Mastering Radio Promotion: A Guide to Getting Your Music on the Airwaves

Understanding Radio Promotion

Radio promotion is a strategic process that aims to get a musician's tracks airplay on various radio platforms. It serves as a crucial vehicle for artists to connect with a wider audience and gain visibility within a competitive music industry. The promotion process encompasses a variety of tasks, including but not limited to, selecting the right radio stations, crafting compelling press kits, and establishing relationships with program directors and DJs who make decisions about what gets airtime.

There are notable differences between traditional radio and internet radio, which both play vital roles in radio promotion. Traditional radio primarily includes AM and FM stations that broadcast to specific geographic areas. These platforms tend to have set playlists and are often influenced by commercial interests. In contrast, internet radio has emerged as a dynamic alternative, allowing independent artists more opportunities to showcase their music without the constraints typical of traditional radio. Internet radio stations might focus on niche genres or provide a platform for emerging talent, thus broadening the scope of visibility for up-and-coming musicians.

The significance of radio airplay in an artist's career cannot be overstated. Successfully securing airplay can lead to increased recognition, enhanced credibility, and opportunities for live performances and collaborations. Regular rotation on comradely radio stations can also boost streaming and sales figures, making it a vital component of overall music marketing strategies. Moreover, as audiences often tune into radio to discover new music, effective radio promotion can significantly influence milestone achievements, such as chart placements and award nominations.

Ultimately, understanding the different facets of radio promotion, including how to navigate traditional versus internet radio, and recognizing its relevance for visibility and audience reach, is essential for any musician looking to expand their career horizons.

Identifying Your Target Stations

In the realm of radio promotion, pinpointing the right stations is a crucial step for any artist looking to increase their presence on airwaves. To begin this process, it is essential to conduct thorough research that aligns your genre and target demographic with potential listening audiences. This targeted approach not only enhances the probability of airplay but also elevates the effectiveness of your promotional efforts.

To create a targeted list of radio stations, start with identifying the genre of your music. Different stations cater to varied musical styles, ranging from pop, rock, hip-hop, to indie and electronic. Utilize online resources, such as music directories and industry reports, to find stations that specialize in your specific genre. Moreover, platforms like Spotify and Apple Music can provide insights into genre-related playlists, enabling you to discover stations that may be inclined to feature artists within those categories.

Additionally, consider geographic factors. Local radio stations often seek to promote nearby talent, making them prime targets for regional artists. Establishing connections with local radio DJs and producers can significantly improve your chances of getting airplay. When crafting your list, include both national and local stations, as well as online radio platforms, which have gained substantial traction in recent years.

Lastly, analyze each station’s programming. Check their playlists, review previous segments, and note their engagement with listeners to determine which stations are genuinely committed to supporting independent artists. By understanding the ethos and audience of each station, you can tailor your promotional materials accordingly, showcasing your music in a manner that resonates with their programming vision. This thoughtful approach in identifying and targeting the right stations can dramatically enhance your radio promotion strategy, paving the way for successful airplay and exposure.

Preparing Your Music for Submission

When it comes to submitting your music for radio play, the first step is to ensure that you have high-quality recordings. The audio quality of your tracks can significantly impact the likelihood of getting airplay. It is advisable to invest time and resources in achieving professional-grade recordings. This may involve working with a reputable sound engineer or utilizing professional mixing and mastering services. A polished sound will not only stand out to radio programmers but also enhance the overall listening experience for their audiences.

Selecting the right tracks for your submission is equally crucial. It is important to consider the specific style and format of the radio stations you aim to target. Researching each station will help you identify which of your songs align best with their programming. For instance, a station that focuses on contemporary pop may not be as receptive to a heavy metal track. Your goal should be to submit songs that fit their audience while showcasing your unique artistry. Additionally, including standout tracks that prominently feature your vocal or musical prowess can increase your chances of catching the attention of radio hosts.

Another essential element of preparation is creating an engaging press kit. This kit should encompass a variety of materials that effectively present your brand as an artist. Start with a professional biography that outlines your musical journey, achievements, and influences. High-quality cover art that resonates with your music's theme is also important; this creates a strong visual impact. Most importantly, include links to your social media platforms and music streaming services, making it simple for radio personnel to explore your work further. A well-crafted press kit not only demonstrates professionalism but also makes a lasting impression, effectively communicating why your music deserves to be played on air.

Crafting a Compelling Radio Pitch

When it comes to radio promotion, a well-crafted pitch is an essential tool for artists seeking to capture the attention of radio station programmers. The goal of this pitch is to not only introduce your music but also to create a compelling story that resonates with the audience and the station's objectives. A successful radio pitch begins with personalization; addressing the specific programmer by name can significantly increase your chances of being noticed. This small gesture shows that you have taken the time to research the station and understand its audience, thereby demonstrating your commitment to building a relationship.

The introduction of your pitch should be concise yet impactful. Aim for a hook that quickly conveys the essence of your music and what sets it apart. Mentioning your genre, and prominent influences can help set a context for the programmer. Following this, it is essential to include notable achievements that highlight your artistic credibility. Whether you have garnered awards, reached significant streaming milestones, or supported well-known artists on tour, these accolades can validate your presence in the industry and provide context for the relevance of your sound.

Furthermore, it is advisable to specify why your music would be a great fit for the particular radio station. This could involve citing specific programs or segments that align with your style or theme. A tailored pitch demonstrates your understanding of the station's lineup and its listeners, thereby increasing the likelihood of your music being aired. In crafting your radio pitch, remember that clarity and brevity are key. Programmers receive numerous submissions daily, so maintaining a clear focus without excessive detail is crucial. By integrating these elements, you can develop a compelling radio pitch that stands out amidst the competition.

