Music streaming giant Spotify is seemingly everywhere. But they are not the only ones expanding their activities in Africa, global music labels are increasingly looking to the continent for new artists and market leaders too. Some of these include Mavins Global, Empire, Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Concord Records, and Roc Nation with the latter helping Nigerian artists wizkid, Burna boy, Davido and other fast-rising artists break into the US market and reach
In the past few years, Africa has emerged as a significant market for music labels.
Fueled by a growing young-people population, great musical talent, great culture, and more streaming opportunities, Africa’s music industry is booming. And the world’s major music labels are taking notice.
1. The continent’s population is young and growing fast: According to the UN, Africa has one of the youngest populations in the world. This means that there are plenty of potential consumers who can be reached through marketing campaigns targeting young people. In addition, many African countries have high birth rates which will result in more consumers entering the market over time. For instance, Nigeria was ranked as having one of the fastest-growing populations globally due to its high fertility rate (4) and increasing life expectancy at birth (5). Furthermore, recent data shows that Nigeria will have more than 200 million people by 2050 (6).
The global music industry has been undergoing some major changes recently with streaming becoming increasingly popular among consumers around the world — especially in Africa a continent Fueled by a rowing young-people population, great musical talent, great culture, and more streaming opportunities, Africa’s music industry is booming.
In 2017, Forbes reported that Nigeria was the world’s fastest-growing market for recorded music — up 20% from 2016 — and it’s not alone.
The African continent is a hotbed of musical activity. On top of the fact that it’s home to some of the world’s most well-known musicians (such as Fela Kuti, Angelique Kidjo, Youssou N’Dour) and of course the emerging wizkid, davido, Burna boy and the likes. new artists are emerging every day.
The biggest reason why major labels are so interested in Africa right now? The growth potential is huge. A study by MIDiA Research predicts that digital music revenues will reach US$2.36bn in 2022 in sub-Saharan Africa alone — representing an increase of 40% from 2018.
I hope this helps you to put your best foot forward when sending your music industry professionals a demo of your work. There is a lot of information to be gathered, but it is there for a reason if you follow the simple steps outlined in this article, you are more likely to make the strongest impression on any A&R rep that happens across your demos. Who knows? Maybe it will lead to the break you’ve been working for!
Your song is your work of art. You’ll want to share it with the right people. Normally done over email and social sites, it’s not always easy to network; you don’t know who’s listening and you certainly need A&R reps contact information. I will help you set the scene for success.
The problem with the new music industry is that it’s so difficult to find good music. There are tons of artists out there who have amazing talent, but unless you know about them, you’re not going to hear about them. It’s a shame because there are so many talented people out there who have no chance of making it big due to a lack of exposure.
Another problem with the new music industry is that there are no real labels anymore. Labels used to be able to help artists get exposure and make connections with other artists and producers, but now they’re all gone because they can’t compete with the internet. Now anyone can put up their site and sell their albums without having any help from anyone else. This means that if an artist wants to get their music heard by anyone else, then they have to do it themselves through social media or websites like SoundCloud or audiomack. This kind of defeats the purpose of having a label in the first place because now labels don’t have any control over what happens with the artist’s career anymore. They used to have more control over things like where an artist performed live or how much money they made from their album sales
The music industry has always been a bit of a mess. However, the digital age has made things even more complicated. Digital distribution has brought many positive changes to the industry, but also some negative ones.
The biggest change in the music industry is how music is distributed. In the past, physical media like CDs and vinyl was the only way to listen to or buy music. Nowadays, it’s possible to buy or stream songs at home on your computer or mobile device. This has caused a shift in how artists make money from their work.
The internet makes it easy for anyone to pirate music for free (even if they don’t realize it). Because people can get their hands on music so easily, it’s hard for musicians to make money from their work unless they’re famous enough to sell out concerts and make money from merchandise sales.
Piracy is one of the biggest problems facing the modern music industry because it devalues art by making it easy for people to download songs without paying anything or even being aware that they’re stealing someone else’s work. Piracy also hurts musicians financially because they aren’t getting paid when fans steal their music instead of buying albums or attending concerts where artists make most of their money
The music industry has been changing at a fast pace over the past few years. The internet has given us access to more music than ever before, which is excellent for listeners but problematic for musicians.
Music streaming services like Spotify and Pandora have become hugely popular ways for people to listen to their favorite tunes. However, these services don’t pay much money to artists unless they can prove that they’re popular enough to make the service money. This means that new artists are often left without any income from their work if they don’t have enough followers on social media or other websites.
Another issue facing new artists today is that they have to compete with older artists who already have large followings when it comes time for record labels to promote their albums. This means that some talented new artists never get a chance because there’s simply no room on radio stations and television channels for them.
Another problem with the current music industry is that it’s hard for bands outside of major cities like Lagos, Nigeria to get noticed by record labels and promoters unless they live there because these cities tend to be where most of the industry activity happens.
The music industry is saturated with new artists, and it’s difficult to stand out. It’s a problem that’s been compounded by the internet, which gives everyone access to all of the tools they need to make good music.
Getting a team together to help you succeed in this world is tough, but it’s necessary if you want to have any chance of success. If you’re trying to be an artist who makes their music and performs shows, here are some things you should keep in mind:
You need a producer and engineer who can help you make your songs sound great on all platforms.
You need graphic designers to create album art, t-shirt designs, and other visual elements that represent your brand. You also need someone who can take photos of you performing or doing whatever else it is that makes up your image as an artist.
You’ll also need someone who can build websites and social media pages for you so people will know how to find out more information about your music and upcoming shows.
