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One of the most common questions I hear asked by upcoming artists:
What is actually worth spending money on when marketing my song?
At the core of a lot of big A-list artist releases is usually a strategic big label campaign spending $100,000+ or more.
Many of us don't have that luxury of a major label behind us, BUT let's narrow down the best return on investment for the rest of us.
If I had to self release a song in 2024 these are 3 areas I would focus on investing in to give your song the best odds of success:
1. DJ promo campaigns
There are many services out there today that offer direct email promo services to some of the biggest DJs and radio DJs out there. What would take years and years in the game to build a credible email list of A-list DJs, you can forego with some investment. These promo campaigns will usually target the genre of your songs specifically to the taste of the artists.
Price range can be anywhere from $300 to $2000. There are multiple services that offer this, but some of the ones I have personally worked with are Your Army, Relish, 1001tracklists, Whoa Promo, and Promo Only. It's a great shortcut to get your new track potentially in the hands of some A-list DJs and get some dance radio play. These also can go beyond just DJ promo to full Dance Radio campaigns which can run more expensive, but worth it if you have the right song.
2. Paid Partnership Posts
Many fans don't realize a lot of the posts from big dance Instagram accounts could be paid posts! There are many dance music business accounts and creator accounts with 50k-1M followers that will post a reel of your song for $150-$1500. I think this is a GREAT use of marketing money. It just takes a little research to find the right account, in your target niche to do it for the right price. DM, email and inquire.
Another tip in this one is make the organic content yourself before asking, try to make something broader reaching/funny/or good show footage. Many accounts are looking for content to post. Always ask to use the official audio which helps the audio trend. Also, often times if the account likes your song or content they will even post it for free!
3. Any resources to help you make better content
As an upcoming artist, nothing will push the needle for you more than making your own organic content and staying consistent. So invest in resources that can help you achieve higher quality content. These might be video/camera gear, new iphone, lighting, courses, editors, editing software, hiring a video guy for a show, etc. Generally this is going to be one of your top uses of marketing money and will pay you back a high return.
There are also other ways to promote music that I didn't touch on that can work sometimes, such as spotify playlist services or META ads/boosts. I just feel like the other 3 I listed here are more effective when it comes to building a better fanbase. Like any normal business, spending money on marketing is essential. Every business does this. Just figure out what you can budget, test some different options out,and see where you get results.
-Henry
PS, I work with artists and help them navigate their music careers in my 1-on-1 Artist mentorship program
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