How to promote your music after releasing vinyl and CDs

Estimated reading time: 12 minutes

Because methods of music discovery have changed greatly, it can be very difficult to know where to begin promoting your music after releasing physical product. Here’s how to get started, whether you’re releasing for the first time or you’re a seasoned veteran with an established music career.

Understanding the current music promotion landscape

Music has become mostly decentralized at street level and consolidated at the top, which provides challenges when it comes to music promotion. But decentralization can also work to your advantage.

The resurgence of vinyl and CDs

Vinyl record sales have outpaced CD sales for the last 3 years. While neither is selling the units they sold at their peak, there is still clearly a market for physical music product as 77 million units of physical media sold in the U.S. last year.

Why physical media still matters

Having something to hold in your hands that can’t be deleted from your online library holds great appeal these days. For audiophiles, physical media’s fidelity runs laps around streaming. Some streaming services have begun to offer high-resolution files, but if you’re seeking the best sound quality possible, you’ll want a physical copy of your preferred music.

The role of digital in physical album promotion

Most outlets for music promotion will generally prefer digital files. Also, social media promotion will be part of any marketing and sales strategy as will good old-fashioned email. Traditional offline strategies should not be discounted either, as their return on investment is generally higher than the ROI from social media.

Before the release: setting the stage

As any magician knows, all successful magic tricks begin with a setup. The same goes for album promotion! Prepping the world for your album release will ignite enthusiasm among current followers that will hopefully be contagious and attract others.

Building anticipation and buzz

Start preparing your album marketing plan many months before your release. Most suggest at least 6 months lead time to start marketing before release day. There are many ways to build momentum, including teaser singles and music videos, behind-the-scenes content, and securing press coverage. Whatever your budget and your resources, it’s important to take advanced action.

Engaging your existing fanbase

Who better to stoke anticipation in than your existing fans? Make sure they know you are making a new record from the get-go. If you are crowdfunding any of it, this will engage them and bring them along for the entire journey. Consistent updates will also keep them engaged so they will be primed and ready to purchase on release day. Many will have likely even bought it via the presale that you will be offering!

Preparing your social media strategy

If this all seems daunting, remember that it’s just important to have any social media strategy at all, rather than have the perfect one. Any efforts you take will pay off dividends. Make sure you’re active on all the major platforms, especially Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook. Focus the majority of your efforts on where your existing fans are already found.

Creating high-impact press kits and promo tools

Have an electronic press kit to send out to gatekeepers and keep it short, sweet, and to the point. One great song and photo will make a larger impact than too much of either. Hiring a professional writer to write your band bio will take it to another level. Keep your press kit streamlined and tight and you should see a strong response.

Launching your vinyl or CD

The album is finished … now what do you do? Derek Sivers, the founder of CD Baby, used to say that some people released albums and thought that was the finish line. But others thought of the album arrival as the starting gun in the marathon … “and we’re off!”

Designing a memorable launch event

Don’t book your release party until you receive your finished product in hand and have checked it thoroughly. Then, find a venue and create an event designed to reward your followers for their support. Free admission and free drinks can help bring people in, but there are other possibilities for making the event special should you find yourself cash strapped. Having a live performance, targeted merch, and free/discounted copies of the release for those who attend are tried-and-true album release party ideas.

Leveraging online platforms for release announcements

Promote your release event on all your social media platforms. Spend time crafting a pitch to followers before posting, focusing on what marketing experts call the “wow factor” of your event. What’s going to entice people to come? What special things will be going on? Even a small ad budget will push your posts beyond the normal restrictive algorithms. Create a Facebook event and invite all your friends; the more people that mark “going” and “interested,” the more that people unfamiliar with your music might want to see what all the fuss is about.

