The music industry is an exciting, rewarding, and deeply challenging industry for artists to break into. Over the last few decades, the advancements that technology has afforded and the takeover of streaming culture have made it possible for more artists than ever to pursue their passion. While at one point in time artists heavily relied on the help and support of a record label to publish their music, now artists can record, produce, and publish from the comfort of their own homes.
The availability to create and publish music videos has also expanded with more and more ways of producing music videos and music video distribution services making the process of publishing streamlined and convenient. While music videos have long been a powerful form of marketing for artists and a staple part of an artist’s portfolio, there are certain factors that must be taken into account when it comes to releasing a music video. The most important of these factors is marketing.
One of the downsides to the ever-expanding universe of independent music is that as more and more artists find themselves online it also becomes more and more challenging to stand out. While music videos are effective tools for reaching new audiences and connecting with current fans on a deep level, they also represent an incredibly high amount of investment. Music videos can be made on a budget, but they always require time, work, and often a financial investment of some kind. So, making sure that your music video gets in front of as many prospective fans as possible is paramount to ensuring a good ROI.
The good news is that there are some basic marketing principles that you can follow which will help you do just this. If you have been wondering about the do’s and don’ts of music video marketing, here are some things to consider!
Table of Contents
1. Do – Build Up to The Release
One of the best ways to ensure that your music video is successful at launch is to do a thorough social media build-up. This is perhaps one of the most important things you can do and it’s also something that is easy to overlook.
When it comes to creating a music video, a lot of hard work comes into the picture. From storyboarding your concept to shooting the project to post-production, it can be a hefty process. This means that it can be easy to get lost in the weeds and forget about drumming up excitement through social media. For established artists, there may not need to be as big a push for a social media build-up to the release, but for up-and-coming artists, this is crucial. Getting as many people to be aware of the music video and ready to watch it when it releases can help increase its presence in any given algorithm.
2. Don’t – Go it Alone
This is a crucial aspect of creating and marketing a music video well. This process is going to be somewhat engrossing so it could be that you are limited in capacity if you try and do too much on your own. This may look like hiring a part-time assistant to help you make sure you are handling the production and marketing of your music video with excellence, or even enlisting free help from a good friend.
Music videos represent too high a cost of time and resources, and asking for help is an easy way to avoid the possibility of tunnel vision that could negatively affect its marketing and release.
3. Do – Share, Share, Share
Some people are very comfortable with plugging their own content and sharing continuously, while others may struggle with the concept. Regardless of what kind of person you are, sharing your work continuously is going to be important. Dropping a music video requires more than just a simple announcement. Set up a calendar where you can confidently map out how many times and when you are going to re-share your work to reach the widest audience possible.
4. Don’t – Get Discouraged
This is perhaps the most important thing to remember – don’t get discouraged if the results aren’t what you had hoped. The music industry is home to successful men and women who play the long game. Releasing a music video is something that takes a lot of work and something you should be proud of. Determine to celebrate your hard work regardless of its results because it is a powerful step toward making your dreams come true!
Conclusion
Creating and releasing a music video takes an incredible amount of work, but it is well worth the investment. Giving your fans a way to visually connect with you as an artist is a powerful way of investing in your community, and music videos represent a great method of reaching new potential fans as well. With good, consistent marketing and determination, you can see the results you want from your music video release!
