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Author: pete

  • The Ultimate Guide to Starting an Independent Record Label in 2022

    The Ultimate Guide to Starting an Independent Record Label in 2022

    There are a lot of resources out there on starting an independent record label and, frankly, most of them are way too complicated. Luckily, we’ve distilled it down so even your Grandma could start the next Universal.

    (Side note: if your Grandma does start a label, please hit us up cause that’s cool and we’d love to partner and promote!)

    Anyway, moving on…

    Starting a record label involves two key ingredients: a passion for music and an action plan. This guide will give you the latter, but we’re counting on you to bring the former.

    Since you’re already here reading this, we’re going to assume you have the passion in you and you’re dying to get started. So, let’s dive in.

    Starting a independent record label

    This guide’s going to show you how to start a independent record label in six steps:

    1. Ideation
    2. Talent sourcing
    3. Business & Brand Strategy
    4. Legalities
    5. Preparing for Launch
    6. Promotions

    1. Ideation

    Starting a independent record label begins with brainstorming how the record label will stand apart from the sea of labels out there. This is known as a unique positioning or the unique value proposition of the record label.

    To figure this out, the key is to think through what you know best about the music industry. What’s wrong with record labels today?

    Think through an unmet need that currently exists and whether positioning the record label to meet it is a sustainable idea.

    Use this train of thought to pick a vision for your record label that you’re passionate about.

    Picking one that’s trending may sound like a good idea, but this can also mean the trend fades away and you’re left with a failed label.

    Build your record label to focus on something you’re truly passionate about. We believe that the most successful labels out there today got to where they are because the founders picked what they were passionate about. This passion meant they fought through the highs and lows to realize their vision of the label and make it successful.

    Once you’ve found the vision for the label, you can think through the specifics such as: which format do you focus on?

    Determining Format

    Picking the right format for the label to focus on is important. Juggling too many formats can dilute efforts and wind up with your label not doing well in sourcing talent and producing in any of them.

    Pick a few formats that are known to be popular such as CD, Vinyl, and Digital Releases.

    Don’t discount Digital Releases. Streaming is huge right now and Digital Releases primes you well to venture into this distribution channel. This ensures you’re on popular platforms such as SoundCloud, Bandcamp, and Spotify.

    Formats also impact chart eligibility which is the criteria that need to be met in order to enter popular charts such as UK Top 40 or Billboard 200.

    Every track will require an ISRC code (International Standard Recording Code) that helps stores report sales to chart companies such as Billboard. Depending on which region you’re launching the label in, it’s important to look at chart eligibility for different formats. If your format doesn’t allow you to be registered with them, you may lose the chance of being listed on their charts which is lost free marketing

    2. Talent sourcing

    Many start a record label to share music they’ve heard with a broader audience, especially tunes that no other label wanted to put out. But this may not always be the case, or just having one release lined up from an artist you know might not be enough.

    This is where finding music to release becomes the next step. When starting a independent record label, it’s good to have a few releases in the back pocket to help with promotions and finding distribution.

    Play to your strengths when it comes to finding great talent.

    Start with your network and local music venues that you know. Spend time online on platforms such as Soundcloud, Bandcamp, or ReverbNation. Even social media platforms such as Facebook and Tik Tok now boast niche communities where artists publish their music.

    Be patient during this step. It’s better to launch with music that’s true to what the label stands for and believes in compared to releasing something just to get the label launched and going.

    Only represent music that truly moves you.

    3. Business & Brand Strategy

    If you’ve found the talent you like, it’s time to formalize things so you can share their music with the world and represent them with your label.

    This starts with a business plan. Business plans are great in helping think through the nitty-gritty of the record label. What will it be called? How much will it cost to setup? Etc.

    A business plan is also helpful when seeking investment.  Anyone you pitch the label idea to will know you’ve done the due diligence in ensuring it’s a successful venture.

    Here are some questions the business plan should help answer:

    • What’s unique about your record label?
    • Who are your competitors?
    • What will it be called?
    • What’s its branding?
    • How do you plan on marketing the label?
    • How will the record label be legally structured?
    • What products or services will the record label offer?
    • How much will it cost to set up the record label?
    • How much money will it make in a given year? And how much profit?

    We won’t go into detail on how to answer each question above, but we’ll dive into a few that are important in shaping up the record label through the rest of this guide.

    Name & Brand

    When it comes to branding, the name and logo of your record label will be critical.

    We’re big believers in the notion that if the right identity of a label isn’t created, it won’t attract the right talent.

    Brainstorm a few name ideas with your friends. Try to view it through the lens of your target customer as well – the artist. How would they resonate to the name and overall branding of your label?

    Similarly, think through different logo ideas and other branding collateral. What’s the colour scheme of the label going to be? What font will you use?

    The brand identity of your label will be important when it comes to promotion as your label will put considerable effort into marketing its artists work.

    If you don’t have a killer name and brand for your own label, it’s not going to reflect greatly on what marketing you can do for artists that potentially want to join your label.

