Music Marketing For Indie Artists & Producers: A Checklist Guide For Creating An Effective Release Plan

By Brian Zani

Are you an artist, producer, or rapper that feels overwhelmed or confused when it comes to music marketing and promoting your music?

If so, you've come to the right place to start learning how to maximize your music marketing!

 

In Music Marketing For Indie Artists & Producers, organization is defined as the key to a successful music release! By focusing on important time sensitive tasks, you will be able to follow a step-by-step guide for creating your own music marketing strategy. Unlike other books and courses, this guide includes a separate checklist document that will help you keep track of your progress in the moment. 

 

This 175 page ultimate guide book breaks down the most important tasks into 3 main categories: Research, Distribution & Content Marketing. 

 

These categories & tasks are color coded to make things easy when you need to switch mental gears and work on something specific. Both the book and checklist guide are also organized by chronological order centered around the calendar released date of your new music. So staying on track has never been easier!

 

With this strategic outline, you will better understand what to focus on months before the music release, during your big release day & even the months afterwards.

 

Music Marketing For Indie Artists & Producers covers everything you need to know including:

- widespread music distribution

- collecting royalties and streaming monies

- developing cohesive promotional content

- proper use of smart URLs and landing pages

- contacting organizations and securing partnership collaborations

- building an email list

- fundraising to help finance your music

- AND SO MUCH MORE!

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brian Zani
• Release date: Jul 7, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201893613

Book preview

Brian Zani

Music Marketing for Indie Artists & Producers

A Checklist Guide For Creating An Effective Release Plan

First published by Brian Zani 2022

Copyright © 2022 by Brian Zani

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

Brian Zani has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party Internet Websites referred to in this publication and does not guarantee that any content on such Websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks. All brand names and product names used in this book and on its cover are trade names, service marks, trademarks and registered trademarks of their respective owners. The publishers and the book are not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. None of the companies referenced within the book have endorsed the book.

Disclaimer

All the information in this book is to be used for informational and educational purposes only. The author will not, in any way, account for any results that stem from the use of the contents herein. While conscious and creative attempts have been made to ensure that all information provided herein is as accurate and useful as possible, the author is not legally bound to be responsible for any results caused by the accuracy as well as the use/misuse of this information.

First edition

This book was professionally typeset on Reedsy

Find out more at reedsy.com

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Contents

I. HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE

II. GET THE CHECKLIST

III. CONTACT THE AUTHOR

IV. THE 3 CATEGORIES FOR A SUCCESSFUL MUSIC RELEASE

Research, Distribution & Content Marketing

Research and Data Analytics

Distribution

Content Marketing

Time Frame VS. Time Sensitive Tasks

V. BEFORE THE RELEASE DAY

4+ MONTHS BEFORE THE RELEASE DAY

Finish Your Song (Mixing & Mastering)

Create the Credits List

Brainstorm Cover Art Ideas

Create a Contact Lists (for people)

Create Photo and Video Content

Consider a Fundraising Campaign - [OPTIONAL]

Define Your End Goals

Create Contact Lists (for organizations)

3 MONTHS BEFORE THE RELEASE DAY

Create A Metadata Sheet

Standard Metadata Template Sheet Sheet (per song)

Submit Your Music to a Distributor

Performance Rights Organizations (P.R.O.) & Publishing Administrators

Register with SoundExchange or SongTrust - [OPTIONAL]

Copyright Your Song - [OPTIONAL]

Complete Your Cover Art

Your Autobiography and Creation Story

Create a Press Release (EPK)

Update Your Email List (for people)

Build Promo Photos, Videos & Graphics

Develop and Organize Your Folder of Materials

Build Your Marketing and Promotion Strategy

Update Your Contact List (for organizations)

Create an Analytics Template

Discover Your Music’s Fan Type

Update Your Market Research

Define Your Brand

2 MONTHS BEFORE THE RELEASE DAY

Create a Private Streaming Link

Connect With Your Contact List (for organizations)

Connect With Your Contact List (for people)