The music industry is a very unique business. It’s one of the only industries where people will pay to go see an artist perform live. But it’s also a volatile industry, with huge swings in sales and profits.
The music industry has been changing dramatically over the past decade or so, from downloads and piracy to streaming services like Spotify and Pandora. New artists face more challenges than ever before — and some big problems are facing the industry as a whole.
One of the biggest problems for new artists is touring expenses. The cost of touring is high, especially for contemporary artists who don’t have enough fans to sell out venues on their own. Touring expenses also include travel expenses and paying your bandmates (or other people) to join you on tour.
If you want to tour at all, you need to have enough money to support yourself while on tour — and that’s hard if you don’t have enough fans yet!
A&R representatives, or “A&Rs,” are the people who work with artists to help them record their albums, find producers and songwriters, and more. They’re also responsible for signing artists to record deals and creating a marketing plan around their music.
The A&R position can be both rewarding and extremely challenging. To succeed in this role, you’ll need to have an in-depth knowledge of the music industry, as well as an understanding of how to market your artists’ work effectively. A&R reps typically work for labels or management companies that represent artists. Their primary responsibilities include:
Managing artist development: A&R reps are responsible for developing talent from the ground up. This includes everything from finding new artists to coaching them on stage presence and performance skills. A&R reps also work with managers and agents on behalf of their clients to secure gigs, tours, and appearances on television shows or at festivals.
Managing artist contracts: A&R reps negotiate contracts on behalf of their artists with record labels, publishers, and other entities involved in creating an album or single release.
This includes negotiating royalties, advances, and other contractual terms so that they’re fair for both parties involved in an agreement
A&R reps are typically paid a percentage of the artist’s royalties and other income. The exact amount varies depending on the record label, but it’s often between 10% and 25% of the artist’s publishing royalties or revenue from sales or licensing.
For example, if an artist earns $5 million in royalties over the course of their career and the A&R rep gets 15% of that money, they’ll earn $750,000 (15% multiplied by $5 million).
What the A&R Rep Does
The A&R rep is the person who signs and develops new artists, as well as helps them to create their music. The A&R rep has many roles, including finding new talent and signing artists to record contracts with their record label. They also help develop careers for their artists by helping them find producers, songwriters, and other people who can help them make their music sound great.
How an A&R Rep Finds Talent
An A&R rep finds new talent by listening to demos sent in by artists’ managers, By social media platforms, or by going to live shows where they can meet artists and watch them perform. If they hear someone they like, they approach that artist’s manager and try to get a meeting set up with him or her. Once they meet with an artist, they’ll try out different songs on them to see how well they work together musically. If these meetings go well, the A&R rep will sign that artist to a contract with his or her record label.
After a record company signs an artist, it is the A&R rep’s job to help build the artist’s career. The A&R rep often works closely with the artist and his or her manager to develop the artist’s image and music. The rep will also work with radio stations, television shows, and other media outlets to promote the artist and his or her music. In addition, an A&R rep may book concerts for their artists or arrange for them to appear on television shows like American Idol or The Voice.
The A&R rep may also be responsible for selecting songs for an artist that they want to be included on an album. The rep listens to new songs submitted by songwriters and decides which ones are good enough for inclusion on an album. If a songwriter does not submit a song that is good enough for one artist, he may send it along to someone else at the same record label who needs new material for a different artist in their stable of artists.
The A&R rep is the person who finds new artists, develops them, and helps to get their music heard by record labels. The A&R rep will also help to manage the artist’s career once they’re signed.
The job of an A&R rep is not just about finding new music; it’s also about helping the artist grow as a performer and a musician. One of the most important functions of an A&R rep is to find new talent and allow help that artist develop into a successful performer.
In today’s world of music, there are thousands of artists looking for a big break in the business. Many people think that being signed by a major label is all it takes to make it big, but this isn’t necessarily true. Today’s music industry has changed drastically from years past, largely due to technology and social media taking over everything we do online. The internet has brought us closer together than ever before; this includes musicians who are all trying to get noticed by fans all over the world through social media sites like Facebook or Twitter. This has become one of the best ways for musicians to market themselves today because it allows them to reach out to millions of people in just minutes!
The job of an A&R rep is to scout and sign new artists, as well as develop existing artists. A&Rs are also responsible for overseeing the careers of artists they have signed. This includes things like negotiating contracts, making sure that albums are promoted properly, and helping to plan tours.
A&R reps can work for record labels or be self-employed. In either case, they may be involved with several different artists at once. A&R reps typically work with several different genres of music, although some specialize in one type of music (e.g., afro beats, hip hop, R&B, etc).
Senior A&R Executive: Senior A&R executives oversee all aspects of an artist’s career and work under the supervision of the president of the company or label they are working for. They may also have their staff and assistants who carry out various tasks related to signing new artists, developing existing artists and promoting albums and songs on radio stations, television shows, and other types of media outlets that play music videos, such as HIP TV, M TV BASE, etc.
A&R reps are responsible for scouting out new artists and developing them into stars. As you might imagine, it’s a very competitive field with lots of competition from other A&R reps who have similar goals.
So what does an A&R rep do? What do they get paid? And what are the steps to becoming one?
A&R stands for Artist & Repertoire, which means that the person in this position is responsible for finding new talent and then molding them into stars. They’re also responsible for choosing songs and overseeing album production by signing off on budgets, approving artwork, and more.
A&R reps can make a lot of money, but they don’t always. The average salary for an A&R executive is $77,000 per year. If you’re an A&R rep at a major label, your salary may be higher or lower depending on how successful you are at signing artists and getting them recording contracts. If you’re working as an independent A&R rep, like me, your payment will be much higher.
