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The Secret To Smarter Music Marketing In 2021 [Video]

Music Marketing

Music marketing is hard for everyone, but you can unlock incredible success with a quick shift in perspective.

The most straightforward approach to successful music marketing is also the oldest. Find an artist making music similar to you that is already successful and try to win over their fans. That simple concept is the driving force behind targeted marketing. A pop-rock band that often gets compared to All Time Low, for example, will target fans of All Time Low with their digital promotions.

The motivation behind this approach to music marketing is rooted in an old way of thinking about fans and how they engage with the artists they love. At any point in history before 2006, the vast majority of listeners discover new music through sound alone. People would hear a song they liked and then seek out the artist behind it. They bought records from unknown bands because the stickers on their packaging said they were similar to bands they already knew.

But the world doesn’t work that way anymore. Thanks to the Internet and social media, consumers are more connected than ever with the creatives that they admire. We don’t just know our favorite artist’s songs; we feel like we know them. We read their every thought on Twitter, look at their personal life on Instagram, and can respond to anything they post anywhere at a moment’s notice. To put it in the simplest terms possible, the barrier between artists and fans has never been smaller than it is right now, making getting and keeping consumer attention increasingly tricky.

Today’s music fans are buying into an artist for more than their sound. Your listeners follow you because of your overall aesthetic, branding, and presentation. Your music is a gateway to an entire universe of creativity that you oversee. People who enjoy what you make want to be as close to you as possible, and they want you to feel close to them as well. They want to forge a community, both between you and them and others who like your music. Random in 2021 is about being part of something bigger than yourself, and it is the responsibility of artists everywhere to try and forge that sense of belonging amongst their followers.

In this Music Biz update, host James Shotwell explains how fandom has changed and why marketing must evolve to meet the demands of today. He provides examples to help artists understand why they need to dig deeper into their fans and their fans’ interests to find the best marketing approach. James knows that the artists who break out and lead sustainable careers today do so by possessing a deep understanding of who enjoys their music. It’s no longer about casting a wide net and hoping for great results. Music marketing today is all about niche content. Let us explain:

Music Biz is brought to you by Haulix, the music industry’s leading promotional distribution platform. Start your one-month free trial today and gain instant access to the same promotional tools used by BMG, Concord, Rise Records, Pure Noise Records, and hundreds more. Visit http://haulix.com/signup for details.

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The One Marketing Mistake Every Musician Makes [Video]

Every musician wants fans to hear their latest single or watch their latest video, but almost every one of them is sharing the wrong link.

Here’s a hypothetical situation we can all relate to:

With a new single now available everywhere, an artist wants to promote their new music to fans and people who have yet to discover them. They sign up for a service that pulls links from all the streaming services into a single landing page and then links to that page with their social media posts.

Here’s another hypothetical:

With a new single available everywhere, an artist chooses to push a single streaming service through every post they make. They tell everyone to stream their song on Spotify, and every post they make points people to Spotify.

Both of the promotional approaches outlined above are common practices in music today. Both are also the wrong way to promote new music.

Let’s stop and think about what happens in these scenarios.

For starters, the artist is engaging fans on platforms they do not own or control (social media) and pointing them to other services and sites that they do not own (streaming platforms).

Additionally, the artist in the first example promotes a third company they do not own (the promo links service).

While these promotional approaches may appear to streamline the process of getting people to hear your music, they do very little to support the business that matters most: Your music career.

In this Music Biz update, host James Shotwell explains why the most common music promotion methods may not be the most beneficial for artists.

Every marketing plan aims to forge a lasting bond with people who choose to engage with the promotional materials. A song stream or video view may give you a short-term boost of serotonin, but unless you’re converting consumers into fans, your campaigns are falling short of their potential.

Let’s rethink the promotional efforts described earlier:

With a new single available everywhere, an artist wants to promote their new music to fans and people who have yet to discover them. They create a landing page on their website to announce the release, and they include links to all the streaming services where the single is available. They also embed the song as a streaming track or video.

That approach is already doing more to make people who engage with the artist’s posts more aware of their craft, place online, and brand.