Tips for engaging with press and media

People who work for publications always need ideas for stories. Modern-day journalists are also overworked and underpaid, so the easier you make their jobs, the more kindly they will regard you. Be patient, polite, and gracious. Have your press release, EPK, and elevator pitch concise and laser-focused; don’t approach media people when you are not ready. Get your songs and materials together and make sure your cold call is tailored to the person you’re approaching. Referencing their work specifically is a surefire way to get attention. Don’t waste their time!

Utilizing influencers and collaborations

When approaching influencers for online partnerships, know that many charge for their services, so figure out what you can afford or offer the influencer in return for their boost. Don’t choose influencers randomly; work with those whose followers you think will be mostly likely to match with your music.

Collaborations can also increase visibility as your audience and their audience will combine to view your joint post/project. Don’t just choose someone because of what you might get from them; work with those where you think the collaboration will be a win-win. Even a small social media-only collaboration with someone else can help boost your project.

Harnessing social media for promotion

It’s tough to break through social media algorithms. A little bit of paid advertising can go a long way, as can humor and positive messaging. The real key is consistency: letting your followers know you are there on a regular basis if not daily.

Crafting engaging content for various platforms

On most social media apps, images are king. An interesting image will pull in likes and comments faster than compelling text, though both are important. If you’re funny, all the better — but keep humor aligned with your brand. Keeping your brand consistent will help create an image of you that people will associate with your music.

On most platforms you’ll also need video. Assume people have zero attention span and keep things short and snappy. There’s a reason many people have the text of what they are saying displayed along with the video; aim at making things as simple and clear as possible.

How to run successful social media contests and giveaways

It’s tough to run a contest when you are still building your following. Still, giving away a copy of your record or handwritten lyrics can be a nice perk for followers and will encourage others to pay attention. Everybody loves free stuff! Don’t be discouraged if your first contest doesn’t go anywhere. Keep doing them regularly and you should see a difference down the road.

If you already have an established following, then determine what your goal is with the contest. Increasing engagement or awareness? Gaining new followers? Focus on achieving those goals in SMART terms (SMART = Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound). Working towards one or two tangible goals is better than just flinging spaghetti at the wall.

The power of behind-the-scenes content

Most music fans love seeing how the sausage is made! Pictures and videos from inside the studio will definitely entertain them. Again, keep it concise. Delving too deep into your process can alienate potential fans but too little doesn’t give people anything to latch onto. Find the Goldilocks zone!

Engaging with music communities

The power of a “scene” has been documented many times in popular music history. It’s good to find and build community wherever you can.

Building relationships with local record stores

This will be crucial since you are releasing physical product. Often local record stores are very in touch with what’s going on in the local music community. Sometimes they have in-store shows or sponsor shows at local venues. They are great folks to have in your corner. Treat them like royalty as often they are doing this out of love and not making much money.

Involving online music forums and communities

Online music forums and communities can be great places to meet other musicians and music lovers. Don’t get into the arguments; all online communities have drama and it’s better to have neutral interactions than negative ones.

Creating and participating in music discussion groups

What better way to foster community than to create your own group? As long as you don’t turn it into mindless self-promotion, you being in charge of the group means it will have effective and fair moderation. An in-person music discussion group could be combined with a songwriter’s circle and be very productive for you and all who attend.

Collaborations and networking

As the old saying goes, it is not what you know but who you know. This is mainly just an acknowledgement that we all need other people. Success is rarely an individual accomplishment but rather the result of what Joseph Campbell called “a thousand unseen helping hands.”

Partnering with other musicians and artists

Having live performances with other artists whose music is similar to yours can potentially grow both of your audiences exponentially. It’s tiresome for both artists and audiences if social media feeds are a constant stream of self-promotion. Promoting your friends’ bands is one way of breaking that cycle. The more cross pollination of audience that you are able to achieve with other artists, the more likely that your synergy will actually create a viable music scene.