As an independent A&R rep, I charge 6 figures per artist that I sign to my label. That’s the price you’ll pay if you want me to find you a deal with one of the major labels. If I sign an artist directly to my label without going through a major label first, then I charge less. (because it’s easier for me).
Music publishers are the people who handle the songwriting credits and royalties. They act as a liaison between the artist and the record label, ensuring that the songwriter is compensated for his or her work.
The A&R rep often works with music publishers to make sure that they have all of their ducks in order before they send out tracks to labels. This means checking up on things like copyrights, publishing splits, and royalties owed. If you’re an artist who has written songs for other artists, you need to know how much money you can expect to make from them.
A&R reps can help with this by keeping track of royalty splits that were agreed upon in contracts. They also ensure that everyone involved receives their fair share of royalties when they’re due!
The A&R rep is an important member of a record label, who helps to find and develop new artists. They also have other tasks that help the label, such as creating compilations or writing liner notes for albums.
music companies are responsible for the production of albums and singles, the promotion of albums and singles, the marketing of albums and singles, the time scheduling of album recording sessions and singles recording sessions, the correct signing of new artists to contracts that are fair to both parties, and more. It is a difficult responsibility. A&R representatives are also responsible for some of these things as well, but they’re also required to be great listeners–not necessarily good musicians–to be able to tell if an artist or band will be successful on stage and record with their recently signed contract. They must be professional when meeting with the artist and his or her band members during the signing process so trust will be created between the two parties. They must be able to effectively tell when an artist needs help in getting their band’s career off of the ground again by issuing them either a letter or a phone call or by having dinner or drinks with them so that they can better assist them from thereon out toward success. And if you want your artists to not get lost in the shuffle of all of the other bands out there now competing for fame (which is more difficult than ever these days), they need an A&R rep they can trust wholeheartedly.
In this article, we’ll go over some of the basics of digital marketing for musicians. What is digital marketing? How do you know if your page needs more followers? What kind of content should I post on my social media accounts? These questions will be answered as well as how to use each platform effectively so that your brand can grow organically and organically.
Digital marketing is the process of growing your audience through online channels such as blogs, social media platforms, and email newsletters. It’s important to note that this is not just about Facebook ads and YouTube views. Digital marketing is about building relationships with your fans, learning about them, and ultimately sharing their stories with others.
Not having a team of people to rely on can be frustrating and time-consuming, but with the right tools and techniques, it can also be fruitful and rewarding.
You’ve got a great product and you’re ready to share it with the world. But before you start your marketing campaign, you need to think about your digital presence. What are your customers looking for when they search for your type of product? How will they find you? What do they expect from your website?
You can’t just set up a website and wait for customers to come knocking—you need to put on some spandex and go out there and find them! The first step is knowing what keywords your audience is using when they search for products like yours. You can use tools like Google’s Keyword Planner to get an idea of how frequently people search for each keyword, how much competition there is for those terms, and how much traffic each term gets. You’ll also want to look at the competition—the number of websites that rank well in the search results. The more people who have websites that rank on top of Google’s results page (SERP), the more competitive it will be for you to get good SERPs too. Once you know what keywords people are using when they search online, it’s time to make sure they find YOU first when they type those terms into Google or another search engine like Bing or Yahoo! The easiest
An Electronic Press Kit (EPK) is a marketing tool that helps you promote your business through a digital media kit. The EPK includes a wide range of information about your company, from the products you sell to the history of your business. The EPK is an important way for businesses to get their name out there and make sure potential customers know about them.
An electronic press kit is a collection of documents and files that provides details about a company’s product or service offerings, background information, contact information and more. The equipment can be distributed through email or on CD-ROMs.
The purpose of an EPK is to provide journalists with easy access to information when they’re writing articles or doing research on companies and industries. It should include all relevant information about the company — such as its history, location, CEO biographical information, financial data and any other pertinent facts that may help journalists write accurate articles about the company.
While we’ve seen a decline in the need for websites as a whole, artists are still building them (and they’re pretty awesome).
An artist’s website is a hub for all of your social media channels and other promotional materials. It’s where you can direct people who want to learn more about you or engage with you as fans.
If you’re putting out music at any frequency, having an artist’s website is essential. It gives you control over your brand and lets you control the conversation about yourself. It’s also important to note that having an artist website doesn’t mean you shouldn’t also have social media accounts or EPKs – it just means that these are all connected. You should treat each one as its piece of the puzzle, but they should all work together toward the same goal: getting people interested in what you do!
In the same way that social media can be a great tool for connecting with fans, it can also be a great way to promote and market your music. The key is to use social media in a way that fits your personality and style. If your brand or style is more personal, you may want to consider using Twitter or Instagram as your primary marketing platform. If you have a more professional brand or are looking for ways to remain consistent with your brand image, Facebook may be the better choice for you.
The important thing to remember is that no matter which platform you choose, it’s important that you make sure that every post has a purpose and fits into your overall marketing strategy.
The email was one of the first big revelations associated with the digital age, and as a result, it can be viewed as ‘old school’ in a rapidly evolving environment. Regardless of this, email lists can be extremely impactful for artists. Sure, tweeting or sending a direct message might seem the easiest way to communicate with fans directly, but like anyone else, music fans check their email inboxes, too. Additionally, email has the highest engagement rates per post – fans are more likely to read any email than anyone on Facebook posts or tweets, both of which exist in a virtual sea of content.