But we still need to go one step further:

In addition to building a page that makes it easy to find their music online, the artist includes an option to join their mailing lists. Fans who enjoy the new single can sign up to receive messages from the artist regarding the latest music and tour information and access to their new merch.

Mailing lists have been around for decades, and despite all the new ways of connecting with our audience, they remain the most effective. When someone joins your mailing list, they are telling you they want to develop their relationship with your music. They are asking to know about music, live appearances, and more. They don’t want to hopefully see something online when you choose to post. These individuals want to know everything. They want to be true fans, and those people are the ones you need to take your career to the next level.

Music Biz is brought to you by Haulix, the music industry’s leading promotional distribution platform. Start your one-month free trial today and gain instant access to the same promotional tools used by BMG, Concord, Rise Records, Pure Noise Records, and hundreds more. Visit http://haulix.com/signup for details.

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How Ghostemane Is Redefining Success In The Music Business [VIDEO]

In a world of copycats, Ghostemane is forging a unique path through the music business that is turning heads and winning fans worldwide.

Ghostemane is the perfect example of a modern superstar. After releasing eight albums in six short years, the versatile musician has amassed a fiercely loyal global following without the help of mainstream media. His 3.3 million monthly Spotify listeners and 40 million monthly streams place Ghostemane among the ranks of today’s biggest names. Yet, he doesn’t have a major label or the money that comes from playing ball with the quote/unquote “traditional music business.” He is a self-made headliner, and his new album, Anti-Icon, seems poised further to accelerate his already astonishing rise through the underground ranks.

It’s easier to tell you what Ghostemane has in common with mainstream stars than to list the numerous traits that set him apart. First, he has immaculate branding skills that tell you everything you need to know before hearing a single second of music. He also understands that the music business is part of a global marketplace. The internet has made it possible for any musician to engage with listeners and grow an audience worldwide. He focuses his time on creating music at a high-volume to constantly deliver new songs and videos, and images to fans, which helps keep his name on the tips of their tongues. He’s as ubiquitous as anyone can hope to be, and he doesn’t sacrifice the quality of his product to meet the ever-growing demand.

That’s only the tip of the iceberg. Ghostemane is a rare example of an independent artist who knows what they want and what they’re willing to give up to achieve their goals. He appreciates the power of saying “no” to anything that doesn’t align with the career he pictures for himself, and he’s willing to do things ‘the hard way’ to ensure his vision comes to fruition.

In this Music Biz update, host James Shotwell explores the many contributing factors to Ghostemane’s success, including his vision and refusal to compromise. James then uses these traits to outline a refined path to success that artists from any genre can follow to develop their careers further. Check it out:

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8 Ways To Market Your Music With Instagram Reels [VIDEO]

Instagram Reels are the hottest thing in music marketing, so we’re giving you eight proven methods of promotion to boost your career.

Some may say we made a mistake by declaring Instagram Reels dead on arrival back in August, but we argue that the company heard our complaints and took action. In eight weeks, Reels has gone from an inferior knockoff of TikTok to one of the most exciting platforms for creativity and music promotion online. Every week, millions of people are creating looping videos with the latest Instagram development, and that userbase will continue growing in the months ahead.

Since Reels is Instagram’s answer to TikTok, you might assume that marketing is the same on both platforms. After all, both platforms offer creators the ability to make videos up to a minute in length, and both allow people to use music or add original audio. Reels, however, has several advantages that TikTok lacks, including the ability to reach your audience through Stories and Instagram’s main content feed.

In today’s Music Biz 101, host James Shotwell breaks down eight proven methods for successful music promotion on Reels. He utilizes clips to expand on specific ideas, including examples from EDM superstar Marshmello and popular pop-punk group Knuckle Puck. Check it out:

Not sure if the video is for you? Here are some of the marketing ideas we discuss in the clip above:

  • Teasers. Everyone loves a tease.
  • Behind The Song series. People want to connect with the real you, and the best way for musicians to give fans that opportunity is by sharing the stories behind their favorite songs.
  • Dance Videos. They’re all the rage online, and for good reason. Anyone can make these videos, and that makes them great for music promotion.
  • Get weird. As we mentioned above, people want to know the real you, and that includes all the strange behaviors and hobbies that fill your days. Share them. Get weird. Be yourself.
  • Skits. Second only to dancing, skits provide a template that fans can use to make original content inspired by your music. A great skit with a good punchline can spread much faster than a music video or song stream.
  • AR Effects. Everyone uses Spark AR effects on their IG Stories, but did you know that same technology is available in Reels? We’ll tell you how to make the most of it.
  • Here’s a word you need to accept as part of promotion: Influencers. Finding an influencer whose audience aligns with yours can forge a great content partnership.
  • Use your archives! Some of the biggest viral clips of the past year use songs that are years or even decades old! Don’t be afraid to open your library of content and pull from every era of your creativity. You never know what will connect with viewers.
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What Artists Can Learn From Machine Gun Kelly’s New Album

Machine Gun Kelly’s fifth studio album is on track to be his most successful record yet. How did he pull that off?

Machine Gun Kelly, known to family and friends as Colson Baker, is doing the impossible. His fifth studio album, Tickets To My Downfall, is quickly becoming his most successful release to date. More impressive still is the fact that all this is happening off an LP that sounds nothing like his previous work. Such occurrences are incredibly rare, especially in the worlds of rap and rock, but MGK is finding a way to make it happen.

To put Machine Gun Kelly’s accomplishment into perspective, readers must consider that he’s been actively releasing and touring in the public eye for a decade. MGK spent the majority of that time squarely in the world of rap and hip-hop, which found him delivering a string of successful singles that rarely, if ever, gained the attention he felt was earned. He recently went as far as to say he felt ready to leave music altogether, but creating Tickets To My Downfall gave him a fresh perspective on creativity.

The fifteen track, thirty-five-minute release finds Machine Gun Kelly transitioning to the world of pop-punk with reckless abandon. Each song boasts driving guitars, thunderous drums, and themes of living life to the fullest while throwing a middle finger to anyone who claims it’s time for Ohio native to act his age. It’s the kind of album one might expect blink-182 or Green Day to release twenty years ago, and the alternative scene is embracing it with open arms.

In this episode of Music Biz 101, host James Shotwell breaks down five key lessons that artists can learn from MGK’s latest success and what the album’s rollout tells us about the future of music marketing.

Don’t have time for the video? Here are some takeaways:

  • Experimentation is key. MGK is internationally known for his talent as a rapper, which made releasing Tickets To My Downfall a significant risk. By better on himself and creating a quality record, MGK not only brought his fans into a new genre of music but made new fans in the pop-punk world who may otherwise never listened to his music.
  • Please keep it simple. In addition to introducing a new sound, Tickets To My Downfall also gives MGK fans his most straightforward work to date. Most people will need only one listen to understand the record, but they’ll keep coming back because they can easily connect with its messages and themes.
  • Be real. Machine Gun Kelly has always shared true-life stories in his music, but this record removes the hyperbole typical in hip-hop to deliver music that is undeniably real. The songs on the record are not so much the story of MGK, but those of Colson Baker, the young man trying to remain sane in the crazy world of entertainment. Fans may never live the moments found on the album, but it’s depictions are in such vivid detail that it’s not hard for listeners to put themselves in Colson’s shoes.
  • Wring everything you can out of each single. The rollout for Tickets stretches throughout 2020. MGK has mastered the art of making the most out of every press opportunity. Each song has teasers that lead to an official release, followed by lyric videos, official videos, performance videos, stripped performances, and more. Add to this the fact he’s always engaging with the press, and MGK has made himself a staple of the pop culture conversation without burning a lot of the album’s best material.
  • Embrace the ‘Deluxe bump.’ When news broke that MGK may reach number one on the Billboard charts, he quickly dropped a surprise deluxe version of Tickets that contained several additional songs. The new material put the album back in the news, making sure fans continued streaming the record. It’s a bit of a cheap trick, as the song could fit the original release, but it’s a good ploy to keep the press (and listeners) paying attention.
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How To Make Blogs Care About Your Music [Video]

Getting the attention of blogs and writers is hard, but we can teach you how to get press for your music in fifteen minutes or less.