Leveraging Audio and Visual Content

In today’s digital landscape, the importance of audio and visual content in music promotion cannot be overstated. Engaging music videos, live session recordings, and eye-catching audio snippets serve not only to enhance an artist's visibility but also to provide radio stations with a more comprehensive view of their artistry. By effectively leveraging these media formats, musicians can significantly increase their chances of getting airtime.

Creating a captivating music video should be one of the primary strategies for artists aiming to promote their music. A well-produced video can convey emotions that are often difficult to convey through audio alone. Additionally, music videos are highly shareable across social media platforms, allowing for greater exposure. They can showcase the artist’s personality, style, and the overall message behind the song, creating a narrative that resonates with audiences and radio programmers alike.

Furthermore, artists should consider producing live session recordings that capture the raw energy of their performances. These sessions not only provide a glimpse into the artist's live capabilities but also offer an authentic audio experience that can be appealing to both listeners and radio stations. Sharing snippets from these sessions can create buzz and keep fans engaged, as well as demonstrate versatility in the artist's work.

Social media plays a critical role in this process. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube provide excellent opportunities to share short audio clips and behind-the-scenes content that can capture attention quickly. By strategically posting snippets that highlight song hooks or engaging moments, artists can encourage followers to engage, share, and ultimately request their songs on air. Overall, the integration of audio and visual content can significantly enhance an artist's outreach, ensuring a broader landscape for radio promotion.

Engaging with Radio Station Personalities

Building relationships with radio hosts and DJs can significantly enhance your chances of getting your music heard on the airwaves. These individuals are often the gatekeepers to radio play and can influence how your music is received by a broader audience. Therefore, fostering a strong rapport with them is essential for successful radio promotion.

One effective strategy for networking with radio personalities is to attend industry events and music showcases. These gatherings present opportunities for artists to meet with radio hosts, allowing for informal conversations that can lead to a greater sense of familiarity. A personal connection can make them more inclined to consider your music for future airplay. Be prepared to introduce yourself and share a brief synopsis of your music journey or recent projects, ensuring you remain concise yet memorable.

In addition to in-person interactions, connecting with radio personalities on social media platforms such as Twitter or Instagram can be equally beneficial. Engaging with their content by liking, commenting, or sharing their posts can help you gain visibility. Some radio hosts actively promote new music and appreciate when artists reach out respectfully. Crafting personalized messages that express genuine interest in their work, coupled with a brief introduction about your own music, can help open the door for more substantial communication.

After submitting your music, following up with a thoughtful message can demonstrate your dedication and professionalism. A polite follow-up indicates that you value their opinion and are interested in fostering a long-term relationship, rather than a one-off engagement. Remember to be patient and respectful of their time, as radio personalities often receive numerous submissions and inquiries. Cultivating these relationships can ultimately lead to regular airplay and help establish your presence within the music industry.

Monitoring Airplay and Feedback

In the competitive landscape of music promotion, especially for independent artists, monitoring airplay and listener feedback is a crucial part of ensuring your music reaches its intended audience. Tracking where and how often your songs are played can provide invaluable insights into your promotional strategy’s effectiveness. Various tools and platforms are available that simplify this process, allowing you to keep tabs on airplay statistics across different radio stations.

Several airplay monitoring services can track your music across multiple platforms. These services provide detailed reports on your tracks' play frequencies and the specific stations that air them. By understanding which stations play your music, you can tailor your promotional efforts and focus on cultivating relationships with influential radio personalities or program directors. Additionally, platforms that aggregate airplay data can often offer insights into geographic trends, helping you to identify stronger markets for your music.

Gathering listener feedback is equally important in refining your future submissions. Engaging with your audience through social media channels, artist websites, or music streaming platforms can facilitate direct communication regarding their impressions of your tracks. Consider implementing surveys or polls to solicit more structured feedback. This information can help you gauge which aspects of your music resonate with listeners and which areas may require improvement.

Analyzing both airplay data and listener responses provides a comprehensive view of your music's performance on the airwaves. The insights gained from monitoring airplay will not only aid in adjusting your promotional strategies but also contribute to the overall quality of your music. By continuously refining your approach based on real-world feedback, you can enhance your chances of success in a dynamic industry.

Utilizing Social Media to Amplify Radio Presence

In today’s music landscape, social media serves as a pivotal tool for artists aiming to enhance their radio presence. Utilizing platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook can significantly amplify your reach and engage your audience effectively. By promoting your radio appearances on these platforms, you can create anticipation among your followers while encouraging them to tune in.

One effective strategy is to create countdown posts leading up to your song's airplay. Use engaging graphics, snippets of the song, or behind-the-scenes content to capture the attention of your audience. This not only builds excitement but also urges your fans to mark the date and time for your anticipated radio debut. Furthermore, consider utilizing Instagram Stories and Twitter to share reminders and links to the radio station’s live stream, ensuring your listeners have easy access to your music.

Engagement is essential, especially when your song airs. Encourage your fans to share their listening experiences by using designated hashtags related to your song or your radio appearance. This not only fosters a sense of community but also spreads word-of-mouth promotion as fans engage with each other about the music. Engaging directly with your audience through comments or live sessions can further enhance their connection to your music, making them feel like integral parts of your journey.

Another significant aspect is collaborating with other artists or influencers on these social media platforms to broaden your audience. By partnering for a live session or sharing each other’s promotional content, you can tap into new fan bases and increase your overall visibility, which ultimately leads to greater exposure on radio platforms. The effective use of social media, therefore, can substantially enhance your radio presence and contribute to the success of your musical career.