As a result of this information, many artists have turned to email marketing as a way to not only expand their reach but also build an engaged fanbase that will support them throughout their careers.
Email marketing is also an excellent way to make money from your music since most emails include an opt-in box where users can sign up for updates on new releases and tour dates. This means that every time you send out an email there’s potential for new income streams through ticket sales and merch sales!
Pitching your music is something that you should be doing regularly, no matter what stage of your career you’re in. It can be a long, tedious process but it will get easier as you become more familiar with the process.
Just because you released a great single, EP or album doesn’t mean people are magically going to know all about it. Yes, you’ve sent your emails, you’ve posted on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, you’ve made the release available on your site, and you’ve shared links to digital stores and streaming platforms with friends and family. If you think that your digital marketing efforts are over after all of that, guess again.
The goal of pitching your music is to get people talking about it so that they eventually come across it in their daily lives — whether it be through SEO (search engine optimization) or serendipity (someone stumbling upon something they didn’t even know they were looking for).
Playlists are an important part of the music industry. As streaming continues to attract more and more music fans, platforms like Apple Music and Spotify have found ways to offer these fans curated playlists of music they may love, or, in many cases, not KNOW they love yet. That’s why streaming has laid a foundation for new music discovery levels– independent artists are not being left out of the fun!
Playlist curation is still a relatively new concept for indie artists, but it can be very rewarding for those willing to put in the time and effort. In this article, we’ll dive into how you can start building your playlists on Apple Music or Spotify and leverage them as a marketing tool for your career.
As the music industry continues to evolve, there are more and more outlets for musicians to share their work with the world. From blogs and online magazines to social media platforms, musicians have a wide variety of options when it comes to promoting themselves and their music. As mentioned above, you can get started on these efforts early in your music career without paying for a publicist – it just takes some work.
Find blogs and magazines that cover your type of music. Look at their websites and social media accounts to see if they post about upcoming events or feature artists they like. If they don’t, send them an email introducing yourself and asking if they would be interested in hearing your music (this goes double if the publication has an email address or contact form specifically for writers). You might want to include a link to one of your songs on SoundCloud or YouTube (if applicable) with your initial email so they have something to listen to right away.
Follow up with emails every couple of months after sending out your initial pitch, as well as when new releases come out from artists you have covered previously – this will help keep you at the forefront of their minds when they are looking for new artists to feature on their sites.
With this newfound confidence in your ability to market and brand yourself, start taking steps to do so properly. Building a solid online presence is the first step in marketing your music, as it gives you a virtual presence for potential listeners to discover.
There is a lot of marketing terminology thrown around in the music industry. It’s pretty confusing for musicians, and if you are trying to find information about your options, it might be hard to discern all the different types of music marketing platforms out there for musicians. Six main forms of music marketing platforms are available to musicians. And those are:
Marketing platforms of the music industry can be divided into the following types:
Social media marketing is a powerful tool for customer engagement and building brand awareness. However, to build a following on social media, you need to understand the demographics of your target audience and set goals in terms of web mentions or content engagement metrics. In the digital sharing age, your fans are the media itself, one that can sometimes be much more powerful than conventional communication channels. However, don’t forget about other channels. Social media marketing should be just a part of your overall communication strategy.
Social media has become an integral part of modern marketing strategies for small businesses. As this trend continues to grow with each passing year, social media marketers continue to refine their methods and focus on new strategies.
When you’re looking to reach out to a specific audience, digital advertising is a great way to go. Digital advertising allows you to choose not only the time and place of your communication but also the type of people you engage with. Advertising through social media (e.g. Facebook ads), search engines (e.g. Google AdWords), digital displays, or even digital audio platforms of Spotify/Pandora allows you to target people based on demographics (age, location, income, etc), musical preferences, and interests.
This is different from physical space advertising like OOH (out of home) advertising — although it remains reserved for more popular acts, targeting wider audiences — because it allows us to target people based on their interests and preferences rather than just their location or age range.
Paid advertising is a great way to get in front of the audience, but it should be approached with caution — the acquired traffic won’t stick around for long if you’re not able to spark an organic interest across other channels and platforms.
When it comes to cultivating a loyal fan base, direct-to-fan communication is crucial. First and foremost, music is a passion and part of people’s identity. Direct engagement helps to build a deeper connection with your audience — and that is something that can come a long way in the music business.
Emails, text messages, or direct messages over social media — whether manual or via bots — will help you build a tight-knit ring of fans that will stick with you (and consistently support you).
Digital Service Providers (DSPs) play a crucial role in the digital music consumption landscape. They help artists reach their fans and grow their careers, by distributing their music to the various platforms that host playlists.
Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, SoundCloud: the digital music consumption landscape is made up of dozens of DSPs. Getting in front of the audience of these platforms is key to expanding your fan base and growing your career.
One of the most prominent channels to reach the audience of the various streaming platforms are playlist placement. That’s why the playlist strategy is now at the heart of any music marketing campaign.
Playlists are a powerful tool for digital service providers to connect with their listeners, but they can also be dangerous if you’re not careful. There are five types of playlists on DSPs:
Generally, playlists on the DSPs can be divided into five types:
Today’s most successful artists are building their brands on multiple platforms. And one of the best ways to do that is through a playlist.
Playlists can offer a vast opportunity to reach new fans, but at the same time, they put the artist at risk of being reduced to just another name in a long list — so you have to build your story on other platforms first and turn the streaming audiences into fans who will go out to your shows.
