7 Steps That Actually Work To Build The Hype For Your Upcoming Single
Releasing a single is the quickest way to kick off your career as an artist, get your music listened to, and pave the way for the first step in the world of music. But as you know, the music industry has changed rapidly and continues to evolve. So, for new artists entering the field, there are a few things to consider before releasing a single in 2022.
In recent years, the way artists release music has changed dramatically. Years ago, musicians were releasing a single, then showing a sneak peek of the album, releasing another single and at the same time releasing the whole album. However, with the advent of the digital age, the time has become almost obsolete. Now with the rise of streaming platforms, the music industry has changed even more. Musicians publish as often as possible, and it is hard for an artist to stay on ‘top of mind’ when it comes to their fans.
Are you an independent artist and are you having lots of great unreleased tracks just stored on your laptop? Musicians often have a lot of unique music, but they never dare to release it because they don’t have a proper release strategy. A release rollout consists of everything you need to promote your new music. One of the biggest reasons why marketing should be taken seriously as an artist is not only to reach more fans but also to deepen understanding and ties with enthusiastic fans. It’s also great for promoting recent single releases, upcoming events, and instant live streams.
If you have a well-thought-out marketing plan before you drop a single, you have a huge advantage in increasing your overall visibility. It can be difficult when you don’t know where to start so we have written that article as a guideline to make the process easier for talented artists to share their music.
1. Define your music marketing goals
The first and most crucial step is to think about what you want to accomplish with your music release. As a starting place, think about what you value most in your music career now. Once upon a time, a goal might have been to sell X copies of an album by release day, but now your goal may be getting playlisted X times. These are your goals, and they can change over time, but it is important to set goals. A piece of advice can be to use the SMART method of setting goals.
2. Select A Release Date
The second important step for your releasing strategy is to choose a release date and stay on track with it. You can schedule the rest of the release plan based on this date and set a deadline for tasks that must be completed before or after the release date. This requires analyzing each project to determine the best timing for it. Additionally, create an organized schedule to track your plans. The activity schedule can be divided into three main periods: pre-release, release date, and post-release. That way you can follow what works and what doesn’t in your releasing strategy. Once you write down your release date, do some research to find out what the costs are going to be and set a budget.
Expert Tip: After you’ve selected a release date, you’ll need to submit your music to your distributor at least two weeks before your release date. However, Spotify prioritizes a four-week lead time when submitting.
3. Submit Your Music To Distribution Services
With the rise of online music stores and streaming services distributing your music has never been easier. Distribution has become an essential path for artists seeking to reach viewers around the world. When it comes to promoting your music and organizing your release strategy, the internet is the gold pot. If you want to bring your song to the world, you need to make it available on all possible platforms. Providing music on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer, Tidal and other platforms is a good start to establishing an artist brand on the international scene.
Expert Tip: When choosing a distribution service, it is important to consider several factors, such as price and features offered. When making a choice, it’s also important to consider how long it normally takes a retailer to deliver music to a store or streaming service. If you plan to include pre-order and pre-order campaigns in your music promotion, we recommend that you deliver your music to your preferred distributor at least one month in advance.
4. Get Pre-Save Link
It’s important to get a pre-saved link from Spotify. It means that fans will save and stream the song immediately on the release date. Pre-save is very important as Spotify’s algorithm recognizes that it’s getting the stream from the day the music was released and can boost it even more. You can set up pre-save in Spotify using platforms such as SmartURL or Hyperfollow.
5. Submit for playlists
Getting your new single on playlists is one of the best ways for new fans to discover you and listen to your music. People rarely listen to collective works anymore as playlists have filled in as the standard for music consumption. With many major music platforms, you can easily send tracks to playlists through the offer of Artist Services.
For example, you can use Spotify for Artists to send a single to a curator before it’s released. And while there is fierce competition to create those lists, landing a track on a major Spotify playlist can make all the difference when it comes to listening to it. This is something we can help you achieve with our solid network of curators across the platform. You can learn how we’ve set up to get placements for you on our Spotify page.
Expert Tip: When submitting, please take the extra time to provide a detailed description of the song. Include all the information related to the song to easily guide the editor to the best place for your music.
6. Shoot Promo Content and Behind The Scenes Videos
Artists are encouraged to plan their video production before release and create at least three videos for each song. These videos should include lyric videos, produced music videos, and behind-the-scenes videos. Fans would love to see behind the scenes of your music video or even create the song as an artist and be part of it. By showing the creative process behind the song you release, you can bring your fans closer to you and make you feel more connected to the song itself. This connection continues to grow only among fans and maintains an interest in future projects.
Expert Tip: Interact with followers on milestones such as artwork and song titles, put pools on Instagram and make fans choose which covers and titles fit, and let fans weigh photos and graphics. The goal of all these activities is to get people excited to get involved and share your updates.
7. Social Media Marketing
Whether it’s posting a quick snippet of the music on TikTok or Instagram Reels or partnering up with an influencer – use social media to your advantage. Advertising is crucial to reach your fans and expand your fan base. You want to build expectations and mystery around the song so that fans are desperate to get it when they release it. That’s what big movies do with releasing trailers months in advance. Your focus towards announcements and reach should be no different in music. The audience wants content that produces hype such as behind-the-scenes snippets that show the process behind the song.
Expert Tip: Create a Social Media content calendar. The content calendar contains all the assets required for the release and the date of each asset/action required. Countdowns, art reveals, listening or live release party announcements, ticket links, and action calls (such as Spotify pre-save) are all feeds for adding to your content calendar. After all, it keeps you sane throughout the sometimes overwhelming process of releasing.
To Wrap It Up
Releasing your music can be a hard, nerve-wracking, and time-consuming process. However, the more you plan, the more likely you are to succeed. Now you have a strategy for a successful rollout. Now you’re not overwhelmed by all the ways you can approach music releases. You have a plan. Make meaningful moves based on your story as an artist and the mood to set up your campaign. Make a note of the release plan and include the above activities in the plan. Set goals you want to achieve in your release and measure success at the end of your release campaign. Don’t forget after your music is released keep up the hype going.
So in short, you might have started reading this blog with a vague idea how to create the best music rollout for your single. After finishing you might feel ready and confident to start with a successful rollout. Curious if you can use more help in growing your artist career and expanding your knowledge? Make sure to read our next blog and follow us on our social media channels. Moreover, feel free to ask us your questions on our Instagram (@daimoonmedia) !
