Promoting music in 2023 (For Independent Artists)

It has never been easier for independent artists to launch their careers as it is today.

Despite the rising number of unsigned artists making it big, many new musicians simply don't know where to start or how to maintain a successful music marketing campaign. In today's music landscape, it's critical to promote your music independently. Here are some of the tips that can help promote music in 2023:

1. Join the artists' services website

There are many music streaming services that have platforms that cater specifically to artists. Taking advantage of the service is a must if you're releasing music.

By using these services, you will have access to an array of features and benefits that are exclusively available to artists using the platform.

Spotify for Artists lets you update your artist bio, upload music to Spotify playlists, view streaming analytics, and use Spotify's 'Artist's Pick' feature.

In addition to Spotify, there are other companies that cater to the needs of their artists such as Apple Music for Artists, Amazon Music for Artists, and YouTube for Artists - start now if you haven't already!

2. Create a website and mailing list

Creating a long, engaging mailing list may be as important as creating a well-designed as well as professional website.

You should include links to your music, bios, images, and tour dates on your website, but you should also include a sign-up form for your mailing list. You can reach people most likely to engage with your music directly through email marketing.

3. Take advantage of social media to communicate with your audience

Marketing via social media is one of the most effective ways to reach your target audience. On every social platform, things are constantly changing, and there is an unending amount of advice out there about how to manage them. The most important thing that can be done is to develop and maintain an engaging presence across all social media platforms, such as Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Facebook, and even less obvious platforms like Snapchat. Make sure your profile handles are consistent so people can find you easily.

4. Add your music to the playlist

Playlisting and streaming are too important to ignore. Listeners across the globe stream billions of songs across Spotify, Apple Music, and Deezer playlists. Your track could earn you thousands of streams if it is featured on a popular playlist. You'll not only gain significant awareness, but also earn Spotify royalty income.

You can increase your stream count greatly by being placed on algorithmic playlists like Discover Weekly rather than curated playlists. Therefore, it is worth exploring all options.

5. Publicize your project in the media and on blogs

Getting your music featured in music publications, whether they're mainstream publications or niche blogs and webzines, can help build hype and give you the credibility to move forward in your career.

You're most likely to achieve great coverage by hiring a professional PR executive. Nevertheless, for a new artist with limited finances, this isn't always possible or affordable. 

For artists without a substantial budget, do-it-yourself PR is an option. In order to get coverage from bloggers and journalists, you need to approach them in a professional manner. It will be necessary for you to create an electronic press release first.