In the music industry, there are few things as important as publicity. It’s a good thing, then, that there are so many ways to get your name out there:
Promotion of this kind of free advertisement — except that it never comes for free. It would help if you had a PR strategy, a network of connections across different mediums, a press event, and a solid (and preferably data-based) pitch. News doesn’t create itself, so musicians have to work with journalists and media pros to make it happen.
The world is more connected than ever. And while music was always a social phenomenon, the digital space has made the world even more connected than ever. Digital Word-of-Mouth can now travel around the globe overnight and turn an unknown artist into an international sensation.
Right now, TikTok is the user-generated content platform on top of everybody’s mind — but the fan-driven content can live on several platforms: from Twitter to YouTube to Spotify (remember those user-generated playlists?). However, you have to remember that virality doesn’t just happen — it’s always driven by a solid strategy.
No matter what kind of music marketing service you need, there’s a platform out there for you. But the world of music promotion is incredibly complex, and it can be not easy to know where to start. These six music marketing platforms offer a variety of services, so no matter what your needs are, you’ll find something that meets your criteria. click here to hire a professional
The challenge of music promotion in the 21st century is to develop a 360° marketing strategy that reaches all these audiences and connects with every potential opportunity and to do that you need the right tools. From platform-specific advertising managers to CRM solutions and link shorteners: every music marketing tool plays its role in creating, organizing, and distributing your content (and your message) so that it reaches the right people at the right time.
A&R DUTY is a unified, intelligent platform that leverages the most advanced technologies to grant you access to all of your fans. Now, it’s easy to get the whole picture that helps you to truly understand your audience – their needs and expectations inside and outside the circle of your influence.
As a music marketer, there are more platforms and plans to choose from nowadays than ever before, many of which are difficult to work with. That’s why the real challenge isn’t the choice but the choice architecture itself: We have so many possibilities that we don’t know which one to choose. That’s where this guide comes in: To help you navigate through all these options, I’ll show you which tools I use and how I use them when approaching this gigantic task of “music marketing.” From platform-specific advertising managers to CRM solutions, there are plenty of tools to consider when trying to reach potential fans. But the point is: we should use all those available tools to their full extent!
In this post, we will cover 9 music marketing tools that we believe deserve more attention. Some of these are very powerful and some are more on the creative side. If you want to go deeper into marketing, here is a list of tools that focus on your target audience — I’ll give you a hint — it’s not just fans…
Spotify for Artists is a powerful tool that gives you the ability to manage your presence on the platform. It’s part of Spotify’s overall strategy to create a more equitable playing field for all artists, regardless of their size.
Spotify for Artists gives you the tools to optimize and improve your performance on the platform. This starts with customizing your Spotify profile and accessing critical data on playlist additions, number of streams, and number of followers/listeners.
Playlist additions are the lifeblood of Spotify performance, and Spotify for Artists gives you a direct channel to pitch your music to Spotify’s editorial team, leveling out the playing field for independent artists out there. You can also use this tool to track where your music is being played across the site and make sure it’s being promoted appropriately.
SSound chartsis a music intelligence platform that provides data insights for artists and brands. SSound chartsgathers all the various data points to help you assess your marketing strategy and figure out what is (or isn’t) working. Sound charts platform gives you a comprehensive view of an artist’s performance across the music industry, including:
With Soundcharts, marketers have access to insights that help identify new opportunities, highlight high-potential markets, assess the results of the campaigns, and make strategic, data-inspired marketing decisions. success. Try Ssoundchartsfor free — no credit card required.
ReverbNation is a music marketing platform that includes tools for social media, email newsletters, targeted advertisements, and more. It’s ideal for artists and bands with established audiences who want to expand their reach.
ReverbNation is one of the world’s largest online communities of music professionals with over 10 million users. The platform offers a suite of tools to help artists increase their visibility, including email newsletters, viral marketing widgets, electronic press releases, and more.
ReverbNation also sells advertising space on its website for musicians who don’t have large followings but want to reach new listeners on platforms like Facebook or Spotify.
HubSpot is a full-suite Customer Relationship Management tool that music professionals can use to construct and carry out a cross-platform marketing strategy, then assess the success of this strategy and optimize moving forward. You can centralize all your marketing campaigns (emails, blogs, social media posts, advertisements) on HubSpot — and track exact metrics at the same time.
HubSpot’s key features include:
Email Marketing – You can send one-time emails or create email drip campaigns for automated follow-up messages.
Landing Pages – Create landing pages for your website and promote them through social media ads or other paid advertising channels like Facebook or Google AdWords.
Social Media Management – Schedule posts across multiple social media channels with pre-made templates so you won’t have to waste time creating them every time you want to post something new. HubSpot also tracks how well each post performs so you can look back at what was successful in the past to inform future posts that might do well too!
Blog Management – Publish blog posts from within your dashboard by writing directly in the editor and scheduling when ittheyhould go live on your website.
With Show.co, you can promote your new music with a full suite of tools that will help you grow your audience and sell more music.
ToneDen is the world’s best music marketing platform, with everything you need to promote your music, from the first single to a tour. ToneDen is especially valuable to music professionals as a marketing platform for live events. With ToneDen, you can:
Amplify is a link shortener that allows you to customize your links with artwork, metadata, or videos. It also tracks how many people view your links and creates landing pages and smart links.
The Amplify app is free for iOS, Android, and the web, so it’s easy to use across platforms.
The app has been around for a few years now, but it was recently acquired by Spotify and updated with new features like analytics tools. It’s now part of Spotify’s strategy to improve its social media presence by offering its users more ways to share their music on different platforms.
Why Use Amplify?
