Tag: Music Marketing

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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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How To Win Fans Without Annoying Your Audience [VIDEO]

Everyone wants to win fans online, but not everyone can grow their audience without alienating their listeners.

Digital promotion is a complicated proposition. On the one hand, it has never been easier to reach your audience and engage with fans regularly. At the same time, every attempt to grow that audience runs the risk of alienating the people who already love your music. As with many things in life, successful digital marketing it’s all about finding a balance, and we are here to help.

We believe it is entirely possible to steadily grow your audience without feeling tethered to social media at all times or driving yourself crazy trying to develop content ideas. Figuring out the right recipe for your career and audience will take time, but we can give you several things to consider when planning your future promotional efforts. 

The most important thing you need to know about digital promotion is that people are more intelligent than you think. Nobody needs to be told where your music is available because they assume that it’s available everywhere. Very few artists only post their music to one or two platforms, so you don’t need to tell people where to find your art. Your music, like the music created by everyone else, is available wherever people consume music. That is the world we live in.

The next thing to consider is what type of contact you are creating. Most social media managers will tell you that they try to balance different pieces of content that entertain, educate, or inform. Some posts can do all three, but others may only tackle one or two. Here are some quick examples:

Entertaining content makes people feel something. Artists often use song clips and video teasers to elicit an emotional response from their audience. 

Educational content teaches us something, such as how to pre-order your new record or follow your account on Spotify.

Informative content tells us something important, such as tour dates. 

Once you figure out the type of contact you want to post, you may wonder how frequently you should be posting to various digital platforms. You can find many tutorials on maximizing reach online, but we recommend prioritizing your mental health above all else. You should only post every day if you have the content and time to do so. If that feels too overwhelming, then maybe posting two or three times a week instead is a better approach. Your fans will adjust their expectations to match your output, so as long as you develop a routine, whatever you choose to do will work.

In the latest Music Biz update, host James Shotwell teaches you how to win fans without annoying your audience. He walks through things most musicians do not consider before posting online and offers advice to make all your promotional efforts more welcoming to everyone they reach. Check it out:

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 To Make High Quality, Low-Risk Merch For FREE

Investing hundreds of dollars into merch that may or may not sell is a thing of the past!

Every musician dreams of seeing someone wearing their merch in public. For many, spotting their merchandise in the wild is as close to ‘making it’ as they will ever get. But making merch is traditionally a risky investment. Musicians typically spend hundreds, even thousands, to print merch that they hope fans buy. Recouping those production costs can take time, and that potential wait has forced many to shelve their merch dreams until they feel more established in the music community.

But that is a remnant of the old way of music entrepreneurship from the days before everyone was doing business online. Investing money in merch is still part of most artists’ financial plans, but other options exist. Believe it or not, musicians who are still establishing themselves and those more concerned about raising awareness than making money can now make merch without spending a dime.

Allow us to introduce you to print on demand merchandising.

Print on demand is a process where you work with a supplier to customize white-label products (like baseball hats or tote bags) with your designs to sell them on a per-order basis under your brand. Nothing is printed until someone orders a product, so you (the artist) only pay to produce what people buy.

There are several reasons that print on demand services are popular with musicians:

  • You don’t have to spend any money to get started
  • You can upload as many designs as you want
  • You don’t have to handle production
  • You don’t have to handle shipping
  • You can offer merch on high-end fabric
  • You can offer more unique merch items than any artist would otherwise be able to produce

There are drawbacks as well:

  • Print-on-demand services cost more per unit, which means your total revenue may be lower than if you purchase merch in bulk.
  • You do not control shipping, so there is no way to include “thank you” notes or bonus merch items.
  • You do not control production, so the product is made and shipped when the company handling your orders can fulfill the request.

In his latest Music Biz update, host James Shotwell walks through the print-on-demand business model. He argues why using such services may be a better alternative for certain artists than the traditional merch approach. He also recommends one printing company that we at Haulix Daily use regularly. Check it out:

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 Music’s Biggest Names Reach Influencers And Press

There are countless ways to contact influential people, but only one affordable platform for music promotion is trusted by labels and artists worldwide.