    If you’re hitting a wall, check out how competitors are branding and see if it triggers any inspiration. If this truly isn’t your forté, then we’d recommend hiring professionals such as a branding and design agency.  They can help craft your brand identity and create marketing assets for you such as logos, typeface, etc.

    4. Legalities

    Now for some grown-up stuff.

    Sorting out the legal aspects of the label is an important step in ensuring credibility when it comes to dealings and as a way of protecting you and the label.

    Firstly, you’ll have to start by setting up the structure of the business:

    The business structure of the label

    One aspect of starting a independent record label will involve structuring the business appropriately.

    Here are a few options to consider:

    Sole proprietorship: This sort of structure means the record label company is wholly owned and operated by just one individual – you.

    That means all of the finances and liability are shared. If the label goes bankrupt, your personal assets are on the line, and if you go bankrupt the same applies to the label’s assets. This set up is appropriate if it’s just you running the label and simplifies the legal steps you’d have to go through in order to get going. Remember, you can always change the business structure later on. 

    Limited Liability Corporation (LLC): If the label is being formed by a group of people, then an LLC makes more sense.

    The owners are also not responsible for any debts or liabilities incurred by the record label. Their personal assets are protected. Setting up an LLC is more complicated and expensive, but it does come with the added personal protection.

    Incorporation: Most major labels will be structured as a corporation. This ensures no liability to shareholders and even the owners are well protected against any issues the label may face such as bankruptcy.

    Incorporation will also allow external investors to come on board without having to relinquish actual voting control of the label. This is by far the most complicated to set up and manage.

    Our advice is to start off with an LLC if there’s more than one of you as an owner the label, and if it’s just you then a sole proprietorship is fine. You can always transition how the label business is structured as the record label grows.

    Setting up contracts

    When you bring on talent to release their music, you’ll have to draft up contracts to ensure the relationship between you and the artists are clear.

    This contract will cover important details such as profit sharing, who owns the masters, royalty agreements, distribution, and promotional guarantees. It will define clearly what you’ll help the artist with, who is responsible for what, ownership, and how revenue is distributed between the artist and your label.

    Licensing

    In addition to contracts. Labels will also have to get clear on licensing and ensure all represented artists are registered with the appropriate companies such as BMI or SESAC.

    These are companies that collect royalties and distribute them to artists. If you miss licensing your artists to these companies, there’s a good chance your label will lose out on much-needed royalty earnings.

    5. Preparing for Launch

    It’s GO time.

    Preparing to go-to-market is the next big step for the label. This will involve understanding how to both promote the label and the artists you represent.

    Distribution

    The first thing you’re going to want to line up is the right distribution channels.

    These are the places where your label’s music is going to be playing or sold. There’s physical distribution such as music stores, and digital distribution through streaming services and online stores (e.g. iTunes). You’ll eventually have to either find companies in these channels yourself or hire distributors that’ll do the work for you.

    Having distribution lined up from the get-go isn’t necessary.

    If you’ve got a compelling brand and a promotion strategy, then that should take you quite far in this technology-enabled day and age. Eventually, however, you’ll want to be on store shelves, and that’s where distribution becomes important.

    Press Kits

    Press Kits help tell the world what your label does and/or who the artist is. Think of it as an entire marketing package that shows what the artist looks like, their bio, demos, upcoming tour dates, and so on…

    These kits can be both physical and digital.

    Digital kits allow anyone to download them directly from your website to use in promotional activities.

    Physical kits come handy when you’re face-to-face with someone that could use it.

    Don’t spend too much energy in filling the press kit with lots of information, keep it simple so that it quickly gives a good overview of your label and the artist.

    Establish an online presence

    If your label doesn’t have a strong online presence, that’s enough for people to doubt your credibility.

    Start with having a website for your label that outlines which artists you represent, your story, upcoming releases, etc.

    Include whatever you think consumers need to know about you. You don’t need a professional to set this up for you.

    There are plenty of web design sites such as Squarespace or Webflow that’ll allow you to create stunning websites with relative ease without breaking the bank.

    Create social media profiles as well on Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter. Be active on these platforms, posting updates about your label such as new releases, and use it as a way to interact with the community of other music lovers.

    6. Promotion

    With a site and social media profiles set up, the next step is to begin promoting.

    This means getting your label and artist’s music out there. Get active on various streaming platforms such as Soundcloud and Bandcamp. See if you can host music on Spotify and iTunes and create specific video content for YouTube.

    Do some promotion on Reddit such as in the /r/musicpromotion community and find niche Facebook groups that you can join to spread the word.

    If you know of any music blogs focused on a specific genre, reach out to them and see if they’re willing to promote your artist or announce your label. 

    Think of all the places you use to discover new music talent and stay tuned to the latest from certain genres. Go out and try to promote your label’s music on those platforms!

    Work smart and don’t be afraid to cross-post. If you create a post on Facebook, share it on Twitter and Reddit, and Instagram as well. The key is to try and reach as many people for the least amount of effort. There are even some services out that’ll help promote your music at scale such as promo.ly.

