It’s arguably easier to release new music today than at any point in history, and anyone has the option to share their audio creations with the world, bypassing the industry gatekeepers of old and building a career on their own terms.
Of course, the reality of releasing tracks is a bit more complex than that, especially if your goal is to make them a success, rather than seeing them disappear into the ether without finding an audience.
To that end, here’s the lowdown on what it takes to plan out a release and see it soar up the streaming charts while also gaining traction on social platforms.
Researching Your Target Audience
Musicians and music marketing professionals alike must be aware of who their releases are aimed at, as this informs every other decision they make throughout the process.
Suppose you’ve already got music on streaming sites and a presence on social media. In that case, the obvious answer here is to get stuck into the data generated by existing audience interactions and work out who’s listening to you, where, how, and why.
Data analysis is also useful for identifying audience niches, not just providing a general overview of people who have a passing interest in your content. You might find that a more upbeat existing release shows signs of heightened engagement with the under-25s, and from this, you might determine the direction not only for how to market your next song, but also what type of song to write, record, and promote in the first place.
In a social context, take a look at how fans interact with past posts, what generates the most momentum, and how your work is being discussed even if you’re not directly involved in the conversation. All this plays into the plans you set in motion for the next release.
Setting The Release Cadence
The release cadence is the schedule for when new music is launched, in the case that you have more than one new track to put out there, perhaps in the lead-up to a full-blown album’s arrival.
As a rule, the release cadence should provide gaps that are substantial enough to build hype, but not so large that interest wanes. A four- to six-week pause between releases is a proven approach, although it may not be suitable for everyone. The main aim is to prevent over-exposure, and to keep social conversations bubbling without fatiguing the people you’re hoping to connect with.
Your plan should also accommodate social content that connects each phase of the release cadence. So in the weeks when no new music is launched, you could post video clips showing the recording process for the next track that’s on the horizon, and include teaser clips of the audio itself to stoke the fires of interest in your target audience. Even using an AI video generator to come up with this interstitial content on the fly is an option today.
Dealing With Metadata
The metadata you add to each track that’s released is foundational to its discoverability. In other words, if you don’t include it or optimize it, people won’t find your release, regardless of its intrinsic quality.
The top-level components are straightforward, but need to be double-checked. That means including the name of the artist and the song, along with the intended release date and the genres to which it belongs. If you’re using a digital distribution service like DistroKid it is easier to ensure that this metadata is correctly added across all the major streaming platforms, rather than having to do this manually for each one you intend to release across.
It’s also worth going a step further and considering the subgenres linked to each release, as these can be a good way to tap into niche audiences that might otherwise overlook your songs on principle. And of course keywords work here as much as they do in old-fashioned SEO, so tag your tracks on streaming platforms and social media with specific, long-tail phrases that make them searchable. A song described as ‘upbeat summer pop’ has a higher chance of hitting big than one with a more generic ‘pop’ label.
Lastly, ensure that all artwork for the release is in order and aligns with the requirements of the platforms on which it will appear. Everything, from file size and resolution to formatting and aspect ratio, gives it a push in the right direction.
Implementing Pre-Saves
A trend worth jumping on is the pre-save campaign, which provides fans with a link they can access ahead of release and then use when the track goes live in order to generate the maximum number of streams immediately post-launch. It’s this kind of short-term boost that gives streaming sites an indication of your clout, and in turn makes it more likely that your tracks will be promoted beyond your own efforts.
Platforms like Hypeddit are perfect for pre-save campaigns, so if you’ve yet to explore their potential, now’s the time to do so.
Bringing Creators Onboard
You’ll get more streams and social shares if you have other creators onboard as part of the marketing push.
Ensure that any you work with has the right audience for their own work, as you want the seeding of your tracks in third-party content to feel natural rather than forced. Also, consider whether exclusivity is a good move, as sometimes you’ll be able to make a bigger impact if you focus on just one partnership, rather than trying to rope in multiple creators, thereby diluting your release’s reach and relevance.
Also, prompt creators on the types of content you’d like to see combined with your tunes, rather than relying on them to do all the heavy lifting. Whether it’s a dance challenge or a reaction video, a well-chosen suggestion can make all the difference.
Embracing Video Marketing
Video content is more engaging than almost any other type of promotional material, so it should be part of your release plan, particularly if social media success is on your wishlist. In fact, music videos have unbeaten global reach, although a full-length promo of this kind should only be part of your social strategy.
Primarily, you want to focus on 15-second clips to strike the right balance of engagement and attention, as the current TikTok and Instagram-obsessed audiences have demonstrated a clear preference for this type of video.
You also need to be discerning about the exact portion of your song that’s included in any video you make in-house. Obviously, the catchiest part should be prioritized, but there’s also something to be said for strategic use of sections that build towards something, so you can save the pay-off for the actual track and thus incentivize audiences to listen elsewhere.
The Bottom Line
The many moving parts of a music release have to be dealt with as a whole, rather than considered separately. Your release cadence is just as important as the video content you create and the relationships you forge with other creators.
Turning all of this into a well-oiled machine takes time, although the rewards for doing so are apparent in some of the most successful stars of today. That should encourage you to put in the necessary work.