The main reason to use an app like Amplify is that sharing music on social media is complicated. If you just give someone a Spotify link, they may not know how to open the file or play it on another device (especially if they don’t have Spotify). With Amplify, you can customize your link with artwork or even add a video preview so people know what they’re clicking on before they hit play. The last thing anyone wants is for someone to click on something only to find out it doesn’t work!
Buzzstream is an outreach and PR tool that automates critical parts of link-building and marketing. You can send out bulk pitches tailored to different audiences and create a link-building database. Buzzstream is also an excellent way to find social media influencers in your genre.
If you’re just starting with link building, BuzzStream’s interface can be intimidating. But once you get the hang of it, you’ll save hours on content promotion and outreach.
Facebook Messenger bots are the next big thing in marketing. The platform is already being used by many businesses to provide customer service, sales, and social media management, but they can also be used to engage with your audience in a personalized manner.
Engaging with your audience in a personalized manner becomes more and more difficult as you gain traction. With social media bots, you can engage at scale and send customized direct messages to your listeners en masse. It’s great for viral marketing campaigns.
The platform also lets you integrate with other apps like Shopify and Salesforce so you can directly connect with customers and provide them with deep product information or order tracking info when they need it most. k.
Marketing platforms of the music industry can be divided into the following types:
Social media marketing is a powerful tool for customer engagement and building brand awareness. However, to build a following on social media, you need to understand the demographics of your target audience and set goals in terms of web mentions or content engagement metrics. In the digital sharing age, your fans are the media itself, one that can sometimes be much more powerful than conventional communication channels. However, don’t forget about other channels. Social media marketing should be just a part of your overall communication strategy.
Social media has become an integral part of modern marketing strategies for small businesses. As this trend continues to grow with each passing year, social media marketers continue to refine their methods and focus on new strategies.
When you’re looking to reach out to a specific audience, digital advertising is a great way to go. Digital advertising allows you to choose not only the time and place of your communication but also the type of people you engage with. Advertising through social media (e.g. Facebook ads), search engines (e.g. GoogleAdWords), digital displays or even digital audio platforms of Spotify/Pandora allows you to target people based on demographics (age, location, income, etc), musical preferences and interests.
This is different from physical space advertising like OOH (out of home) advertising — although it remains reserved for more popular acts, targeting wider audiences — because it allows us to target people based on their interests and preferences rather than just their location or age range.
Paid advertising is a great way to get in front of the audience, but it should be approached with caution — the acquired traffic won’t stick around for long if you’re not able to spark an organic interest across other channels and platforms.
When it comes to cultivating a loyal fan base, direct-to-fan communication is crucial. First and foremost, music is a passion and part of people’s identity. Direct engagement helps to build a deeper connection with your audience — and that is something that can come a long way in the music business.
Emails, text messages, or direct messages over social media — whether manual or via bots — will help you build a tight-knit ring of fans that will stick with you (and consistently support you).
Digital Service Providers (DSPs) play a crucial role in the digital music consumption landscape. They help artists reach their fans and grow their careers, by distributing their music to the various platforms that host playlists.
Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, SoundCloud: the digital music consumption landscape is made up of dozens of DSPs. Getting in front of the audience of these platforms is key to expanding your fan base and growing your career.
One of the most prominent channels to reach the audience of the various streaming platforms are playlist placement. That’s why the playlist strategy is now at the heart of any music marketing campaign.
Playlists are a powerful tool for digital service providers to connect with their listeners, but they can also be dangerous if you’re not careful. There are five types of playlists on DSPs:
Generally, playlists on the DSPs can be divided into five types:
Today’s most successful artists are building their brands on multiple platforms. And one of the best ways to do that is through a playlist.
Playlists can offer a vast opportunity to reach new fans, but at the same time, they put the artist at risk of being reduced to just another name in a long list — so you have to build your story on other platforms first and turn the streaming audiences into fans who will go out to your shows.
In the music industry, there are few things as important as publicity. It’s a good thing, then, that there are so many ways to get your name out there:
Promotion of this kind of free advertisement — except that it never comes for free. You need a PR strategy, a network of connections across different mediums, a press event, and a solid (and preferably data-based) pitch. News doesn’t create itself, so musicians have to work with journalists and media pros to make it happen.
The world is more connected than ever. And while music was always a social phenomenon the digital space has made the world even more connected than ever. Digital Word-of-Mouth can now travel around the globe overnight and turn an unknown artist into an international sensation.
Right now, TikTok is the user-generated content platform on top of everybody’s mind — but the fan-driven content can live on several platforms: from Twitter to YouTube to Spotify (remember those user-generated playlists?). However, you have to remember that virality doesn’t just happen — it’s always driven by a solid strategy.
YouTube is a great place to begin your music marketing campaign. It’s the most popular video-sharing platform, and it’s where you can expect to reach the most people. People watch over 1 billion hours of YouTube videos every day. Music is by far the most viewed category of video (27%), and 95% of the most watched videos on YouTube are music videos.
It’s no secret that the digital world is congregated on a trio of social media platforms: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Your presence on each platform is critical to maximizing your reach.
You know the drill. Twitter has 330 million MAUs, which makes it the playground of most influencers and budding music journalists at the heart of all things viral and word-of-mouth. Facebook has a staggering 2.38 billion MASU; it’s the most-used social media platform worldwide — and people will discover your live events there. Finally, Instagram has 1 billion MAUs; it’s a great place to cultivate a unique brand and visual aesthetic.
Each platform requires a tailored approach since all of them have their niche, demographic, and most importantly, content format. Your social media marketing strategy should tie all three together — and make the best use of their corresponding advantages.