    Starting a independent record label is a learning process and you’ll be making mistakes from day one. Don’t get discouraged when you hit roadblocks.

    Persistence is key in making sure your first release gets out there. Hopefully, with these six steps you’re well on your way to sharing the music you love and the artists you admire with the world.

    PS, If you’re looking to get signed to a label instead of starting your own label, our friends at EDM Tips have covered that in the following link.

     
  • How To Promote Your Music on Reddit

    How To Promote Your Music on Reddit

    If you’re a musician trying to make a name for yourself, you know that hustle is just as big a part of the game as making good music in the first place. After years of honing your craft, writing, perfecting, and finally producing a body of work you are proud of and want to share with the world, you have to switch from artist mode to business mode and get down to the nitty-gritty of doing just that: sharing your work with the world.

    That’s where promotion comes in. Sure, you can wait around for a manager or label to do all the hard work for you. Or you can take promotion into your own hands, taking any means you can think of to get the word out there and to get people to give your music a chance. Naturally, in our day and age, one of the best venues for grassroots music promotion is the internet. You know: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. And one slightly less obvious option: Reddit.

    Why Promote on Reddit?

    For those who may not have gotten the memo about the third most popular website on the internet, Reddit is a collection of forums where users can submit content and vote content submitted by others up or down, affecting how prominently it’s displayed. There are a few things that make Reddit a good fit for internet music marketing.

    First, it’s a highly democratic platform. On Reddit, nobody has more followers or popularity than any other user (for the most part), meaning that something you post has just as much a chance of being seen as any other user’s content. It’s mostly the quality of your contribution that decides how your content is received.

    Further, as we alluded to earlier, Reddit is wildly popular, with over 300 million users, just as many as Twitter. Something going viral on Reddit has the potential to make – or break – a person’s career and, honestly, life in general. Viral Reddit posts have helped people find jobs, helped non-profits receive donations, helped get children’s medical treatment paid for, and have certainly brought massive attention to specific artists and media.

    That means that if you can figure out how to play the Reddit game right, you might find yourself suddenly the owner of a brand new, huge audience.

    How To Play The Reddit Game Right

    If you follow these three golden rules of Reddit music promotion, you’ll have a much higher chance of success.

    1. Become a Member of the Community

    How would you feel if one day somebody showed up at your workplace or neighbourhood and started trying to tell everybody that they’re the hottest new thing in town? You don’t have to answer, we already know: you won’t like it. Nobody likes to be interrupted by a knock on the door from a salesman, and that’s exactly how it’ll feel if you just jump onto a brand-new subreddit and start trying to push your music.

    Especially in smaller subreddits (which is where you should go; we’ll get to that later), the forum members truly begin to feel like a community. They start to remember each other’s usernames, tag each other with nicknames, and build a sense of team identity. If you want these people to seriously consider giving your music a shot, you have to first become one of them. So go on the subreddit. Participate. Upvote and downvote (following proper reddiquette, of course). Get to know the subreddit culture. And then you can start to think about self-promotion.

    2. Be Authentic

    Redditors are a tough crowd. They can smell a phony from a mile away. And they have a really low tolerance for self-promotion. That doesn’t mean you won’t be able to do it successfully; just that you’ll need to be smart about it. The last thing a redditor will respond well to is a user whose post history is made up of nothing but self-promotion, so it’s best to actually participate on Reddit, leaving comments and posts about other things.

    Redditors don’t want to see posts that sound corporate, too polished, or overly calculated. They want to connect with something honest and human. And they love a good story. So when you post, be real. Remember how in college your professors told you not to write papers in “internet speak”? Well, don’t write Reddit posts in “college speak.” You don’t want to sound out of place.

    And don’t try to fool anybody. None of that, “Hey guys! I just came across this cool new band and I think you should check them out!” stuff is going to work. Redditors are too smart for it. They’re like a band of detectives. Approach with respect and just be authentic.

    3. Start in Small Subreddits

    One of the most important parts of making a successful Reddit post is knowing which subreddits to post in. Going too big is not going to be a successful strategy in this situation. There’s just too many fish in those seas. For that reason, we recommend staying away from /r/funny, /r/pics, /r/videos, and even /r/music. Your content will just get lost there.

    Instead, your best bet is approaching smaller or medium-sized subreddits. Don’t worry, posts in these subreddits can still go viral and make it to the front page of Reddit if they’re good enough.

    Here are the best subreddits for music marketing:

    Music Promotion Subreddits

    /r/musicpromotion – This subreddit is specifically made for promoting music, so you won’t get any ire here for trying to market yourself.

    /r/shareyourmusic – Same story. A place made for you to put your work out there.

