MusicPromoToday Field Guides
Checklists, how-tos and Q&As on releasing, promoting and marketing music, for independent artists and teams in every genre and market.
How to Read Music Case Studies Without Getting Misled
Case studies are useful when you know how to read them. They are misleading when you treat every big number as a promise of the same result for you. Here i
SoundCloud Promotion Steps That Still Work
SoundCloud is no longer the only discovery engine it once was, but it is still useful for certain scenes: electronic, hip-hop, early demos, DJ community fe
Artist Branding Basics: A Q&A for Independent Musicians
Branding sounds abstract until you notice that confused artists are hard to pitch. Here are the questions independent musicians ask most.
Global Music Promotion: Working Across Territories
"Global" is not a channel. It is a decision about which countries or regions get real attention, in what order, and with what local materials. Artists who
Remix Strategy: Giving a Track a Second Life
A remix is not automatic momentum. It is a new product that needs its own reason to exist. Used well, it extends a campaign and reaches a different floor,
Apple Music for Independent Artists: A Promotion Checklist
Many independent artists put most of their effort into one streaming service and treat the others as an afterthought. Apple Music has its own tools and its
Music Marketing for Producers and Beatmakers
Producers sit in an unusual spot. Your work is often heard under someone else's name, and the audience you need may be artists, not listeners. Good marketi
Pre-Save Campaigns: What They Do and How to Run One
A pre-save lets a listener save a song to their library before it comes out, so it appears for them on release day. It is one of the few promotion tools th
Fan Accounts and Fan Pages: How They Help a Release (Q&A)
Fan accounts are social profiles run by fans, or set up to look like fan pages, that post clips, edits and news about an artist. They play a big role in ho
Writing a Music Press Release: A Fill-In Template
A press release will not get you coverage on its own, but a clear one makes it far easier for a writer to say yes. Copy this template, fill in the brackets
Chart Campaigns Explained for Independent Artists
Charts still matter to some artists: a chart placement can help a story, a pitch or a booking. But chart rules are strict, they differ between countries an
Hip-Hop Mixtape Rollout: Questions and Answers
Mixtapes give hip-hop artists room to experiment, but they still need a plan if you want people to hear them. Here are answers to questions independent rap
Spotify Promotion: What Is Real and What to Avoid
Search for "Spotify promotion" and you will find everything from careful campaigns to services that sell fake streams. Knowing the difference protects your
What a Music PR Campaign Can and Cannot Do
Music PR is often misunderstood. Some artists expect it to make them famous overnight; others think it is pointless in a streaming world. The truth sits in
YouTube for Musicians: Shorts, Long Videos and the Channel
YouTube is a search engine, a music service and a short-form video app at the same time. Musicians who treat it as one thing often miss the others.
Should You Hire a Music PR Agency or Pitch Yourself on Curator Platforms?
Curator platforms let you pay to send a song to playlist curators, blogs and other tastemakers who have agreed to listen. Typically:
Brand Partnerships for Independent Artists: A Q&A
Brand partnerships are no longer only for stars. Local businesses, gear makers, apparel lines and apps work with independent artists too. Here are answers
Community Management for Artists: A Simple Weekly Routine
A community is not the same as a follower count. It is the group of people who reply, show up, share and buy. Looking after it takes a routine, not inspira
A SoundCloud Profile Checklist for Independent Artists
SoundCloud remains a place where scenes form, DJs dig for tracks and early fans find artists before anyone else. A tidy, active profile makes the most of i
How to Keep Promoting a Song After Release Week
Release week gets all the attention, but many songs find their audience later. A playlist add, a creator using the track, or a live clip can move a song we
Music Marketing for Live Acts: Turning Shows Into Listeners
For bands and performers who play often, the stage is the strongest marketing channel they have. The problem is that most of the attention generated at a s
Working with Creators and UGC: Questions Artists Ask
Creator and user-generated content campaigns can put a song in front of people who would never see an ad. They also go wrong easily. Here are straight answ
How to Read a Music Campaign Case Study Critically
Case studies are useful when you know what to look for. Before trusting one, or using it to plan your own campaign, run it through these steps.
Pre-Release Campaign Checklist: Six Weeks Out to Release Day
Most of what decides a release happens before it's out. Use this checklist as a countdown.
Music Promotion Channels Compared by Effort and Control
Every channel trades effort against control. Knowing which is which helps you choose a realistic mix for each release.
How to Turn One Song into a Month of Music Marketing Content
Releasing a song and posting about it once is the most common way to waste a release. Here's how to turn one track into four weeks of content without repea
Sync Licensing Basics: A Q&A for Independent Artists
Sync placements can introduce a song to a new audience and earn income. Here are the basics.
How to Promote Your Music on YouTube: A Practical How-To
YouTube is a search engine, a streaming service and a short-video app at the same time. Here is a step-by-step approach for artists.
Which Music Marketing Numbers Actually Matter? A Q&A
Dashboards show dozens of numbers. Only a few tell you whether your marketing is working.
The Pre-Release Promotion Checklist: 30 Things to Check Before Release Day
Most release problems are avoidable. Run through this list in the weeks before a single or EP comes out.
Promoting Music in the US: 8 Things Artists Should Know
The United States is the world's largest recorded-music market, and also one of the most competitive. These eight points help artists from anywhere plan a