If you’re a musician, you know how important it is to have a plan to promote your music. No matter how good your songs are, if no one hears them, you won’t be able to continue making music for a living! That’s why all musicians regardless of how experienced they are need to market their music. When you do this, you can grow your fan base, increase the amount of downloads and saves, and be exposed to more opportunities for shows and collaborations than ever before.
We all know the saying that it costs money to make money, and while this is true when it comes to some avenues of music marketing, it’s not the only way. There are a lot of free ways to promote your music and your brand, you just have to know what they are so you can add them to your toolkit. If this sounds like you, you’ve come to the right place because in this article, we’ll be discussing:
As a musician, you might want to focus most of your time on songwriting or creating albums, but unfortunately you’ve also got to pay close attention to the marketing part of being in the music industry. After all, if you want your music to get out there, you can’t just rely on live shows and record deals (although those are both extremely helpful!). There are lots of benefits to promoting your music in a variety of ways, because the more ways you can make your music accessible, the more your fanbase will grow. Music marketing can help you:
Promoting your music is a part of the modern music industry, but there’s no one way to go about doing it. In the past it was essential to be heard by the right person and to sign a record deal, however a lot of that has changed over the years. Now more bands than ever are releasing their own records, or using an indie label to do so, but they still can’t sleep on promoting their music and brand.
So you’re ready to start promoting your music? That’s great news because this is the start of building your community of fans as well as your brand. There are all kinds of music promotion companies and marketing firms that can definitely help you expand your music’s reach, but at a cost. And if you’re a struggling musician who just doesn’t have the funds to pay for professionals to guide their marketing plan (which is a lot of folks!) not to worry, there’s still a lot you can do. However, don’t feel like you need to do each and every one of these all the time, because that would not only take a large chunk of your time, it could also lead to burnout very quickly.
So try a few of these out and see what sticks and what starts to get you results from our top tips to promote your music for free.
This is a no brainer, but we still feel like it needs to be said. Having a well put together website is key to setting the tone for your brand and it’s usually the first stop for fans looking to learn more about you and your music. You should have all your albums up and available, as well as your electronic press kit (EPK) that includes your bio, music, videos, tour dates, social links, and contact info among others. Your website can solidify your image, and is the landing point for fans who want access to your music.
Although people already get way too many emails each day, having a monthly or biweekly newsletter is still a solid way to connect with fans. You know that it will appear in their inbox, as opposed to relying on a social media algorithm. This is an exceptional way to keep your fans in the loop about what’s going on behind the scenes, and it’s also the best place to let them know when you intend to drop new music.
This type of fan engagement keeps them excited about your music, and it ensures you’re never far from their minds. You can’t always guarantee that everyone in your fan base will see your social posts all the time, which is why a dedicated email newsletter is a fantastic free way to promote your music.
Another way you can increase your music’s reach and gather new listeners is with Discord. This platform allows musicians to join other servers to talk about all things music. You can join discussions about music with other fan bases, and then eventually start your own server where fans can meet and chat. Lots of folks in the music business find Discord a great way to interact with fans and build their fanbase. But it’s not just fans and musicians on Discord, you can also find producers and other gatekeepers in the industry who may be willing to listen to your stuff. Some of the top places you can start are:
In 2024, having an online social media is a must for musicians. However, you don’t need to stress about using every single one of them. Find out where your target audience likes to hang out—Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Youtube—and go from there. You can always spread your content out over one or two of the platforms that resonate with you. Lots of artists love the short form videos of Reels or TikTok for creating content that fans can engage with, but doesn’t take a ton of time to create.
Most fans get their music via streaming, whether it’s Spotify, Apple Music, or Amazon. That means it’s absolutely essential that you try and get your music on a playlist. This can seriously amplify your fan base and get you noticed by more people. There are playlists for every mood and activity, but if you’re struggling to get on a playlist, why not create your own? Include some of your songs, songs by other artists you admire, and those that are in your genre. You can then share these on social media and tag those musicians who will likely share the playlist with their followers!
If you want to try your hand at influencers, target those with a smaller amount of followers, who may be willing to include your music in the background of a reel or TikTok for free. You can also reach out to other artists and see if they’d be willing to do a collaboration with you, that way you can promote each other to your respective fan bases and hopefully get an overlap of fans!
When you’re ready to get serious about promoting your music, you’ll want to try out as many of these tips as possible. While it may seem like a lot to learn at first, once you get the hang of it, you’ll start to develop a routine. Then following some of these guidelines will become like second nature. Just make sure you stay consistent and don’t get discouraged, you can do this!
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