Because if no one knows your music is out, why bother? The role of the record label and artist has changed dramatically over the past few decades. It could be argued releasing music is not as easy as it used to be, especially in today’s digital marketplace and following the recent Covid 19 impacts the industry has suffered.
Being online holds many direct advantages, and also allows you to connect with key players directly, which may have previously been unreachable in a physical sense. In theory, you can simply release your music with a click of a button and a few well positioned steps if you have your house in order. To become a success, there are many more important parts to build upon to achieve and also sustain your vision.
To stand above the masses, you have to find ways to stand out and forge your identity. Creating a bespoke marketing strategy should remain at your core and inform every stage of the process. We always recommend the 80/20 rule as a vital springboard: 20% Talent and 80% Marketing. Keep reading for more tips below.
1. Define Your Brand
You need to identify your character, find the real you that builds a visual motif with your theme and music. Set up your logo and color scheme to be cohesive and support your messaging, and help develop an identity for fans to instantly recognise your brand, merchandise and releases.
2. Know Your Audience
What kind of target audience is interested in your music? The better you understand this, the more you would be able to reach them. Social Media analytics is an integral way to find this out, utilising this correctly will help you engage and target your audience. Post regularly and remember to keep things interesting, a mix of content matters. Consumers are always curious about the personal lives of artists they like, behind the scenes of music production, advice, and interesting insights.
3. Build Your Social Media Presence
If you haven’t done this already, an online presence is essential to connect the dots between your product, project and the people that will become your community. Consider it free advertising to a certain extent, and your front door for those wanting to purchase and support your music. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, Snapchat, TikTok are part of a myriad of platforms. Your choice of socials is the bridge to get people to hear your music and also where you can directly promote and advertise what is coming up. Engaging videos and also lyric based videos also perform well online. The key here is to engage, ignite and inform.
4. Building A Release Schedule
Releasing music consistently is the key to growth and generating a presence and momentum. It’s a marathon, not a sprint so ensure you’re ticking off a mix of assets and actions rather than rushing them out, or you won’t allow enough time for every song to maximise its potential. Keep informing about forthcoming and future material across your socials to keep people coming back and excited.
5. Free Downloads
Not always a priority, but used well this can help people opt in to your mailing lists, access limited edition edits and material, or priority promo content. This is a great way to harness interest and continue interaction whilst your audience grows. If you have music that you don’t want to give away, or save for a full release you could always extend other branded resources to make your offering different to competitors. Building out your database and audience will create channels to promote and advertise in future. This is considered a reciprocal process where you both gain something, whilst also strengthening your relationship as people like to feel involved or special.
6. Find The Right Partner
Many cross-promotional opportunities can be created to develop your brand presence. Via Social Media find the right pages that support your sound, reach out to press, bloggers, or playlist curators within the same genre.
For emerging record labels, or smaller independents it has never been easier to grow at speed. Make sure you focus on a well thought out strategy to offer value (this doesn’t always mean in a monetary sense), and empower your team and artists to become collaborators in your vision. Check in regularly to our social pages and online features to find out more, or feel free to connect with some of the leading music Marketing agencies to curate your content and structure a plan that works.
To quote the words of The Everyday Agency Founder, Sunita Dhaliwal “Be specific, strategic and goal driven. Work out what you want, or where you want to be and work towards this in increments. Listen and learn to the knowledge you are given by people that have the experience you desire. Relationships, networks and a positive approach always matter.”
Actions are everything in achieving results. The Everyday Agency work with many pivotal brands including Traxsource, Kenny Dope, Kevin Saunderson, Inner City and Soul Central. Recently co-promoting Last Night A DJ Saved My Life featuring Carl Cox, Sasha, Anna Tur, Josh Butler, Fatima Hajji which raised over £25,000 for a designated charity through the #setforlove campaign. They will be providing some unique insights to our editorial team and also inviting more music industry movers and shakers to feature in Electric Mode over the coming months.
Stay tuned, or connect with them if you would like to lift your label onto the global stage.
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