Tips for artists starting out: How to promote your music without a label company
So you have a band, lots of talent and good songs, but no money for promoting your work. Getting a signed contract with a label company will probably take care of promotion, but until then, let’s find out what can you do by yourself, using only Internet, friends and networking.
Be active on (the right) Social Media
At first, all you need is an official Facebook page. Do not waste your time creating accounts on all social media platforms or creating your own website yet. Spreading your efforts too thin may hurt rather than help.
After all Facebook is big and growing bigger. There are over 1.6 billion Facebook users. Think you can find some fans there? We sure do. Keep your Facebook page updated with relevant content: photos of you rehearsing, new concerts, new songs, updates about you. Oh, and very important: double-check your spelling and grammar. You want to be a role model for your fans. Keep it classy.
Show your face to the world
Your image is very important. Maybe you have a friend that takes great photos. She can help you with a professional photo shooting. If not, it’s a good idea to raise some money and go to a professional for some cool shots of you.
But stay fresh. Post selfies, inspiring images and things happening in your day-to-day life, even if you post them from your smartphone. Record short videos and stream your shows live.
The Offspring in concert. Photo source.
The Offspring got started in 1984 with guitarist/vocalist Bryan “Dexter” Holland and bassist Greg Kriesel playing music together in a garage in California.
Stay in touch with an YouTube account
Create an official channel of your band on YouTube and upload quality content or stream live events. You can also post covers, but make sure they sound really good. You want to attract subscribers and fans. Another good idea is to make covers of popular songs – this way, people who search the original song will also find your version and maybe enjoy your personal style. In the description of the video, you can also post the dates of your band’s concerts, if you already have any, or your Facebook page.
Be present at events
Socialize. That’s how you meet the right people (and unfortunately some of the wrong ones but never mind that). Maybe no one knows you yet and you do not receive invitations to fancy events, where all the VIPs are. For start, it’s important to attend small events – company parties, birthday parties, small parties in the city. If you don’t know anyone there, even better. Make friends and spread the word about your music. Who knows when you’ll meet the manager of a label company?
Other musicians
Maybe you have some friends that also have a band. Why don’t you make a song together? You are definitely familiar with all those popular featurings that big artists make. Well, they have a pretty good reason for it: the number of fans listening is double! This way, the other band’s fans may become your new fans!
Music blogs
It’s hard to reach mainstream music press when you are at the beginning of your career, but why don’t you try reaching music blogs? The bloggers are almost always eager to listen to new music and, if they like it, they can promote it on their websites.
Live shows
All artists create for their fans. Now it’s time to meet them. You don’t have to be an already popular artist to sing in front of an audience. First step: make a list of pubs and bars in your city that host local bands, then call them and make an appointment for an audition. Do your best to impress them and negotiate a good deal. At first, you will sing for free, but don’t worry – this is your chance for people to get to know you and start enjoying your music. After this … sky is the limit. Start small and grow from there. Using Oveit’s event registration software, you can set up your concerts and receive payments for tickets instantly. Pretty cool, right?
As you can see, there a lot of ways to promote your music without a label company of even money. All you have to do is stay positive, be creative and work hard. And, nonetheless, keep on making great music, until you get where you want to be!
Article written by .
Mike Dragan is the cofounder and CEO of Oveit and works daily on providing better tools for live experiences. Mike has a background in computer science and loves building digital products.