Working with independent musicians, we see the same thing quite often. Loads of work goes into making the music, then suddenly release day is a few weeks away and everyone realises they need content, artwork, promotion, submissions and some kind of plan. A good music release strategy doesn’t have to be huge. But giving yourself some time before release day can make a massive difference. Here are five things we regularly encourage our artists to think about. So, as an independent musician what you should do first?
1. Don’t wait for the release to start building your artist
One thing we regularly tell our independent musician clients is to make use of the quieter periods. If you’ve got nothing to release for a couple of months, that doesn’t mean you’ve got nothing to say.
Use that time to:
- Build up a bank of photos and video
- Work on your branding and visual identity
- Update your social profiles and website
- Experiment with different types of content
- Let people get to know the artist behind the music
Then, when you’ve actually got something to promote, you’re not starting from zero.
2. Film once. Use it more than once.
You don’t need to be filming content every day. If you’re already rehearsing, recording, shooting a music video or playing live, capture things while you’re there.
One afternoon could give you:
- Short performance clips
- Behind-the-scenes footage
- Photos
- Talking-to-camera clips
- Rehearsal footage
- Stories about the song or lyrics
And don’t assume every piece of footage only gets one outing. Change the edit, try a different hook, use another section of the song or turn a longer video into several shorter clips.
Film once. Use it more than once. It makes social media for a independent musician considerably more manageable.
3. Think about your release as a brand, not just a song
Your artist brand isn’t just your logo. It’s your artwork, colours, fonts, photography, videos, stage image and even the way you communicate.
When planning a release, think about how those elements work together:
- Does the artwork fit your overall artist identity?
- Are you using consistent colours, fonts and visual elements?
- Do your photos and videos feel like they’re from the same campaign?
- Does your website need updating for the release?
- Is there a clear visual identity across your social profiles?
A useful question we sometimes ask our artists is:
Would someone recognise your content before they saw your artist name?
You don’t need a huge budget or an elaborate concept. You just want the different parts of your campaign to feel connected.
4. Test before you spend
If you’ve got a small advertising budget, don’t immediately put money behind the first “new single coming soon” Reel you make.
Test different content organically first and look at:
- Which opening hooks keep people watching
- Which section of the song gets the strongest response
- Which posts get shared or saved
- What generates comments
- What gets people visiting your profile
That information can help you decide what is actually worth promoting.
Use organic content to learn what connects, then make a more informed decision about where to put your advertising budget.
5. Your song doesn’t expire after seven days
This is a big one: please don’t stop talking about your single because release week is over.
Not everybody saw your release post. Not everybody follows you already. Someone could discover that song three months from now and hear it for the first time.
Keep finding different ways into the release:
- Tell another part of the story behind the song
- Share a live or acoustic version
- Talk about a particular lyric
- Use footage you haven’t posted yet
- Revisit a content format that worked well
- Pitch the track to relevant radio and media
- Look for festivals, showcases and other music opportunities for independent artists
A release should give you material to work with, not create a seven-day deadline to use it all. Remember your old music is still new to someone else, read our blog about this.
Want some help putting it into practice?
You don’t need to become a marketing expert just because you’re an independent musician.
LMSUK Backstage Pass is ideal if you’re happy doing most of it yourself but want practical resources, regularly updated music opportunities, industry discounts and tools to help you plan your next move.
If you’d rather have someone working alongside you, LMSUK Essentials and PRO give you ongoing time with one of our specialists. We get to know your music, audience and brand, and can support you with things such as:
- Planning content and release campaigns
- Filming and editing
- Promotional materials
- Press releases and written content
- Websites and release pages
- Ongoing marketing and social media support
Want the tools and guidance to do it yourself? → Join Backstage Pass
Want ongoing support from an LMSUK specialist? → Explore Essentials & PRO