continue to develop this microfeature; it would be good to see further customisation, which would help media creators drive engagement to their Spotify profile.
As it stands, Promo Cards is an excellent way of grabbing someone’s attention on social media!
Promoly is a platform built for the music industry. If you run a record label and need to promote your music via email, Promoly can take on a lot of the tasks involved and get awesome results!
Record labels deliver promotional music via Promoly to DJs, journalists, and music media outlets in order to seek out reviews, features, and airtime.
Promoly makes this possible by delivering music through email. When a recipient clicks on the promo, they are taken to a unique landing page which displays artwork, audio & press information. Recipients of these promotional emails can stream the music, leave feedback and then download the audio.
Similarly, Rekordbox is a type of software designed to help DJs with cloud music management. In particular, Rekordbox utilizes Dropbox to sync music files without needing to download them and re-upload them to different platforms.
One great thing about the Promoly platform is that it can be integrated and used with other software. In one scenario, you might want to transfer some files from Promoly to Rekordbox.
This may seem like a difficult process, but it’s actually really doable.
In this in-depth guide, we’ll be looking at the functions of both Rekordbox and Promoly, as well as how to transfer files between Promoly and Rekordbox. First, let’s break down Rekordbox.
How Does Rekordbox Work?
Rekordbox is a type of analysis software development by the Pioneer company, a Japanese manufacturer that is known for its audio and home theater entertainment products. In 2013, Pioneer released Rekordbox along with their flagship CDJ-2000 as a response to the limitations of the device, and also to allow the average player to compete with the ever-growing popularity of laptop DJing.
Pioneer examined why DJs were starting to use cloud-based software, like Traktor, to move their collections of music. It was clear that DJs were sick of dealing with CDs and hard drives and wanted to be able to take larger collections of their music on tour, but also like prep-prep cue and loop points for performing creative and unique mixes. This is where Rekordbox came in handy. Rekordbox helps DJs and musicians organize their files and playlists by analyzing their collection and labeling files for lightning-fast access.
Overall, Rekordbox works as an analysis, prep, and management platform for an artist’s music collection or collection of samples. Rekordbox can search for the right music files that are stored on one’s device to create playlists, adjust grids and tempos, set cue and loop points, and much more. More or less, Rekordbox works much like a Pioneer device with basic CDJ.
Rekordbox is designed to pre-prepare one’s music collections so that the DJ and the device they are using will spend less time looking for and analyzing the music that needs to be implemented into the song.
It’s a management platform that will never overwrite a previously existing audio file or try to render a new file. It also doesn’t quantize the audio files but instead quantizes the grid read on the CDJ or the device being used.
Rekordbox is also very useful for cloud storage. “The way we enjoy music has evolved,” reads a recent press release for the newest edition of Rekordbox on Pioneer’s website, “with computers and mobile devices becoming the focal point for listening to our favorite sounds and emerging genres. Naturally, the needs of DJs have changed too. So, we’ve rebuilt Rekordbox to offer centralized music management that stores your tracks in the cloud so you can play them via multiple devices whenever you like.”
It’s worth noting that audio analysis software is never perfect, and one may run into some hiccups in terms of some live tracks. But it is quite a likable piece of software with use cases for a wide range of musicians, not just DJs.
So what does Rekordbox have to do with Promoly? Isn’t Promoly a marketing platform? It’s a little more complicated than that. Let’s break it down and how Dropbox can be used between these two platforms in the next few sections.
What is Promoly?
Promoly is a platform designed to help musicians and record labels promote music, all while making it possible for users to see who is listening to their promoted music in real-time. Promoly will send music directly to a recipient’s inbox and track whenever those files are opened, played, and saved. It’s also possible for recipients to leave feedback on the promo campaigns. It’s all about being able to watch your results in real-time to optimize your marketing strategy.
Promoly is particularly handy for smaller record labels but can be used and personalized for any size or type of record label or independent artist. Keeping track of music promos can be really tough. This is especially so for record labels who are just starting to build up their company. Being able to manage promotional emails, released schedules, and press releases is key. Promoly makes this possible by providing users with a music promo tool that keeps labels on point, all while their music gains clicks, features, and plays.
There are a few different features that Promoly provides:
Promo Pool. Users will be able to access Promo Pool with a membership. This pool includes contacts that have approved Promoly’s service and opt to receive music from its users.