The music business has undergone countless evolutions over the last century, but one thing that remains the same is the importance of relationships. Success is rarely a matter of who writes the best song or creates the best press kit. The talent that rises through the underground and becomes household names do so because of their ability to network. They put themselves out into the ether, making their talent and personality known, and they connect with like-minded individuals searching for an opportunity to build something that stands out from the competition. 

There are no tricks or cheatsheets that can manufacture the power of honest relationships, and without them, there is no tool or advice we can offer that will make you a star. If you don’t have contacts yourself, hire someone that does, and make sure to check their credentials. 

The biggest names in music understand that music promotion is a crowded field wherever everyone is essentially selling the same thing. They have songs, artwork, press photos, artist bios, and personality. You can package these items in a billion different ways. Still, the core elements are the same, and the influencers who shape culture wake every day to a seemingly endless number of requests for their limited attention.

What separates breakout stars from overlooked talent lies in how they present their material. Soundcloud, Dropbox, and Google Drive may make sharing content easy, but each service severely limits an artist’s ability to express themselves. Most Soundcloud landing pages, for example, include large branding and ads for Soundcloud services. Google Drive and Dropbox offer a more straightforward UI. However, the appearance is so bland that the only reason anyone would click on the links on said pages is because of a pre-existing familiarity with the material. 

The best way to cut through the clutter and make a lasting impression on influencers is Haulix, the industry’s leading promotional distribution platform. Haulix makes it easy for professionals at every entertainment level to create eye-catching promotional emails and landing pages that emphasize an artist’s brand and music. BMG, Concord, Rise Records, Metal Blade Records, Pure Noise Records, and many other labels, independent artists, and publicists already trust Haulix. There are multiple affordable plans to choose from, and each comes with a one-month risk-free trial.

Haulix promos are great whether or not users choose to customize the default template. Each promo pages makes it easy to share the artist, album title, label, release date, cover art, record description, promo photos, music videos, and music. Here is one example of a promo with no customization:

If users do choose to customize their promo pages, great designs are just a few clicks away. Here is an album promo put together for You, Me, And Everyone We Know’s recent live album. As you can see, the page is customized to match the artwork’s colors, and a banner is present to emphasize the band’s branding.

Haulix also makes it easy to create engaging promo invitations that provide your contacts with unique links to your music. Each contact has a personal link, which allows you to track each person’s engagement with your music. You can view email opens, song streams, and downloads. 

But the offerings don’t stop there! Haulix also has tools to generate reports, manage teams, and watermark your music. You can learn about all of this and more on the company’s website.

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Must-Have FREE Marketing Tools Every Musician Needs [Video]

A great song will never find its audience without exciting promotion, so we’re giving you powerful marketing tools that won’t break the bank.

The truth about being a musician in 2021 is that making good music is rarely enough to warrant a successful career. Marketing is as important as making great music, and the artists making a living with their creativity can do so because they also understand promotion. These individuals create and share marketing materials that look good and grab consumers’ attention, which, in turn, convinces people to listen.

A decade ago, making great content was an expensive and time-consuming endeavor. You needed to buy a lot of gear and applications you didn’t fully understand or pay someone else and hope they understood your vision. That isn’t the case today. There are many apps available to consumers at little to no cost, making it easy to create eye-catching content in a matter of minutes. We’re going to share four powerful marketing tools today, but know there are much more available online.

DaVinci Resolve

Offering tools comparable to Adobe Premiere with better UI and zero cost, DaVinci Resolve is quickly becoming a widely used tool throughout the entertainment industry. This application makes it easy to create lyric videos, visualizers, TikTok’s, Instagram Stories, Spotify Canvas clips, and more. You can even create and edit music videos. Are you feeling lost? No worries. There are many great tutorials to help you get started.

Canva

The worst kept secret in graphic design, Canva is a free tool that makes creating stunning images and gifs a breeze. The free tier membership provides you with access to thousands of great templates and allows for unlimited uploads. Use this tool to create a cohesive online brand, thumbnails for YouTube, concert posters, and more.

Display Purposes

With competition for attention on social media at an all-time high, Display Purposes helps users identify relevant hashtags that are likely to generate engagement on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter.

