7 Uncommon Music Marketing Strategies That Are Actually Smart

Having a career in independent music starts with WHAT you know, not WHO you know. As long as you have good music, you can make an income in the independent music scene.

However, most don't see any real income from their music because they don't know the ins and outs of marketing.

Personally, I took a couple courses before I really started doing my own thing, and the guidance I received from them was immense!

I truly feel like every serious artists need to learn marketing for themselves, so I opened up a free trial for a marketing course at this link below:

Want to get an influential person to come and see your show and hear your music?

Then why not treat them to some food? Really!

Indie artists never think about targeting one or two influential local music journalists or radio DJs and offer to comp their night.

Sure, there are still no guarantees that the person you invite will like your music, but I'd bet on this more personal approach any day over some "get successful quick" campaign that sends unsolicited emails to the world.

Your band's logo serves as the stamp of your brand. It's what's put on your drummer's bass drum heads, your banners, your road cases, your merch, and – you never know – it could even become your tattoos.

While you might feel fairly confident playing around with Adobe Photoshop yourself, an experienced pro can really make a difference.

Hire someone who has an outstanding portfolio of band logos and several years of experience to back it up.

Trying to save $10 by making a music logo yourself might not be the best idea in the long run. Now, if it was $100 I'd say choose someone else, but anything under $20 is gravy.

Anyone with a camera phone can think they're a photographer nowadays, but are the photos you're taking shareable?

You could even be making funny memes about your music! Make shareable photos that will get your brand out there.

Think about the photos you like to share. It's probably funny or motivational stuff. Find a way to connect something like that with your music brand and test them out on your social media.

"Just because you can play your guitar doesn't mean you can write a well-crafted song.

Songwriting is a skill all its own that takes years of practice to perfect. A seasoned songwriting consultant can offer objective advice about your songs and improve them significantly.

It makes no sense to spend zero dollars on the most important aspect of your music career – your songs – and hundreds (or thousands) of dollars recording and promoting your music. 

People like Robin Frederick and Jason Blume are just two people off the top of my head who may be available to work with you in person or via the internet. Check them out." - Bobby Borg

Having a sound tech at live performances may give you a competitive advantage over other artists.

I've definitely been to live shows before where singers are fumbling with the mic and asking them to turn it up mid performance.

I know the in-house guys do their best, but having a sound tech whom you're familiar with and knows your every note can boost the experience of your live sets.

"While on the topic of your live show, let's discuss your light show! What light show, you ask? My point exactly!

Once again, most bands rely on whatever the club provides, and that's precisely what the other bands on the bill do. This means that every band ends up looking the same.

But imagine having a lighting tech who synchronizes every snare drum roll with a series of strobe lights, projects bright white lights from the stage into the audience on dramatic power chords, and builds special boxes that project bright lights upwards into your face, making you look like a superstar every time you step up on them.

Sounds awesome, right?

Remember, you're in show business. No show typically means no business." - Sonicbids