Posts in category: Music Marketing

The idea of managing a famous band may sound like a lot of fun. However, being a band manager is in no way an easy job. Band managers have to be able to multitask constantly, seeing as there are always a lot of different things to do within a certain period of time. It should be noted, though, that some band managers definitely do more than others, especially when it comes to modern bands that are not as well-known to the public.

These band managers are most likely independent, and they have to wear multiple hats. Many not only manage the band but also act as their creative director. If the manager is working for a company, they may even have to manage more than one band at the time. Regardless of how these managers operate, there are definitely some skills that they need to possess. If you want to be a band manager, you should read on.

Interpersonal Skills

It goes without saying that band managers need to have some people skills in order to build networks for their bands. More importantly, they have to be persistent. They can’t just give up when a promoter hangs up on them. If you find yourself shying away from confronting people, then this job may not be for you.

Take Charge of Things

Everyone knows how wild it can get when a band and a bunch of people are all together in one place. As a band manager, your job is to always make sure that the work gets done even when they are having their fun. You have to be able to keep your members on track. For example, you need to manage their schedule and make sure that they are at where they’re supposed to be, whether it’s at an interview, a concert, a small gig, or a costume fitting. In short, you need to be able to step in and be the killjoy in order to keep things in order.

Know the Business

Any band manager should have sufficient knowledge about the music industry so that they are able to pursue any available opportunities for their bands. Also, they need to keep up with the current music trends to truly understand the needs and wants that their band can meet.

Able to Multi-task

As mentioned, a band that is in the earlier stages of their careers will most likely not have a management team. This means that, as their band manager, you are the only person handling everything in order to successfully launch their careers. There will be so many things to keep tabs on, and you can’t let a single thing slip your mind. Sure, your team will grow, land more record deals, and start becoming well-known to an extent. However, you will have to suffer through the hardships before you can get to that point, and if you don’t think you can handle the tough times, then the job may not be right for you.

Remain Neutral

It’s normal for band members to have disagreements or even get into fights. The band manager is not allowed to take sides or even get caught in the middle. Even though you may agree with one more than the other, you need to be a neutral party. This is because once you start taking sides, you’re showing that you play favourites, and some members will start to doubt that they can trust you. The bottom line is that you have to be the voice of reason among the disputes.

Promoly is a music promotion platform for musicians. If you’re looking for a music PR service to deliver music to your mailing list, get in touch to see how we can help today!

Undiscovered artists make up more than 90% of the industry. Getting a taste of commercial success can be a life-changing experience for an artist. Even if the resulting income isn’t huge, the journey to a proper music career starts with getting your foot in the door.

Easier said than done, though, of course. Selling your songs to the right people and the right companies rely on creativity, persistence, and a little luck. Because the playing field is so crowded, you need every opportunity you can get.

This guide is going to show you eight ways you can get noticed for commercials. 

1. Proper Music

Obviously, if you don’t have quality music, then you haven’t got a shot. What isn’t obvious to some is that although you might love your music, is it quality? That means, is your recording and mixing up to par? 

Commercial businesses are going to scrutinize everything about your music. Go the extra mile and invest in professional mixing and mastering to increase your chances of being noticed.

2. Right Sound

Do your songs fit appropriately for the brands you’re hoping to collaborate with? You should have songs that fit specific moods or have lyrics that match stories. Sometimes entire commercial themes are built off of a song’s message.

This is important to keep in mind when pitching your songs for commercial ideas. If your songs can do the work of the advertiser for them, you’re in a good position.

3. Networking

Start out slowly, making connections in the music and marketing industries. As eager as you might be to get your first payday, don’t rush it. As you talk and meet more industry employees, managers, and shot-callers, you get more opportunities.

Soon, you’ll reach the point where you’re pitching your music directly to decision-makers who have the power to make it happen. Going through assistants and agents can be a frustrating process.

4. Build on Streaming Platforms

It’s important to have a strong digital presence to sell your songs. Even if the songs you are pitching to commercials aren’t included. Marketers, scouts, and industry leaders are constantly scanning SoundCloud, Spotify, and Bandcamp for new music.

