Whilst making music might be fun, growing your audience can feel a little stressful. But, sometimes it’s worth getting serious if you want to make it as an indie artist. So, let’s take a look at some simple and budget-friendly techniques for indie musicians to promote their music and widen their fanbase.
Social Media
In the digital world, having a social media presence is more important than ever. For us musicians, it also poses the opportunity to show off our skills on a range of new platforms – and many of these platforms are free to use. After all, a gig can only reach the people in the room, whereas the reach of social media is unfathomable in comparison.
When used effectively, social media can make independent artists blow up. Just take someone like the UK artist Sam Ryder. In addition to busking, Ryder posted covers to social media – many of which went viral. Due to this, Ryder’s account was named the most popular UK artist account in 2020, and he went on to represent the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest, placing second, before hosting his own New Year’s Eve concert show and landing gigs at Wembley Stadium. Get your name and music out there.
Exclusive Offers
A tried and tested way to draw new people in is to provide an incentive with exclusive offers. This has long since been used in other segments of the entertainment industry, particularly online casinos. For example, many platforms have casino offers for new clients such as free spins on slot games, deposit bonuses, golden chips for roulette, and weekly rewards. As these offers are only for new customers, this allows players the opportunity to explore different games so that they can find the games that best suit their style of gameplay for an immersive and authentic casino experience.
This same logic can then be applied to music promotions. You might consider offering exclusive bundles or freebies to new customers who purchase your record or sign up to your mailing list. For example, if someone purchases an MP3 download, they could also get a CD, cassette tape, or vinyl for free – or, indeed, a piece of your merch. Similarly, if someone signs up, they could receive a hat or t-shirt to thank them for their support. As its likely you’ve already had these items manufactured for gigs, it can be a cost effective way of rewarding new listeners.
Networking
Networking is essential in all kinds of industries – and the music industry is no different. ABBA even wrote a song about it (Knowing Me, Knowing You – get it?). Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Start reaching out to publications, local newspapers, pubs and clubs with weekly gigging spots, and even large music enterprises to get your name circulating.
As an independent artist, no-one will understand what you’re going through like another local musician who is in the same position as you, or a large artist that came from the same humble beginnings. Start collaborating with these like minded musicians, allowing both you and your new collaborator the opportunity to benefit from each others’ burgeoning fanbases.
And there you have it – just a few ways that you can begin to grow your brand and presence as an indie musician. Start here and keep an eye on our pages for more ideas as you grow. Now get to work and promote yourself like crazy. 😃