Spotify is the world’s most popular music streaming platform, controlling 31% of the global streaming market with its 365 million annual active users.
If you’re looking to get your music on Spotify, there are two main ways to do it: through editorial or label-owned playlists, or by getting featured by 3rd-party influencers.
Editorial and label-owned playlists can provide colossal exposure and transform careers — they’re the centre of attention for any music marketing campaign. But they’re also tough to get onto, so it takes time and resources. On the other hand, getting featured by 3rd-party influencers is easier to reach but doesn’t have as much of an impact — although even a single plug can be a game-changer. The bottom line is that 54% of people say that digital playlists are replacing albums for them, and platforms like Spotify have driven this change in listening behaviour
TikTok is a music marketing platform that allows users to repurpose music into shareable memes. Music is a powerful motivator for sharing, and TikTok has found a way to harness that power by giving artists the ability to have their songs featured on the platform.
The platform has been an incredible success, and it’s not hard to see why: it taps into a vein of fan content that has always been important in music marketing but has never before been so easily accessible. This is the new frontier of music marketing: making your music available to users so they can generate their content and build word-of-mouth. TikTok is the pioneer in this budding area.
Radio is still one of the most effective ways to reach new audiences. It’s one of the most powerful mediums for reaching your target audience and building brand awareness, which is why it’s still so important to have your song on the airwaves.
The power of radio varies from market to market and from audience to audience, but it remains an effective way for performers to build momentum for their careers. Whether you’re looking for a broader reach or just want more listeners in a specific area, radio airplay is still a vital performance indicator and a key component of success..
Marketing tools are the instruments of your marketing strategy — the tools you use to analyze your performance on major digital platforms and amplify your success there.
Marketing platforms are streaming services, radio, and social media — all the different spaces where musicians can promote their music and connect with their audience.
Marketing tools and platforms work hand in hand: you can’t reach an audience without a presence on major digital platforms, but cutting through the noise and putting together a successful marketing strategy requires the right instruments — and the right insights.
Overall, making changes to your music marketing strategy doesn’t have to be daunting, scary, or even difficult. Just keep in mind that your strategy needs to be as fluid and agile as the music industry — so keep tabs on how your audience is engaging with you on each platform, and what they’re responding to positively. If a certain type of marketing approach performs well for you on any particular social platform — gravitate towards it. But most importantly: use the resources available to make those data-driven decisions that will help grow your fan base.
Find out more about how A&R DUTY can help you do this.
Have you ever heard of Afrobeat music? We’re guessing not. Most of us think of Afrobeats as the new generation of African pop, or a style of music that is brand spanking new. And while it certainly is all of those things, it has its roots in something much older: its big brother called Afrobeat.
When younger generations hear the term Afrobeats, they automatically associate the musical genre with artists like Wizkid, Davido, or Burna Boy. And while each of them is making waves in their own right and bringing awareness to the culture, it’s important to note that this style of music has been around long before people were screaming out “You don’t need no other body.” (Yea, it’s in our heads now, too).
Before we dive into their differences, let’s take a step back and honestly examine what Afrobeats is. You see,
The History Of Afrobeat From Africa To The World
Afrobeat is a genre of music that originated in Nigeria during the late 1960s. It was created by Fela Kuti, who used it in his band Africa 70 as a way to express his anti-colonial views and opposition against dictatorial regimes in Africa. Afrobeat uses elements from various genres including jazz, funk, highlife, traditional African music, and Nigerian folk music.
The sound that is known as Afrobeat is credited to Nigerian musical artist Fela Aníkúlápó-Kuti. Kuti, the pioneer of the genre, was heavily inspired by the emerging jazz scene during his time in London in the 1960s. While he was in London for school, he decided to drop out and return to his native land— Nigeria— to develop his musical aspirations.
To gain notoriety in Nigeria’s music scene at that time, Kuti formed a band called Africa 70 that included American saxophonists Tony Allen and Frank Collins (among others). The band quickly gained popularity within Nigeria’s underground music scene by performing at nightclubs and theatres. Soon after, Kuti was arrested on charges of currency smuggling and sentenced to five years in prison where he developed songs about his experiences during incarceration
Some of the earliest examples of Afrobeat are found in the music of Fela Kuti. As noted above, Kuti’s sound was heavily influenced by American jazz and funk music, especially that of James Brown. However, Kuti also incorporated elements of traditional African music into his compositions.
Another key distinction of Afrobeat is that it often involved a full band, including saxophones and guitars. This was very different from most other African pop songs at the time which were typically performed by a single singer backed by percussion instruments such as drums or maracas.
In addition, Afrobeat artists tended to use electronic instruments instead of acoustic ones. Fela Kuti was one of the first African musicians to use synthesizers in his songs, something that was quite unusual at the time but has since become more common in popular African music (and for that matter, popular music all over the world).
The Rise Of Afrobeats
Afrobeats have become a global phenomenon due to their unique blend of musical styles and culture that resonates with people worldwide. With the rate of consumption of afro beats alone, it’s safe to say that Afrobeats is here to stay!
Afrobeats is currently one of the biggest music genres in the world. Every time I hear it, it makes my whole body move, and so I am sure it does for you too. After all, it’s known for its infectious rhythms, powerful vocals, and meaningful lyrics. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise: Afrobeats is here to stay.
As an A&R, you’re often working with new artists who are still learning the ropes of the industry. However, there are some things that you should never do when working with a new artist — it’s very easy for them to feel pressured or intimidated by your position and experience in the music industry.