Build your audience on these platforms to demonstrate your value.

5. Making Press Kits

Selling your songs is difficult to do just by linking to your SoundCloud page alone. You’ll need to know how to package up your music and sell it to a marketer. To do that you, need to create a press kit that has info about you, your music history, any published media, as well as your songs.

Press kits make selling yourself much easier, with less time spent repeating information manually.

6. Master Social Media

Treat your social media accounts as a business. Interact with your fans, be honest, but also deliver regular content. Do interviews, talk about industry news, collaborate with authority voices. 

As far as which platforms you should target, the big three (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) are a priority. Targeting influencers on Instagram and Snapchat is also worth investing in. Those so-called internet celebs may give you access to literal celebs or industry figures.

These things matter when it comes to commercial success. Increase your chances of being discovered by reaching outside your network. Don’t just try to go viral off a random video post, increase your reach and expand your influence.

7. Build a Great Website

Social media accounts are second only to a great website. Your site should contain your biographical info, a blog, concert info, and business info. Use this website as an opportunity to refine your brand.

Build a blog, do guest posts, and improve your authority within your community. A great website will funnel connections and establish more trust. 

An artist that looks like they have their act together is going to have a consistent image across the internet. Things like a professional logo, professional headshots, and easy access to music are key. Having a store that allows individual song purchases/licensing may help you along.

8. Be a Part of Music Licensing

This last method of getting your songs in front of the right people requires some capital. Instead of navigating the industry and obtaining contacts on your own, you could join a music licensing company. This is done through a subscription that can vary based on the company’s reach.

For example, you have Music Dealers, which is a company that works with Coke. Their list of contacts isn’t as extensive as some companies, which makes them a more affordable option.

Music Bed is another established licensing company, working with Nike, Google, and Netflix. It has been gaining a lot more traction with YouTube for channels looking for quality royalty-free music.

Directional Music is our recommended experienced licensing platform. They’ve worked with big names like Adidas, GMC, and Microsoft. They’re not the cheapest option, but they do get the job done.

Selling Your Songs Fast

If you’re nervous at the thought of spending all this time and money going after commercial leads, don’t be. Part of selling your songs is about branding, the other part is just following trends. You’re going to spend a lot of time doing normal boring stuff, working in email templates, and increasing your footprint.

If you need help getting started, then you’re in the right place. Promo.ly offers a package for creating a coherent campaign for promoting your songs. This will allow you to automate a lot of mundane stuff, as well as refine your approach to commercials based on statistics.

Never get left behind commercial music trends or miss out on opportunities with your preferred brands.

Start your free seven day trial with Promo.ly and take control of your destiny. May the Pick of Destiny put you on the path to rockin success and commercial fame.

Jay Z, the Chainsmokers and The Stereotypes — these are some of your idols, hands down. But as impressive as their singing and performing chops may be, they don’t do much for you.

What truly moves you is their ability to produce music on a level that few people will ever reach.

The outlook for producers appears to be relatively bright, with the demand for entertainment professionals like them expected to rise 12% through 2026.

If you want a career in music production, it’s never too early to start working toward your goal. Here are a few tips that can help you to jumpstart or advance your career.

Let’s jump in!

What You Will Do As a Music Producer

Music producers are responsible for writing, arranging, producing and recording songs. As a producer, you may develop songs or beats for your own projects, or you might produce songs that shape how other artists’ albums sound.

However, if you’re like many other producers, you’ll also double as your own business owner, running your own recording studio.

And no — pulling double duty in this way isn’t always glorious.

For instance, you may begin each day checking your producer notes, preparing your studio for your next artist client and checking to make sure that your song recording technology is functioning properly. In that way, you can focus completely on your client when they show up to start creating music.

Then, when you finally get a break, you handle phone calls, social media, texts, emails and perhaps even accounting duties.

But once you leave the studio, your work isn’t finished yet. You’ll also take part in writing sessions, go to meetings, attend rehearsals and go to shows outside of your studio.

The reality is that as a producer, you’ll spend only about half of your time producing music. The rest of the time, you’ll be focusing on sales. And remember — you are the product you’ll be pushing.

