0

Music Marketing Blog

A Resource for Independent Artists
May 03
Love3
Bond Conference in San Francisco

10 Quick Reminders for Musicians From Successful Creatives [Bond Conference]

By Motivation No Comments

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

Apr 11
Love3
EPK

Everything Artists Need to Know about Electronic Press Kits (EPK)

By Music Business One Comment

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

Mar 05
Love2
Facebook

Major Facebook News Feed Change in 2018: Here’s How Musicians Should Adapt

By Facebook, Social Media No Comments

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

Jan 10
Love4
Gary Vee Music Artist

Who is Gary Vee and Why Music Artists Should Follow Him

By Motivation, Strategy 2 Comments

There are two people that ultimately inspired me to start D4 Music Marketing. Gary Vaynerchuk (or Gary Vee) is one of them.

For those who don’t know, Gary Vaynerchuk is a successful American entrepreneur, marketing expert and online personality. When it comes to entrepreneurship and the current climate of attention, Gary’s rhetoric and outlook are spot on.

As a music marketer, my core approach to my blog content and developing my personal brand is heavily influenced by Gary Vee. Although his marketing strategies and approach to business are not unique to him, Gary does an excellent job of communicating it in such a clear and practical way that I believe all artists should listen to what he has to say if they want a good chance at making it in the music business.

In a way, this post is a tribute to him and acknowledgment of his role in the creation of my blog, but also to convince artists like yourself why you should listen to what he says.
Read More

Dec 05
Love1
Online Stalker

7 Ways Musicians Can Protect Themselves Online from Stalkers

By Security One Comment

You don’t have to be a celebrity to have stalkers. As an artist, especially if you’re a woman, putting yourself out there on stage or even behind the screen on social media, generates a lot of attention, making you a potential target of identity theft or a victim of stalking or harassment.

As you become more established as an independent artist, it’s very important for you to think about your safety and security. Stalking can happen to anyone and the tools available on the internet make it easier than ever for someone to find out personal information about you and track what you are doing. Even if you aren’t celebrity famous, someone who may not be the most mentally or emotionally stable might take an unhealthy interest in you. Read More

Nov 01
Love6
Apps for Musicians

33 Mobile Apps to Help Make Musician Life Easier and Productive

By Apps No Comments

Last updated on 3/2/2020.

As an artist, it may actually be easier to maximize productivity now when you’re not in front of your laptop or home computer. This is because the apps we have on our smartphones now allow us to get so much done on the go.

I put this list of apps together I felt would be very useful for musicians to manage their day-to-day tasks, create new content, and promote their music. My suggestions are based on apps I have used as well as some of the artists I work with. For this blog, I want to stay away from the painfully obvious ones like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Mailchimp. Read More

Oct 03
Love13
More Spotify Followers

How to Get More Spotify Followers (Tips for Musicians)

By Music Streaming, Social Media, Spotify 3 Comments

Looking for more Spotify followers? As of 2018, Spotify is the top music streaming subscription platform right now worldwide with over 207 million active users (96 million are paying subscribers). As Spotify continues to grow and offer new tools to help you succeed as an independent artist, it makes sense to devote time and effort to increase your number of followers on this platform.

One of the biggest benefits of having Spotify followers is that fans receive email notifications when you put new music on Spotify or announce new shows (if you use Songkick.com). Your songs also show up in their Release Radar playlist and possibly other algorithmic playlists from Spotify. Read More

Sep 06
Love2
Super Fans Isaiah Rashad

4 Easy Communication Tweaks To Help Convert Fans Into Super Fans

By Branding, Music Business, Social Media, Strategy No Comments

Since 2008, there’s been a popular hypothesis floating around the internet about how artists can make a sustainable living if they are able to earn roughly 1,000 super fans.

Unfortunately with so much competition for attention now, that number may be more. However, the idea behind this is to help dispel this notion that you need thousands or millions of fans to make it as an independent and that living off music is more attainable than it seems. Read More

Aug 01
Love4
Think Fan Funnel

Want to grow your fan base effectively? Think funnels. Fan funnels.

By Marketing Basics, Music Business, Strategy One Comment

If you want to grow your fan base effectively, you need to think about funnels. Of course, I am not talking about an actual physical funnel, but metaphorically speaking.

In business, a sales funnel (or similarly a buyer’s journey) is a process that consists of different stages or touchpoints that potential customers pass through as they become more interested in your products and services until they reach the desired action or sales transaction at the end.

As artists and musicians, your customers (or fans) go through different stages as well to take the ideal action at the end of the funnel, which is typically to buy your music and pay to see your show. However, instead of sales funnels, I like to think of it as a fan or relationship funnel when talking about music. Read More

Jul 05
Love3
Branding Butterscotch

The Basics of Branding for Musicians: Setting Your Brand Foundation

By Branding, Marketing Basics No Comments

If you’ve read my first blog about the importance of branding for musicians and some basic terminology, then you’re ready to start laying the foundation for your own brand.

One of the most important assets you have is your brand, and your brand’s effectiveness is determined by how well you are able to connect with people on an emotional level. Why? Because not everyone will listen to your music when they come across it. Instead, they will have to make decisions about you based on your name, online presentation, bios, descriptions and everything else that relates to you. If these aspects don’t get their attention or resonate with their identity, then they are less likely to listen to your music.

In this blog, I will go over the 4 general steps that are essential to help you build your own brand. Read More