The 10 Best Ways to Use a Small Music Marketing Budget for Your Next Release
While marketing is one of the most important things an artist can do to support their music, it’s also one of the most confusing. Here, Christine Elise Occhino shares some of the smartest ways to use a small music marketing budget for your next release.
Post invited by Christine Elise Occhino
Marketing is an integral part of getting anything out there, especially new music. When I was the head of Lockdown City Music Bandit’s something we’re always hyper-focused on, and yet it’s also the biggest source of confusion among our artists.
With all the ‘payment for games’ schemes out there online – and the scandals that follow them – of ‘companies’ claiming they can get you thousands of streams and placements, there’s a lot of noise. sorting. Luckily for you, I’m here to share some secrets, from my own experience, to help you.
I worked in digital marketing at Columbia Records before starting my own label, and I can tell you firsthand that advertising artists will drain your funds if you let it. But what worked for my roster there (Beyoncé, Adele, Foster the People, J Cole, Tyler the Creator, etc.) won’t work for everyone.
In fact, I would be lying to you if I said that I thought there weren’t a lot of old and tired methods being used, and wasted effort/money that could have been better spent using alternative resources. So with that in mind, here are the best ways I recommend you spend a small marketing budget on your next release.
1. Get professional photos
Content is king in the age of digital sharing! Without interesting and aesthetically appealing content to share, it will be nearly impossible to market anything professionally and successfully.
For those who have the budget, hiring a professional photographer is definitely the way to go. Fortunately, there are tons of resources to help you find someone within your budget; Like Bug and Fiverr for example.
Just make sure you have a clear vision of what you want and the scope of work required to make their job as easy as possible, and also make sure they give you the most accurate quote possible.
Alternatively, you can buy yourself a medium to high-end camera with a tripod and remote control stage shoots yourself. I have a lot of friends in the industry who do it very well, and it pays for itself almost immediately. If you have creative friends who are willing to lend their equipment and time, you can also create great photos this way!
2. Invest in quality digital media promotional materials
Once you have the content, you will need to use it to create quality digital media as vehicles for sharing. Similar to my suggestions above, there are several ways to do this.
The complete DIY route is to shell out the cash and buy the Adobe Creative Suite yourself (including photoshop and InDesign), and taking advantage of the many free and inexpensive educational options to learn how to do the design work yourself. I’m a big fan of learning as much as you can so you can really “do it all”.
But if you’re short on time, the quickest option would be to find a graphic designer to help you design beautiful materials with their expertise. Upwork is a great resource for finding talent and can even help you develop meaningful relationships with long-term visual artists.
3. Make sure you have an easy-to-navigate, good-looking, and mobile-friendly website
Consider this your home base where all your B2B fans and opportunities will filter through. You’ll want to make sure your website is fully optimized for conversions from mailing lists, tickets, or merchandise sales; but in the meantime, just make sure it’s ready for release and up to date when you’re releasing your new single.
You can create a website with a music website provider like Bandzoogle and you’ll have everything you need to promote your release at your fingertips. You can set up your website with a mobile ready website template in minutes.
4. Target your audience with paid and free social media promotion
You will definitely want to convert your personal pages to business pages on Facebook/Instagram so that you can make more use of the analytics features available, if you haven’t already.
From there, it’s about getting to know the real audience that’s out there. engage with your music. It may not be what you think. Take a closer look at who is interacting, clicking, sharing and listening; and if you want to reach other demographics, this may shed some light on how you choose to market your next release.
Target accordingly and take advantage of the many resources (which you can find via a quick Google search) explaining how the current algorithm works to get the most action on your posts.
With a basic knowledge of when to post, what to include in your caption, how to use trending hashtags, and a few other tips to increase engagement, you’ll be well on your way to achieving more organic reach to promote your music ! Then, when you’re ready, “boost” your posts for even more targeted visibility with campaigns starting at just $30.
5. Explore Sync Licensing Opportunities
SongTradr is one of my favorite resources for independent artists to license their music in film, television, advertising, and other media placements. They also provide access to important general license agreements such as commercial radio, apps, social media, YouTube, etc.
Monetize, baby! Consider reinvesting your licensing revenue into future marketing budgets to continue to develop your career while retaining 100% ownership of what you create! That’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?
6. Make sure your music can be shared on Instagram Stories, TikTok, etc.
Most major music distributors today allow artists to make their music shareable on all the latest trending platforms to encourage listening, sharing and virality opportunities! Just make sure you pick a distribution platform that’s up to date and supports this, and make sure those boxes are checked before your next release.
Baby CDs is a good choice for global music distribution. They’ll do all the heavy lifting for you, sending your music to over 150 download and streaming sites worldwide.
7. Organize an exit announcement for your mailing list
I always tell people, you ain’t got nothing if you don’t direct access to your fans. One of the most important things you can collect as an artist is consumer information, especially in the form of E-mail.
If you are building a website with an all-in-one platform like Bandzoogle, an email list tool is built-in because your email list works hand-in-hand with your website. You can also consult a supplier like MailChimp to send emails and gather analytics about your most engaged fans.
8. Create engaging video content to expand your music
Whether via a teaser video, a video with lyrics, or full music video, people like to enjoy their music with creative and quality visual accompaniment. Why not do it yourself?
Part of the Adobe product suite is Firstwhich will help you develop your own videos if you’re the DIY type, or you can try something more entry-level like Apple’s iMovie just to simply get photo or video footage set to music.
But of course, there’s never a shortage of videographers to help bring your true vision to life if you can afford it, plus a few actors for filming. It’s definitely worth it if you can create a beautiful, timeless video.
9. Introduce yourself to playlist editors, blogs, radio stations and other channels
Spotify now lets you pitch your new release directly to their publishers for playlist placement opportunities. It’s free, as are the many local and college radio stations that are still accepting submissions.
I know The Birn at my alma mater, Berklee College of Music, is always on the lookout for new musical releases from its alumni. Also be sure to check out local independent and college radio stations near you.
SubmitHub is another great resource for connecting artists with bloggers, labels, playlisters, YouTubers, radio stations, and influencers. They have both free and paid submission options that are pretty easy for any freelance artist to explore right away.
Create an EPK on your website to help you pitch easily and quickly to these outlets when your new release is ready.
10. Gather your data and track your progress
ForTunes.io has created an exciting all-in-one music information app for artists, bands, and producers that’s both useful and affordable. All you have to do is create an account and point it to all your social media channels and streaming platforms.
They’ll collect your data 24/7 and provide you with visual insights so you can better understand who’s listening and downloading your music, when and where it’s happening, who’s writing about you, and how your audience is growing.
This information is essential for verifying your publishing strategy as you grow. It’s amazing how much a modest marketing budget can boost your new release, if you play your cards right and keep an eye on the data coming in.
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Christine Elise Occhino is a serial entrepreneur with a passion for the music industry. In addition to being a singer herself, she is the founder and CEO of Lock City Music Group, and the founder and executive director of Hope in Harmony, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that uses music to help and heal those in need. Christine holds a BM in Music Business and Management from Berklee College of Music and is a member of the Grammy Recording Academy, ASCAP and the Berklee College of Music Alumni Association. She also currently hosts the music-based web series and podcast, Soundbytez.