How to Advance in Music Production

Music production is a very competitive field. However, you are more than capable of advancing if you can build and diversify your set of skills or collaborate with prestigious artists.

You might start out in your own home studio, but over time, you could be invited to take part in bigger-budget projects.

You may dream of eventually becoming a big-name producer and stealing the spotlight from time to time. But this isn’t a realistic possibility for most people.

The truth is that in addition to facing stiff competition in the industry, you’ll also face other challenges, like fans’ demand for content that is totally free online. As a result, there is no guarantee that you’ll be financially successful in this field.

For this reason, it’s critical that you choose music production as a career field, not for the money but because you truly enjoy the work. Also, be prepared to not only produce songs but also play on artists’ records, engineer, program tracks, write, DJ and even function as an artist yourself to generate more income.

In addition, remember that music production is essentially a hustle. So, even while you’re in the middle of one project, you should already be looking for that next project.

Training and Education

To give yourself a leg up as a producer, it’s a good idea to complete a bachelor’s degree in music production.

The industry moves lightning fast when it comes to technology, so it makes sense to learn about the industry’s technologies in a formal setting. As you master new software and gear, your formal education can serve as the perfect platform on which to grow.

Then, look for an apprenticeship opportunity with somebody who is well respected in music production.

Also, stay on top of the songs and content being shared on social media — especially YouTube. That’s the only way you’ll be able to stay current on production methods and trends.

Landing a Job

So, you’ve earned your music production degree and completed your first apprenticeship. What now?

Well, if you want your first gig, you need to take advantage of networking opportunities. The more people you know in the field, the more likely you are to land your dream job.

For example, by attending industry events, you might find out about a job opening involving mixing monitors for artists’ shows. You can apply for this job, and once you get it, be sure to interact with all of the artists after their shows.

If the shows you’re helping with are those for national headliners, ask the local bands that are opening for them to join you in the studio so that you can make records together.

Over time, you may develop a positive reputation with artists, and finding that next client will become easier and easier.

Critical Qualities

If you want to thrive as a music producer, you must be good at working with all types of people. Specifically, you’ll need to deal diplomatically with diva personalities and people with inflated egos. Your focus should be on helping them to say focused on the task at hand, as well as gaining their trust.

You additionally need to have some marketing skills, including skills in selling records and getting them distributed.

Finally, you need to be able to work well with money. After all, you’ll need to appropriate money for printing, mastering, mixing and recording, for example.

How We Can Help

We offer a cutting-edge platform where you can easily track, manage, mail and protect the tunes you produce.

We are known for our top-of-the-line support, as we respond to 94% of the queries we receive within a day.

Get in touch with us to find out more about how we can help you to take your music production career to the next level this winter and beyond.

Spotify playlists are the burning topic in 2018. Streaming is taking over, and every artist wants a slice of the action. But how do you get your music featured? How can you use Spotify for Artists to your advantage? Continue reading to find out how. 

What are Spotify playlists?

A playlist is a bunch of tracks which can be saved and listened to at a later date. People create personal playlists for long journeys, the gym, Friday night beer pong parties and everything in between.

Spotify has been playlisting for some time now. They have their official Spotify playlists and also offer personalised playlists, such as ‘Release Radar’ which are curated by their sophisticated algorithms. Brands, artists and record labels can also create their own playlists, using them as an ultimate marketing tool.

Streaming is taking over, and Spotify playlists are one of the newer ways to gain track exposure for artists and record labels. Used intelligently and the play count and following will soon start racking up.

The 2 types of Spotify Playlists

Keep in mind, there are two types of Spotify playlists we will cover, and you will take different approaches to each one. These are Personal Spotify Playlists and Official Spotify Playlists.

Personal Spotify Playlists

Personal Spotify Playlists are playlists that are created by the users of Spotify. Either record labels, or music bloggers, or just plain music fans and heavy users of Spotify will make these playlists and share them with other Spotify users. Some of these playlists become very popular and shared among lots of people. In some cases, Spotify will even feature these playlists in their app which helps encourage Spotify users to continue producing quality content and playlists within the Spotify app.

