Marketing is everything you do to get your record heard by the people who will love it. The Music Business module explains how labels market records; this chapter is a practical campaign you can run yourself, from finished master to after release day.
Start with goals and audience
- What is the goal? New listeners, playlist adds, followers, ticket sales, attention from industry?
- Who is the audience? Which artists do they already listen to? Where do they spend time online? Where do they live?
Clear answers shape every decision that follows.
The timeline
Eight weeks out
- Master, artwork and metadata finished.
- Release scheduled with your distributor - early, so you can pitch to playlists and set up pre-saves.
- Campaign plan written: content, pitching, press, ads, live.
Six to four weeks out
- Press release and assets: biography, photos, artwork, private streaming link.
- Pitch to blogs, press, radio and independent curators.
- Start teasing the release on social media.
At least one week out
- Pitch the track to editorial playlists through the streaming platforms' artist tools. Spotify requires pitches at least seven days before release; earlier is better.
- Pre-save campaign live and promoted.
Release week
- Announce everywhere: social media, mailing list, website.
- Content every day - videos, stories, behind the scenes.
- Thank everyone who shares, playlists or writes about it.
- A launch gig, livestream or listening event, if possible.
After release
- Keep promoting. Many songs grow weeks or months later.
- Pitch to playlists and press that did not respond the first time, with any momentum you now have.
- Plan the next release. Regular releases build momentum.
Playlists
- Editorial - pitch through artist tools.
- Algorithmic - driven by real engagement: saves, repeat listens, playlist adds and completion. Encourage fans to save and add the track.
- Independent curators - approach personally and politely. Never pay for placements that promise streams - artificial streams can get music removed.
Press and radio
- Target writers, blogs and shows that cover your genre.
- Personalise every pitch: a short email, the story, the link, your best photo.
- Follow up once, politely.
Content and live
- Short-form video built around the hook.
- A music video or visualiser.
- Live performances - gigs, sessions, livestreams - give people a reason to talk about you.
Paid advertising
- Start small, with a clear goal (followers, saves, video views).
- Target listeners of similar artists and the regions where your audience lives.
- Test different videos and audiences, and put money behind what works.
Measure
Use streaming and social analytics to see where listeners come from, which content worked, and which playlists drove streams. Write down what you learned for the next campaign.
Do this now
- Write your release goals and describe your audience in three sentences.
- Fill in an eight-week campaign calendar for your next single.
- Write a short, personal press pitch email and send it to five relevant writers or curators.