Measuring the Impact of Radio Promotion

Assessing the effectiveness of your radio promotion initiatives is a crucial aspect of understanding your music's reach and resonance with audiences. Various metrics can be employed to gauge the impact of these efforts, each providing valuable insights into how exposure on the airwaves influences your music's traction. One primary metric is the increase in streaming numbers across platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. Tracking pre- and post-promotion streaming statistics can reveal a direct correlation between airplay and listener engagement, thereby highlighting the success of the radio campaign.

Another significant indicator of radio promotion's effectiveness is the uptick in downloads of your tracks. A well-timed radio feature can drive listeners to digital stores, culminating in a notable spike in sales. Utilizing analytics tools from music distribution platforms can aid in refining these metrics, helping artists and labels closely monitor patterns and make informed decisions regarding future promotional activities. Additionally, assessing shifts in social media engagement can serve as a powerful indicator of radio promotion success. Increased follower counts, likes, shares, and comments following airplay can show how well the audience is responding to the exposure.

Furthermore, an overall fan growth assessment provides a broader picture of radio promotion impact. This can involve monitoring newsletter sign-ups, concert attendance, and merchandise sales. When an artist's fanbase grows post-radio exposure, it illustrates not just immediate engagement but also the long-term potential for loyalty and support from listeners. Ultimately, evaluating these aspects collectively allows artists to form a comprehensive understanding of their radio promotion effectiveness while shaping strategies for future endeavors.

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How to Use the Search Console Sitemaps Report

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlamLfyFjTA&t=253s

Hi, I'm Daniel Waisberg, Search Advocate at Google. And today, I'll talk about how to use the Search Console sitemaps report. By the end of this video, you should be able to understand what a sitemap is, decide whether you need one or not, and learn how to submit a sitemap and track its status using Search Console.

What is a Sitemap?

A sitemap is a signal about which URLs you would like Google to crawl on your site. It may provide information on URLs that were recently created or modified, and give us some extra information about them. Google supports four main ways for you to provide additional information.

You can extend a URL with images included in it, you can also extend a URL with videos included in it, you can include information about alternate languages or country versions with hreflang annotations, and, finally, for news sites, you can use a special variation of sitemaps, to give us information about the most recent updates. Note that this information won't necessarily be highlighted on Search Console. But you can still provide it in your sitemap.

Do You Need a Sitemap?

But if I don't have a sitemap, will Google find all my pages? I'm glad you asked, John. Usually, if you have a relatively small website, and your pages are properly linked, Googlebot can discover your content. So, you don't need to worry about the sitemap. However, if your site meets one of the following criteria, a sitemap might help Google decide what and when to crawl your website.

If your site is really large, a sitemap will help Google prioritize the URLs to crawl. If your pages are isolated, or not well linked to each other, a sitemap might help Google find those pages. If your site is new, or it has a lot of quickly changing content, such as a news website, a sitemap will help Google discover your content.

Please, remember, that using a sitemap doesn't guarantee that all your pages will be crawled and indexed. But in most cases, your site will benefit from having a sitemap. And there is no disadvantage for having one. In addition, sitemaps don't replace normal crawling. And not including URLs in a sitemap, won't result in those URLs no longer being crawled.

How to Create a Sitemap

Hmm... interesting. I might need a sitemap. But how can I create one? Another great question, John. Ideally, the system running your website will make sitemap files for you, automatically. For example, you can find a WordPress plug-in, or a Drupal extension if you use those content management systems.

Check the documentation from your provider, as every platform is slightly different. We recommend finding a way to automatically generate sitemaps, rather than creating them manually. Usually, this will involve running code on your server, so if you're not a developer, you might need help from one. There are limits to the number of URLs and the maximum size of a sitemap file.

If you need more space, you can make multiple sitemap files. You can also submit all of these sitemap files together, in the form of an index sitemap file. Doing that makes it a bit easier to track them all together in one place. To learn more about sitemap's formats and guidelines, check our Help Center.

Using the Sitemaps Report in Search Console

Before I go into Search Console, please note that the sitemaps report shows only sitemaps that you submitted using Search Console. It does not show any sitemaps discovered through a robot.txt reference or other discovery methods. However, even if we already discovered a sitemap through other means, you can still submit it using this report, in order to track errors and warnings.

So, let's look at the report. Open Search Console and find the sitemaps report. If you have already submitted one or more sitemaps, you'll find the following information about each sitemap that you submitted: the sitemap URL; the type or format of sitemaps, such as XML, TXT, RSS, or Atom; the last submission date using this report; the date it was last read by Google; the crawl status such as Success, Has errors, Couldn't fetch, and others; the number of URLs discovered in the sitemap.

You will note an icon next to each successful sitemap. Clicking it will lead you to the index coverage status report for the specific sitemap. I'll talk about this report in the next episode. But sitemaps can also be partially read, even if they have errors.

If your sitemap status is Success, good job! If you have any errors in the status column, click the specific row to see more details. You'll find a complete list of errors, and what to do in each case in the Search Console Help Center.

If you want to submit a new sitemap, simply open the sitemaps report, and submit the URL.You will need owner permission for a property in order to submit it. If you submitted a sitemap but it's not relevant anymore, you can delete it from Search Console. But know that deleting a sitemap, removes it from this report, but doesn't make Google forget the sitemap or any URLs listed on it.