Official Spotify Playlists

Official Spotify Playlists are curated by the Spotify curation team and are composed of music that fits a specific element, mood, or style that is featured in a given playlist. These playlists are the ones you see in the prominent areas of the Spotify app. You may also see some personal Spotify playlists in this area as well. Ultimately it is up to the Spotify curation team to decide what playlists get featured in the app.

Getting Your Music Listed on Personal Spotify Playlists

To start, we look at the ins and outs of Personal Spotify Playlists. Later in the article, we will discuss Official Spotify Playlists. Personal Spotify Playlists are curated by other Spotify users who are not a part of the Spotify staff. The secret here is build up your online presence and then find the contact info of the people who run these playlists. Be very specific about who you send your music to, ensuring their taste matches up with your own.

Start investigating the details

To understand how to get featured on official Spotify playlists and personal lists, you must do some investigating. 

Before writing this article, I also did my research. I spoke with a few artists and record labels. I wanted to share their insight with you. This article will give you first-hand information from those who are seeking features on a regular basis.

Where do I begin with finding personal lists?

Start searching Spotify for playlists. There are hundreds of thousands to choose from. Some of them have a superabundance of followers, and some have an insignificant few.

Get to know how they work and a feel for the music they showcase. Follow the lists, listen to the selected music and start thinking about whether your music would suit their tastes. For example, a techno playlist will not feature your new drum and bass track. But a playlist showcasing electronic music as a whole genre may feature your new release. That’s if they like the record, of course.

Find and establish the playlist account details. How many followers do they have? Does it seem privately owned or professionally branded? See if the playlist owner has left any music submission details in the description. Do they have Twitter? These account details are a vital part of the preparation. Once established, start logging the information on a spreadsheet.

I urge you to create a spreadsheet with the headings: Playlist link

1. Followers
2. Contact name
3. Contact email
4. Twitter
5. Facebook
6. Website

The ambition here is track exposure; I suggest you target the lists with the massive followings. More followers = more potential plays.

This list should be your manual. Keep it, refresh it often and refer to it when you’re planning your next release. Reach out to your new connections from time to time, don’t contact them only when you need something. Build a relationship and develop it.

Finding curators contact details

This is going to be the tricky and time-consuming part. But you only need to do it once, hopefully! Once your spreadsheet is filled with potential curators, you are going to need their submission details or email address.

If you’ve already found this information when searching Spotify that’s great; you don’t need to relook these details up.

So how do you find someone’s email address?

When I used to run press campaigns, I had a couple of methods for getting someone’s email address. I’ll explain, there are a few simple ways and a grey-hat method.

Twitter:

A lot of curators have Twitter as it’s a powerful way of promoting their playlists. Follow them. I suggest you Tweet them and ask for their email address if it’s not publically listed. Or if they follow you back, you can direct message them. Start a conversation and get to know them a little before spamming them with music.

Facebook:

Load up Facebook and see if the playlist has a Facebook page. For instance, the Spotify playlist ‘I Love Drum & Bass’ has one. Located at the top is a ‘Send Email’ button. If there isn’t an email address listed, you can always send them a message. “Hi, I would like to send you some music for playlist consideration, could I have your email address please” would be a good opening message.

What happens if they don’t have a Twitter or Facebook?

Does the playlist have a website? It might be worth spending some time on Google snooping around. Once you find the site take a look for their contact details, typically positioned in the footer. If the contact details are not listed there is tools like Hunter. Hunter (in their own words) lets you find email addresses in seconds. This method can speed the process up and help find the exact email address needed.

Once you have their email address, send them a simple email, like the Facebook message but this time ask for permission to send them music.

Just because you have their email address it doesn’t mean they want to hear from you, so don’t spam them with releases without seeking that permission first. You don’t want to be flagged for spam. Remember, it’s all about building relationships. Once you get their approval; send them the music as promised.

Are all your social media accounts set up?

Having a good online presence will help you achieve you being playlisted by a curator. Sadly, the days where the music would do the talking have long gone, unless you are very well known. Having a great looking social network will increase your possibilities with music getting picked up by influencers, bloggers and playlists. I understand this paragraph has just irritated you a little. I know it shouldn’t matter, but regrettably, it does.