Reminders. Sometimes Promoly recipients will forget to open the promo emails. When reminders are turned on, Promoly will automatically remind them by sending another ‘reminder promo email’.
Campaign Feedback. Recipients of your promo emails will be able to leave feedback directly through the promo landing page into Promoly’s engine.
Real-time Tracking. Track when your promo files are opened and viewed.
Analytics. Keep track of how your different campaigns are performing in real-time.
Contact Management. Organize and group your contacts to easily find them when it’s necessary. You can also upload CSV files as well.
“Promoly was born in 2014 after getting frustrated with promoting music to email lists,” says Promoly’s CEO Pete Callaghan, “At the time, I was running a few labels with my business partner, Kaine. We didn’t know who was opening our emails or if anyone actually listened to the music we sent them. We had the mad idea of building our own application but didn’t know where to start. We got in contact with a music industry friend, Mike, who we knew was a software developer and a music enthusiast. The idea was pitched, and Promoly was born.”
How Does Dropbox Work?
Dropbox is a type of cloud storage platform and service. With Dropbox, you can copy or upload your files to the cloud and access them whenever you need to, even if you are using a different device.
As long as that device has a Dropbox application or program on it. Dropbox does not automatically copy all of your synced files if you are using their free personal plan, so users will need to pick which files they want to save. Because of this, it’s highly recommended that musicians, particularly DJ or artists that use samples, and record labels invest in a paid account to automatically back up their files for future use via the cloud. This is simply easier, plus you get a lot more storage space with a paid account.
For example, the free Dropbox personal plan provides 2 GB of storage. Any record label or artist knows that music files take up a lot of space, and it would be very difficult to stay under that 2 GB. This is especially so for music labels that have multiple clients. A Plus plan, however, features 1 TB of space (that’s 1,024 GB for comparison) for only $9.99 per month.
“When I did my first musical project, we initially tried sharing exported MP3s via email, and that got really cumbersome,” Neil Sethi wrote for Dropbox’s blog on the topic of sharing large audio files with bandmates and labels, “We realized Dropbox was better for this because we wanted to export WAV files to retain the sound quality and not compress things too much. That’s especially important when we’re iterating on specific parts of the track, like vocals. We used shared folders, which saved us a ton of time. Not only do we not have to export anymore, we could save a project in a shared folder, then just open and access the file to make changes. And because Dropbox enabled us to share WAV files, we didn’t have to rely on overly compressed MP3s anymore.”
Both Promoly and Rekordbox use Dropbox for a variety of use cases. Promoly uses Dropbox to add an additional layer of security to cloud-based storage needs. Rekordbox uses Dropbox to upload tracks and playlists from the main Rekordbox library to be accessed on any device that is synced with Dropbox.
It’s worth noting that while promoly and Rekordbox both utilize Dropbox, a Dropbox subscription or account is not included with either purchase. You’ll need to set up your Dropbox account before you try to use ether platforms with the service.
Now that we have a solid understanding of what Rekordbox, Promoly, and Dropbox do, let’s look at how you can send Promoly files to Rekordbox using the Dropbox integration. It’s actually ridiculously easy.
Using DropBox to Export Promoly Files to Rekordbox
So how do Dropbox, Rekordbox, and Promoly impact each other? To start, both Promoly and Rekordbox utilize Dropbox. And you can easily use Dropbox to send Promoly files to Rekordbox and vice-versa
In some scenarios, a record label or user may want to send music through Promoly on behalf of an artist. A DJ can download their music to Dropbox, and then play the tracks or sample them directly from their Dropbox account, or then can play them right away at a show using Rekordbox. The cloud manages all of it and thus removes the need to download and reupload music to USB or CD or a hard drive.
You can take advantage of the integration that Promoly and Rekordbox share with Dropbox. Virtually all of your key files, or the files of a campaign you have received, can be sent from Promoly directly to Dropbox. From there, that same Dropbox account can be added to Rekordbox. This is really useful if you have a lot of promos and are on the go. You can check the promo from your mobile device, download them to Dropbox and then Rekordbox will automatically be populated, ready for your show!
