Seven ways to Promote your Songs

So, you’ve written and recorded a song you’re excited to release, you’ve prepared the artwork
and everything’s ready to go, but how can you promote yourself and make sure people hear
your new music? This is an uncertainty for countless indie artists. We can help. Here are some of the latest ways to promote your songs.

There will probably be some trial and error involved as you find what works for you and your
audience, but here are seven tips to get you started.

1) Release your best music
Because you’re about to make a huge effort to get your new single to as many ears as possible,
it will be better for your reputation long-term if the song is to the best of your ability and
recorded to a professional standard. Don’t rush the creative process and trust your instincts
when selecting your next release. Choose a standout track that showcases your talent.

2) Here’s another way to promote your songs – Ask listeners to pre-save on Spotify.
-Now you’ve chosen your song, it’s time to think about promotion ahead of the release date.
A lot of indie artists have said that listeners pre-saving their music helps them get increased
traction and visibility on Spotify.

Don’t wait until the song is out to spread the word, encourage your followers and subscribers
to pre-save. This is especially important if you have an existing audience. If you’re just starting
out, pre-saving probably won’t help as much, but it would still be worth asking friends and
family.

3) Tease the song on TikTok

TikTok is a social media app where users share short videos. It has helped musicians such as
Sam Ryder get noticed because it’s easier for videos to be seen by people that aren’t already
following you compared to other social platforms.

Mimi Webb teased ‘House on Fire’ on TikTok for weeks prior to the song’s release. This meant
more people rushed to hear the full track the day it came out. Maisie Peters did the same
with ‘Cate’s Brother’. Both songs were undoubtedly wider heard because of the hype created
in the run up to release. These artists have the support of labels, but indies can replicate their
methods to create a buzz around new music, even if it’s on a smaller scale. And if you’re lucky
enough to go viral, this could really boost your career. Mimi Webb was discovered on TikTok
long before ‘House on Fire’ and wouldn’t be where she is today had she never downloaded
the app.

Not every video or artist will be a TikTok sensation, but it’s a great way to reach new listeners
and build your audience. We recommend being active on there if you enjoy social media,
especially in the run-up to a release and the weeks that follow. All social media platforms
have negative aspects and if this is something you’ve struggled with mentally, this tip might
not be right for you. Maybe there’s somebody that could help you manage your social media
accounts.

We recently joined TikTok ourselves! Follow us here >>– it’s a new account so it would really
help us out!

And don’t forget good old Twitter and Instagram! Follow us and we’ll gladly give you a shout out if we like what we hear!
Songbay on Twitter >>
Songbay on Instagram >>

4) You don’t need to go it alone
Self-promotion doesn’t have to mean going solo. Platforms such as AWAL help indie artists
distribute music (you need to be accepted onto their client list, follow the other tips in this
article to increase your chances!) You could also look for a manager. If you’re starting out,
you might be able to team up with a recent music management graduate.

5) Collaborate

Platforms such as YouTube and TikTok are ideal for collaboration. You could reach out to other
indie artists in your genre. By working together, they introduce you to their audience and you
do the same for them. It’s a fun way to bring your music to new ears. You could feature each
other on a single, post a cover, or compete in a challenge! Most successful online creators
collaborate regularly.

The Songbay Collaboration Zone is a helpful resource if you’re looking to work with other songwriters, producers or musicians. It’s primarily for collaborating on music creation, but it’s also a way to meet like-minded Songbay artists and work together to achieve your goals.
Promote your songs together – Each day hundreds of artists are collaborating with each other from around the globe at Songbay!

6) Social media ads
Even big artists promote their songs and music videos with paid advertising, especially on
Facebook and Instagram. It’s best if people can hear a snippet of your song, they’re unlikely
to become invested enough to seek out the full track if they’ve only read a written description.
Wow them with your music video, or a lyric video if you don’t have one.

We recommend having a music video if possible. Tate McRae recorded the video for ‘You
Broke Me First’ on a phone in one location because of lockdown restrictions. It’s not the video
we would’ve got if the pandemic hadn’t occurred, but the song went on to become one of
the most successful singles of 2020. It shows that if the song is good, you can do your best
with limited resources for the video and still connect with new listeners.

There are costs involved with social media advertising, so take time to budget and set the ad
at a level you can afford. Check the analytics section to see how the ad is performing, and
make changes if people aren’t engaging. If you already have an audience, you can set the ad
to be shown primarily to your followers. This can be helpful in letting existing fans know you
have a new song out.

7) Other ways to promote your songs-Keep in touch with your audience

This is the most important step because it enables your future releases to reach more people
faster. It can also help you sell merch and concert tickets down the road. Encourage new
listeners to follow or subscribe. Having a list of email subscribers is advisable because you
own this, so you won’t lose your audience if your favourite social media platform ceases to
exist or falls out of popularity – it could happen! More likely, you could lose your account (and
your followers) if you’re hacked or banned in error, for example if you’re mistaken for a robot!
Our Twitter account was hacked last year. Thankfully, we were able to recover the account,
but it wasn’t easy to contact Twitter, so it shows the importance of not relying on one
platform.

Choose between two and four places you can keep in touch with your listeners and encourage
them to join, follow, subscribe, etc. Try to stay active in these places so people stay invested
in you and your music. This tip isn’t just for the online world. Encourage people to sign up at
gigs and performances, maybe give them an incentive to do so!

Anther great way to promote your songs- Join Songbay! >>

We hope you find this helpful. Do you have any tips that aren’t on this list? We’d love to hear
from you!