Will a verified Spotify account help me get on official playlists?

Yes. Is the short answer.

This is a must if you want your music featured by Spotify’s editorial team.

To get your Spotify profile verified, head to Spotify for Artists and fill in the details. Once this achieved, you can also submit to their editorial teams. Spotify says “With Spotify for Artists, you can submit one song from any scheduled release for our team to discover and consider for editorial playlists. We’ll also include it on your followers’ Release Radar playlists.”

Let’s take a peek at Spotify for Artists track submission page:

The image above shows where you will find your repertoire. From there you can hit ‘submit a song’ on your pending track. The next image shows you how to get your music to the right editors. Select the genre, mood, styles, lyrics and complete the remaining steps. 

Submitting a song

When you select the genre, you’ll be presented with sub-genres. Choose the relevant options and press next. 

Getting music to the correct editors

Phew. One more step to go. This next section is to tell Spotify more about the music. 

Spotify for Artists: Track submission

As you can see, submitting on Spotify for Artists is comprehensive and must be done carefully. This is something you do not want to get wrong. Mainly as you can only choose one track per release. Submitting music should be strategic and I highly recommend you read the Spotify for Artists FAQ before starting. 

Joining as a Record Label or Distributor

This is very similar to signing up as an artist, but instead, you must create an analytics account by following this link. The setup process is simple and shouldn’t take more than a few moments.

As you can see below Spotify asks you to search for your Record Label or Team. Input your details and select or create your team. 

You must choose if you are representing a label or distributor. Then follow the remaining steps. When pressing next, you presented with a screen asking for three tracks owned by the label or distributor. The remaining steps are self-explanatory and easy enough to follow.

Timing is important

To be considered for an official Spotify playlist they recommend you submit your music seven days before the release date.

When dealing with curators, I advise you give them as much time as possible. Curators will get hundreds of releases sent to them, so they require as much time as possible.

How do I send my new email recipients’ music?

There are various ways this can be accomplished:

Email:

Email is great. It’s the easiest way to get hold of someone. It’s excellent for making introductions. But it’s not really designed for sending music. Yes, you can post a link in the body of the text, but do you really want your pre-released music attached to a shareable link which is being sent into orbit?

This is where Promo.ly can help. And here’s what I propose you do.

Make your introduction over email.

Something like “Hi Bob, I’d like to send you my new track for consideration of your ‘Ultimate Cheese Party’ playlist. Do you mind if I send you a promo?”

Wait for Bob’s reply.

Bob replies, saying “Sure, send it over!”

Use Promo.ly and securely send your new beat to Bob. Promo.ly will keep track of Bob’s activity and show his written feedback and when he’s downloaded it.

Give it a few days and reply back to Bob’s email. “Hey Bob, thanks for downloading! Can we discuss a placement on the playlist?”

An alternative way:

A few curators have their own website with a dropbox submission method. It’s a simple method, but individually, I would like to have a connection with someone over email instead of blind posting. However, this is up to you, and if it gets results, I fully support it.

Summing-up

Getting features on playlists is difficult, but not impossible. It will take some work and relationship building to start with. Once you have these connections confirmed getting features in the future will be smoother. Make sure your social media is in check and get them verified where possible. As mentioned earlier, having your Spotify profile verified is a must if you want the prominent list features.

The most important rule of all? Write and release good music.

Do you want to know if uploading music to Spotify is good idea? Check out the pros and cons here. 

Online music promotion has never been more comfortable but having such a vast network of possibilities it can be overwhelming. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram are the go-to networks, but what other options are there and how do we utilise them to full potential?

Keep reading to find out how to promote your music online efficiently.

The no. 1 secret: create a website

One day you may wake up to find Facebook has gone bankrupt overnight and you no longer have an artist page with 500,000 followers. The chances of this happening are slim but are you prepared if Zuckerberg can no longer pay his bills?

Creating a website should be the first thing you should build. It’s your central hub. All traffic should point at your domain. Every post on social media should link back to your website. If you started doing this, you would put your self in a very safe position. Here’s why.