Here are five studio etiquette mistakes to avoid:
It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the workplace and forget about being considerate of others. However, if you want to avoid being labeled as a bad employee, then you must think twice before doing or saying something offensive or unprofessional. In fact, according to a survey conducted by The Muse, 65 percent of employees say that when they see a coworker make an effort to be considerate at work, it makes them more likely to do the same. So even if you don’t think you have anything to prove and don’t care what other people think about you, remember that their opinions could have an impact on your career and reputation within the organization.
It’s tempting to jump in and take over when something goes wrong. But it’s better to let your team members learn from their mistakes. You can help them by offering suggestions, but don’t do the work for them.
If someone asks you a question about something you said earlier, don’t assume that they understood what you meant — explain it again if necessary! It may be frustrating at first, but it’s better than having two different interpretations of what was said last week, which can confuse the line.
even if an artist is struggling, don’t give them a damaging critique in front of other people around the studio; instead, find a private moment where you can explain what needs improvement without making them feel bad about themselves or their work ethic.
if an artist has written something that doesn’t make sense in context or doesn’t sound good when sung by another person (e.g., “I’m gonna be famous someday”), don’t dismiss it just because it isn’t perfect
Whether you’re starting a record label, running a band, or want to build a DIY music project for fun, you need to have certain team members. These “essential” team members will be there to help when all other support is gone. If you run your show and plan to release music/an album, these are the members you should find.
You’ll need someone to oversee the A&R process and make sure all your artists are signed to a record deal. The A&R manager will also negotiate contracts, check budgets, and make sure everyone’s in line with their musical direction.
These are the guys who will help you make music. They can be producers, engineers, and songwriters — they all make the world go round!
A manager handles all sorts of things for an artist, from booking shows to negotiating deals with labels and promoters. They know how to run your career like a business — which means they’ll help you make more money, too!
A booking agent books show for bands and DJs all over the world. They work closely with managers and labels to secure dates in clubs, festivals, and other venues.
A good attorney will protect your intellectual property rights and ensure that any contracts you sign are fair. An even better attorney will help you get out of bad contracts if they need it — which happens more often than most people think!
The art director designs album covers, posters, and merchandise items. They also work closely with photographers, illustrators, and graphic designers to create promotional materials that reflect the image of your artist or band.
The publicist works with journalists from local newspapers through national magazines to help generate publicity for your music releases. This includes writing press releases and pitching stories to journalists.
This is the person who will help you shape your strategy and plan for growth. The strategist is responsible for identifying what needs to be done next and making sure everyone is on board with the direction of the company.
This person will help you identify the best marketing channels and strategies to reach your target audience. They’ll also help you create compelling content that will make your business stand out from the crowd.
Design is incredibly important to any business, so having someone on staff who can design engaging visuals will help your brand stand out from competitors.
Product managers are responsible for managing all aspects of a product’s development process, including testing, releasing new features, and updating existing ones based on user feedback or analytics data.
This person is responsible for making sure everyone gets to where they need to be when they need to be there. They’re essentially an assistant tour manager who plans everything down to the last detail (and sometimes beyond).
These people make sure that everything runs smoothly on tour — from making sure hotels have extra towels for when you arrive late at night, to arranging for sound checks and transport between venues.
Tour Accountant/Bookkeeper/Business Manager (or however many titles this person has).
Someone who keeps track of all your money — from revenue streams like ticket sales and merchandise sales to expenses like flights and hotels. They also handle taxes and other financial matters related
Getting the attention of an A&R can be difficult, but there are some things you can do to increase your chances of being seen by one. An A&R is responsible for signing new artists and developing careers. Not only does this person see potential in your work, but he or she can also provide feedback on how your music will fit best in the high-profile industry it was created for.
In today’s music industry, branding can play more of a role in an artist’s success than the music they create. Artists are not merely selling their music; they’re selling an image, an experience, and a message which defines them.
An artist is defined by their brand. People will remember the name of an established musician or artist much more than a person with no brands at all. You need to build your brand to get A&R (artists and repertoire) attention. This post will help you do just that!
A&R reps take more interest in an artist with a strong fan base. Expand your fan base by:
Having an established brand can give you an edge over other brands and producers. The more momentum and excitement you can build around your brand, the more likely an A&R will take notice.
Building relationships and networking in the music industry is always helpful. Boost your chances of getting noticed by making connections. Get out and connect with people, regardless of their status. Try to meet other artists, producers, DJs, publicists, booking agents, label staff, fans, and anyone else in the music scene. These connections could lead to opportunities. But you must be professional and approach them in a way that makes you seem like a businessperson.
Music discovery websites make it easier to capture new fans, discover new music, and more. Many connect you with the right people and services to help you advance your career in the music industry… They serve a valuable role in assisting independent musicians with industries for promotion, sales, and engagement. But which sites are best? Here’s a list of my top 4 favourite music discovery websites: SubmitHub, Pitchfork, Bandcamp, SoundCloud, and ReverbNation
Marketing and promotional strategies are essential in increasing outreach and getting your music heard. An effective marketing campaign will help you increase exposure, establish credibility, and open new opportunities. There are several excellent ways to promote your music and reach new audiences. Do some research on public relations and marketing strategies for musicians. Here is a description of the five most effective strategies you can use:
The best way to build and maintain a large, successful music career is to surround yourself with people who are just as passionate about your music as you are. You may not believe it at first, but there are many pieces to the puzzle when it comes to building this foundation. There’s management (with representation), publicists, agents, and attorneys. Each of these groups has relationships with label A&R reps — meaning if you’ve already got someone representing you — then all these people have some sort of pull in the form of following-up phone calls, emails, and future discussions/parties that could help move your career forward.