It is hard to grasp how much competition exists in music today. There are thousands of artists in every genre working hard each day to get the attention of labels, listeners, and the media. The vast majority never accomplish their goals and those that do rarely share their secrets to success. We don’t have all the answers, but we know what works best, and today, we’ll tell you everything you need to get ahead.

PLEASE NOTE: The strategies outlined in this article are aimed at new and emerging talent. The information below is not a replacement for actual PR, nor do we claim to know how publicists are able to move mountains for their clients. These tips will help you take your first steps towards getting recognized by smaller blogs and influencers until you are in a position to afford a real publicity professional.

Let’s start with the behaviors you should avoid. There are people in the music business who prey on the desperation of dreamers with false promises of instant access to high-level influences in exchange for money. We are not referring to publicists. Good PR professionals can open doors you don’t even know how to find, and they can elevate your career in ways that the information in this article cannot.

The individuals you should avoid often promote their alleged secrets under the guise of promotional service that claims to have ‘major success,’ but no facts or information to back it up. Others make a quick buck offering downloadable contact lists that cover everyone you could hope to reach in positions of power through services such as Fiverr. We’ve said it before and we will say it again: These individuals are scammers, and they cannot be trusted.

Onto the good stuff. The foundation of any great beginner promotional campaign is making sure anyone can easily access information about your career. That means creating a media kit that includes links to your music and social pages, as well as photos and videos. It would help if you also had a bio. You can include your merchandise links if you have any, but having things to sell is not a prerequisite to getting attention.

Take all the items gathered above and place create a space online where people who wish to cover your music or learn more about you can easily do so with very little effort. We recommend Haulix for your media, but you can build something yourself as well.

Once those materials are in place, the next phase of this promotional strategy involves research. You need to identify the blogs, channels, and content creators who cover the kind of music you create. There are many methods of accomplishing this, but one of the easiest is to identify 2-3 prominent artists or groups that you feel are comparable to your creative output. Be specific. Don’t choose mainstream talent, but focus on your niche and the people who reign over it.

Next, you will want to create a spreadsheet for your data. Go to Google and search “[Band 1] News.” Make a list of every publication and author writing news about that artist, as well as their contact information (social media, email, etc.). After that, search “[Band 1] Reviews,” and complete the process again. Continue this method of research by looking for podcasts, video interviews, video reviews, Twitch channels, and any other form of music promotion or coverage you can imagine. When you’re done, move on to the next band on your list and repeat this process.

Now that you have a good idea of who might be interested in your music, take the time to follow them online, and begin engaging with their efforts. Writers and publications are like musicians in that they love attention and praise. Engage with the content these people are making, and make an effort to strike up a conversation about your mutual interests. Don’t worry about promoting yourself. Instead, focus on them.

As you begin to build relationships, use your spreadsheet to track your engagement. The big list of publications and creators you started with should shrink as you refine your focus to those who are actively engaging with you on a regular basis. That will create a funnel, otherwise known as a sales funnel, which will reveal the people and places most likely to take an interest in covering your music.

When you have something new to promote, be it a song or video, review your data and begin contacting those publications and creators that you engage with most often. Don’t ask for coverage right away. Instead, ask for their input on the content. Let them know that their opinion matters to you, which will reinforce their connection to your music.

As people respond, who you should work with will become clear. Some will offer to premiere or feature your work. Some may even get ahead of you by reaching out first.

The key to getting attention from blogs and lower-level outlets is to first build strong relationships, and strong relationships stem from engagement. You need to care about others before you can expect them to care about you. When someone does choose to help you out, promote their work, and thank them. Their following will notice your interactions, and over time, many of their followers will follow you as well.

Remember: Getting attention is a process. You cannot accomplish everything outlined above in a day or week. You will likely be working on your relationships throughout your career. It’s chaos. Be kind.

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7 Ways To Make Money With Livestream Concerts

Performing online is now a part of the ‘new normal,’ so it’s time artists learn how to maximize their return on livestream performances.

