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Artist Advice Business Advice News Writing Tips

Music Email Marketing: Strategies to Grow Your Fanbase

Guest Author: Daniela C.

You’ve probably done all the hard creative work in the studio and created a great music project that you’re very proud of. Now, it’s time to head into the next phase: marketing your music as an independent artist.

After uploading to streaming platforms and sharing teasers on social media, you might have a little buzz going, but how do you get those eyes and ears to become a fan base? Here’s a little secret weapon you might have been missing: an email list.

Yes, social media is usually the go-to for musicians to promote their music in this day and age and it’s less of a commitment to hit a ‘follow’ button than to give out a personal email address. But, social media algorithms are extremely fickle. One day your song could be trending or just on the verge, and the next day, it could be buried under a sea of cat videos.

But email marketing offers a direct line of communication with your fans, one that platforms (or algorithms) can’t control. And believe it or not, people still use email…a lot.

Here are some reasons that email marketing is a game-changer for a musician:

  • Direct Connection: Emails land straight in your fans’ inboxes, bypassing algorithm filters. You can share updates, exclusive content, and merch drops directly to them.
  • Deeper Engagement: Build relationships with your fans beyond likes and comments. Emails allow you to share personal stories, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and connect with them on a deeper level.
  • Targeted Communication: Segment your list to send personalized emails based on fan interests. Are they super into your acoustic stuff? Send them a link to an exclusive unplugged performance video.
  • Conversions: Drive traffic to your website, sell tickets and merch, or promote your latest release. It all works together!

Now that you know the importance of email marketing, how do you build an email marketing list as a musician?! Here are some ideas that can turn casual listeners into dedicated subscribers:

  1. Giveaways and Incentives: Offer exclusive content like downloadable demos, unreleased tracks, or personalized shoutouts in exchange for email signups.
  2. Website Opt-In: Make signing up for your list easy. Place a prominent signup form on your website with a clear call to action (CTA) like “Get Exclusive Updates.”
  3. Social Media Integration: Add signup forms to your social media profiles and encourage fans to follow you for email updates.
  4. Merch Table: Capture email addresses at gigs by offering discounts or freebies in exchange for signing up. Promote your email list with flyers, QR code, or a simple sign.
  5. Cross-Promotion: Run contests where subscribing to your email list is an entry requirement. You can also collaborate with other musicians and/or influencers to increase your exposure and get their fans on your list!

Great, you’re starting to build your contact list! Here’s how to keep your fans engaged in your email list and coming back for more:

  • Regularly Scheduled Emails: Aim for a consistent schedule. Weekly updates or monthly newsletters keep you top-of-mind.
  • High-Quality Content: Offer valuable content your fans can’t find anywhere else. Share studio updates, upcoming tour dates, personal stories, or music videos. Fans these days love behind-the-scenes insight into the creative process, so share away!
  • Personalized Emails: Use your fan’s name and cater content to their interests. Fans love to feel like you’re speaking directly to them!
  • A/B Testing: Experiment with different email formats and subject lines to see what resonates best with your audience.
  • Track Results: Marketing platforms, like HAULIX, offer valuable email analytics. Track who opens, clicks, and listens to audio files to understand what works and what doesn’t.

Building an email list is an investment in your music career. It allows you to build genuine relationships with your fans, promote your music effectively, and ultimately grow your following.

Take a step beyond the social media shout-out and start building a direct connection with your fans – one email at a time. Remember, it’s not about how many followers you have, but how connected and engaged you can stay with them!

If you’re a musician who wants to take control of your email list, visit here to learn more about how HAULIX can help you track, personalize and build your contact lists all in one platform.

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Artist Advice Editorials Writing Tips

The Ultimate Guide to Pitching Music Editors (for Musicians & Writers!)

Guest Author: Daniela C.

Ever felt like your music or story is getting lost in the crowd? You’re not alone!  Music editors are bombarded with pitches daily, so standing out is crucial. Whether you’re an independent musician ready to share your sound with the world or a music writer with a passion for spotlighting new artists, this guide will show you how to craft a killer pitch that gets noticed. 

Even as the industry evolves into diverse mediums, press coverage is still super important to artists and music journalists alike. While repeated rejections or unanswered pitch emails may be discouraging, your stories and point of view are needed!

You probably just need a few tweaks in your pitching methods to get published. Ready to turn those rejections into rave reviews? Read on.

Know Who You’re Pitching To

Not all music editors are created equal. Before blasting your email shotgun-style, do some research. Figure out which publications or platforms vibe with your sound/writing style or if they’re even accepting pitches. Check out some of their recent articles and featured artists, and check their submission guidelines.

What genres do they mostly cover or have knowledge about? Also, make sure your voice lines up with their target audience. You don’t want to submit an overly serious story angle to a publication more interested in the latest TikTok dance crazes. For musicians specifically: Seek out publications that have writers and editors that dig your genre and are actively looking for new artists to cover!

Bonus: We can help curate this contact list for you with HAULIX+

Ditch the Generic Greetings

Do not open your email with: “Dear Music Editor”. Editors get slammed with dozens of emails a day, so you NEED to stand out from the crowd. Find the editor’s name and personalize your greeting. Plus, a little effort shows you care – not just about getting featured, but about building a genuine connection. The music industry is ALL about the relationships you build along the way.