Later

Once you have your video content, still images, and hashtags, you’ll need to plan the perfect rollout on social media to maximize the impact of each post. Later makes it easy to schedule posts across a variety of platforms in minutes. The free tier membership provides enough tools to make daily posts on Twitter, Instagram, and more. Schedule now, engage later, and stress less. That’s the kind of energy we need more of in 2021.

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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What Artists Can Learn From Greta Van Fleet [VIDEO]

Michigan’s Greta Van Fleet is one of the most successful and most often criticized bands on the planet. Following their lead is something every aspiring artist should consider.

There are far more talented rock bands vying for attention right now than anyone can hope to cover. The vast majority of these musicians will spend their entire careers caught somewhere between local hotshot and moderate success. Some may write songs capable of changing the world, but the likelihood that anyone outside their circle hears those tracks is relatively low. The reasons for that frustrating fact are numerous, but studying Greta Van Fleet can explain how artists can position themselves for breakout success.

Hailing from a part of Michigan known more for its holiday spirit than its music, Greta Van Fleet became an international sensation in 2017 thanks to a nonstop touring schedule and two promising EPs. Almost overnight, the world of rock was divided into two groups: People who appreciate the group’s throwback sound and those who feel the young men from the midwest were ripping off several legendary acts. You probably have an opinion, and we’re not attempting to convince you otherwise.

Parts of the rock music community continues to debate the band’s quality to this day. Still, the general public has made their opinion known by pushing the band into sold-out amphitheater performances and spending their hard-earned cash buying their music. There’s also the band’s four GRAMMY nominations, as well as numerous glowing reviews from the global music community.

Greta Van Fleet has reached a level of success that any group of musicians would kill to achieve, and that popularity is not a fluke. The band and their team work incredibly hard, and there are lessons from their rise that can help other musicians build lasting careers with devoted fans.

First and foremost, Greta Van Fleet understands branding. One look at the band’s photos, videos, or logo, and you immediately know what type of music they perform. Their marketing efforts sell the promise of a specific image and sound that the group delivers on through everything they do. It’s a textbook example of “what you see is what you get,” and in a time when the competition is fierce, there is something to be said for giving people exactly what they want.

Likewise, the band isn’t afraid to embrace their influences. Millions of rock fans worldwide would give anything to hear more material from the legendary bands of the 60s and 70s that laid the foundation for everything that came after. Those groups, by and large, are no longer releases new music. That leaves a void that Greta Van Fleet is happy to fill. That doesn’t mean that they’re compromising their artistic vision or writing inauthentic music. In reality, the group is doing exactly what they want. They wish to be as big as the bands that people never forget, and they’re following the blueprint of those acts in hopes of becoming a similarly iconic group.

Greta Van Fleet also understands the digital age. They know that everyone has a voice and that success is often determined by the number of people talking about your music. The group has faced more criticism than any mainstream rock act since Nickelback or Creed, but they don’t let that get them down. They understand that there are millions of musicians people could discuss. People talk about them, which means they are getting clicks, streams, views, etc. The volume of conversation matters more than its contents, at least to an extent, so long as people keep talking, the band continues to thrive.

The last point worth making is that the band’s success would not be possible without leveraging their fans’ support. The group’s rise in popularity came after they turned to friends, family, and listeners to fund a live EP way back in 2014. That release leads to licensing the helped kickstart GVF’s ascent through the world of rock, but it may never have existed without the band first asking their audience for support. The group invited their fans to play a pivotal role in their journey, and their followers obliged. That level of transparency has helped the group create a community around their music, unlike any other fandom in rock today. It’s all because they were open about their need for assistance.

Point being: It’s okay to need help. Fans want to see you succeed, and if you ask them to support you, they will probably do what they can to assist in whatever you hope to achieve.

Music Biz is brought to you by Haulix, the music industry’s leading promotional distribution platform. Join today and receive a one-month free trial of the same service Bruce Springsteen, Slipknot, blink-182, and thousands more trust to share their music with the press. Visit http://haulix.com/signup​ for details.

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The Best Time To Release Your Music [VIDEO]

Ignore anyone who claims to know the right time to release your music. Finding the perfect date involves more than calendars and educated guesses.

Whenever we discuss releasing music with artists, we first ask them to consider the reality of music promotion today. There are millions of artists vying for attention across a vast landscape of streaming platforms, blogs, influencers, and social media apps. Competition is at an all-time high, and no matter when you choose to release your music, there will be an unknown amount of musicians all over the world who are eyeing the same date.