In order for Google to forget the sitemap, just remove it from your site and return a 404. After some attempts, Google will give up and completely stop refreshing the sitemap. But this has nothing to do with the URLs in the sitemap. If you truly need Google to stop visiting the URLs listed in a sitemap, you will need to return a 404 or use a robot.txt rule for the URLs that you want to block. This is what you would do in order for Google to stop crawling this page.

If your goal is to remove the URL from the Google index altogether, you should either use the noindex directive or require HTTP authentication for users to see your page.

Conclusion

I hope this video helped you understand when you should use a sitemap, and how Search Console can help you. In the next episode, I'll talk about how to use Search Console to check which of your pages have been indexed, and any problems found during that process.

And, by the way, check out the Ask Google Webmasters series, where John Mueller, our guest star today, actually answers lots of questions submitted by the Webmaster community. And don't forget to subscribe to the Google Webmasters YouTube channel, where we'll be publishing lots of Search Console videos.

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Normalizing Conversations About Death, Dying, and Funerals

Today, I was moderating a conversation about death, dying, and funerals in an attempt to normalize this conversation that we all should be having with the people we love. It's really uncomfortable for a lot of people to talk about death, dying, and funerals, right? Who wants to confront their own mortality and openly say, "Hey, I'm going to die one day"?

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Evergreen Memorial Gardens

16102 Fort Road R.R. #6, Site 2, Box 20, North Edmonton, Alberta, T5Y 6A2. (780) 851-4152

I think people have a hard time talking about death because they don't want to think about their own mortality. They don't want to think about leaving those they are close to and those they love. Do we think that in our reluctance to talk about it, we could be making things more difficult? I know that I wouldn't want to leave my children with any questions to struggle with if I were to suddenly be gone.

Starting the Conversation in Bite-Sized Pieces

Rather than making it such a big deal and a very formal occasion, let's sit down and talk about death. I think the way to do it is in little bite-sized pieces and just start having smaller conversations. Maybe talk about someone you know or perhaps a funeral you attended, and just plant the seeds for the bigger conversation. Talking about what you want is also a good way to open up the conversation with others about what they would like. You could go home today and say, "Hey, I was talking to somebody..."

End-of-Life Planning

What I found most interesting about today's session was the fact that most of the people in that room had really not thought about or considered end-of-life planning. So, I'm just curious, how early on do people start having conversations with you about planning a funeral? I mean, I've personally never planned one before, so I'm not really sure. I think once they call us and are able to have a conversation with us, it naturally leads to them coming in and meeting with us. We have an open discussion about their thoughts, and then we're able to guide them with our knowledge. People do have some really great ideas about how they'd like to do that.

Personal Preferences for Funerals

For my funeral, I would probably insist on loud music, lots of food and drink, and I would want people leaving like they leave my house after a party, saying, "What a good party, what a good funeral." At my funeral, you can definitely expect a churro bar. I think it's really important to have those conversations about what you want, but I also think it's important to have conversations with your family about what they might need. There are a lot of people, for instance, who have this tendency to say, "You know what? I don't want to make a fuss."

Breaking the Taboo

Death has not been a topic of conversation that I've normally discussed. My parents come from a generation where it's still considered a little bit taboo, and my son is our youngest, so it's really up to me to change that and start the conversation. When I get home, I will definitely be initiating a conversation about my end-of-life wishes because today really made me hyper-aware that it's not just about me; it's about who I'm leaving behind.

Family Conversations

I've heard the conversations today, and I'm definitely going to go home and chat with my husband about my end-of-life wishes. I think it's really important because we have a newborn, and I am now thinking beyond myself and about our family as a whole when it comes to these decisions. I think it's also important to know that while we're talking a lot about celebrating and making it somewhat uplifting, someone has died, and that's sad. A really good funeral allows space for all emotions to be felt. That's what that day is for—it's a dedicated day to honor, celebrate, and just feel.

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The best TikTok Advice For musicians by far

By / September 7, 2024

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_798SPiLmFo

Why Your TikTok Viewers Don’t Stream Your Songs

This is why your TikTok viewers don’t stream your songs. I hear from musicians all the time, “I had a viral video where I played my song, and only 3% of the people streamed it. I thought TikTok was how you promote music.”

Sure enough, when I check their profile, they have no link in bio. Half the time, even when they have a link in bio, it doesn’t say to stream the song at the top. It says it after a link to buy their favorite scented candle. Also, at the top of your link in bio, you should say to stream that song, have a link to your Spotify, or have the line from the song that’s going viral on TikTok in that link in bio.

Seriously, I suggest link in bios from Koji since they look sick like this, and you’ll get way more clicks than those boring Linktrees.

Optimizing TikTok Videos for Music Promotion

But if the melody repeats twice in your hook, you can try making two versions, one with a longer and one with a shorter hook, and see what works best. Putting up many versions of your song is often what drives them going viral, and we really can’t tell unless we experiment.

Leveraging Instagram for Music Promotion

Instagram exists to fill in TikTok’s flaws. Straight up, one of the biggest complaints musicians have about TikTok is when they announce their album or tour, you know, the big events that these musicians really care about, those posts do way worse than when you dunk your head in a toilet or any other type of TikTok you make. And yes, I see this for the hugest artists on here. You can often see a hundred times disparity between announcement posts and their more viral content.

But you have to remember, TikTok only cares about spreading the most engaging content. So unless you make your news fit in that format, it’s going to fail to spread. But this is why you should also not give up on Instagram since TikTok lets you link that in your profile. And the grid stories are still the most effective way to keep fans up on your latest news, and they can complement each other if you have them feed each other.