To start, make sure that your Rekordbox account is connected to your Dropbox account. From there, you can browse your tracks that are uploaded to Rekordbox already, enable Dropbox, and then import those files to your cloud-based Dropbox account. If you want to enable Rekordbox to automatically back up files onto Dropbox, you can do this as well.
Then, it’s time to make sure that Promoly is set up with that same Dropbox account. Go to your promo dashboard, check a promo and sign into Dropbox. Make sure it’s the same Dropbox account that you’ve logged into Rekordbox with.
And that’s it! Pretty easy, right? Both Promoly and Rekordbox automate a lot of their processes to ensure that syncing and uploading files is as seamless and easy as possible.
Don’t forget to follow the Promoly blog for more great informative guides to making Promoly work for you and your third-party platforms! At Promoly, we understand that marketing in the music world is far from easy and requires a significant amount of resources and tools. This is especially so for independent labels or artists who don’t have the resources of larger record labels. We’re passionate about sharing the best possible music promotion and marketing technique with our readers, along with our Promoly software for promoting and tracking music promo campaigns. It all starts with research in order to become the best you can be at music promotion.
In the UK during the 1980s, the first instances of what would become DNB (drum and bass) evolved from the Acid House music scene, specifically from a subgenre called Breakbeat Hardcore. From there, heavier bass and distinctive up-tempos would come to define this new underground electronic music. Additional Jamaican dub and reggae sounds from jungle music in addition to some jazz elements would come to bear when dnb took off in the early 1990s.
Dnb is easily the child of many genres, taking components from mid-century funk stars, layering hip-hop lyrics over sampled beats, or employing reggae-style MCs to complement a DJ spinning dnb at an overnight club.
Because of these varied roots, dnb is still relevant. Its origins are plentiful and deep, and its evolution is because it draws from such an expansive pool of influence. Thanks to pioneering DJs and a diverse audience, dnb continues to change and develop almost 30 years later.
In Bristol and London, the United Kingdom continues to pride itself on the cultivation of dnb. This is where dnb music was born and where it now continues to thrive. Elements of dnb have migrated through the world, closely following the rise of house and electronic music in North America, Germany, The Netherlands, South Africa, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia, and even China and India, as dnb DJs have emigrated from London due to skyrocketing costs of living. Sambass, in particular, has gained a significant following in Brazil as the mixture of Samba rhythms and dnb tracks has made it one of the more popular subgenres of dnb.
The continued evolution of dnb now relies on an increasingly dedicated community providing new dnb mixes from various creators via online radio. Dnbradio is one of the premier radio channels that continues to stream some of the best drum and bass radio on the internet.
Where did dnb music come from?
Dnb is a true fusion music style. It’s almost synonymous with Jungle style music. As such, you can trace its primary evolution to the previously mentioned genres: techno, house, hip-hop, jazz and ragga.
Techno music and the rave scene in the UK paved the way for dnb’s creation. They share a fundamentally electronic sound, though dnb accelerates the beat and emphasizes the drum and basslines. Further, this underground techno culture fed into dnb’s similar adoption route that fed into a nightclub and overnight outdoor event culture.
Dnb has also been one of Britain’s more successful answers to hip-hop. Though many have tried, British execution of hip-hop has always been lacking, partly because it’s difficult to fake vital sincerity towards uniquely American situations that many British artists cannot relate to.
The ease and fluidity of American hip-hop have eluded British artists since its popularity in America beginning in the 1970s. Dnb, however, has managed to include the beats and sounds of hip-hop (not so much the lyrics) in a very appealing way. Hip-hop influences also shine through in the attention that dnb DJs pay to the rhythm and texture of the sound that they mix.
Ragga also contributes significantly to jungle dnb’s musical identity. These Jamaican dub and reggae roots have a strong foothold in the British music scene. With quicker beats and spitfire rap verses, it is the foundation of many dnb tunes.
Fans of jungle music often called junglists, listened at raves and on pirate radio film in Britain from its infancy until it went mainstream in 1994. Some junglists decided to move away from the traditional jungle roots that were increasingly associated with violence and criminal activity.
This move marked a shift towards music like that which is available on jump-up dnb radio. This rave- and dancehall-based Jamaican music culture rose up simultaneously and, most likely, in opposition to these negative associations with jungle music.