Create Your Pre-Save Link & Smart URL

Begin Social Media Awareness

Building Your Brand’s Consistency

1 MONTH BEFORE THE RELEASE DAY

Submit Your Music to Playlists Using Spotify For Artists

Upload Music and Set Release Dates for Bandcamp & SoundCloud

Continue Your Contact List (for organizations)

Prepare to Host an Online Event

ONE MONTH AWAY! - Milestone Content

Publicly Share Your Smart URL

Plan Advertisements - [OPTIONAL]

Share Your Brand Through Social Media

1 WEEK BEFORE THE RELEASE DAY

Continue Publicity Emails

Promote your Online Event

ONE WEEK AWAY! - Milestone Countdown

Continue to Share the SMART URL for Pre-Saves

Prepare Materials for Paid Ads - [OPTIONAL]

Review Your List of Goals

VI. DURING THE RELEASE DAY

THE RELEASE DAY HAS ARRIVED!

Take a Deep Breath & Celebrate

Submit Your Music to Pandora Radio

Share Any Music Reviews

Share Publicity Clips, Articles, Collaborations, Placements, Etc.

The Online Event, Listening Premier or Live Stream

Release Day Hype – Video Drop

Smart URL Update & Optimization

Launch Your Paid Ads on Social Media Platforms

Fundraising Campaign Updates & Announcements

Spread Your Brand Through Ads & Content

VII. AFTER THE RELEASE DAY

THE FIRST 30 DAYS AFTER YOUR RELEASE

Continue Your Publicity Contact (to organizations)

Continue Audience Interaction & Content Sharing

Review and Input New Analytics

Adjust Your Marketing as Necessary

1 MONTH AFTER THE RELEASE DAY

Expand Your Research & Publicity Contact (to organizations)

Audience Interaction: Engagement Polls

ONE MONTH! (Since the Release) – Anniversary Post

Goal Assessment: Adjust Accordingly

Record First Month of Analytics Since the Release

2 MONTHS AFTER THE RELEASE DAY

Share More Publicity Clips and Articles

TWO MONTHS! (Since the Release) - Anniversary Post

Update Successful Publicity Contacts

Record Your Second Month of Analytics

Update Your Fan Type Based on New Analytic Findings

3 MONTHS AFTER THE RELEASE DAY

Share Any Remaining Publicity Clips, Articles or Versions

THREE MONTHS! (Since the Release) - Anniversary Post

Record Your Third Month of Analytics

Recognize, Reflect and Refresh

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

About the Author

I

How to Use This Guide

This eBook is accompanied by a visual checklist that follows parallel each chapter. Use it to build a customized marketing plan best suited for your music.

We will break down many different tasks into 3 main categories:

Research, Distribution & Content Marketing.

These tasks are color-coded on the checklist to make work easy to prepare for. The checklist and chapters also divide tasks into sections of time when items should ideally be worked on or completed. Follow along & adjust as needed!

II

Get The Checklist

As previously mentioned, this eBook includes a FREE Checklist Guide.

Depending on where you downloaded / received this eBook, you may or may not have received the checklist guide properly. If you did not receive the checklist guide or misplaced the file, you can download it now by clicking [ HERE ]

III

Contact The Author

If you want to contact the author for additional questions, permissions or other reasons, kindly send an email to the following address:

[e-mail]

The author also specializes in audio mixing & mastering services, which are separate from the associated marketing material within this reading. If you are interested in having your music professionally mixed & mastered, please click HERE for an overview of services.

IV

The 3 Categories for a Successful Music Release

There are three basic things you’ve got to get ready before you release a project or piece of music.

1. Research (and data analytics)

2. Distribution

3. Content Marketing

It is important to understand how these three categories interact with before we jump into our release strategy. In the following chapters, we will examine a brief overview of these three categories and how they can impact a successful music release.

Research, Distribution & Content Marketing

Research and Data Analytics

Market research requires you to ask relevant questions about your audience and how your product or music might relate to that particular audience.

Many people ignore this part; however, it is a critical part of your release