Gaining Followers on TikTok

Want to get more follows on TikTok? You need to remind people who you are with more cues than just your face. Having a background, particularly with a signature item in the background, or wearing something that is recognizable and consistent like a hat, a certain hairstyle, glasses, or style of dress goes super far. Having some sort of visual signature where people will think, “Oh, it’s that person with the thing,” will do wonders for how effective you are at gaining follows.

The Earworm Era of Music

We are no longer in the TikTok era of music; we are now in what I’m calling the earworm era of music. What’s working is odd TikToks to get songs to blow up. Artists are pushing their own music by making tons of TikToks to the hook, as opposed to the TikTok era when it was other users and influencers making videos of artist songs. Now the power is in the artist’s hands to break their own songs, which is a big deal.

I keep talking to musicians who are blown away by other musicians making 30 to 60 TikToks to finally make their song go viral. And well, you can’t really argue that it is working for some people to do numerous clips of their music video and tons of lip-sync videos to push their song until it blows up.

Why This Strategy Works

But why does this work? Well, think of it this way. Songs aren’t like normal TikToks. We all have had an earworm of a hook. It took a few listens to get into our head, and if you hear that hook a few times, you may be prone to watching the next video even more. And if you start to like the hooks of the song, then it drives up the playthrough rate on the TikTok, and it gets spread more to more people. So making tons of videos with the same hook of your song over and over, well, it seems to make sense why it keeps being TikTok gold.

Optimizing Your TikTok Strategy

This is why your TikTok earworm isn’t working. One, you need to be hashtagging micro-genres of music. Hashtagging hip hop or EDM is too big. Find niches on TikTok and study other similar users’ hashtags. Two, your song isn’t clearly labeled in your TikTok, or TikTok doesn’t recognize it. Add your song using CapCut from the song library to make sure people can look it up. A recent study showed 64% of TikTok users rarely have a clue what they’re listening to. Three, capture the lyrics on the screen since it increases watch time. And lastly, make sure your video has motion in it. Tell a story in it. People get engaged by storytelling.

Engaging with Your Audience

If you’re having trouble growing on here, this is a nice trick. Right before you make a post, go through all your recent videos and reply back to any comment or like them. That way, when you put up your next video, if the user has recently interacted with you, well, they’re way more likely to get you in their feed with your new post and keep building a relationship with you.

Improving Your TikTok Views

So many of you can’t get your TikTok, reels, or shorts past a couple hundred views, but here’s how to fix that. Stop using big, crowded, broad hashtags. You want micro-genre and niche hashtags. Instead of emo, you want things like elder emo or Midwest emo. For the love of God, don’t use hashtag musician or FYP. The reason the big TikTokers can get away with that or not using hashtags is the algorithm understands who to show them to, but they don’t know what to do with you, which is why you have no views.

Next, unfollow your friends who aren’t musicians similar to you and follow them from a personal account. Only follow musicians in your community. Now comment, like, and bookmark their TikToks that you really like. And if you don’t know how to find those musicians you’re similar to, you should watch this video I made on how to find them here. But one last thing, you should also duet, stitch, or repost the artists that are similar to you and that you’re friends with. After that, things should start going better for you.

Developing Effective TikToks

A lot of musicians ask me what they can do to promote their music on TikTok. This is real easy. I have three questions you could ask yourself to develop TikToks that could help you grow. The first question is, what’s something you hear in someone else’s music you think other people aren’t noticing? TikTok is all about pointing out those hidden parts of music we all love and getting a deeper understanding of it.

Next, what’s something you’re doing musically you think people may not know about? Explain to the audience a part of your song and show them how you did it. This is a prime advertisement for them to go to your song and go deeper with it after they watch this. What’s a lyric or an emotion you made musically that you could explain to the world? Explain what a line or two of your lyrics mean and get vulnerable and allow people to connect with you. Tell the story around it and give fans and new listeners a greater understanding of your music.

Optimal Length for TikTok Videos

Musicians are always asking me, “What’s the optimal length for a TikTok where they’re lip-syncing their song or clipping a part of their music video?” Since every lame influencer person is always running around saying, “eight seconds is the optimal time.” But here’s what matters when it’s music. Figure out how much of your hook needs to be in your TikTok to get in someone’s head. That is really what matters when making an intriguing video. But if the melody repeats twice in your hook, you can try making two versions, one with a longer and one with a shorter hook, and see what works best, since putting up many versions of your song is often what drives them going viral. And we really can’t tell unless we experiment.

Creating Compelling TikToks

So many of you are wondering why your TikToks or shorts aren’t hitting, and what so many of you miss is that it’s way more compelling to say why you did something that’s happening in your video since a lot of the time, well, the what is pretty obvious and you’re not adding much context or even sometimes embarrassing yourself by saying you wrote the song of the summer. But if the why is vulnerable or relatable, you open up a bonding moment with the viewer that makes them way more likely to enjoy your song. So popping a sentence or two of why on top of a lip-sync video or something else could be what helps make your video pop off.

Effective POV TikToks

POV TikToks are really driving songs into the TikTok algorithm lately, but there’s a trick to make them really effective. As I’ve told you, the best way to get people to stream your songs is to tell them the emotion they would feel if they listened to your song. So if it’s an EDM banger, make a POV showing the club getting wild. If it’s a sad ballad, show someone bawling their eyes out. You can make numerous POV videos for the hook of your song reiterating the emotions that’ll make the audience feel if they hit play on it, and it will get them to jump to Spotify or YouTube and stream the song to hear the full thing if you show them an emotion that they’d rather feel.

