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What Every Artist Should Know... About Promoting Music AFTER Its Release

By Team Carlos McKinney

Grammy Award Winning Producer Music & Music Marketing Expert .
Sept. 4,  2020
So you just released your newest tracks. 

You spent every single day for weeks to hype it up all over social media and made sure your music is available everywhere from Itunes to Spotify to Bandcamp and Soundcloud. 

So now, it's time to kick back a little, relax and let your new release take off, RIGHT?

WRONG. 

Working with such heavy weights as The-Dream, Drake, Beyonce or Rhianna for 20+ years as a Grammy Award winning producer, taught me a very important lesson.

What happens AFTER the release is AT LEAST as important as what happens Before.

And this is the point where you either 
  • do it like most amateurs out there and just wing it. Constantly tweeting about your new release and posting on Instagram every other day depending on your daily mood.
  • Or you act like a Pro by being ahead of the game and show up prepared with a plan.
The reality is, you're competing against hundreds of other releases on the very same day. 

And even if your release created a buzz at the start, chances are, that people move on to the next fresh track or hyped artist just a few days later.

So let me show you what tactics you can put into action as an artist that will 
  • keep your followers excited
  • introduce new people to your music .
  • ​and ultimately make sure that all the effort you put into creating your music will pay off 
BUT BEFORE we get into the details of WHAT you can do, let's take a quick look at WHAT NOT to do.

To keep your momentum going after your release, it's all about 
Delivering Content Regularly To Keep Your Fans Engaged

But what's MOST important is Quality over quantity. So avoid overloading your fans with too much new content. And be careful that everything you put out has the same quality as your music.

Don't forget: It's hard to keep your followers' attention, but it's easy to lose.

So before you post that unedited 20 minutes video of yourself in the studio, where you click through different drum samples for the first 3 minutes…

Take a little extra time to check these 4 Quality Essentials first
  • Is The Quality Right? a slightly blurry and badly lit video can turn off viewers so fast that they won't even bother to listen to your dope beat playing in the background
  • ​Is It The Best You Can Do? Don't settle for "close enough" if you know you can do better. You want to stand out and your competition isn't sleeping.
  • ​Is Your Material Compact Enough? Keep in mind that people's attention span is short and so should be most of your material .Make sure it's compact and on point so you won't lose your audience after the first 10 seconds.
  • Is It Something That Your Fans Can Find Value In?  Just put yourself in their shoes, what would you like to see from YOUR favourite artist? Give them something that tells them more of your story as a creative or as a person.
Alright, now that we've made sure that you won't be putting out any weak content that will bore or turn off your followers, let's get to How To Promote Your Music After Its Release

1. Singles

You might have given your fans a taste of your new project already by teasing them with a single before your release; but some people may need more convincing. 

By releasing more singles you get to show different sides of your latest EP or album. If possible, choose tracks with different musical styles and sonic influences. 

That way, your listeners will be more intrigued to check out your entire release to see what else you got.
Plus, with each new single launch you get to create new content again to capture the attention of your future fans. 

2. Exclusive Music

Now this is music that's not even on your initial release. While Singles are usually put out closer to the actual album release date, your exclusive tracks can follow even months later to "keep the flame alive".

The easiest way, is to stockpile these tracks already before your album drop, so you'll have enough material ready to choose from later on.

Here are some examples for your exclusive tracks:
  • The Bonus Content 
Follow up your album release with several “bonus” tracks, such as remixes, alternate mixes, demos, or acoustic takes.

 Remixes especially let you breathe new life into songs that have been out for a while. It also gives you a chance to collaborate with artists of different genres, cross-promoting your music and reaching new audiences.

 A good example of that was the bonus tracks and remixes series that followed The Weeknd's "After Hours" album release.

Next up..
  • The Collaboration 
Similar to remixes, collaborations with guest artists can introduce your music to your collaborator's fans. You could either do a guest appearance on another artist's song or they could appear on one of your tracks.

 A collaboration can be either released on its own or can be used to push your album sales as part of a special edition. Like Lil Uzi Vert's "Eternal Atake" Album Deluxe Set that included not just the regular songs of the album but also previously unreleased collabs.

Another exclusive track you can give your fans is.. 
  • The Live Cut
Not every song you release has to be a studio-quality gem. Got a live recording with a good vibe? Put it out! 

Up next..
  • The Cover Song 
 Take a popular song that people already love and add your spin to it. If done right, covers have a huge potential to become viral hits.

And the last example of an exclusive track is..
  • The B-side 
These are tracks from the same recording session that didn't make it onto the album.

3. A Variety Of Video Content

When MTV switched to a mostly reality show format, many thought the era of the Music Video was over. 

However, artists like Kendrick Lamar or Tyler, The Creator are proving that a great visual can still make lots of noise. Even more, Video has become almost as important for an artist as their music. 

Sometimes albums don't take off right away. But all it takes is one standout video that creates a huge buzz and people will be excited to get their hands on your latest release.
This is your chance to show off your creativity and continue telling the story of your album through visuals. A one-of-a-kind video got the power to bring viewers and fans into your world.

