As with so many sectors, the music industry has been transformed by digital platforms and technologies with the business now in a very different place when compared to twenty years ago.
Of course, desired music industry job skills have also progressed too, with courses such as SAE’s Music Business degree being a great starting place to stay on top of the latest trends, developments and music marketing strategies.
Music marketing is one part of our degree that will help aspiring entrepreneurs, independent musicians and artists find their way through the sector with digital channels now offering access to more information, ways to promote talent and advertise music than ever before.
At the same time, the amount of content potential audiences are exposed to is huge – approximately 402.7m terabytes of data are created each day, according to the latest statistics with new releases, social platforms, digital ads and live clips adding huge volumes of information to the online world.
In this landscape, the challenge for digital marketeers looking to promote new music is how to stand out. Many artists and entrepreneurs are acutely aware that the market place is over-saturated and are always searching for new ways to cut through. Our blog explores the latest digital marketing strategies and skills needed to take advantage of the opportunities and the challenges in creating engaging content. Get in contact with our team if you would like to join an SAE course.
What is digital marketing in the music industry
Digital marketing in music involves using a variety of online platforms, tools and data to help promote the work of bands, artists or music industry professionals.
There are different platforms at the disposal of today’s online marketeers – but the ambition for any effective digital marketing strategies is to promote artists, their music, live gigs and sell merch by building connections with fans.
From streaming and subscriptions services to social media platforms, short-form content and paid advertising, there are different ways for marketeers to increase the visibility of an artist or product. Within this data-driven landscape, engagement can be essential, especially when looking to generate money from music with any marketing efforts aimed at discovering new listeners and potential fans.
Digital marketing has essentially made the music industry more accessible, allowing artists to bypass traditional gatekeepers and directly reach a global audience.
How has the digital age revolutionised music marketing for independent artists
In the past, music marketing campaigns were strategies major label artists indulged in – for example, Michael Jackson’s marketing campaign for his 1995 album, HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I, is thought to have been one of the most expensive in pop music, costing many millions of dollars. While it featured a traditional media blitz including big budget music videos, it also involved the creation of nine, 32-foot, 42,000-pound statues of the star, modelled from a 1994 clay sculpture.
However, since the advent of digital tools, music marketing has significantly evolved with this space. It is now democratised by equal access to platforms that can help artists engage with audiences without needing to resort to huge budgets. Rather than spending money on statues, artists and their teams are now focused on attracting organic traffic or ensuring a website landing page ranks highly on search engines.
Streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp can help artists share their music with global audiences. There are now opportunities for direct-to-fan engagement with social media or online subscription models such as Patreon and Substack. Outside of traditional revenue streams such as selling music or playing live, there are also opportunities to generate income via creator funds on social media channels.
Loren Gray is an American singer songwriter known for her online presence as much as her music career. She uses her social media accounts to act a brand ambassador to engage with and post content relevant to the target audience of major brands including Revlon and Tillys.
What tools can you utilise to drive engagement
As music marketing professionals, there are a range of different platforms you can use to build momentum around emerging artists to increase visibility. As long as you can think creatively when it comes to the connection between fans, music and any content ideas, then here are some essentials in your toolkit to attract more listeners and find new audiences.
Social Media Management: Platforms such as Hootsuite, Buffer, and Sprout Social allow users to manage a range of social media platforms from one central dashboard. Content is at the heart of an effective marketing strategy with these tools enable the scheduling, posting and reviewing of posts across multiple platforms.
Content Creation: The ability to create eye-catching content of all forms can be invaluable when promoting upcoming events or a new album ahead its release. In this case, Canva and Adobe are easy to use and help enhance any release day for new music.
Email Marketing: Collating and maintaining an email subscriber list can help artists market music beyond the algorithm. Most musicians now look to build their own database so they can have direct contact with their audience outside of social media platforms. The likes of Mailchimp and HubSpot Marketing Hub can be invaluable for these tasks.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Optimisation: Do you need some quick ideas for visuals surrounding an event? Or just some help with a press release? Perhaps you need the structure for a blog entry? If you need a creative prompt, then AI tools such as ChatGPT or Jasper.ai can help you come up with content ideas and rapidly. If you’re writing a piece in need of search engine optimisation, then Surfer SEO can also be of assistance.
Key skills to advance a music career
Whether it be upcoming gigs or searching for more coverage among press outlets, here are some core skills music marketeers need if they are to successfully promote music online.
Be digitally savvy
To be digitally savvy, professionals need to hone a curious mindset, be willing to experiment with new tools and always look to continue their learning, whether that be with new streaming platforms or utilising other social media platforms. Effective strategies include practising with new apps, undertaking further studies around digital marketing and experimenting with different tools to stay on top of the latest industry news and trends. This can take the form of joining professional networking platforms such as LinkedIn or subscribing to newsletters from industry thought leaders.
Communication skills
At the core of all marketing strategies is an ability to communicate. This has always been a key focus for professionals within this world regardless of the format. As an aspiring industry professional, focus on showcasing empathy, active listening and offering nonverbal cues when networking or in conversations. You should also remember to tailor your message to the audience in questions, practise speaking in public and always seek feedback. It’s by getting this kind of guidance that will enable you to improve.
if you are delivering a talk or presentation, remember to be both clear and concise. You should aim to get the main point across quickly, using key words, and avoid too much jargon.
Copywriting
An ability to write clearly and concisely is a key attribute within digital marketing – although the visual image does dominate this landscape, being able to write copy for news stories, blog article or social media posts is still invaluable.
Content creation
On the flip side, it’s a challenge now for writing to be the main focus and today’s digital marketeers need a skill set that includes others content channels. Whether that be designing graphics, shooting video content or optimising images for use online or social media, having more strings to your bow will help keep you busy.
How to create your digital brand
There are various strategies involved in establishing an effective digital presence. One essential is to develop a website for a business or artist profile and use this as a central hub for all of your news and content. Of course, you can utilise social media to direct your audience to the website but it is within this online presence that you want to offer value in the form of music, videos and news of events or gigs.
Marketeers always need to aim for consistency in both tone of voice and the look and feel of their online world across all of their different channels. By fostering a loyal community around your music and regularly sharing valuable content through your different profiles, you give yourself the best chance of standing out and convincing audiences that your music or business is worth listening to. Good luck!
Study Music Business at SAE
Studying our leading Music Business course will give you a comprehensive education in labels, publishing, management, touring, distribution, and live events.
You will have the opportunity to collaborate with an exciting student body to record your artists, film music videos and begin to plan your own career in one of the world’s most exciting industries.