The evolution of digital performances is happening faster than you may realize. In the six months since the COVID-19 pandemic canceled countless live events, artists have gone from Instagram performances to HD, multi-cam events that cost money to attend and include exclusive merchandise offerings. Artists all over the world are trying to bring the excitement of live events into the virtual space. That is creating a lot of great opportunities for musicians to make money while engaging with their audience.

But let’s get this out of the way: If you are a relatively new artist or group with very few fans, making money online is not your top priority. You should concern yourself with being seen and heard before you worry about income. Without a community around your music, it is incredibly difficult to earn revenue with your art. Engagement comes first. If you’re not at the point where you can get 100 people to engage with a piece of content, then don’t worry about money.

For everyone else, good news! There are a lot of ways to make money online with live performances, and many more are in development.

In this Music Biz update, host James Shotwell breaks down seven ways artists are earning money through livestream concerts. These efforts range from ticketed events and exclusive merch to partnerships with local promoters and recycling content for future promotional purposes. Check it out:

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How To Get Ahead And Win Fans In Music Today [VIDEO]

Most musicians are terrible music professionals, but with a few changes, anyone can make strides toward success.

There are great artists making music with the potential to change countless lives that will never be heard by anyone outside of their immediate circle. Is that because the industry doesn’t care about talent or that there are too many talented people trying to get ahead? NO! It’s because many musicians have no idea how to treat their career as a business, which is the only way most get ahead in music today.

For the sake of simplicity, let’s assume you have great songs. You won’t get anywhere without songs people want to hear, so if you’re reading this, I will you are a capable songwriter. You have to believe this as well, but we’ll get to that in a minute.

I spend a lot of time working with musicians who have all the pieces of a great career; they have a specific look, strong branding, memorable songs, and a fierce devotion to their craft. The problem is, those same artists cannot bring those pieces together in a meaningful way. I can’t fix that for them, but I can share the same advice I offer all of them:

You need a PLAN!

Most artists know where they want to go in their careers. They say things like, “We want to headline stadiums,” or “we want a platinum single.” Far fewer artists know how they’re going to reach those goals. Success in music requires planning, and that applies to all facets of your career. It would be best if you had a release plan, a promotional strategy, a social media plan, and a practice plan. What you’re going to do is not enough. You need to know how you’re going to get there, and the step you’ll take along the way. BE SPECIFIC.

Stop making excuses

We make excuses for everything. We want to promote ourselves, but we don’t have a budget. We want to have a cool logo, but we don’t know how to design things. We want to write a great melody, but our previous attempts fell flat.

Excuses are hurdles we put in front of ourselves to justify not working harder to achieve our dreams. They give us a reason to abandon our dreams and settle for less than we truly desire because we convince ourselves our goals are out of reach. That kind of thinking has ruined countless careers, and it will ruin yours too unless you make a change.

Starting today, commit to overcoming excuses. Work with a smaller budget, learn to design, write bad melodies until you find one that works, and do whatever else needs to happen so you can live your best life. Be the person you see yourself becoming rather than someone who gets defeated by walls they build in front of themselves. There is always a solution. It may not look or feel the way you thought it would, but that’s okay. Just keep going.

Focus on the fans that matter

Social numbers aren’t everything. Monthly Spotify Listeners do not determine your value as an artist. I’ve seen musicians with millions of digital followers play to empty rooms, and I’ve watched as complete unknowns sold-out places those so-called stars could never fill.

Digital stats don’t matter unless they translate to actual sales. One-thousand fans buying your album for $10 is worth more than 1,000,000 people streaming your new single and never listening to your music again.

Quality over quantity is key to building an audience. You need to stop worrying about the size of your fanbase and start concerning yourself with engaging your current fans in a meaningful way. Figure out the content your fans want to see, produce it regularly, and keep engaging with them as much as possible. Make them feel as if they’re indispensable to your career, and they will do everything they can to convert others to your fandom.

And above all else: Be yourself

Every notable entertainer today is viewed as being authentic. Their careers are made possible because fans believe they know the artist or group on a personal level. They feel like the talent’s best friend even though they’ve never met.