That's why you should put just as much thought and time into the creation of music videos as you do for the music itself.

You don't even need a huge budget anymore to create a clever video that people will remember.

Find a concept that's fresh , simple and doesn't need a huge investment to make it happen. Let's take Kendrick Lamar's groundbreaking music video for his song "HUMBLE." for example. 

Remember the scene where Kendrick's head is on fire? You'd think that they used some fancy visual effects for that. But the truth is, they didn't.

They just shot Kendrick standing still first. Then they took the same scene again with a fired up torch on the exact spot where the rapper was just standing before. When you combine those 2 shots, it looks like Kendrick's head is actually burning. 

This just shows you, that there are ways to wow your fans with your visuals without breaking the bank.

Another way to stand out is to use today's technology in a creative way. There's a lot of free visual apps out there to morph your video into something jaw dropping.

Being creative is part of being a musician, so let that creativity flow into your music video.
Now, I get asked a lot, which should be released first, the music video or the song? In my experience, the music should come out first. If people get to consume the music AND the visuals already, there's not much more they can discover if the track is being released on its own afterward.

4. Touring

Let's face it, no matter how many followers you may have on Instagram, there’s simply no more effective way to engage your fan base than by performing live in front of them. 

Not only do your fans get to see you perform their favourite songs live, but they get a chance to bring their friends along for the ride. 

With a great live show, you can win over almost anyone. Your fans will spread the word on social media, and each tour date is a mini event that gives people a reason to talk about your music.

And here's a little tip for all of you upcoming artists: 

Learn from the greats like Chance the Rapper or even 50 Cent (when he was coming up) and stick around before or after your shows. 

This gives you the chance to actually meet your fans in person. Yes, you might have other plans or be tired from your show but don't forget, every true connection you build with your followers is a chance for you to convert them into super fans.

And unlike most of your social media followers, these super fans will actually spend their hard earned money on your next release, they'll buy your merchandise and show up for your shows. Plus, they will be your walking advertisements. They'll tell all their friends about their new favorite artist. 

And what's the only investment you need to get all of that? Just a little bit of your time and attention. Not too hard right?

5. Press

Touring and press go hand in hand. Book interviews with the local radio stations, podcasts or websites for each city you plan to perform in. They all have loyal followings, and if your story looks interesting enough, some of those readers or listeners will even take a chance at seeing you live. 

And besides touring, use your new release as a chance to build up blog and website features. This may seem like obvious advice, but it still surprises me how many artists still don't understand the importance of blog outreach.

Not only will each feature help you to reach new audiences in big numbers all at once. And not only will it give you free content to share online that's not written by yourself.
Each interview or article about you will also slowly build up your credibility. So the major popular online platforms will pay attention to you.

You will get them thinking: "If this artist got a review on this website and that podcast, maybe it's worth a shot to also have them on our platform?"

So think about each feature as part of your growing "media portfolio". An impressive list with some big names on it, will make it easier for you to get the media big shots to take an interest in you and your music.

Now, that all sounds fairly easy, right?. Produce some great music, contact some blogs and get them to do the promotion for you.

The truth is, most artists spend countless hours writing dozen of blogs and websites. And then... Silence.. they never hear back from a single media contact.

Don't forget, every other artist is trying to land a feature on those channels as well. 
So let me show you how the Pros do it and how to show up with your A-game:

When you are contacting media for a feature, make sure that 
  • your music is exactly the kind that the specific blog is looking for 
  • you are sending them a top notch press kit with a tight write up, some sound clips and cool press photos that you tweaked to particularly fit the blog
  • your message doesn't sound like a generic text that you copy/pasted into dozen of other emails. Remember that your media contacts get countless messages every single day. They will smell it right ahead if they're just another email for you that you want to check off your list. So try to be a bit more personal. 
  • keep it short and get to the point fast why they would want to give you a shot.
  • No one will take the time to read your message if it starts with a long paragraph about your musical influences and your inspiration. You have to keep it compact.

  • get them hooked. 
  •   How's your release different from all the others that just came out? 
  •   Can you sum up your release's story in a catchy kind of way? Like a headline that will make them want to find out more.

  •   For example, if your release was made in different parts of the country, your initial hook could sound something like this
  •  "For my new release, I traveled thousands of miles to 5 cities in 25 minutes"
  • Then you go on explaining that each song of your album (which is a total of 25 minutes) was inspired by a different city and your travels all around the country.

    • and lastly, give them something exclusive like an unreleased track to make them feel special and also have something unique to present to their followers.
    So to sum it all up, think ahead what's next for you after your release. Make a plan and execute it step by step. 

    That way you'll make sure to 

    • not miss out any opportunities 
    •  keep people talking about your release even months after the initial buzz
    • continue to find new audiences and fans for your music.
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    About Carlos McKinney
    I'm on a Mission To Help Artists REALLY Thrive In The Music Business and in The Process Create The Top & Fairest New Music Company In The World.

    By Team Carlos McKinney

    Grammy Award Winning Producer Music & Music Marketing Expert .

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