A music marketing degree is a pretty niche subject to get a diploma for– crossing musical skill with knowledge of marketing to supplement it. But, if you want to be a successful artist or at least get your music out there, you do not really need it. It might help, but you can survive without one.
It is undeniable that going to school to learn how to market your music certainly can’t hurt. In fact, knowing how to market effectively is a skill that is a massive help in any professional field. Especially in the age of social media, many creators are using platforms like Instagram and TikTok to do marketing rather than more traditional means because of all the people you can reach by happening upon their feed. People are famously resistant to change, so even if you’re using more modern means you will be doing a lot of legwork. But, with more knowledge under your belt, it is not impossible. Nothing is impossible. Don’t forget that.
Below we’re discussing some tips about:
So, what does a music marketing degree actually get you? The degree is generally described as a particular concentration which applies the basic concepts of marketing, advertising, pricing, etc. to the music industry. Some programs require a background in music as well, and some emphasize the marketing aspect more. But regardless of the specifics of which program you’re interested in, the degree opens you up to many opportunities in the music industry, but maybe not as the performer making the music.
A music marketing degree will most likely give you a strong enough background in music theory and history as well as financial principles and microeconomics and more, so you can only benefit from this knowledge regardless of where in the music industry you end up. Many programs also require an audition, so you will need to know how music works. Chances are you already do know, but keep in mind that a degree in music marketing is not easy, even if it is helpful.
If you already have a degree, or are lost on what to do next, there are plenty of ways you can leverage your knowledge to get your music out there.
For example, you can create a website where you can center all of your information and business, making a digital home for all of your work. Links to your music, links to your shop, contact information– all that good stuff. If you ever need to get your name out there, it’s as easy as that link. You also should have a good social media presence, as mentioned above. There are more traditional methods, but social media is by far the most effective way to capture small snippets of your music, personality, and/or brand to show to people.
Another unique thing you can do as an artist is make an EPK– an Electronic Press Kit. It’s a small collection of personal information (bio, logo, music, mentions and contact info) which you can give to journalists and press to spread the word about yourself.
And among other things, you should of course distribute your music onto streaming platforms! Spotify is the obvious choice, but there are a breadth of options to choose from to host your music. This way, your music might appear in people’s algorithms more frequently, or at least enough to gain traction. If you are thinking about Spotify, you should consider research because there are upsides and downsides to any platform. Spotify, for example, has over ten million artists making almost no money and getting no exposure. So choose your platform wisely.
There’s plenty more marketing to do, which if you have a degree you will learn, but you really do not need one to succeed as an artist. Look at most of the current top trending artists– none or almost none of them have music marketing degrees and look where they are. Doechii, a rapper who has rocketed to stardom and has just won a Grammy for her efforts. And while she may have a formal musical education, she has no marketing degree.
There are plenty of music artists who don’t even have a musical education at all, and they scraped by on talent alone! Sabrina Carpenter never even went to school, and you know who she is! Another rising artist, called bbno$ (baby no money) barely has a formal education. Talent supersedes education.
But, unfortunately, that is probably not you. If that’s you, you should not be reading this. Get outta here. The point is, there are absolutely examples of success that have nothing to do with a relatively niche degree, but with everything you learn from the experience, it most definitely cannot hurt. It will give you a solid marketing foundation to get yourself off the ground. So if you want to go for it (or you already have,) then great! You’re already well on your way. If you don’t, absolutely do not worry for even a second. You can pick up some solid tips online and through connections in the real world to get yourself going.
One advantage is that marketing music is a lot easier than marketing, say, a printer. A large part of marketing is storytelling, you tell a ‘story’ to your audience about why they want to engage with your product or service. A printer has no story, but music does. Music has an emotional message inherent in it (most of the time), so half of your work in marketing is already done! You just need to show it to people, and if they like it, then they will engage with it (and you).
That wraps up our exploration into whether a music marketing degree is a must-have!
If you want more in depth tips about marketing your music, you can check out our blog post on how to promote your music for free! Or if you are thinking about marketing on TikTok, we have some unique hashtag tips that could help you out!
.jpg)