Self-Promotional TikToks

For so long, self-promotional videos weren’t blowing up on TikTok, reels, or shorts, but now they’re really doing numbers for so many musicians. But there are a few tricks you should know. All the TikToks you make should use the same hook. So even if the footage is from your music video and you’re playing a different part of the song of the music video, you should still use the hook as the music for that TikTok. Second, if the lyrics are strong or hard to make out, use the app captions to make captions of the lyrics to draw people in and make sure the song and video loop perfectly on beat so that it’s more likely to be played repeatedly.

Using TikTok Stories

How should musicians be using TikTok stories? TikTok is rolling out stories to users, and so many of you are asking me if you should just put what’s on your Instagram stories here. And the truth is, the feature isn’t really fully fleshed out yet. It isn’t functioning the same as Instagram stories or Snapchat stories used to, but for now, I would focus on putting whatever news and announcements you have here on a regular basis, especially if you have a TikTok going viral so those who are new to your profile could see what you’re up to.

The Importance of TikTok Influencer Marketing

I feel like at any point in time there’s an obvious trend happening that most people are in denial of. In every single genre, TikTok influencer marketing is the hidden hand making songs popular. It’s where people are blowing up by putting very little money. If you look where the music business is spending its money, it’s here. I haven’t seen musicians changing their strategies to incorporate it. Admittedly, I’ve been experimenting on a few campaigns, and it’s been crazy to watch how few dollars we spend to get so many people to listen to a song.

I’m consistently shocked how many musicians complain when they have quick viral moments, or their song gets a lot of streams, but then no one follows them on Instagram or whatever social media. But what most of these musicians have in common is they either don’t have many other songs out that people rinse or they haven’t made a music video. The reason music videos are important is they build relationships with audiences that get them curious to know more about you. And you know who gets followed on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok? People who’ve generated curiosity fans want to know more about and build a relationship with, and music videos are the ultimate way to do that.

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20 Music Marketing Ideas to Boost Your Career

By / September 7, 2024

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QO_RLqitEI

Sometimes it’s fun to do a quick video to stimulate your brain and give you some ideas on what else you could be thinking about. In this video, I’m gonna give you 20 music marketing ideas that I think are a little outside the box in under 18 minutes. I hope you enjoy it!

Seriously, you have to stop telling people to just stream your song. This is some of the most concussed lazy music marketing. The only reason people listen to music is it makes them feel a way they’d rather be feeling. So anytime you’re encouraging someone to listen to your music, tell them how they could be feeling if they put on your song as it’s a way better sell. Try things like this:

Sink into the sadness abyss with my new song “Longing for Timothy Chalamet.”

Get ready to topple the capitalist system with my new track “Radicalized by a Hulu Doc.”

It’s time to rock the party and turn up with my new track “Dabbing on the Way to Death.”

Embrace the loneliness with my new song “Beer Pong with Myself.”

Every one of these prompts will get you more listens than just telling people to listen to a song they have no clue how it will make them feel. Think of the emotion your song brings and tell them how they could be feeling if they listened.

Take Advantage of YouTube Premiere

One of the most under-discussed opportunities musicians don’t take advantage of is the YouTube Premiere. With the click of one button and the length of your song, you can really up your stream numbers. The YouTube Premiere has two advantages:

First, it goes into the subscription feed, so when people are browsing through their subscriptions, they could see you’re releasing a song and even click to get reminded about it. This allows your single to create awareness before it’s out in the feed and afterwards, increasing the chances it gets heard. It also sends notifications to subscribers who have them enabled when it’s actually out.

Second, the real advantage it gives is that you can have a chat in the premiere and do bonding with fans, starting to create deeper bonds with them so they talk to their friends about you and spread the word about your music. Just be sure to let your followers know you will be hanging out in the chat during the premiere. You can even lengthen your video with outtakes to entice people to come and then trim them out in YouTube’s back end afterwards.

How Often Should You Release Music?

A lot of people ask me how often you should release music. Since the number one thing that could pluck you out of obscurity is Spotify playlist placements, you can only submit to one of those at a time. Spotify themselves recommend giving at least one week notice at minimum. So releasing any more than bi-weekly is dumb since you’re losing out on that free potential lottery ticket you could win if you get on a big playlist.

But then we get into the balance of being the little musician who cried song. If you release music too often, it becomes uneventful. This is why you see most of the artists blowing up today releasing a song every two months. You can continually remind them to listen to it and build a relationship with it, but most of all, it makes it important and not disposable. In a world with 60,000 songs being uploaded every day to Spotify, you need people to feel a song is important from you to want to give it a chance. Putting out 20 to 50 songs a year just doesn’t do that.

Go Beyond the Mirror

Okay, let’s get this straight: whether it’s a song, your music video idea, or marketing for your song, the execution’s important. But the reality is the ideas are usually safe and boring and they don’t go far enough, which is why they fail. The key to getting the best ideas is to have a blue sky period. I learned this technique from the writing room of “The Office” which they use to come up with all their crazy ideas.

It’s where you call out ideas and no one’s allowed to call them dumb. Instead, you’re only allowed to move past them or build upon the idea to make it as imaginative and beyond what anyone would normally think of. Meaning you can take the idea further, but there’s no negative commentary allowed during this period since we want creativity rewarded, not discouraged. You want to encourage the most out-there ideas and then once the period’s over, then you reign them in—or you don’t if the out-there idea is the right one.

Make a Credits Post

One of the most easy posts you can make that I see so many musicians sleep on, which will improve the reach of your song and get you shares along with getting your song in front of the people most likely to listen to them, is a credits post. Simply make a carousel on Instagram or a TikTok where you list off the credits of who worked on your song and be sure to tag everyone using the tag function on either platform.

