When you release a new single, what do you want to happen? You want everyone to listen to it and love it. We want it to be a hit. You want people to share it with their friends and family, who will then go out and buy it on iTunes or stream it on Spotify (or whatever music platform they’re into). We want them to come see you play live and buy tickets for your next show. That’s what we all want! But how often does that actually happen? Here are 10 Ways To Promote Your Music in 2023.

It depends on how much effort you put into promoting your music before releasing it. If you just put out a single without any marketing plan in place, chances are, nobody is going to hear about it—and even if they do hear about it, they’re not going to go out of their way to check out what’s new from an artist they don’t know anything about yet (especially if there are so many other artists competing for the same attention).

If this sounds familiar… don’t worry! It doesn’t have to be this way anymore. There are plenty of ways for independent artists like us to promote our music effectively online so we can reach as many new fans as possible.

Here are 10 Ways To Promote Your Music in 2023 independently and reach a wider audience of new fans.

It’s time to stop thinking about your music promotion efforts in terms of numbers.

We’re not here for a number; we’re here for you.

And the best way to get what you want is to connect with fans 1-1.

Don’t underestimate the power of 1-1 marketing in your music promotion efforts. It still is and always will be the most powerful form of marketing. People just don’t like it because it takes work, so if you can do this properly, you’re onto a winner.

Remember: we don’t find fans; we create them. So do more 1-1s! The best way to create fans is to talk to them personally and artists really underestimate just how powerful this is.

A lot of people are here for you but you haven’t realized or thought about it yet—and that’s because they don’t feel like they have a relationship with you yet (even though they actually do). Too many musicians are obsessed with the numbers, promoting music online, and trying to get their fan base as huge as possible. Instead of asking “how can I make my music go viral?”, or “how can I promote my music and get more fans?”, you should be asking “how

Social media is an incredibly powerful tool for musicians and I’d recommend all independent artists utilize it.

Develop a presence on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook as well as other relevant ones depending on your genre (maybe Spotify or Spotify).

For someone to become a fan, they need to like what they’re seeing. The first place they’re likely to see you is on your socials, whether that be your music Instagram account, TikTok or even Facebook (although organic reach is now so low on Facebook I wouldn’t recommend using this).

So many artists don’t put effort into the content that goes out and I can’t stress enough how important it is. Social media for musicians especially is all about amazing content and your visual brand. Have a look at artists you like in your genre and what they’re putting out on different platforms. You may find that some artists don’t use social media very well and this is because they grew up in a time when social media wasn’t as much of a necessity and so they didn’t need to put as much effort into it. As you’re looking at other content, rank it out of 10. Then go through everything you’ve ranked at over 8

The more content we create, the easier it is to scale and build a fanbase faster. If you’re stuck, here are our top 10 tips for social media content ideas that musicians can use to get started.

One of the first things you’ll notice when you’re trying to promote your music is that it’s not easy. You need to put a lot of time, effort, and energy into making sure that people know about your music and that they hear about it regularly.

Promoting your music online can be a challenge because there are so many different ways to do it and so many different things competing for your attention. How do you make sure that people are hearing you over all the other noise?

The answer is simple: post content regularly online! Successful musicians are known for their consistency, which means posting content frequently on social media and other channels where people can find it. That way, fans know where they can find new music from their favorite artists—and they keep coming back for more!

If you haven’t considered email marketing in your music marketing plan, you may be missing out on a powerful promotional tool.

Email is one of the least used digital marketing promotional tools for musicians, but there is definitely power in curating a quality list of email subscribers.

You can use email to drive your fan base to whatever you are trying to promote at the time. Trying to get more listens on streaming services? Link to your new single and get more streams on Spotify.

Trying to promote your concert and get more fans to your show? Send an email blast about upcoming tour dates and link to ticket details.

The best way to promote your music is by performing memorable live shows.

It’s not enough these days to just gig. If you are going to go through the effort of performing live in order to create a buzz around your music, then your live shows can’t just be good… they have to be incredible.

