A lot of great music producers and new talented musicians are out there. Some of them have already created some massive tunes even if they are not aware of it. Looking for the right record label or creating your own is the very first thing which music producers think of after they feel ready to release their music worldwide.
Unfortunately there is much more than just finding a record label or letting your tracks get released worldwide.
Every day there is a lot of music out there and we live in a digital era when it is really difficult to reach the real audience that will take the time to listen to your music.
Yes, we agree the very best starter for young music producers is to sign their music for already established record labels so that it starts to grow their fan base.
But how to get signed or heard by well known record labels since they receive tons of music every day? Knowing labels are more focused on already established producers how can a starter gain entry into this competitive industry?
Here are some tips we have thought of that would help you at the very beginning of stepping into the music industry market and some essential music marketing knowledge which can be really helpful for promoting your music.
Research and look for the best record labels for your music.
We would definitely recommend to every new music producer to make a list of the record labels which release similar music to yours. Sending music to random labels which are not representing the kind of sound you produce will waste your and label managers time and will not bring you anywhere.
Of course, it is best to try to send to some of your favourite labels or the most popular ones. If you don't receive any response or they think your music is not a good fit for their label you should carry on researching. Continue to send your music to other labels which might not be the most successful but still have a good reputation.
Try to introduce yourself shortly in the email that you send. Always check the Demo policy of each record label and if they accept demos, follow their sending requirements. Never attach your music in the email. This way your email will most likely be deleted.
Never send a demo to multiple labels within one email. Patience is really important and you should always send a personal email to the record label instead of through a newsletter. Wait some time for their response before you decide to move to another label from your list.
Don't get disappointed if they don't listen to your music or they think it is not a good fit for them.
Tastes are very different for each individual and your tracks can work for a different record label but bear in mind that sometimes good feedback can help you improve your sound or direction to get signed by your favourites.
Some of you will try to set up your own record label and in that case you will be able to release your own music which is great! In that case your record label will also need proper strategy and hard work and time to build the label's audience.
Most of the record labels use their own contacts and send promotional campaigns through music promo pools before a release is pushed out. The purpose of this kind of promotion is to deliver promo music to respected DJ's, radio stations, music magazines or any kind of useful channels which can help your music to get featured or played. With this kind of service you can receive DJ feedback, radio or magazine support and use your results for the promotion of the release.
Having the opportunity for your music to get played on big festivals or captured in the mixes of the biggest DJ's can help massively with the promotion of your release and get your tracks exposed directly to an audience.
The next step is to prepare some quality teasers and post onto your social media profiles. These days, record labels set up their releases for a pre-order on a favourite store so you can promote your release and give access to people to listen to it before it is officially out in shops.
You should have in mind that sharing just the link to your pre-order release or asking people to buy your tracks will not help too much. These days, it is really essential to have a more unique approach on social media and to try to attract an audience with catchy videos or teasers rather than asking them to click on the link. Most platforms like Facebook will not even show your post to your followers if you are sharing a link from another website. Most of the teasers should be really short and to be able to attract the audience in the first 15 seconds. Try to avoid long videos if you post them on your social networks.
Finally, it's the day of your release and your music is available on all major stores such as Spotify, Apple Music, Beatport, Amazon and is time to share the news as much as you can.
Nowadays, streaming music is readily available and more popular than buying and downloading tracks. Of course DJs and radio stations may still buy music to play which is important promotion but that's now a much smaller percentage then those who stream music on platforms such as Spotify, Deezer and others.
The good news for new upcoming music producers is that Spotify is run by an algoritam and your music can be added to some of their playlists which can expand your audience.
No one can guarantee or exactly know how Spotify's algorithm works but for sure the more music you release it will be more likely that you reach more streams which will increase your chance to be heard more widely.
If you are already an established DJ and you have some performances it would be great to organize an album or release tour so you can tell party people that you have something new to offer. Unfortunately at this moment most of the musicians are not performing or playing since the global pandemic, which makes musicians life much more difficult. However, this will not last forever and hopefully next year things will get better for the music industry, music festivals and the clubbing scene.
Until then use your free time and make awesome music and try to plan your upcoming releases throughout the whole year.
