Marketing on Free Music Sharing Sites
The explosion of social media including, but not limited to, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and now Tik Tok has made it easier to be heard, seen, and reached for artists and producers globally. While this fact is an undeniable positive, it is only half the story, for what is made easier for one, is made easier for everyone, and this leads to saturation. In this article, I will explain the psychology of marketing on websites for musicians to share music.
The music industry, at its core, is the same as every other capitalist niche market, but art at its core is diatonically opposed to capitalism. Art is not a consumer good that either works or doesn’t, it is subjective and the satisfaction level of the consumer is on a spectrum, with factors such as time, situation, and psychology of the consumer playing major roles. Music is not a solution to a need or problem, so the consumer's mindset while being introduced to new music determines if they even give your music a chance.
With social media, the audience is diverse, with the majority of your target demographic not being people who make music. This is where the lack of being a solution to a problem comes into play for your music. People on social media don’t need to listen to you, and are often bombarded with numerous artists similar to you, with comparable music, making your offering obsolete.
This is where varied content, aside from the music, becomes important. New artists, especially in the social media era, must be seen in order to be heard. What I mean by that, is that you must have a presence online, whether it be posting videos and podcasts, or commenting on everyone else’s posts. That is easier said than done, especially when trying to convert to actual plays, but that’s the journey every artist has to take.
Social media is not the only route to visibility though, with music sharing sites like Slaps where you can post and listen to music for free. The caveat is that the audience switches to a demographic that are also artists with the same goals as you. There is a huge advantage to new artists, not only because your music is more accessible to the audience, but because the consumer has an identifiable need. That need is to be heard, the same as yours.
Since the demographic has changed, your approach should also change. That change must be to enrich the lives of your potential listeners; which is necessary for any business, but with the target being other artists, there is a concrete way to accomplish this. Your mindset, as an artist marketing on music sharing sites should be about finding new music, rather than pushing for yours to be heard.
How does this help you? Well the underground music industry is a self-sustaining one. It is a market where the producers and consumers are the same people. Every artist that posts on these sites understands that, at least subconsciously. When you listen, comment and generally show support to other artists, they will be inclined to do the same, even if it is only on those specific sites.
The goal, though, is to convert that support into listens on paid streaming sites. Spotify is the best site in which to convert potential listeners. It allows you to create your own playlists and pitch your song to someone else’s. Playlists should be one of your most important tools, because playlist curation allows you to bring many artists together. Each artist that supports your playlist is another listener added to your stats.
I have much more to say on the topic, but I’ll save it for another article. In conclusion, always recognize the demographic relative to wherever you are posting and market accordingly. When marketing to artists, look to listen and not be heard. You’ll find out that you can accomplish both.