On the screen now, you can see the way FKA Twigs did this on her last album. You could also make a tweet and do the same and use the image you used on Instagram as a picture in the post. When you make the TikTok of the song, be sure to mention something special about each person’s contribution and increase the likelihood of them sharing it to their audience. This is a perfect release date post that is likely to have the people you worked with share it, and when they share it, their fans will likely listen to your track since they are fans after all.

Surpass the Mirror

One of the reasons people aren’t connecting with what you’re doing musically is you’re doing what I call “the mirror,” which is the minimum expected effort required. All of your favorite artists go beyond the mirror in songwriting, performances, and their creative endeavors, which is why you enjoy them. But you are probably doing what you see as passable, aka the mirror.

Here’s a real-world example of the mirror: if you’re making a music video, you may say, “Ah, I only have to film for one day and then maybe do five hours of editing,” but if you go past that, that’s often what makes exceptional content. Here’s some examples of surpassing the mirror:

OK Go in their classic viral videos were all cause no other group of awkward white guys was going to learn to do those dance routines to get attention. The whole sad boy rap genre loves to do these really sick videos all made with drones and high-def cameras, but Echo 2k’s video for “Peroxide” took it where the competition wanted—a goddamn wind farm in the sea. Guppy and Fraxium aka Food House’s video for “Thoth Moser” went further than all the people trying to do the extremely online thing when they took it to a whole other level and went way past the mirror.

Stop Teasing Your Music

Teasing your music is killing your progress and growing your fan base. I know a lot of you probably think it helps your music to write the cringy posts of “10 days” and I know you see your favorite artists do this and want to pretend you’re important to millions of people just like them, but you’re not. Let’s remember every time you make a post you’re balancing annoying people versus giving them value, and they unfollow you when you don’t give them any value after too many posts of worthless drivel.

You have to hope every time you actually get someone’s attention and they are willing to click a link and grow their relationship with you, you can deliver them something they enjoy, which a teaser never does. This is why you should never promote your songs in advance. Instead, entice them to listen to something that if they click it, it may actually have them listening over and over again. No one’s marking their calendar to hear your song in a few days, so give them immediate satisfaction.

Quality Over Quantity

When you’re thinking about how often you release music, the first consideration should be: do you have enough good material worth putting the effort into promoting it? Since the most important thing is consistently sustaining your promotion, if you do have a handful of songs ready to go in advance, then we have to remember the instinct can be to just drop one every week. But the problem is that doesn’t make people feel any of those songs are important, and they don’t seem important to you since you just keep dropping them without making a big deal out of them.

You’re not making a music video, you’re not going on and on about the story of the song. My data, as well as experience, as well as what I see with artists blowing up, is releasing a song every two months by making a music video, a lyric video, and continually telling stories. It makes people feel like they should be paying attention since you’re making a big deal out of it. Putting out a song every seven days? Well, that feels like you’re just throwing [ __ ] at the wall and desperate. Sorry.

Don’t Get Discouraged by Initial Numbers

One of the main ways musicians make themselves miserable for no good reason—and trust me, there’s plenty of reasons to be miserable—is they get depressed when their streams don’t blow up on day one. When the fact is, if your song actually bangs, the numbers will be way bigger a week later. I mean, even Spotify said this in a recent slideshow: 53% of releases peak more than seven days after release.

Even though there’s this myth that songs blow up on TikTok overnight or blow up on the same day, instead they blow up from consistent sustained promotion where you’re continually reminding people to listen to your music. So many people reach despair when it’s not going well, but allow me to remind you of the horrible fact that Lil Nas X has recorded the most popular song of all time and it did nothing the first day it was out. But he kept pushing it and telling stories around it until it did.

Remember, the difference in how big your fan base will always be is how much you push and sustain promotion for nine to eighteen months. This is the most determinative factor. So don’t get down when things aren’t changing on release date and keep pushing. Take the temperature after a week of really pushing hard, not a few hours.

Release Singles in the Right Order

You’re not releasing singles in the right order. You ever notice how often times when your favorite band comes out with a new song, it’s just kind of mids, not particularly your favorite song of theirs? But then single two and three and then four just keep getting better and better. That’s called focus tracks, and as you keep releasing them, you’ll hopefully be picking up more followers and getting a more and more engaged audience.

So when you get to your best material, it has the highest likelihood of blowing up and putting up big numbers on the board and then igniting interest in it along with all that material you were releasing before. While we can’t ever fully tell what songs will blow up, it makes sense to try to order them in the order of the one with the most potential coming later in the cycle. This is also helpful since if the audience keeps hearing about you, it improves the chance that they’ll give this one a shot.

Promote Old Songs with New Releases

New songs are the best way to promote your old songs. So many of you write me or comment on my YouTube videos that you really want to promote songs you released that you really don’t feel got their due. And I get it, you pour your heart out and believe in them and you want to see those numbers go up. Well, aside from re-releasing them and hoping the algorithm and playlist placements along with a new splash of attention will help you get them noticed, the thing I tell everyone is the best way to promote your old songs is releasing more songs.

I see it constantly that an artist gets attention for one song, but then the fans find that song that didn’t take off, and all of a sudden that song starts to get its due. Tons of artists and probably some of your favorite artists got a new push to an old song when audiences found it, but they find them because you draw attention to yourself with the best marketing tool possible: a new song.

