Recorded a song or album and want to start making money from it? Making money from music requires a lot of marketing. Just as you’d promote a product to generate customers, you need to market your music to attract listeners. Below are some of how you can do this.
Set up a website
Having a website will help you look like an official musical artist – check out this website by Joey Armstrong for an example. A website can be a place for describing your music and achievements as well as displaying tour dates. You can also sell albums and merch directly through your site.
Promote your music on social media
Social media is a great place to connect with new listeners, as with having a website, having social media pages will give you more legitimacy as a musical artist. Build up a following not just by promoting your music but by engaging with other social media users – this could include replying to comments and sharing the content of other musicians you love. You can also pay money to boost posts, allowing you to reach a bigger audience.
Pay for ads on Spotify
Spotify is a powerful platform for music discovery nowadays. On top of uploading your music to Spotify, consider paying to run your music as an ad. Users without Spotify Prime will see/hear your advert and may be inclined to check out your music from here.
Pay for ads on YouTube
YouTube is another central platform for music discovery. So it’s worth paying to run some ads on Youtube that direct to your channel or a video of yours. Adverts promoting music are some of the highest-performing ads on YouTube.
Get featured on podcasts and playlists
A lot of people now discover music via podcasts and playlists. Platforms like Soundcloud and Spotify are famous for these podcasts and playlists. Consider reaching out to authors of popular podcasts and playlists related to your genre and style of music.
Reach out to music blogs and radio stations
Another popular form of music discovery is music blogs and radio stations. Getting a review on a blog or a play on a radio station is a lot tougher than many of the other marketing tactics listed, but it’s still worth trying. Many musicians use a music PR agent to pitch to bloggers and radio presenters – these agents tend to have all the necessary contacts and tend to be more skilled at landing coverage.
Play live gigs
Playing live is a great way to attract listeners. Consider playing some gigs in different places to get your name out there. Try to get a support slot to a popular band if possible. Live performances could also be opportunities to sell your albums and merchandise – many purpose-built music venues will have stalls for selling CDs and t-shirts, or you can try flogging them yourself to audience members after your performance.
