We’ve been talking about how the way music was once produced and distributed is quickly becoming obsolete. As I mentioned before, you don’t need a record company to distribute your music or help you make a living.
That being said, if you don’t have a record label and you want to do everything yourself, it’s going to be up to you to promote your own music and sell your records. These days, lugging a stack of CDs and other merch to your show just isn’t enough. There are some intuitive, affordable solutions out there that will help you get your music to the people who need to hear it.
1. Use Your Website.
Myspace used to be a great way to connect people to your music, because everyone seemed to have a profile on there. These days, people are using Facebook, and you probably are, too. Facebook has the world’s largest database, and is a lot less intuitive a resource for musicians than Myspace.
So, maybe now’s the time to think about getting off Myspace. You can keep your Myspace and all your other social media profiles, but beef up your online presence with a store, and start using a website as your one sheet. With more and more people migrating from Myspace, there’s less chance you’re going to be found there.
2. Use Social Media.
We’ve all probably heard of sites like ReverbNation by now – if you’re not using music social media sites, do it. This isn’t something you need to put daily work into, and it’s going to help other users connect with you. Put your most decked-out social media profiles on your marketing materials, and on your website. You’d be surprised how many people will find you just by browsing.
I also recently learned that many people under the age of 24 don’t actually have an email address, and never have – because they use Facebook almost exclusively! This tells you something about the power of social media.
3. Listen to Music, and Network.
Some of us get so wrapped up in our own marketing, that we forget how important it is to enjoy the music of other people, and to network. You may find yourself liking another band so much that you strike up a conversation or introduce yourself. Before you know it, they have one of your CDs – and before you know it, you’re playing a show with them. People seem to highly underestimate the value of networking and enjoying the music of other people these days. You never know what kind of networking could start a movement!
4. Use Local Radio.
Many local and even internet radio stations will have a local talent hour. Think about this: Many radio listeners tune in at the top, bottom, or middle of the hour. People tend to head off somewhere after a show goes off on TV, or they schedule appointments with people that are around these times. If you can get yourself a local radio spot around these times, listeners will be more likely to hear you as they’re browsing through stations.
It’s going to be really difficult to try to specify when you want to go on if you’re trying to get local radio play, so the key there is submit, submit, submit – make sure that your music is spread around enough to be played during the local hour so that you can get some of those choice spots.
Remember, promoting your music is everything, and you’re really only going to make a ripple if you know what you’re doing!
For some real life-changing advice on getting your music career moving, click here!