You own your website. You don’t own social media.

The problem with social media is that you don’t own or control the traffic. Facebook, Twitter & Instagram can change the algorithm without warning, and suddenly all your posts no longer get views. You lose your traffic. You lose sales. You suddenly don’t have an audience.

Instead of posting directly onto social media I recommend you start writing posts on your website blog. Why?

For starters, Google will find your posts and start ranking them on the search engine. This means people browsing Google will stumble upon your blog, and your website will have traffic. Secondly, your site will grow and if you continue with this approach your traffic in a year will be sky high! Also, that traffic is YOURS! Not Facebooks. Not Twitters. Yours.

Once your blog posts are written its time to start posting snippets of them across social media. Every post you write must link back to your original blog post. See where I’m going with this?

“But writing blog posts and sharing will take me ages!”

Guess what, it probably will if you continue the way you’ve always known. Think about this though. How many times have you Googled ‘how to promote music online’ and ended up just writing a short, aimless post on social media. Then you did another on Twitter. Then again on Instagram. Add that time up. Did all of that procrastinating, Google searching and social media writing pay off? I doubt it.

You’re probably thinking, “I came here to learn how to promote music online efficiently, and all you’ve told me about is building a website. “

Here are some tips to help speed up the process

Find something to write about. Do you have a new release that’s coming out on Beatport or Digital Tunes? Write about it. Write your own press release and post it on your blog. It doesn’t have to be a masterpiece, but get it published. Promo.ly uses WordPress, it’s very convenient and posting only takes a few minutes. Create your post, use a proofreading tool, like Grammarly to ensure your grammar is correct. You don’t need the grammar police on your back.

Creating artwork

Creating artwork can be long-winded. But you don’t have to pay a graphic designer or be a pro at Photoshop. There are tools like Canva and Stencil that can help you along the way. Canva comes with pre-set templates for social media, blogs and everything in between. All you need to do is edit the information and change some colours. This page banner on the top of the page was created in Canva. It’s a stock, royalty free image that took no more than 60 seconds to create and publish. It’s nothing fancy, but it fulfilled its purpose.

Distributing your posts on social media

Stop spending your entire day on social media posting stuff. Scheduling posts are straightforward and should take no more than ten minutes.

When distributing music online, you need a secret weapon.

Buffer is a social media management platform. Their free account is excellent and at the time of writing allows three social media accounts and ten scheduled posts. Create yourself an account and set up Facebook, Twitter and Instagram inside Buffer. Get your blog post URL and create a social media post in Buffer. Buffer can take your post and post to all three social media networks at different times. Think about how much time you can save if you scheduled a week’s worth of posts. Buffer even shows you the best performing posts. Unless you need to engage with comments, there isn’t a need to keep checking social media.

Traffic building

If you use this process, you will gain traffic over time. It may take some tweaking, adjusting and editing but you will get there. Remember to install Google Analytics code on your site. This will help you keep track of the pages that are performing well.

Use this traffic to your advantage. Start collecting email addresses and send a monthly newsletter. Ask people to share your content and offer them something in return. See this articles for more details about email list building.

The outcome

You have just created yourself a streamlined process for promoting your music online efficiently. As I mentioned earlier, your website is your central hub. Your social media is the distribution channels. Stop pouring away hard earned traffic and start bringing this traffic to your site.

If you take these tips on board, you will have a solid structure within a few months. Starting is the problematic part. You’ll need a domain name, website and hosting. Then you’ll need website content, images topics to write about. But once this is in place, it will be like a well-oiled machine, and you’ll suddenly have an efficient way of promoting music online.

Need more help with marketing your music? Check our blog to increase your knowledge. 

Working on building your music career?

Trying to improve your networking skills?

Whether you’re trying to build a career as a songwriter or you’re attempting to market a small record label, being a great networker is often the key to succeeding in the music industry.

Meeting others in the industry, making strong connections, and getting your music in front of the right people can all help you build a long-lasting and sustainable career. However, it’s not as easy as it sounds. Successful music industry networking requires the perfect combination of perseverance and tact to get right.