Finally, jazz overtones are also consistently present in dnb tracks, with many classic jazz performers cited as an inspiration. This end of the musical spectrum adds an interesting richness and contrasting smoothness to dnb mixes, resulting in an entirely unique sound.
What makes dnb unique?
Like Jungle music, dnb is a uniquely British mixture of sorts. Some even claim that it may be the first British created electronic music and that it only could have developed here.
In fact, a lot of its success comes from dnb’s ability to draw from so many styles of music that cross racial lines. Thanks to the post-colonial climate of a degree of assimilated inclusion, audiences in Britain enjoy more freedom in moving past racial barriers that offer more resistance in other countries. Top DJs spinning dnb music are both black and white, and they’re free to use inspiration from many culturally significant types of music. As a result, dnb music creation is never stagnant, and there is always something new to try.
Secondly, dnb is a genuinely unifying blend of music. Thanks to the pieces that layer into each track, it appeals to a specific but dynamic audience, one that continues to enjoy the cutting-edge progression and evolution of the dnb mix. That amount of crossover also allows dnb to stay fresh and relevant to its core audience while captivating outside listeners with hooks and tracks appropriated from other familiar genres.
When you reflect on the timeline of dnb, it’s evident that even with its reliance on sophisticated electronic equipment, this genre was born and cemented pre-internet. The early 90s technology available around the time of dnb’s birth would have required a great deal of dedication, which is likely one of the reasons why dnb continues to thrive. It’s producers and fans have been committed since the beginning.
Just as dnb was born of so many varied influences, it has also spurred the growth of a vast array of sub-genres. Dnb’s evolution has led to darkstep, hardstep, funkstep, breakstep, jump-up liquid funk, neurofunk, techstep, drumstep, technoid, footwork, Sambass and drill’n’ bass to name a few.
They each explore a nuance or blend of dnb characteristics, all punctuated with that signature breakbeat. Thanks again to dnb’s variety of influences, the sounds of the drums and bass show up differently so everyone can find his or her own space of enjoyment within dnb. DJs will spin tunes with strikingly different features and sounds, but all are considered dnb because of the tempo.
How can record labels and Artists benefit from Dnb radio?
The 2016 sale of RAM (a prominent dnb label) to Sony RMG was viewed with both trepidation and enthusiasm by the dnb community. On the one hand, the sale says a lot about dnb’s continued survival and relevance. On the other, loyalists feared that some of the guiding forces of dnb had sold out. Regardless, it is an essential recognition of the genre and the value that it represents to the community at large.
Dnb only thrives in the face of constant change and reinvention. Its tunes have a notoriously short half-life, so the importance of sustaining dnb production can’t be emphasized enough.
Having said that, dnb radio is the best of both worlds. Constant creation is the catalyst for growth, improvement and evolution, practically everything that dnb embodies. Tune-in radio websites provide an affordable means of providing an accessible source of the latest trends and compilations outside of the urban hubs that routinely see fresh DJ productions. Bassdrive, for example, offers live radio drum and bass streams around the world. Koollondon’s resident family of producers and Radio Garden offer several London radio stations which are both excellent dnb listening choices.
Sites like DNB Radio offer options to ensure the fidelity and integrity of dnb tracks remains high and state-of-the-art. Other options like Jungletrain stream jungle and reggae radio make up hundreds of online opportunities to listen to the newest dnb around the clock.
Supporting these stations by tuning in is the way for dnb enthusiasts, particularly those outside of London and the European hubs, to immerse themselves in the current scene. As dnb listeners absorb these brand-new sounds and combinations, we ensure that dnb continues to keep pace in this modern age.
Artists benefit primarily from making their content quickly and cheaply accessible to a targeted audience. They can stay abreast of trends and gain inspiration from what has worked well or poorly in other tracks posted to the web. Labels can see how listeners respond to new music so that they can stay ahead of the curve. Dedicated pools of music that represent the advancement of a movement, of culture and of a sound.
Regardless of your role in the dnb community-creator—promoter or consumer—streaming internet radio services with fresh creative content are a vital part of the collaborative spirit that propels dnb as a genre. This medium effectively supports dnb’s continued growth in the face of a scattered, niche demographic that requires this base level of interaction for inspiration and adaptation. Fundamentally, internet dnb radio creatively ensures the survival of the fittest.
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