    /r/mymusic – A good, fairly small subreddit to start in

    /r/thisisourmusic – A medium-sized subreddit that welcomes music creators

    /r/shamelessplug – A subreddit where creators of all kinds can plug their work

    /r/promoteyourmusic – Just like the title says: a place to promote your music

    /r/listentothis – A massive subreddit with a weekly thread for self-promotion

    /r/theseareouralbums – Post here if you have a finished album to share

    Music Critique Subreddits

    /r/musiccritique – A good place to receive feedback and one where you can potentially get featured on the sidebar

    /r/roastmytrack – Here, you’re more likely to get criticism than a large audience, but you might pick up some new fans

    Genre Specific Subreddits

    /r/acousticoriginals – Post here if you make acoustic music

    /r/makinghiphop – Post here if you make hip hop music

    /r/icoveredasong – Post here if you want to share a cover of another artist’s song

    Bigger Subreddits to Give a Try

    /r/newmusic – This is one that doesn’t explicitly encourage self-promotion, so tread lightly

    /r/hiphopheads – A very popular hip hop subreddit that you could potentially have some luck in if you’re careful

    /r/indieheads – Same deal, but for indie music

    /r/popheads – A pretty big pop music subreddit. They’re fairly open to hearing new music but you could get lost in the mix

    There You Go!

    You have the music. We’ve given you the knowledge of how to promote on Reddit. Now go forth and get famous. Just remember us little people when you get there. Good luck!

     
  • Marketing Tips for Musicians – How to Make the Most of Email Marketing

    Marketing Tips for Musicians – How to Make the Most of Email Marketing

    Since the introduction of the Internet, it has been much easier to market and promote various products, services, events, causes, and even art. Social networks, particularly Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, have proven themselves to be powerful platforms for raising awareness about many subjects across a wide range of industries. Even if there is no doubt about the power of social media in terms of online advertising and marketing, the fact is that these platforms are not the only feasible and effective way to make a name for yourself.

    Because social media has been proven effective, nearly all advertisers use those platforms. Many posts and ads can saturate Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  Your photos, videos, and text posts can go unnoticed, buried amidst the multitude of other posts. How, then, can you market yourself online?

    Email as a Marketing Tool for Musicians

    Although it may seem like a dated marketing strategy, musicians can reach fans and promote their work via email. Building an email list guarantees that you can send content to audiences who may otherwise be distracted with trending content on social media.

    Nowadays, becoming a successful musician doesn’t only involve creating great music. Without the right marketing, branding, and promoting strategies, an artist’s music career is unlikely to begin. While social media sites such as Facebook provides access to millions of music fans, you will be at the mercy of algorithms that you do not have control over. On the contrary, your email list is something that you own and control. You have the choice to create email content as well as choose when and whom will receive your content.

    3 Ways to Make the Most of Email Marketing

    To make sure that email marketing works effectively for your music career, take note of these three tips:

    1. Utilize an email marketing automation service

    It’s not wise to use a personal email account when emailing fans and followers. When you get started in email marketing, consider using an email automation service that will enable you to reach your leads in one go. Some of the more popular options are Aweber and Mailchimp, which provide excellent features on top of their mass emailing capabilities. Mailchimp can be used for free for the first 2,000 addresses. Aweber, on the other hand, is more feature-packed. Although it offers you plenty of functionality, it will cost you.

    2. Include an irresistible call-to-action on your sign-up form

    It goes without saying that you can’t get started on email marketing if you don’t have an email list full of people who want to hear from you. Nowadays, online users aren’t very keen about registering for email newsletters since they believe that they can get the information for free without signing up to anything. Therefore, it’s incredibly important for you to make a case for why they should go the extra mile. Introduce something they can’t resist in exchange for information about them— specifically, their email address. Make sure you emphasize that those who will register on your website or newsletter will get exclusive updates and content. You can also choose to offer something more, such as early access to new music.

    3. Use active or actionable language

    When writing any copy, whether on your social media pages or (especially) in your emails, make sure that you get your point across in a timely manner. Want them to check out your new video? Use a catchy line like: “New music video released. Watch it now!”. Want them to take advantage of a discount? Say, “Get this special limited-time offer!”. Phrases like this not only communicate the whole reason you’re sending out an email, but convey an urgency.

    There’s nothing wrong with using social media to promote yourself, but you may not be reaching as many people as you would like. Consider the use of email marketing to communicate valuable information to a loyal group of fans while building a relationship with them. With these three tips, you’ll start building a name for yourself in no time!

    Promoly is a music promotion platform for musicians. If you’re looking for a music PR service to deliver music to your mailing list, get in touch today to see how we can help!

     
  • How to Promote Your Music Effectively in 2026 – Our Guide

    How to Promote Your Music Effectively in 2026 – Our Guide

    One of the most common methods to advertise or promote is through the internet. It may be cheap and convenient, but it is highly competitive. Amid the thousands of people trying to get recognition, what can you do to be seen or heard?

    Here are some tips you can follow to increase your chances of grabbing attention:

    Personal Selling

    Used when you can see customers face-to-face, this method allows for direct influence. Especially if you’re influential, charming, friendly, and talented, the ability to communicate your product strengths with business contacts can have massive results. Inviting fans over a local store and spending time with them or taking out a supervisor for a meal are a few things you can do in personal selling.