Luckily, we’re to help. Below we’ll give you our top tips learning how to network in the music industry.

1. Show Up

It may seem really simple, but half of the networking battle of networking is won by simply showing up.

You can sit in your bedroom making great music or dreaming about joining the ranks of successful music industry professionals, but nothing is going to happen if you don’t get out of the house every once in a while. Make sure that you’re regularly going out to events where you have the chance of meeting people in the industry.

The type of events you attend and the places you go will vary depending on what your personal goals are. Music industry mixers, conferences, open mic nights, concerts, festivals, or songwriting group meetings can all be great places to rub elbows with other people in the industry. 

2. Have a Pitch Ready

If you’re serious about networking in the music business you need to write an elevator pitch and have it rehearsed and ready at all times. When you happen to meet a potentially important music contact or industry leader, you won’t always get a chance to sit down for a coffee and tell them your whole life story.

Sometimes you’ll only get a few seconds to shake someone’s hand and tell them exactly what you’re all about. Make sure you craft a pitch that quickly tells someone what you do, what you’re working on, and why they should care.

3. Assemble Your Promotional Materials

In addition to a spoken pitch, you also need to have the promotional materials to back your words up.

Make sure to get a business card that has your contact information on it and that you can easily hand off to someone who you want to keep in touch with. If you’re a musician, you’ll also want to have a demo and a press kit as well.

Even in the modern age, business cards and other promo materials are still essential. These things can help show others that you’re a professional and that you’re serious about what you do. 

Remember to bring a business card or other promotional materials with you whenever you go out whether you’re heading to a networking event or you’re just going to the laundromat. You never know when an opportunity will come up.

4. Do Your Homework

When you’re planning on attending an event or networking function where you think you may meet some industry professionals, it’s a good idea to do your homework before you arrive.

If there are any speakers, performers, managers, record label executives, or other professionals that you know will be there, then take the time beforehand to look them up. Do your research online and find out a little bit about them. See if you can find out who they have worked with, what their biggest accomplishments are, and what their plans are for the future.

Doing this will give you a bit of conversational ammo and if you do get the chance to speak with them, they may be flattered when you ask them about something they’re working on.

5. Have the Right Attitude

When networking in the music industry, it can be hard to find a good balance between being persistent and being annoying.

Music industry professionals do a lot of networking and meet people constantly. They are often bombarded with people who want to “be discovered” or who want to work with them.

While persistence can be a good thing, you need to have the right balance and you need to know when what behaviour is appropriate. If you spot a famous record executive on a date at a quiet restaurant, for example, that’s probably not the best time to pass out your demo.

Remember that there is a time and a place for everything. Be persistent and motivated, but make sure you know where to draw the line.

6. Become a Giver

Too many people who are aspiring to be successful in the music industry make the mistake of focusing on their own needs first. However, if you want to survive in the music industry you need to learn how to be a giver.

Giving to other people you meet without an agenda or without it seeming like you just want them to give you something in return is incredibly refreshing. It’s also the opposite of what a lot of people in the industry are doing.

Always look for ways you can authentically help others, whether that means making an introduction or offering someone help on a project. By being the kind of person who gives before receiving, you’ll win the trust of others and will be more likely to succeed in the long run.

7. Master the Follow-Up

The final thing you need to remember when networking in the music industry is that a big part of your success will depend on how great your follow-up is.

Remember to get contact information when you meet other industry professionals. Then, reach out to them within a couple days to let them know you enjoyed meeting them. Have a plan for staying in touch with them, and don’t forget to contact them later on down the road.

Don’t be afraid to reach out to the people you meet later on. Looking for ways to be giving towards them and offer value can serve as a great excuse to reach out and follow up later on.

Understanding How to Network in the Music Industry

If you’re trying to figure out how to network in the music business, the tips above should give you a great place to start. While there’s a lot more to know about surviving the music industry, you’ll have a much better chance of succeeding by learning the art of networking.

Looking for a powerful music promotion tool? Ready to cut through the noise? Check out some of our powerful features of Promo.ly and to learn more about what we can do for you.