Working with DJs and radio stations

Terrestrial radio is not what it once was, but you can still find stations willing to play new artists. The best way to get your music played is to make personal contact with the DJ of a show where your music would fit. Don’t neglect internet-only stations; most stations broadcast online these days and airplay on a station with international listeners like WFMU can do a lot to help your record get noticed. Be gracious, polite, and don’t take a lack of response personally. Try to contact them twice and then move on if they don’t respond.

Expanding your reach through collaborations

Collaborations can also be with strategic brands and non-music local vendors. Brands often will sponsor merchandise and tours; it’s worth taking the time to figure out which brands would fit best with your music and attempting to gain their sponsorship. Many local businesses would love the chance to advertise to your audience.

Effective use of radio and podcasts

No matter how small the audience for the show, it’s great to get radio and podcast airplay. If you can negotiate an interview and an on-air live performance as well, even better!

Reaching out to local and internet radio stations

Connect to the DJ directly if you’d like them to play your music. Approach them with the goal of making a friend and ally, so show them respect and don’t pitch to shows where your music makes no sense.

Leveraging digital platforms despite a physical release

Online promotion is a necessary component of every physical release. It is not easy, but it’s possible to cut through the noise and be heard by followers and non-followers alike.

Using streaming services to complement your vinyl/CD

It’s good to have your music available on streaming services, as they are where most people are discovering music these days. Getting your followers to pre-save your release on the streamers helps a lot in boosting it in the streaming algorithms. Getting tracks added to curated playlists can also help to expose your music to new listeners.

How to utilize Bandcamp and similar platforms

Bandcamp is an excellent storefront as you can sell physical product and digital versions simultaneously. It’s flexible in terms of pricing and allows for an infinite variety of merch items. Sites like ReverbNation offer the ability to sell direct to fans too. Anywhere you can sell your album online is a good place to sell it but make sure the host doesn’t take too large of a cut.

Innovative marketing strategies

In Jay Levinson’s book Guerrilla Marketing, he talks about surprising the customer to help them remember your brand. Brainstorm with friends and band members — what’s something your followers would enjoy that would also surprise them? Ideas might include a pop-up concert, a flash mob themed around your music, or some sort of wacky merch item (toilet seat covers, etc.).

How to use email marketing effectively

Email is still one of the best ways to develop a direct connection with your fanbase. Building your list and measuring your results with specific metrics will help you execute effective email campaigns. Consistency and perseverance with a willingness to adjust and course correct based on data will serve you well and you will see results. Just don’t get too frustrated if things don’t happen overnight! Keep at it.

Exploring innovative marketing techniques

Guerrilla marketing has principles, but much of it is also trial and error. If it works, you reap the benefits; if it doesn’t, it hasn’t cost you much. Experiment with ideas and strategies for getting attention. Don’t get arrested or incur fines! But beyond that, the sky’s the limit.

Long-term engagement and sustaining interest

Sustaining interest in your music for the long term comes from sharing your authentic personality, not just the final product. Anyone interested in your music will need connection with you between releases to stay plugged in; this requires genuine interaction.

Building a loyal fan club or membership

Show up for your fans and they will show up for you. Offering great value with all of your releases and performances helps a lot. As live music coach Tom Jackson says, if you create well-thought-out moments on stage, people will spend a lot of money to remember them.

Continually engaging through content updates and specials

After the album’s promotional cycle has finished, continue to engage with your followers by providing new activities to keep the momentum going. Share updates about live shows and special offers that invite them to celebrate the music’s ongoing story with you. And when you’re ready to press vinyl or make top-quality CDs for your fans, reach out to Disc Makers!

Chris Huff

Articles: 67 Years: 2015

Chris Huff has been a professional singer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer for over 25 years. He has worked as a sideman with Peter Yarrow (Peter, Paul, and Mary), Echo and the Bunnymen, Chuck Hammer (David Bowie, Lou Reed), and Tom Kitt (Broadway composer of Next To Normal). Chris also wrote liner notes for David Bowie’s Live And Well CD.

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