    Direct Marketing

    Direct marketing means you skip any ‘middle-person,’ so to say, and directly communicate with the buyers themselves. This method is only useful if you have an extensive collection of names and people who respond positively to a one-on-one conversation. Sending mails, texting, and other means of one-to-one communication are different forms of direct marketing, and not many bands do this. You can start by calling your fans and reminding them about an upcoming performance. With less competition here, this method is very likely to work for you.

    Radio Promotion

    Getting radio stations to play your music can help make more fans for you and build relationships in the professional environment. Forming a relationship with the DJ will not only allow you to play your music on air, but you will be able to reach thousands of listeners as well. However, regular radio stations are harder to access. Start with local stations, get to know the DJ, and build connections. Soon enough, you will receive invitations for interviews, live performances on-air, even to hold a live show.

    Sales Promotion

    Through the use of discounts and special offers, you can create a stimulated response from your intended audience. Customers will be motivated to spend on your products, and you may have gained more than if you never ran special offers. There are many ways to go about a sales promotion. Having a charming salesperson showcase your products is one of the most effective methods.

    Sponsorships

    Having a sponsor back you up does not only supply you with financial support, but it also gives you a sense of legitimacy. This way, your sponsor can promote you through their products, while you help them at the same time through wearing their merchandise during special events. At the same time, sponsors can hold their events such as giveaways that could potentially attract more fans for your benefit. For someone looking for sponsorship, you can start by heading out to small businesses in your town. They can play your music in the store while you promote them in gigs and other events.

    Do not worry about gaining more customers or fans. Follow the steps and increase your chances. If you work hard, success will surely come your way.

    Promoly is a music promotion platform for musicians. If you’re looking for a music PR service to deliver music to your mailing list, get in touch to see how we can help today.

     
  • How Musicians Can Use Instagram to Expand Their Fanbase

    How Musicians Can Use Instagram to Expand Their Fanbase

    Musicians looking to expand their popularity shouldn’t limit themselves to YouTube, Twitter, or Facebook. They have to use as many social media platforms as possible to reach the most extensive number of audiences. One of the social media platforms that hold great potential is Instagram. With thousands of Instagram users in your community alone, you can use this platform to reach out to prospective and current fans.

    However, merely publishing pictures, memes, viral videos, and quotes on Instagram does not guarantee that you will reach the right audiences. You would need to sit down and strategize. Here are six considerations in your Instagram strategy that you must think about and plan to expand your fanbase.

    1. Create a story theme

    Prospective and current fans would love to know a personal side of you. You can use Instagram to show pictures of who you are or what things inspired you to compose or perform a specific song. The picture or video topics could be about showing you practice or recording. You can also show pictures of your comfort food or brain food and explain how consuming these products drive your creative juices. The theme of your story pictures could be about your fashion, religious beliefs, activism, or community outreach engagements. However, remember to be consistent with the theme you use, so that you can weave a meaningful and streamlined storyline both your old and new fans can grasp and follow.

    2. Focus on Instagram profile pictures

    Your profile’s first nine photos should already encapsulate what your fans would expect from you. Those first nine photos would depend on the genre you perform and the branding you want to impart. For example, if you want to be perceived as someone who can help music listeners to move on from their heartbreak, you can go with picture colours that combine sadness (grey shades) and optimism (bright red colours).

    3. Post regularly and consistently

    Growing your followers on Instagram requires you to keep posting interesting content often, at least three times a day. Consistency shows that you are active online and interested in reaching out to current and potential fans. It adds to the authenticity of your fan service efforts. To make your Instagram releases more regular, you can create your picture or video posts ahead of time and schedule its release using apps like Hootsuite. In this way, your Instagram continues to be active, even if you’re too busy with other engagements.

    4. Determine the right posting times

    In addition to posting often, you need to post your images and videos at the right time. At the most fundamental level, you have to post at times of the day when most of your fans are awake and online. If you are an artist who wants to reach global audiences, you have to consider the time zones for your post schedules as well. You can use tools such as Iconsoquare to find when most of your followers are online. Gather data on your fans’ Instagram use and think about how you can adjust the schedule of your post releases to their usage behaviour.

    5. Make use of hashtags

    Hashtags are more than just an accessory. These words enable you to appear on relevant searches and newsfeeds. Thus, you have to think about the types of hashtags your fans would use to look for you or the type of music you make. At the same time, you also have to create witty hashtags that would resonate with your fans and make you stand out (or even trend!). Note that popular hashtags may change every month, so you have to keep thinking of new hashtags that would align with your fans’ preferences. You can also use hashtags if your latest song or story is related to a trending topic, such as the Ice bucket challenge for example.

    6. Request for feedback

    Feedback lets you hear directly from your fans what they want you to post and what improvements you can make in your posts. It also makes them feel more involved in your career growth, which solidifies and deepens their attachment towards your brand. Use Instagram to ask questions and leave comments on their responses to you online. Prioritize engaging with your most devoted fans to encourage the rest of your following to keep their hopes up of being heard by you as well.

