3 Strategies for a Successful Music Release
The question I get asked most often is “How do I make sure people hear my music?” It’s a fair question - artists are releasing music online now than ever before, and the landscape is the most competitive it has ever been. This has only been compounded by COVID’s effects on the industry. Independent artists releasing a constant stream of music to offset for the loss of live shows & other traditional forms of revenue.
At Steak Worldwide, we’ve established a solid system for releasing music, without relying on editorial playlist support. Our most recent release, “HOTBOX” by SoloSam & Michael Christmas has already broken 25,000 streams on Spotify during its first few days, and the track is currently trending on Audiomack’s home page!
SoloSam’s “HOTBOX” on the front page of Audiomack
Here are some quick strategies to make sure your music gets heard by your existing fans & new fans!
1. Leverage your existing network
Don’t be afraid to leak snippets of your songs on social media or play the song for friends or people in your network before showing the world. By exposing your music to fans in a more intimate setting, you have the ability to create momentum in advance & open up new opportunities before the song is even released!
Letting your friends & family listen early might help you brainstorm rollout plans - or even lead to something larger. Artists like Dominic Fike shopped demos among his local network & released his songs on Soundcloud before landing a major label deal for those same tracks!
Leveraging your local network will help you get fast feedback
2. Reach out to content creators
If there are accounts on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitch, etc. that you relate to or inspire you, reach out to them with a preview link for your song! One of the easiest ways for people to discover your music nowadays is through passive consumption on social media. With commuting, large gatherings & more on hiatus for the foreseeable future, the average person is spending far more time on social media than ever before.
Another route is by reaching out to smaller content curators. Channels like Promoting Sounds or Trash might be a HUGE part of the industry now, but when they started out, they were looking for artists that would take a chance with them. Locating these talented curators early-on is a good way to grow symbiotically.
Sometimes, you may want to pay for promotion on a large social media accounts. Accounts such as Rap or WORLDSTAR will allow you to pay for 1+ promotional posts on their feed. Often times, if this is an your sole marketing campaign - you will see no return on investment. But, if you’re able to pair these promotions with successful organic growth, they can help maintain or increase the momentum of your release. I only recommend doing this if you have already locked down a strong organic campaign.
Forget playlisting, if you land placements on major meme pages or popular twitch streams, you will have fans knocking at your door & editorial playlists soon after.
3. Plan Ahead
Always try to have your track mixed & mastered 3-4 weeks before your targeted release date. This is the most important step and will open up pathways for promotion that are not possible when releasing music last second.
By giving yourself some lead time, you have the ability to set up a full promotional campaign with merchandise, materials for social media & more - without stressing about finishing the song at the same time. You’ll also be to leverage your network and reach out to content creators. Most people need 1-2 weeks to read your message or email, let alone take action!
Taking time to plan will help increase your chance of success
By following these tips, you’re (almost) guaranteed to have one of your best releases yet! Having a clear, organized plan is one of the best ways to remain consistent & see success.
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