It’s okay if you feel intimidated. Releasing music can be scary, regardless of the competition. Most musicians at every level of success feel that fear. It fuels an entire industry of influencers, insiders, and other so-called marketing gurus who make a living tell people the “secrets” to success. But the truth is that no one can tell you the perfect release date to release your music because no such date exists. Finding the right time for you is a formula, which we’re happy to share.

The first thing you need is the music. Is the single or album you’re hoping to release the best work you can create? Is it recorded, mixed, and mastered? Does it meet not only your standards for a quality release but that of your fans? Are you sure that you cannot produce a better version of the material you want to share, at least right now? If so, congrats! You’re one step closer to finding a release date.

The next thing you need is promotional materials. Like music, the need for this content is obvious, but many artists approach it in a manner that is detrimental to their upcoming release’s success. Instead of picking a date and rushing to meet that deadline, musicians should focus first on gathering the materials they need to maximize the impact of their release. Get the artwork, photos, videos, song clips, video teasers, scheduled social posts, email newsletter copy, and anything else you need ready before you announce a release date. Please make a list of everything you want for your promotional rollout and check off each item as you complete it. Then, place those materials in a folder, Dropbox, or Google Drive that you and the rest of your team can access at a moment’s notice.

Once you have these elements in place, finding a date is a matter of estimating how long you need to make as many people aware of your upcoming release. Massively successful artists like Ariana Grande, for example, can surprise their fans with extremely fast rollouts for new material because their audience is always demanding new work. Rising artists, however, often need more time to build momentum for a new song or record. Figuring out what amount of time works best for you is dependent on many factors, including the size of your audience, the number of promotional materials you have to share, and the goal of the release. A four to six-week rollout is normal. It is also about half the length of most campaigns from a decade ago. Audiences are increasingly distracted, so lengthy campaigns come with a risk of losing interest, but shorter campaigns may not turn enough heads. It would be best to find what works for you and the materials or plans you have to maximize engagement. It may take several releases to nail down your approach, but it’s worth the effort to get it right.

So, when is the right date? We can’t say! It’s different for everyone.

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How Musicians Can Succeed in 2021 [VIDEO]

2021 is right around the corner, and we’re sharing everything you need to do to make the next year your best yet.

2020 has been an incredible year. Nothing has gone as planned, but artists found a way to adapt. No touring due to COVID? Livestreams. The label won’t release the record? Drop singles and continue to write. Can’t afford to record? Keep writing, keep demoing, and continue developing your voice.

If we learned anything this year, it’s that nothing can stop musicians from pursuing their craft. The world tried incredibly hard to break the spirit of creatives everywhere over the last twelve months, and the vast majority stood their ground. 2021 may try even harder, but music and the people who make it are not going anywhere.

In this episode of Music Biz, host James Shotwell discusses what artists can do to succeed in 2021. He talks about the simple things every musician should do annually, but he also considers the bigger picture. We cannot go back to the way we did business and chased dreams before 2020. We are living in a new world, and with it comes new ways of building an audience. Those who embrace the now will get ahead, but how do you do that? We’ll let James explain.

Brought to you by Haulix, the music industry’s leading promotional distribution platform. Join today and receive a one-month free trial of the same service Bruce Springsteen, Slipknot, blink-182, and thousands more trust to share their music with the press. Visit http://haulix.com/signup​ for details.

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Watch A One-Hour Metal Marketing And PR Roundtable with Metal Blade and Prosthetic Records

Representatives from two of the biggest names in metal today appear in a one-hour Haulix LIVE! event to discuss what it means to succeed in the modern music business.

There is no point in history when succeeding in music was a simple task. Getting people to pay attention for three to five minutes at a time is one thing, but getting them to spend money and take a long-term interest in someone’s creative talent is something else. The tricks and plans that helped artists succeed ahead five years ago don’t work today, and what works right now probably won’t help anyone in 2023. That’s the nature of the beast known as the music business, but somehow, people still find ways to win fans and develop careers.