Your stage presence has to be absolutely on point and your show needs to be more than just some great music performed on stage. This is something you should be working on during band practice. The perfect band rehearsal often has an end goal in sight, and if you have some shows coming up then you’ll want to be crafting every part of your set for maximum impact. This means the interaction, how you will dress, what you will say and of course writing the best band set list possible. Make sure your performances are tight and absolutely unforgettable!

For independent artists, YouTube is still a powerhouse in the music industry and can be a great way to promote your music online.

YouTube is this wonderful mix of social media platform and search engine rolled into one. Because of this, it takes a different kind of strategy to promote your music on YouTube.

Yes, they have YouTube shorts which can be a great place for your micro-content, but long-form YouTube videos take a bit more effort. If you are able to maintain consistency and create video content of a high enough quality to stand out on YouTube, it could be the platform for you.

I wouldn’t recommend it for all musicians however as the time, effort, energy and resources needed to consistently post high-quality YouTube content around your new music can be difficult to manage. However…

You can shoot music videos on a budget with the right skillset. If you do have the set-up, knowledge and time to do it though, it can be huge! The SEO benefits especially of YouTube are worth tapping into. This is why certain artists will cover songs by other musicians or similar artists to them. This way, they can reach a fan base of like-minded people who are presumably going to be interested in their new

Collaborating with other influencers is one of the best ways to promote your music in 2023.

If you really want to reach more music fans and promote your music to the right people, collaborating with the right people and making industry connections is so important.

Collabs have never been easier to do, they can be done as duets on TikTok or you can create yourself and post on Reels.

This way you can collab with any artist – they don’t have to agree to it! This is MASSIVE right now with artists offering opportunities to write verses on their songs etc.

Don’t think about the obvious too, do something cool and out of your genre to reach brand new audiences!

As a new artist, it can feel like a constant uphill battle to grow your fan base online.

Live streaming your music online is a really effective way to connect with fans, especially if you’re an independent artist trying to make it in the industry.

Looking back at the events of 2020 where real live performances were all but wiped off the face of the planet, it’s no coincidence that many artists took to Instagram live, Facebook live, Twitch, and other streaming platforms to reach their fans.

Working on this kind of content can give your fans a really personal experience and allows them to interact directly with you, without having to be there in the flesh.

There are loads of cool ideas when it comes to this style of content. You could stream an actual gig and perform online for your fans, or you could even do a Q&A stream. Why not jump on Twitch and stream yourself writing and producing your music?

Streaming is actually one of the more viable ways for musicians to earn money with the inclusion of tipping features and subscriptions

One of the best ways to promote your music in 2023 is by getting interviewed on a popular podcast within your genre.

It’s a great way to reach really dedicated listeners who are actively seeking out new music and want to hear about other artists.

Artists should search for suitable podcasts by looking at where their favourite independent bands and artists have been featured before.

Before you reach out, make sure you are suitable and have something worth talking about.

It’s a bit more effort to go through with the process of getting on a podcast, preparing for the interview and subsequently recording it, but it can be a great way to tap into someone else’s already established audience.

When you’re promoting your music, you want to reach as many people as possible. The best way to do that is through press coverage from bloggers and journalists in your genre.

Music blogs are still powerful and are being consumed by thousands of fans every single day. You can absolutely pitch your new release or story to music blogs and journalists in your genre for wider press coverage. Maybe you could even craft press releases and an electronic press kit. Submit them to niche music blogs within your genre alongside your latest music video, new album, latest release, or whatever it is you are trying to promote.

For independent musicians, these niche blogs and followings are worth tapping into. Look at other bands in your genre and seek out where they have been featured for ideas.

*If you are looking to become a full-time musician, level up your social media following and monetise your music? Join the Collision BACKSTAGE community HERE!

• Grow a community online that supports your music and work as an artist and awesome human.

• Build credibility as a drummer in your space and genre so you can book more projects.

• Start monetizing your skills, gifts, and hard work so you can make music your main thing.