One of the common challenges I’m noticing artists have about branding is figuring out that one thing that sets them apart from everyone else.
You hear it often in regard to branding. I have even said it in my previous blogs. Because there’s so much competition for attention in the digital era, you have to be able to distinguish yourself to stand out. You need to find what is “unique” about you.
I realize now that this could be misunderstood. Read More
This is part 1 of 4 in my Merch for Musicians series.
In our music streaming world, it has become much harder for independent artists to sustain a career in the music industry. Selling CDs was a large income stream that has basically vanished. To put into context how important it was, consider how much you make from music streaming.
Based on the latest numbers, to make the profit of selling one $15 CD, you would have to get roughly 3,200 streams on Spotify or 2,000 streams on Apple Music. For emerging artists, it’s a challenge just to get 1,000 streams.
It’s safe to say now that selling merch is basically a necessity now to make it as an artist on top of doing shows and tours.
Often times, the problem with merch is you need money to make money. Since the money to fund merch will most likely come out of your own pocket, you can’t afford to make items that people won’t buy.
Before you go and print a bunch of shirts with your face on it, it’s important to take a step back to evaluate your brand, what you represent and what characteristics define you as an artist. Read More
For this month, I wanted to share the story of Russ for aspiring artists because I believe he really epitomizes the marketing strategy and DIY mindset needed to make it in the music industry, or at least improve your chances.
I had the opportunity to attend the 2018 Forbes Under 30 Summit in Boston where he performed and did a 20 minute talk to entrepreneurs on the factors that contributed to his success. I managed to record the entire thing so this was perfect to share.
Success in the music industry is often a team effort. Even as an independent artist, you need support from those around you. This includes people who help you directly on day-to-day tasks or on certain projects, a network of industry relationships and community support.
As the saying goes, “your network is your net worth.” Your value and potential for growth are largely tied to the people you choose to surround yourself with. As emerging artists, it’s important you put yourself out there and start building these relationships. Read More
SCENARIO: You have a new music video that you want everyone to see. It could even be an older video, it doesn’t matter because it’s always new to someone who’s never seen it. Facebook Ads is a great way to get more views for your music video, from both your current fans and potentially new ones.
Think of Facebook Ads as a tool that you can use to get exposure for your music video and potentially lead people into your fan funnel. Once in your fan funnel, it can be easier to sell your music and merch to your fans. The good news is you can use Facebook Ads to do this also.
There are different ways and strategies you can go about it, but I will guide you through one way to sell your music and merch to an audience that is more likely to buy based on how engaged they were by your videos. Read More
EXPOSURE. It’s what all artists want right?
After investing so much time into creating the music, you want to make sure it gets in front of people. How can you get your music in front of new potential fans? Maybe you’re unsure of the options you have.
A few people have reached out to me and asked about how to get more exposure. To me, there’s really no big secret.
The goal of this blog is to simplify the most practical routes to get more exposure for your music. It’s less about secret tactics or hacks, and more so about an overview of all your options you have to get your music in front of new people. Read More
With all the events that have recently transpired for this young artist, the name of his latest album, “The Rise of Hobo Johnson,” couldn’t be more appropriate.
In the last 3 months, Hobo Johnson has:
In the world of virality and mainstream artists, this is relatively impressive. But to the average independent artist, this is an astronomical feat for a 20 something-year-old adult from Sacramento.
How did he do it? Read More
Back in March of 2018, I attended a new, intimate conference hosted in San Francisco that focused on how creators / creatives make a living through the internet. Music artists and musicians are included in this bunch. For a blog recap, click here.
There was a lot of great stuff discussed, so I took some notes on specific points and reminders that I think will help all creatives, including music artists like yourself. Also, I want to emphasize the importance of community and the value of attending conferences like this. Read More
Some of the most important things you need to grow your career as an artist, new gigs and press coverage, will require an EPK.
For those who don’t know, an Electronic Press Kit – or EPK – is a professional document that contains relevant information and assets about you as an artist. In a way, it’s like a music resume.
As the name implies, an EPK is generally intended for press, journalists, media or bloggers, but it can also be used for other types of industry people, like talent buyers and promoters.
EPKs serve 2 general purposes – selling yourself and making it easier for the other party to do what you want them to do.
Just like with a job resume, your EPK should be structured around educating the reader on your previous accomplishments. So, if you want publicity or press, your EPK should provide all the information that someone would need to write about you. Read More
A drastic change has taken place on Facebook, and it is bad news for all brands, including musicians and music artists.
As many know, the Facebook newsfeed has been controlled by complex algorithms to determine what posts and content will show up in your feed based on a number of variables including: who you follow, what you post and your past interactions on the platform.
Back in 2016, Facebook announced a change to their news feed algorithm that would prioritize posts from friends and family and bring them to the top of your feed. Personally, I haven’t notice much of a difference since then, but it looks like they’re not done yet. Read More
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D4 Music Marketing is an online resource that focuses on music marketing, artist development and business education to empower aspiring and emerging artists who want to make a living off music as an independent.
The aim of this blog is to help guide DIY musicians in a highly competitive industry with strategies and tactics to effectively promote music and attract life-long fans. By emphasizing the importance a strong foundation, you will be better equipped to navigate and adapt to the ever-changing music landscape with a clearer direction towards independent success.
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