Have you ever heard about how some of the music greats broke into the industry? The evolution of music, marketing, and production is a fascinating read.
Musicians would hand out demo tapes to producers, DJs, and radio or TV houses. The latter was especially important because it was an opportunity for many people to hear the music. Hearing your song on air was a moment of great celebration.
Groups like New Edition and Boyz II Men literally ambushed producers on the streets. They would perform a song right there. That is how they got an opportunity to join the industry.
Record labels incurred great expense to get the music to the masses. Recording entailed mass production of CDs, tapes, and LPs. They would then send them to retail stores. Such processes would drive up costs. It made it difficult for aspiring artists to make a breakthrough.
But, now, we have technology and the internet. It is possible to promote music online on multiple channels. But, it gets better. You don’t have to spend any cash. Some platforms offer free music promotion services.
With such services you get free publicity that will help you reach your fans. You can, for instance, join global music communities for a chance to connect with people who share your passion.
Connect, collaborate and create music with other independent artists, producers, songwriters and so much more. There is also a chance to feature in blogs, websites, and magazine interviews.
Independent artists of all genres from all over the world can take advantage of such. Fans can also discover new talent, further adding to listening pleasure.
Let’s take a look at some of these free platforms.
1. Your Website
As a budding artist, do you have a website? If not, start the process of creating one today. There are tons of free web builders you can use.
But, let a professional web designer give it a once-through when you finish. You could have left out critical parts that could interfere with the performance and functioning of the site.
So why is a website a good idea? First, you have full control over the website. You can upload as many tracks as you wish without restrictions.
Integrate it with your social media accounts and build a large audience base. Use it for other purposes like podcasts, music reviews, and so much more.
2. YouTube
YouTube is one of the best online places to promote music for free. The number of people on the platform can reach up to 1.8 billion users every month. Setting up a channel is simple. If you don’t know how to do it, you will get tons of tutorials online.
But here is where you will need to work a little. You must build a large following. Do you know how Vloggers are always encouraging people to subscribe to their channels? You can be sure that you will be doing a lot of that.
With so much competition, you have to get people to engage and interact with your content. So yes, you must be creative in your videos. The sound and images should be high resolution.
All the stress you go through will be worth it. It is your channel and the fans are exclusive to you. With many subscribers, you can earn money even when asleep.
The analytics will let you know what you are doing right or wrong. It allows you to create more engaging content.
SoundCloud
SoundCloud attracts over 175 million visitors every single month. Talk about a broad audience base. It has been around for the past 14 years and is still going strong.
The platform attracts all types of artists. You will find budding, emerging, and even established musicians. There is a whole community of listeners hungry for great music mixes.
Are you brave enough to get some feedback? If yes, enable the comments feature. Do grow a thick skin though. You can’t please everyone. So expect good comments and a fair share of bad ones.
Spotify does not charge artists anything for uploading music. You don’t even have a limit on the frequency with which you release or upload tracks. Get ready to join millions of other artists at all levels.
The desktop and mobile apps enjoy massive popularity. Users have the Discover and Release radar tools to discover new music.
You can also make money from the streams. You can upload music as often as you wish, which is another great feature.
Reddit is popular due to discussion and community-based forums. Search for any topic and you will get a response. And, artists can use the music page to promote their music. What you find is millions of people who share a love for music.
But, do note, you must contribute much more than uploads to remain relevant. Networking and participation in discussions are crucial.
It helps if you build a presence so that the community gets to know you. It is a fantastic way to build an organic audience for your website or social media platforms.
Few people have not heard about iTunes. Independent artists get to join the Apple Music streaming service. It is one platform where you will find all types of music, artists, and genres.
With over 240 million subscribers, the chance to get your music to the right ears is huge. Uploading music is free so don’t worry about coughing up any cash.
iTunes provides an excellent place for independent artists to grow. You can sell music exclusively to your fans. With a loyal fan base, you can make a lot of money. The platform encourages listeners to support the artists they like.
Audiomack is another online platform available to music artists. Now here is where it gets interesting. Many platforms use analytics that focus on the number of times fans will play your music. For them, this is the best way to evaluate engagement.
But Audiomack adds other metrics. The platform segments audiences according to factors like play sources and location. Artists understand their fan base better.
Knowing who is listening allows for the creation of effective strategies to directly target the audience. Landing on the Trending Page opens musicians up to higher chances of discovery.
- Social Media
The discussion on online platforms to promote music would not be complete without mentioning social media. You get access to a broad audience base.
You have tons of channels available to you such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and Tik Tok. You don’t pay anything to open accounts. Like websites, what or how often you post is up to you.
With a little budget, you can boost posts to reach more people. Also, take time to learn how to use hashtags to make your music easier to find.
Final Thoughts
The digitalization of music and the internet has changed the industry. With a simple click, artists can land on free music promotion sites. Streaming services like Spotify, iTunes, and Audiomack are such.
Uploading, sharing, and free music download opportunities are plentiful. We can also not forget websites and social media platforms.
Free music apps mean easy access to content for fans and artists alike. You no longer need to part with tons of money for promoters, PR teams, or advertising to get visibility. We have shared some of the best, free sites available.
Read up a little bit more on each to see whether it is a good fit. Good luck with your music career!
