How To Market Your Music Online & Get More Listeners Authentically

Eithne MacSweeny

I recently listened to Thom Yorke’s episode of Desert Island Discs. (Side note: a surprisingly candid interview and a fantastic listen!)

About 20 minutes in, he talks about how “music is now seen as just another product”, noting that he’s seen as “one of many, many content providers”.

He goes on to say that’s not how he looks at it, though, as music is a sacred thing to him.

I have to agree.

For me, music is both otherworldly and the most inherently human thing at the same time, so labelling it simply as “content” feels a little jarring.

Now, if you’ll just allow me to get down off my high horse, I’ll be on my way to making my point, I promise.

How can you make the marketing side of music easier on yourself?

For many artists, the whole self-promotion shtick (though completely necessary) can be the ultimate source of the self-ick and internal heebie-jeebies.

That said, no matter how talented you are, marketing is an essential part of establishing a successful career as a musician.

Especially as an independent artist in today’s fiercely competitive digital arena, finding the right way to market your music – and yourself as an artist – has never been more crucial if you want your songs to be heard.

So, where does my Thom Yorke musing come into play (other than giving me another excuse to bring him up in a conversation about music)?

Well, if you’re in the throes of marketing turmoil, then allowing yourself to think of music as content can be an incredibly freeing step – as icky as it might feel at first. Here’s why.

If you can create musical content, you can create the content you need to market your music online.

Sometimes, the biggest battle can be learning to get out of your own way, out of your head, and into a lane that works for you so you can drive on with your music career.

It’s just a matter of first reframing how you think about the whole process, and then equipping yourself with the tools and practices you need to navigate the challenging road that is music promotion.

Ok, that’s enough pontificating out of me. (Removes priestly headpiece.)

Let’s look at our top music promotion tips and steps you can take to get your music heard by more people online in no time!

Practical marketing tools for building a successful music career

Before we get into all the elements you should incorporate into your music promotion efforts, it’s super important to remember that every artist is different. Just because a particular route works for someone else, doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll work for you.

Focus on being authentic in how you present yourself, consistent in your approach, and have fun with it, too!

That way, you’ll be able to form genuine connections with your audience without making yourself cringe so hard you think you might die.

1. Define your brand and identity as an artist

Listen, no artist likes being put in a box – and understandably so!

But having a strong sense of artistic identity that you can build a brand around isn’t a limitation – it’s an opportunity to grow and connect with your audience.

All of your favourite artists have already done this in some way, whether you realise it or not.

Think about the things that make you unique:

Musical genre
Sense of style
Visual expression
Personal values
Artistic influences
Unique personality

Understanding your unique brand identity will help make marketing yourself so much easier – and easier for your audience to digest, too.

2. Create a cohesive social media presence

These days, a successful music career and a solid social media presence go hand in hand.

While you didn’t necessarily become a musician to be an online influencer, it’s important to embrace social media and use it in a way that reflects your artistic identity and supports your goals.

Social media channels are a great way for you to connect with your musical community, engage with fans, and get your music discovered by a wider audience.

Use your platform to showcase your unique personality and musical journey, sharing behind-the-scenes content of recordings, gigs, and any other fun stuff you get up to and gives your followers insight into who you are.

3. Invest in a professional website

You might be wondering if you really need a website when you’ve already got more social media accounts than you can keep track of.

While different social media platforms often serve different purposes and audiences, your website is the central hub of everything you’re up to.

People can visit your website to learn more about you, purchase merch from your online store, and discover your upcoming tour dates in their local city.

Remember to keep your branding consistent with your social media to further cement your brand identity and make you instantly recognisable to new listeners and fans.

4. Make full use of streaming platforms like Apple Music and Spotify

For independent artists, streaming services are unfortunately not where you’ll make your living – even though it’s how most listeners consume music these days. (A reminder to music fans everywhere to support musicians directly by buying t-shirts, vinyl, and tickets to shows!)

That said, these platforms provide a great way for audiences around the world to discover your music, opening up potential gigging opportunities in places you might never see otherwise.

You can also use these platforms to expand your reach by curating playlists, encouraging fans to follow your artist page and share your music online.

5. Send your new music to music blogs and publications

When you’re releasing music independently, you’ll likely need a little help getting your music discovered.

Reaching out to music industry influencers, music bloggers, radio DJs, and online cultural magazines can make all the difference in getting you out there.

Put together an electronic press kit that showcases who you are as an artist and makes you stand out from the (likely hundreds of) other submissions they’re getting every week.

If you can strike up a relationship with professionals in the industry, you’re in a strong position to promote your music to different audiences – and hopefully gain some new fans along the way.

6. Give email marketing a shot

Email marketing can provide a surprisingly personal connection to your audience.

It’s a great way to nurture a dedicated fan base over time and tap into pools of people less active on social media.

Create email campaigns that alert your audience to your upcoming gigs, offer them exclusive access to music or ticket sales pre-release, and promotions on your online merch store.

Why not try writing a monthly newsletter to showcase your unique personality and let your audience get to know you on a personal level, too?

7. Push your creative boundaries with music videos and interesting visuals

Eye-catching visuals that align with your brand identity can take some of the sting out of your seemingly never-ending music marketing efforts.

Whether you want to make some behind-the-scenes content of a recent show or a music video to accompany your latest release, videos can be a fun, artistic way to promote music and engage music fans.

Even if you don’t consider yourself much of a visual artist, you can collaborate with filmmakers or photographers to make compelling visual content for your audience to explore.

Need a little help pushing your music career forward?

The music industry is an imperfect, complicated place. But it’s also incredibly exciting.

If you can find a way to carve out a space for yourself authentically, the rewards will be worth the blood, sweat, and tears (so many tears) it took to get there.

At the end of the day, music is all about enjoyment – so remember to have fun with the marketing side of things, too!

As professional writers and creatives, we’re all music-obsessed here at The Content Lab, so if you need help writing content for your music promotion, get in touch and let’s talk!