Are you an upcoming artist in the music industry struggling to get listens and promote your work? Then this blog is for you. We will look at five of the best music marketing strategies in 2023 that will help you get noticed in one of the most competitive fields.
Let’s face it, to ‘make it’ in the music world is really hard because the industry is saturated with loads of people all trying to do the same thing. With the vast amount of streaming services, it’s never been easier to listen to old and new music from around the world with a simple click of a button. This can be both good and bad.
It can be overwhelming for an artist or music producer to get their break and be noticed, which is why we have put together this blog to help you along. You need to stand out from the crowd and the best way to do this is to have solid music marketing strategies.
1. Make a website
As a musician, it has never been more important to have your own website. Not only does it represent who you are as an artist, but it is your brand and digital marketing home. It will become the hub central to all your music marketing strategies and a place to sell your music and merchandise away from the profit-cutting streaming platforms.
In 2023 a website is usually the first point of contact for most people so you want to leave a lasting first impression. Whether you decide to do it yourself or hire a professional, it is crucial to get it right. It needs to be visually appealing and represent you as a brand as well as being user-friendly and easy to navigate.
Experts say that it takes around 0.05 seconds for users to form an opinion about your website that determines whether they like your site or not, whether they’ll stay or leave. This shows just how important web design is when it comes to gaining potential new fans.
Thankfully there are so many different affordable options to help artists build beautiful websites. If you want to build a site on your own, we recommend using Wix or Bandzoogle to begin with.
Ensure that your website is mobile-friendly and has a quick loading time to eliminate any frustrations any fans might have. Also, make sure you link your social media accounts to your website and have an option for fans to opt into your email marketing. This can be a quick and easy way to promote any music, upcoming gigs and new merch!
2. Be active on social media
Just like your website, having a social media presence is so important as one of your music marketing strategies. Not only is having the channels important, but you need to post engaging content, too. Social media is an indispensable tool for a music marketing strategy and is arguably the best way to let your fans know about new releases and upcoming performances.
We recommend setting up accounts for all the major social media platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, Twitter and Instagram. You need to take into consideration how the different platforms work and what content is best for each.
For example, TikTok is great for sharing short video content. This makes it an ideal space for musicians to showcase their songs in short snippets and for their fans and followers to share. Read more about How to Promote your Music on Tiktok.
When it comes to implementing an effective music marketing strategy on social media, you need to post consistent, engaging and quality content. This will then allow your followers to grow and interact with your brand. Make sure you are always driving your fans to your website and where your music is.
Sit down and create a content calendar in advance and stick to posting regularly. Do your research and plan out the type of content you want to use. These could be posts like behind the scenes, lyrics, gig announcements etc.
Source: Unsplash
3. Sign up to Spotify for Artists
Spotify is the leading music streaming platform in the world. Whether you want to listen to your favourite song or podcast, it is probably on there. With over 489 million active users it is no surprise that the majority of artists want to have a Spotify presence.
Spotify for Artists is a free feature that helps creators build and promote their Spotify presence. It is an essential tool for your music marketing strategy as it has a bundle of exciting and useful features.
In-Depth Analytics
It provides an in-depth analysis of how your music is doing and the growth or decline of followers and monthly listeners.
Advertising and Sponsored Recommendations
The platform offers a number of different places for artists to promote themselves. Using Marquee can be a great tool for your music marketing strategy which can help turn listeners into fans.
Profile Customisation Tools
With the stiff competition in the music industry, it is important to stand out from the crowd on Spotify as part of your music marketing strategy. A good way to do this is by using the profile customisation tools.
4. Create an Electronic Press Kit (EPK)
One of the most significant music marketing strategies in 2023 is to create an EPK before you even think about approaching places like radio stations, promoters and record labels. If you have never heard the term, an Electronic Press Kit is a digital set of promotional materials. Think of it as a music artist’s CV.
Having a standout EPK is crucial in the music industry. It can be the difference between winning that booking you desperately wanted at that really great venue. Like your website, this is where your brand really needs to shine.
It should include a bio as an introduction, contact details, your music, upcoming performance dates, links to social media and if you can, social media statistics such as follower count. You can store your EPK in a number of different places such as Dropbox or the cloud but we recommend hosting it on your own website.
5. Perform live!
Last but certainly not least, simply go out and play music! It is the oldest promotional trick in the book that should be in all music marketing strategies. And thanks to social media it has become easier for the word to spread.
Imagine busking on the street in Covent Garden with 150 people watching and filming your performance. The likelihood of these people sharing that video is very high nowadays. It’s free promotion!
If busking on the street isn’t your vibe, then make sure you book gigs in venues at least once a month. You are more likely to perform in popular places with a quality EPK as time goes on.
Make sure that you branch out further than your hometown or where you are based. It is a great starting point, but meeting other new artists and playing to different crowds can be a big boost in promoting your music and brand.
Ensure that you promote these gigs on your social media channels, website and EPK and constantly update. There is nothing more frustrating than a fan visiting your website and the gig dates section is a month out of date.
Photo by Austin Neill on Unsplash
So, if you want to stand out in such a competitive industry then you need to implement all of the above into your music marketing strategies. Don’t just pick and choose one or two, they all need to work consistently and coherently together.
If you’re interested in developing your writing and performance skills with experienced industry professionals, then Big Creative Education (BCE) might be the solution for you! BCE offers a music performance course that will help guide you into the best artist you can be.