On Thursday, November 12, two of the most widely recognized music professional in metal today appeared on Haulix LIVE! to discuss their careers and the many ways to define success in entertainment. Becky Laverty (Prosthetic Records) and Vince Edwards (Metal Blade) spoke about music publicity and marketing in the COVID era, emerging trends in their field, and their hopes for 2021. Viewers also had the chance to ask questions.

Today, Haulix is thrilled to share the entire event with our readers. Check it out:

About our panelists:

Becky Laverty has been a freelance publicist for 13 years, working for labels, events, and independent artists. Believing that each project is unique, she has forged relationships across the music industry and around the globe to deliver creative and engaging press campaigns. Although she still squeezes in the occasional side project, the majority of her time is now taken up by Roadburn Festival (Press & Communications) and Prosthetic Records (European Label Manager). 

Vince Edwards has worked at Metal Blade Records since 2007 after graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville with a BS in business administration. Fans may have seen his work on YouTube in the form of music videos for Anaal Nathrakh, The Black Dahlia Murder, Amon Amarth, and more. Additionally, Vince works with radio stations & shows such as SirusXM Liquid Metal, Full Metal Jackie, WJJO Overdrive, Music Choice, and dozens more to try and keep metal on the airwaves across the US. Fans may also have seen his graphic design work across the Metal Blade social pages and beyond. Metal Blade Records is an independent record label where staff wear many hats and work with bands on a daily basis to help bring their vision to fans globally. 

About our host:

James Shotwell is the Director of Customer Engagement for Haulix. His music career began with the opening of a music venue when he was just 14 years old. From there, James cut his teeth booking and promoting events until he enrolled at Ferris State University to pursue a degree in Music Industry Management. From there, James found a passion for writing that led him to work with some of the biggest publications in music. He later graduated from school and moved to Boston, where he worked for a music startup before starting with Haulix. In addition to his current role, James currently hosts the Inside Music Podcast, the High Notes podcast, the Music Biz channel on YouTube, and regularly contributes to multiple entertainment publications.

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5 Tips For Marketing Your Music This Halloween [Video]

The spookiest time of year is here, and the opportunities to boost your career with timely marketing efforts are endless.

Halloween and music go together like flesh and bone. Both bring people together, and both have the potential to make everyday people feel special, even if only for a moment. So, why doesn’t the music industry capitalize on the spooky season with timely music marketing? Your guess is as good as ours.

Aside from a select few groups who are synonymous with Halloween (Ice Nine Kills, Rob Zombie, Motionless In White, etc.), the vast majority of artists only mention Halloween when it’s time to share their costume. That effort always creates engagement with fans, but it leaves a lot of potentially incredible community-building opportunities unexplored.

Don’t follow the pack. This Halloween, we want you to make every effort possible to engage your audience, build your community, and raise awareness for the excellent music you work hard to promote, all while having fun. We’ve got five tips to get you started, and we’ll tell you about them all in the latest Music Biz 101. Check it out:

For those without the time or ability to watch our finely crafted video, here are a few quick tips to get you started:

  • Brand Refresh. Go through your online presence and find simple ways to leverage Halloween aesthetics to temporary update your presence. Some easy examples include changing your profile picture, changing the theme of your Twitter page, and change your social handles to include ‘spooky’ content such as skulls or pumpkins.
  • Exclusive merch. Fans love feeling like they are part of something special. Create limited edition merch that is only available until Halloween utilizing seasonal trends. Fans most likely won’t receive the items in time for Halloween this year, but they will be ready for 2021 and beyond.
  • New music. Every listener wants something new. Artists trying to deliver something special could choose to record a Halloween-themed original or cover a holiday classic. The Nightmare Before Christmas has many songs to choose from, but the “Monster Mash” never goes out of style.
  • Livestream Event. COVID-19 will (hopefully) prevent any mass gatherings this October, so give your fans something to do with a special one-night-only online event. You don’t have to perform, per se, but do make yourself available. Fans will appreciate having a place to go to be around people with similar interests (which, in this case, means your music).
  • Costume Contest. You can add this idea to your livestream event or leave it as a standalone competition. Challenge your fans to make costumes inspired by your music. Share their creativity online to engage the community further and give a prize (or multiple prizes) to the ones who blow you away.

We’ve added an extra suggestion to the video, but you’ll haver to watch it for the reveal. Good luck!

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