    Promoly is a music promotion platform for musicians. If you’re looking for a music PR service to deliver music to your mailing list, get in touch to see how we can help today.

     
  • Why Music Artists Need to Be Verified on Spotify – What to Know

    Why Music Artists Need to Be Verified on Spotify – What to Know

    With the rise of Spotify, it has enabled bands, singers, composers, instrument players, and other music artists worldwide to share, distribute, and popularize their music pieces to greater audiences. For those who have yet to launch their music career or are in its early stages, having a Spotify presence helps you reach out to your intended audiences and gain recognition.

    However, most budding music artists neglect being verified as an artist in this platform. When an artist is verified, a blue checkmark appears on the artist’s Spotify profile. For most novice artists, being verified is no more than just a blue checkmark—an assumption that costs them money and the opportunity to be famous. Others think that only more established musicians are entitled to its perks. However, what advantages does being verified on Spotify have and how can it help your music career?

    The perks of having a blue checkmark on your Spotify account

    Aside from giving your ego a boost, a whole new market opportunity opens up when you get verified on Spotify. For one, potential and current fans will know that you are the real deal, as you become a legit brand. This means you’ll begin to have a steadier set of followers and album patrons. There are a host of other advantages when you’re verified, including the following:

    1. It helps to streamline your followers and list of releases

    The basic Spotify user account will not include your past and future releases. Because of this, the musical pieces you release are scattered disparately and would only fall under an artist page automatically generated under your name but not under your direct control. It would be difficult for current and future fans to keep track of what you made and distributed. You might not even know that you have new followers as they will follow the artist page that Spotify generated on its own.

    Verification allows you to merge your disparate releases into a list that can be found in a single discography page bearing your name. What’s more is this discography page is tied with your user account, giving you control over the page’s content. You can also post your future releases on the page. All your potential and current fans need to do, is to refer to your discography page, instead of relying on individual searches on Spotify or hearsay from other fans. The added convenience allows more people to enjoy your albums, which translates into more revenue for you.

    2. It helps to personalize your playlists and engage directly with your fans

    Because you are now in control, you can choose the album covers to use, embed links towards your website, and modify the album and track descriptions. Since your fans are all in one place, you can share a new track with all of your followers at once. You can even engage with your fans on a real-time discussion, especially if you are about to launch an album or recently launched one.

    3. It helps to receive detailed analytics about your fans and followers

    Spotify allows you access to data concerning your fans and followers; its Fan Insight Tool speaks for itself. For instance, you can see which songs have the most listeners, and when your songs became a trend. You can use this data to develop a marketing and outrage strategy that will drive more traffic and followers to your Spotify account.

    4. It helps to land first on Spotify search results

    When you are verified as an artist, Spotify’s algorithms would prioritize your songs and display them on the search results of people searching your genre. Human curators of playlists would also take you more seriously. Verification would thus help you stand out from other artists and generate traffic towards your discography page, which means more profit from your music sales.

    Like this article? Checkout how to get your music playlisted on Spotify.

    Promoly is a music promotion platform for musicians. If you’re looking for a music PR service to deliver music to your mailing list, get in touch to see how we can help today.

     
  • 5 Ways to See Major Success in Your Music Career

    5 Ways to See Major Success in Your Music Career

    Every musician wants to make it big. If you’ve ever picked up a guitar, you’ve probably dreamed of becoming the next Kurt Cobain. However, as you may know, it’s not that easy to become a successful musician, especially during the early stages of one’s career. The road to fame and fortune has plenty of potholes that will make your journey difficult. However, you have to keep in mind that if you know how to strategize, nothing can stop you from growing as a musician. That said, here are five ways on how you can succeed as a musician using all the tools at our disposal in this day and age:

    1. Find the Right Channel

    Back in the day, you had to record a demo, send it to a record label and pray that your career takes off. These days, musicians have more options thanks to platforms like SoundCloud and YouTube that we can use to promote our work. Additionally, social media is also a great way to get your music out there. You need to find out who your target audience is and which platform they are most active on so you can reach them. Doing this will help you establish a fan base quickly, which is a priority of any up and coming artist.

    2. Know What Your Fans Want

    Now that you know which platform you need to focus on, the next thing you will need to think about is how you can promote your brand using the features and tools of that platform. Typically, an artist’s follower count says a lot about how successful they are, as it tells you how many are interested in what that artist has to offer. However, you have to keep in mind that every artist has a different path, meaning they have different fan bases they need to cater to. Therefore, you need to figure out what your fans want so you can give it to them. For example, if the majority of your listeners are young and want to interact with you on a more personal level, you may have to allow them to get in touch with you via social media.