Subject Line: The Click-Worthy Hook

Your subject line is the first impression, so please think of something better than “Pitch”. Here is the ideal space to give an overview of what you’d like to be covered, or simply use a working headline. Your email subject should be able to tell as much of your story on its own.

Here are some examples:

“The Haunting Synth-Pop You Didn’t Know You Needed: [Your Artist Name]”

“The Music Producer Who Recorded His Album Underwater: Meet [Artist Name]”

“This Metal-Jazz Fusion Band Toured The World On A Tricycle”

Keep it short, punchy, and relevant. Don’t be too clickbaity, but definitely pique their curiosity. Sometimes you might just have a really wild story to share.

E-mail body: Keep it interesting but to the point

This is where you make your case, but keep it concise. Don’t write your full autobiography but make sure to highlight what makes your pitch different and a worthwhile story to share. Why should people care?

If you’re a writer, here’s where you:

  • Introduce yourself, briefly. Include links to some past, relevant stories.
  • Include an interesting hook. Was this song recorded in a secluded cabin in the Arctic Circle? Mention this here.
  • Try to have most of your angle and story formed already so the editor can see your vision.
  • Extra bonus: You could suggest a few interview questions prepared for the artist you’d like to cover.

If you’re a musician:

  • Introduce yourself, your band, and genre. Briefly mention what makes your music unique to further grab the editor’s interest.
  • Tell them what you’re pitching. Are you offering an exclusive interview with your band or a chance to premiere an upcoming music video? You can also just submit your music for coverage for certain columns or features.
  • Include links to your music or a streaming platform where they can easily find the music.

Remember: Editors do not have time to read a novel in their inbox.

Proofread Like a Pro

Typos and grammatical errors scream amateur. Take the time to proofread your email before hitting send. You want to impress editors, not make them question your basic writing skills. It can seem petty but this is the only first impression you’ve got!

Follow Up (But Not Too Much)

If you don’t hear back within a week, a polite follow-up email is fine. But please avoid spamming their inbox. Respect their time, and if they don’t respond, move on and try another editor.

Bonus Tip: Be Social

There is a reason social media is so popular — it works. Follow editors you want to pitch on Twitter or Instagram. Engage with their content, show them you’re a real person with a genuine passion for music. Sometimes, a well-timed comment can lead to an unexpected opportunity. You never know!

Remember, pitching editors takes time and effort. But by crafting a killer pitch and putting yourself out there, you’ll increase your chances of getting your music and stories heard.

If you’re an artist who wants to submit your music to publications, visit HAULIX.com to read more about how HAULIX+ can take the guesswork out of pitching and help you grow your network!

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News

Will AI Take Over Musician Jobs?

Guest Author: Ramiro Somosierra

Ok, yes: AI is the new buzzword, as “NFT” was last year (or was it the one before?) but if you had spent at least 5 minutes with ChatGPT these previous months you probably know there’s a reason for it.

And while seemingly intelligent chatbots are just an application of the technology, they are scarily good enough to worry us all about our jobs.

But calm down.

I’m here to tell you, most likely, everything will be alright.

Hey there, this is Ramiro from GearAficionado, an online music magazine. Apart from being a musician, I also have a Master’s in Applied Economics, and I did my dissertation on the effects of automation in the job market.

To begin with, let me say, this has already happened in other industries, and we are still here.

Arguably, we are way better than before heavy automation entered the market.

Let’s go briefly through two examples:

The Car

When the car was invented, everyone was heavy on the horse. 

Soon enough, the mechanical alternative was accepted as a more efficient alternative, and although the industry built around animal transportation came to a steep decline, ultimately the amount of business the car generated completely offset the losses.

ATMs

Before ATMs, if you needed to deposit or withdraw money from a bank you needed to talk to a human.

Crazy, huh?

More crazily, being a teller was, by far, the most common job at a bank.

Now, enter the ATM, and tellers rapidly become obsolete.

Although tragic at first, the outlook ended up being favorable.

Running a bank branch with ATMs instead of people for those tasks greatly reduced the costs, allowing financial institutions to open a lot more subsidiaries nationwide.

After a decade, the number of bank jobs not only hadn’t decreased: It actually grew.

Music

But what has this all to do with music and musicians?

Well, everything.

The first thing to understand is that until we develop a generalized AI with abilities no different than those of a human, you can only automate tasks and not jobs.

What will happen to us musician is that we will be replaced in only the most basic and repetitive tasks by robots.

But, on the other hand, it will allow a lot more people to finish more work more quickly.

Think of composing or recording a new song in 10% of the time it would usually take you.

Probably if you are on an artistic search this will not mean much to you, but if you are a composer, an arranger, or a sound designer, it could be the world for you.

On top of this, it’s likely that a lot of people interested in music, but without the theoretical knowledge required would jump in and start creating their own tracks.

Music will be democratized just like singing was when Autotune and Melodyne stormed the scene.

And, of course, these “vocal enhancing” tools can’t make you sing like Sinatra, but they helped spawn a completely new thing.

With more music out there, more music-adjacent jobs will be created.

And while perhaps your actual dream job might change in shape or cease to exist, opportunities will rise.

The best thing we can do is stay up to date with what’s happening, and don’t try to fight the technology, but rather learn how to incorporate it into our current workflows.

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