Being your true self is the only way to get ahead. You might be able to craft a hit song without putting yourself into the lyrics, but the success won’t feel as good or worthwhile if your soul isn’t in the product. You don’t want to end up on stage every night performing material you don’t care about, and your fans don’t want to pay to see that. Give the people the one thing only you can provide: Yourself.

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How Songs Go Viral on TikTok [Video]

TikTok promotes itself as a platform where creatives can become stars overnight, but how exactly does that work?

TikTok has quickly become the premier music discovery platform on the planet. More than half a billion people use TikTok every month, and they are helping raise a new generation of talent that may otherwise never have a chance at success. Lil Nas X is perhaps the best example of TikTok’s power, but since “Old Town Road” became a global sensation, more than a dozen additional artists have come out of nowhere to take the app’s community by storm.

But how does that happen? Algorithms play a part, of course, but how does a relatively unknown talent captivate an audience of millions in a matter of days or weeks with a single song? Could it really be talent alone?

Lol. No. Of course.

A recent feature from Rolling Stone found that the answer to this modern mystery is as old as the music business itself. Regardless of all the technological advances of TikTok boasts and its incredibly inventive userbase, money is the common trait amongst every success story. Artists and labels alike are pouring thousands of dollars into each song promotion. Influencers receive cash to create clips that inspire their millions of followers to imitate their behaviors and continue using a specific song or sound.

The biggest moneymaker on TikTok is Charli D’Amelio, a twenty-something that demands around $30,000 per song promotion. Other influential creatives charge between $2,000 and $20,000 per placement, but again, there is no guarantee of success.

In this episode of Music Biz, host James Shotwell demystifies how songs succeed on TikTok with a straightforward answer that will not appeal to everyone. He also expresses caution for artists that may be considering influencer marketing for their next single. Check it out:

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Lamb Of God Becomes First Band To Release Non-Alcoholic Beer

Further proving they are ahead of their competition, Lamb Of God is raising the bar for album marketing with a non-alcoholic beer.

In today’s crowded music marketplace, every artists needs to think outside the box of traditional promotion. Marketing determines the success of a record long before its release, and those who stand to reach the most listeners are the ones willing to take a chance by setting themselves apart from their peers. Lamb Of God has always been a great example of these efforts, and their latest move is no exception.

Scottish craft brewer BrewDog and Lamb Of God have revealed the release of the world’s first non-alcoholic collaboration beer, Ghost Walker. The announcement was originally planned for the start of the band’s global tour that would have begun this spring, but, as a result of COVID-19 and the postponing of their European tour, BrewDog and LAMB OF GOD decided to launch their collaboration with the video premiere of the band’s most recent live performance of their song “Ghost Walking.” The live video, filmed at Lamb Of God’s performance at House of Vans in Chicago on February 14, premiered online today, April 14, to give music fans around the world an opportunity to virtually come together in these uncertain times. 

As of today, the beer is available in BrewDog’s online shop for shipping anywhere in the world.

LAMB OF GOD vocalist Randy Blythe commented:

“The idea of a collaboration hatched when Willie Adler and I visited a BrewDog bar in Columbus on a tour day off to sample a few pints of their non-alcoholic beer with the brewery team. Countless bands have done beer collaborations, but we are the world’s first non-alcoholic one. In my not-so-humble opinion, this is the best non-alcoholic beer ever made, PERIOD. It was conceived, designed and first tasted while on tour – music drove it into existence. Right now is a strange time for everyone, but we’re stoked to provide a non-alcoholic option for those who want to have a brew while cranking some tunes safely at home. We hope you enjoy our performance and we will see you on the road as soon as possible.”


BrewDog co-founder James Watt commented:

“This collaboration is our most epic to date. It is also one of the most important, especially now. BrewDog has always been focused on making other people as passionate about craft beer as we are, and that includes people who, like Randy, don’t want alcohol in their beer. Our AF line of beers offers everyone an alcohol-free alternative for any occasion and we’re thrilled to add Ghost Walker to the lineup.”

A video about the promotion can be viewed below:

Lamb Of God will release their self-titled new album on May 8. The release of the Ghost Walker beer is one of many things the band is doing to promote the release. Stay tuned for more insight into the record and Lamb Of God’s unique approach to marketing in the weeks ahead.

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