    3. Track Your Progress

    Once you know what you want to focus on, you will need to keep a close eye on those metrics and use them as a way to gauge your progress. If you don’t do this, you won’t know where you are in your career, which in turn will make it hard for you to achieve career growth. For example, you may have one hit song that has been played one million times, but you don’t have anything else to follow it up with. The longer you wait to capitalize on your initial success, the less likely it is that you will be able to reach new heights. Therefore, you need to know when the ball is in your court, which is why you need to keep tabs on what’s happening with your career first.

    4. Let the Audience be a Part of Your Success

    The life of a musician is all milestones, as they indicate how far you’ve come. These milestones are also a cause for celebration and they should be viewed positively by you and your fans. You should show your appreciation to them, as they made your success possible! We recommend that you host some special events to let your fans know that they are a big part of your journey. It doesn’t have to be anything grand, just a sincere thank you video on your social media is enough!

    5. Don’t Be Afraid to Change

    As you can see, most musicians typically stick to what works and they keep producing the same content over and over until they become redundant. When this happens, it’s only a matter of time before they start to lose fans, which will lead to their downfall. To avoid this scenario, you need to adapt to the shifting trends of the market while retaining your own unique style. It’s normal to see your follower count drop when you try something new, but you must not let that deter you from your goals.

     
  • 4 Important Events to Keep in Mind When Planning Your Release Calendar

    4 Important Events to Keep in Mind When Planning Your Release Calendar

    One of the most important milestones in a professional musician’s life has to do with the release of new material. The release date of your album, music video, or single can make a difference in terms of impact.

    Although it may seem like an exciting process, planning your release dates and the promotional activities that come with it may be more stressful than you expect. When putting a release calendar together, there are several key dates that you should never ever overlook, as doing so can severely affect your chances of reaching your goals.

    To help with the process of laying out your release calendar, here are some important dates that you have to keep in mind:

    1. Your distribution window

    Distributing your music digitally involves authenticating purchases and giving out download links. It seems like a fairly simple process, but there are several complicated steps throughout the digital distribution process that can make or break your release.

    In order to ensure that your release strategy goes as planned, map it out in advance. If you have to clear certain cover songs or samples, you can expect to end up cramming if you don’t make time for that task. Therefore, you need to plan your distribution accordingly.

    2. The lead time needed to make physical copies of your music

    If making physical copies of your music is part of your release calendar, then you’ll definitely have to plan your schedule better because the physical duplication process can cause some problems along the way.

    Although streaming is the norm nowadays, CDs and vinyl albums are still in demand, so you can make a decent amount of money when you sell them at your live shows. However, the process of manufacturing them may not go smoothly due to miscommunication and other hurdles, so it’s best to have a contingency plan in case the dates don’t line up properly.

    3. Your album’s premiere, music video, and single launch dates

    Launch parties and premieres are two things you definitely shouldn’t overlook when trying to pull out all the stops in your release process. By inviting key media outlets and giving them exclusive access to your launch parties and premieres, you can generate a decent amount of publicity for yourself. That will pay the investment 10, 20, even 50 times over. Whether you’re launching an album, a music video, or a single, hosting a launch party can give you the leverage you need to get the word out and get even more people to listen to your work.

    Hosting launch parties takes quite a bit of elbow grease and patience, especially since choosing certain dates and venues can greatly affect the turnout and the return on investment. That’s why it’s best to get the ball rolling far ahead of the scheduled date.

    4. Social media promotion campaigns

    Musicians can become popular on social media, especially since their work can spread like wildfire on Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms. As a musician in the 21st century, you need to use social media to generate as much buzz and profit as possible. Your social media promotion campaigns shouldn’t clash with the other events on your release calendar, as it can generate undesired results for your launch events, album sales, streams, and overall popularity.

    Promoly is a music promotion platform for musicians. If you’re looking for a music PR service to deliver music to your mailing list, get in touch to see how we can help today.

     
  • Metrics and Notes – What Musicians Should Know About Social Media Marketing

    Metrics and Notes – What Musicians Should Know About Social Media Marketing

    By now, many people already realize how effective social media is in terms of helping companies, organizations, and entrepreneurs establish and strengthen their brand, and promote services and products. However, it is not only enterprises and business people who can utilize social media for those purposes. Even artists like musicians can extend their reach, establish their name further, and promote their music through social media.

    While musicians may have an idea that social media can help them, they might not know how to maximize it. Even though they already have social media accounts, they’d probably prefer to focus on creating music.

    However, if you’re a musician who wants to explore how social media can help you, you may start by understanding the metrics that define the success of a social media marketing campaign. Once you understand these metrics better, you can work towards establishing a better connection with your fans. In this article, we’ll take a look at the most critical metrics that you should know about and why they should matter to a musician like you.

    1. Likes

    Finally, your newest track is finished and polished! Because you want your fans to be the first ones to hear it, you begin sharing it on your social media accounts. Your followers start liking your new track.

    It feels good to know that people liked your new masterpiece, which is made apparent by real likes. The more likes you get, the more people are hooked to your music. Now, what else do you make out of it?

    Aside from the number of likes, you should also find out WHO liked your post. Take a look at the insights. Are there more women who like your post? Or does your music appeal to men more? What is the age range of your top likers?

