In this piece Patrick McGuire details the importance of a solid pre-release program, and how it’s necessary for building hype and excitement, growing your audience, and ensuring your release makes the biggest splash possible.
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Promoting your new music shouldn’t start on the release date.
Waiting until your music is released to start promoting is way too late. Effective music promotion starts months before it’s out.
A solid pre-release campaign can build excitement for your release, grow your audience, and turn casual listeners into real fans.
But where do you even start? And more importantly, how do you make it work while still having time to finish your music?
Here’s five tips to help you get the most out of your promotion efforts during the time leading up to your release.
But first…
Set Your Release Date
Whether your music is finished or not, you need to set your release date.
Setting a release date to aim for has tons of benefits, like helping you decide how to manage your time and providing some healthy pressure to finish.
Once your music is mixed and mastered, use digital distribution to set a custom release date for your project on all major streaming platforms including Spotify and Apple Music.
Just fill out your custom release date on the fourth step of the LANDR release builder, and your music will be live in all stores on the same day—just be sure to leave enough time in advance.
It’s possible to choose a custom release date as early as 7 business days in the future, but give as many days as you can (2-3 weeks) for a better chance of your release being live on the same day.
1. Find the story behind your new music and tell it
Every album, every song, every chord has a story inside it. Your promotion efforts should tell it.
Figure out what’s interesting and unique about your new music and tell your story in the lead up to your release.
Examples like Bon Iver’s hunting cabin or Tennis’ husband and wife sailing trip tale show that stories can add a whole other layer to your music.
Promoting your own music can feel pushy or overwhelming. Telling your story makes it more personal and engaging.
Promoting your own music can feel pushy or overwhelming. Telling your story makes it more personal and engaging.
Guest post by Patrick McGuire from the Landr blog
Read more: http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2018/08/5-ways-to-promote-your-music-way-before-its-released.html