Stop Seeing the Music Business as a “Shoot Your Shot” Situation

Whenever I’m talking to musicians, they’re talking about getting an opportunity for a manager to listen to them or an A&R or a booking agent who wants to talk to them. They mention shooting their shot. This is totally the wrong mindset. When I’m out with friends in the music biz, we always talk about that we will often meet an artist and they’ll ask to work with us and we say no at first, but then we come around.

Hell, every band I ever managed asked numerous times before I said yes. This is because once you’re on our radar, we want to see you doing cool things, working hard on your own, and most of all, continuing to make good music. It’s not a shot, but instead, we want to see you play a game for a while to develop a relationship with you and make sure you’re not insane. So keep us updated when you meet us, and as you keep growing and ascending, let us know. And remember, it’s not just one shot, it’s about developing a relationship.

How to Get More People to Your Shows

So many of you wonder how you can do one of those shows that finally gets you in front of the right people so you can finally start building a local audience. Here’s a trick I’ve done with a few artists over the years. Even if you’re in a small town, they have events where large groups of people gather. Convince a local bar or club near the event to let you do a show that’s billed as the after-party for this event or the pre-party.

This works especially well if you find it around your audience niche. Like, if you do prog rock, doing this for after the Renaissance Fair. If you make 2000’s emo, do it at the Hot Topic sale. If you make Imagine Dragons-style cringe rock, do it around a sporting event. You get my point. Build your event as the pre-party or after-party and flyer that extensively, especially if it’s a multi-day event. Get there the day before. People are always looking for where to turn up and keep the party going. Be that party and enjoy the rewards.

Spotify Music + Talk DJ Sets and Artist Playlists

This is why Spotify Music + Talk DJ sets and your artist playlists matter to grow your music. Okay, so by the reaction to one of my latest YouTube videos, a lot of you didn’t get that the only way an algorithm can learn to recommend you is by seeing similar users listen to you or share you and tag you. One of the ways you can get massive growth is to find a bunch of artists that are similar to you in sound but slightly bigger and one week put them on your Spotify artist playlist.

Then tweet and share on Instagram you updated that playlist while tagging those artists so they hopefully share it themselves. Then the next week, do a Spotify Music and Talk DJ set and share it the same way. This will hopefully get the fans to tune in and like you and then start getting the algorithm to see you as intertwined with them and recommend you. Just don’t go tagging huge artists and think that will help. Leave Drake alone, please.

Post Content Throughout the Day

Social media doesn’t have a perfect time. There are people who read social media in the morning, the afternoon, the evening, and even at midnight. Which we all also have to remember, if you’re on the East Coast, is the evening for California. You need to post content about your big announcements all through the day and across multiple days so your audience actually sees it.

This feeds at midnight when your song drops. Make a post and interact with the night owls. Then rise and shine in the morning and get up and post first thing. Then around lunchtime, you need to remind again. And then around dinnertime, it’s time to give that crowd one more reminder. Whenever you do something big, these reminders can be reposting the story of a fan listening to it or a retweet of a compliment onto just retweeting your own posts and making what was a grid post on Instagram now a story.

So many musicians concern themselves with being annoying and that’s smart, but for your big announcements, take a day or two to really make a big noise so everyone hears it. And if you’re tasteful normally, you’ll keep the follows.

Using TikTok Sounds

Using TikTok sounds is crucial to getting you in front of potential fans’ eyes. Sounds are just as good as hashtags in getting your TikToks in front of potential fans who love your micro-genre of music. If you notice a sound trending that’s similar to a sound you should start putting in your videos as soon as possible. This also goes for if a song is really popping off in your genre right now. Even if the song is only being used a little, TikTok takes the songs people have liked before and continuously serves it to them, targeting the potential fans with the most susceptibility to liking your music.

If you click on that little revolving vinyl-like button down in the corner, you can click and see how many people are using this song. And fun fact, even if you don’t want the song to play in your video, you can use it as kind of a hashtag thing by turning it down so it’s inaudible and still get the same benefits from it.

Focus on Spotify

Spotify is the only streaming audio platform you should be concentrating on. On my YouTube channel, I just put up my annual free thorough video on how to promote yourself on Spotify. And there was one thing I said that shocked a lot of viewers. A lot of musicians talk like spending time promoting their music on Apple Music or even worse,

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Dwight Heck

I am passionate about helping people live more fulfilling lives by embracing a positive mindset and taking action towards their goals. In this article, I want to focus on the importance of developing resilience in the face of adversity.

Resilience is a crucial trait for achieving success in any area of life. It allows us to bounce back from setbacks and failures, to adapt to changing circumstances, and to persevere in the face of challenges. Without resilience, we may give up too easily or become overwhelmed by obstacles.

One of the most effective ways to build resilience is to develop a growth mindset. This means approaching challenges as opportunities for learning and growth, rather than as threats to our self-esteem or abilities. By adopting a growth mindset, we can reframe setbacks as opportunities to improve and become stronger.

Another key aspect of resilience is the ability to manage stress effectively. When we encounter stressors, such as difficult work projects or personal conflicts, it’s important to have healthy coping mechanisms in place. This might include exercise, meditation, or talking to a trusted friend or therapist.

Finally, building strong relationships and social support networks is also essential for resilience. Having people in our lives who we can turn to for support and encouragement can make all the difference, especially when facing tough times.

As you work to build your resilience, remember that setbacks and challenges are a natural part of life. By embracing a growth mindset, managing stress, and building supportive relationships, you can develop the resilience you need to thrive.

If you’re interested in learning more about how to build resilience and live a more fulfilling life, be sure to check out my book “Give a Heck” and visit my website at www.dwightheck.com. Remember, you have the power to create the life you want – so go out there and Give a Heck!

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