The release day of your music is one of the most exciting and nerve-wracking times in your career. You’ve spent hours in the studio and now it’s finally time to share it with the world. But with so much on the line, how do you ensure that your release day goes smoothly and reaches as many fans as possible?
You are probably tired of being lectured about the importance of social media for promoting your music and connecting with fans. See this as the bare minimum for building your online presence. Even if you start by only reposting the same content everywhere, make sure you are at least getting familiar with the different platforms and learning how the audience and the algorithm behave in each of them. I would recommend you prioritizing Youtube and Instagram, but also make sure you are on TikTok, Facebook, Twitter (X) and Threads. Instead of telling you what to expect from these platforms, I’ll just encourage you to mess around until you know how you feel about them.
Spotify’s editorial playlists could be great way to get your music in front of a large, engaged audience, but don’t build your strategy around it, as the chance of having a song featured in one of these playlists is very low. Search for playlists made by regular users and reach out to them to pitch your song for featuring in their playlist. Make sure the playlist is not flooded with bots and have the sole purpose of making a quick buck off of you.
Collaborating with other artists is a great way to reach new audiences and build buzz for your release. Consider reaching out to artists in your genre and see if you can collaborate on a song, remix, or even just a social media shoutout.
Now that you’ve done some pre-release promotion, it’s time to focus on your release day strategy. Timing is everything when it comes to releasing your music. Consider releasing your music at a time when your target audience is most active on their phones. I have learned by making mistakes that, for example, Saturday evening is generally an awful time to post anything online, as most people are out and not looking at their phones. Think about the times you usually is more receptive to check new stuff on your phone. You audience is made by humans like you, with consumption habits also like you. Make efforts to understand them and how to catch their attention more effectively.
Your release day is the perfect time to engage with your fans and build a deeper connection with them. Consider hosting a live stream or Q&A session, and make sure to respond to 100% of the comments and messages. A very good indicator that you are on the right path is when you start receiving comments from haters. Also, people who know you and see your stuff online might start making “expert” remarks on how you should do your stuff, as thought they never did any of that. If you start experiencing that, congratulations, you are making progress.
Release day is a critical moment in your career as an artist, and it’s important to be well-prepared. By promoting your music before release, utilizing social media, reaching out to playlists, collaborating with other artists, and engaging with your fans, you can ensure that your release day goes smoothly and reaches as many fans as possible.