    You can use your likes to get to know more about your audience so you’ll know whom to target the next time you create a social media post and boost it. You might also take them as an inspiration for your next track!

    2. Shares

    Wouldn’t it be pleasing for your fans to share your music with others? After all, sharing is caring. When your followers share the post featuring your music, you get to reach more music enthusiasts outside your current fan base.

    When fans share your music, it means that they loved it enough to do more than scroll through your post and hit that like button.

    Aside from creating great music, there are other ways to increase the likelihood of your followers sharing it as well as your other posts. One of the proven ways to engage followers is to share a story through your post. You can also ask a question that they will answer. Better yet, be straightforward and ask them to share your newest video or track. If they loved your music or post that much, they’d be more than happy to oblige.

    3. Streams

    When we talk about social media, we’re not just talking about Facebook or Instagram. As a musician, you should also take advantage of streaming sites and platforms like Spotify and iTunes.

    The stream count and duration stats that you get from streaming sites also give an idea of how many users got hooked by your music. Of course, it will help to promote on Facebook or Instagram that you have a track available for streaming on another platform, so make sure you take advantage of that!

    Promoly is a music promotion platform for musicians. If you’re looking for a music PR service to deliver music to your mailing list, get in touch to see how we can help today.

     
  • A Guide to Making Your Music Known – What to Know

    A Guide to Making Your Music Known – What to Know

    As a musician trying to turn a passion into a fulfilment of a lifelong dream, the publicizing of your music is a crucial part of ensuring that your efforts to get your music heard far and wide are successful.

    Taking your passion project far beyond your studio or laptop involves having to put all your effort into generating buzz around your music. This often means that you’ll have to pull out all the stops to get your stuff out there.

    Although the thought might stress you out now, getting the right publicity for music can help your talent and hard work pay off in the best way possible, saving you a whole lot of time in achieving the goals you set throughout your musical journey.

    Want to take your career to the next level? Here’s what you’ll need to know:

    Getting your music out there

    While music streaming websites are a good way to make your tracks available for the public to listen to, the huge amount of other musicians you’re competing with will make the task of standing out to get heard far more challenging than you would think. This can result in your music not being heard at all.

    Now, we’re not saying that you should drop your mixtapes into happy meals or play them over your local department store’s speakers in order for people to hear it, but it does mean that you’ll have to employ more strategic and diverse ways to get your creations heard. One of the most reliable ways to do this is to contact blogs and playlists to play your stuff or publish it on air for their fans to see.

    Although it’s not as easy as it sounds, getting the right people with the right following or subscribers to play your tracks for their audiences to see can help your following and plays grow instantaneously and exponentially before you even know it.

    Music blogs and viral playlists are run by music connoisseurs who live and breathe good music, and are two of the most important channels or sources that act as a bridge between musicians and soon-to-be fans.

    This makes them an important component in the mix for success. Though the process of getting music blogs and viral playlists might seem as simple as just sending an email and having your music played for millions of people to hear, it’s actually far more complex than just a message and crossed fingers.

    When executed poorly, the process of getting music blogs and playlists to listen to your work and put it on play for their followers to hear might be far more confusing and frustrating than expected. Therefore, it’s important to get everything done with the right steps.

    Tips to keep in mind when contacting

    To get your music played for your future fans and followers to hear, these are the steps that you need to follow as you contact music blogs and playlist owners in the hopes of having them open your messages and emails:

    1. Be personal with your e-mail message

    When trying to contact a well-known music blog or playlist owner, avoid impersonal, generic-sounding emails that will only end up in the trash. In order to make your intended recipient even consider reading your message, you’ll have to structure your email in a way that’s captivating and personal from top to bottom. This means that your subject title should be captivating, your message should be personal but brief, and a story about you and your music should be in the mix.

    2. Only follow up once

    Nobody likes a spammer, so in order to calm your anxieties while not putting the playlist owner or music blogger off, follow up only once. Nothing’s worse than receiving an email from someone every single day, asking if you have gotten a chance to listen to their EP. Best case scenario, you’ll be blocked or ignored. Worst case scenario, you’ll be put on blast online. Don’t ruin your reputation by coming off as annoying. Be courteous.

    3. Get straight to the point

    In order to get your message read and your music heard, you’ll have to be specific. Don’t give them the generic “hey, check out my music here!”; instead, tell them if you would like them to review your track, feature your track, or anything else. Don’t forget to be polite!

    4. Message the right people

    It doesn’t make sense to message a rock music blog if you’re a hip-hop rapper looking to reach the right audience. When selecting the personalities, playlists, and blogs to contact, make sure that they’re actually a part of your genre! This step is crucial to consider because targeting the right blogs and playlists will mean that you’ll hit the right audiences for your music.

    Promoly is a music promotion platform for musicians. If you’re looking for a music PR service to deliver music to your mailing list, get in touch to see how we can help today.

    Like this article? Check out this one on Influencer Marketing.