Music Marketing: From Indie to Labels

Are you having trouble producing music that gets the same attention as big labels? or are you working in a music house and wondering how your promotions work? Getting listeners can be an uphill battle, but as long as you know what you’re doing, it’s only a matter of time before you have a dedicated fanbase! The music industry isn’t unique; just like any other business that sells a product, you need to market your goods! So today, let’s talk about music marketing.

This blog covers everything you want to know about how professionals get the word out about new music. We talk about the industry’s supply chain and how that affects promotion schedules. We will cover the traditional routes labels use to fast-track artists and the new tools available to independent promoters. Finally, we will cover some general marketing tactics people use in the industry that have helped them grow. However, it’s important to remember that none of this matters without the music!

Create Market and Promote

The central engine of any indie production or label is the content your artists make. So it would be best if you had a consistent supply of art to support shows or airtime. Modern fans have become accustomed to constant entertainment. And the music industry is held to that same fast-paced standard. This combination of high demand and consistent supply creates a perfect marketing environment.

Currently, the world of music marketing can break down into two major camps; old-school marketing and the new wave. The traditional styles of music marketing involve dedicated PR teams and associations with important institutions like radio stations. This strategy relies on trusted go-betweens to show off your music. The cutting-edge techniques in music marketing have a much heavier reliance on the artists. These plans involve forming grassroots fan bases yourself and often involve social media and different, less industry-connected paths to success.

Social Media Marketing

For over a decade, digital marketing has taken full advantage of social media platforms. Advertising and building online communities drive social media; the digital marketing world financially backs the hosts of these platforms. The unique component of the music industry in this lense is the addition of streaming services. Almost everyone pays for or has access to at least one streaming platform and a social media presence. These two things can build off each other by providing content and listeners interchangeably. The two systems function incredibly similarly, which means you get a lot of user crossover. No matter your route, you’ll have to use social media while promoting your music.

PR and Radio Campaigns

PR is an integral part of how labels promote their artists. In the music world, it’s essential to live the lifestyle you are promoting, and PR teams help show potential fans a curated version of the artist. PR teams don’t just work in isolation; they also work a lot directly with their musicians. Media training is vital; any good PR team will prepare a client for general interactions and press junkets. No one is born ready to deal with a media circus, but with help from a PR team, anyone can get prepared for the limelight. A prime example of this is appearances on radio or TV interviews.

Radio campaigns are a time-honored way to promote music and an artist simultaneously. 88% of adults listen to radio weekly, and these listeners tune in for around 12.2 hours! So you can reach an incredible amount of people if you can get a radio appearance. Labels will often send artists on tours of stations to promote new content, and similarly, they have established relationships with DJs to secure consistent airtime for their tracks.

Digital Music Promotion

In recent years digital marketing has taken over the scene. With most entertainment shifting to online mediums, it has become crucial to have a presence for your music online. At a basic level, every artist should have some form of a digital press kit, a packet of things you can give out to people who might promote your music! This space is where smaller artists have been thriving. By staying connected to real people, often smaller artists can stay ahead of corporate entities and capitalize on their niche faster. We’ve seen this phenomenon hold up exceptionally well on platforms like SoundCloud.

Music Marketing

Many things can alter the course of your music career, but promotion shouldn’t be one. Today, we helped outline everything you need to know about music marketing! Our blog started by covering the importance of content creation for digital marketing in the music world. We discussed old-school and new-school music marketing methods like radio campaigns vs. SoundCloud. We even covered examples of how different kinds of artists use these tools.

Are you worried that you won’t have the time or work effort to get your music out there? Kallen Media has years of experience promoting artists’ work, and we are always happy to help. Contact us today if you have any questions about music marketing!