‘Tis the season to be jolly. The holiday season is also a great time to promote your music. People are hustling and bustling to get presents and you want to be on their shopping list.

But how do you make sure they know everything you have to offer.

Keep reading for 7 cool ideas to promote your music over the holiday season.

The Holiday Season on Your Website and Social Media

One great way to promote your music is on your website and social media. Sure you do that all the time but it’s time to add a little cheer.

Adding blog posts that are search engine optimized for holiday subjects or about holiday events will help you rank in results in a better position for more searches.

This will help you get more traffic to your site searching for the perfect gift but don’t yet know that you’re it.

Once they’re on your website you can dazzle them with your talent and make the sale.

It’s important that your site is user-friendly, convenient and easy to use and that you offer various products and methods of payment. A slow loading or confusing website with few choices could chase potential customers away.

Social Media Promotion

Social media is the perfect place to attract more visitors to your site and help you promote your music. Don’t forget to make your posts there festive and enticing.

One thing to remember about social media is that not everyone on one social media site is on the others. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn all have devoted users who don’t use the others.

To make the most of social media, reach out to followers on various platforms and at different times. If you post at 7 am every time, the individuals who only use social media at night may not even see your posts.

Get in the Holiday Spirit and Sing Some Holiday Songs

You may not be Bing Crosby or Michael Buble releasing a Christmas album every year but you can attract a whole new audience and impress the fans you do have with holiday music.

A lot of stores, radio stations, and DJs are only playing Christmas music in December. They get sick of playing the same ten songs 24 hours a day. Youtube and other online venues also have visitors that want something new to listen to that still has a holiday feel.

No matter what genre of music you’re passionate about, doing a holiday song can help promote your other music. Whether it’s Hanukkah, Christmas, Kawanza or New Years songs you could get some air time and great exposure.

Live and Virtual Holiday Specials

Book some time at a local mall, create YouTube specials or use other physical and virtual venues to play some holiday music. You could even have guests like a local comedian or have Santa show up to add to the festivities.

You get a chance to showcase your music and get exposure while adding to the holiday season entertainment for visitors and fans. It’s a great way to direct people to where they can find your other music.

It gives the audience a chance to share and promote your music special and spread the word even more with just the click of a button. You can be seen by more music lovers and gain some loyal fans.

Offer deals they can’t refuse and throw in a free song to entice them to listen and share your music over the holiday season. This is also a good way to get them to click through to your site after watching your special.

If you’re doing a live event in a physical venue have cards or t-shirts with your website and details on it so that you get free advertising and you’re easy to find long after the event is over.

Networking and Guest Spots

With over a billion websites and millions of people with youtube channels and blogs promoting their own songs, it can seem nearly impossible to actually get the exposure you want.

Networking and guest posts are an excellent way to increase the number of people who see you and to build relationships with others in the same niche as you.

Write a music blog post for a top music site, including a link to your site and even an audio of some of your music. Blog owners are often looking for contributions to their blog. They also cross-promote which means anyone who follows them on social media will be invited to read your post or see the video you contribute.

The holiday season is a great time to do this because everyone is busy and it’s hard to come up with enough unique material for blogs and channels.

Email and Holiday Cards

Email and subscriber lists are an effective and efficient way to keep in touch with fans. Don’t forget to show them some love for the holidays.

A holiday card with a sample of your music, a promotion or deal on your latest project and links to your site can help you remind them you’re there.

This saves your fans having to even go in search of the perfect gift or music options because it comes right to their inbox.

Everyone loves to know they’re appreciated so make sure you take time to thank your followers, email subscribers and fans over the holiday season for their interest in your work with wishes for a Happy New Year ahead.

If you have any promotions such as Patreon projects or are planning a Music Release event coming up be sure to include information for that as well. While people are in the giving spirit you might just find they are willing to support you in more ways than one.

Don’t Be A Grinch and Enjoy the Holiday Season

The holiday season is the perfect time of year to promote your music and video projects. Don’t be a grinch thinking it’s not really your thing.

You could be getting greater success and tons of fans from Santa this year if you promote your music this holiday season.

For more tips or help in promoting your music or planning a release check out our awesome features today.