With so many ways to promote your music online — and only so many hours in the day — how do you decide which platforms are worth your time and energy?
If you try to promote your music through every channel available to you, all at the same time, you’re going to spread yourself too thin and eventually burn out. On top of that, you’ll end up frustrated that all of your hard work hasn’t actually amounted to much.
So rather than attempt the impossible, focus your efforts on a handful of platforms where your existing and potential fans are most likely to spend their time online. (And, you know, the platforms that you actually enjoy using — or at least don’t despise.)
Here are 15 of the best ways to promote your music online.
1. Website
This should be priority number one (and we’re not just saying that to toot our own horn). An official website gives your fans a place where they know they can always find you, no matter which social networks come and go.
2. Email List
Unlike social media platforms where algorithms determine who sees your content, your emails are guaranteed to land in your subscribers’ inboxes. A regular monthly newsletter is a great way to keep them informed about all things going on with you and your band.
3. Blog
If you love writing, consider starting a blog to build a deeper relationship with your fans. Your posts could include insight into your creative process, roundups of new music you’ve been loving, or personal stories about your life as a musician.
4. Electronic Press Kit
An electronic press kit, or EPK, is essentially a résumé for your band. It should include your up-to-date bio, music, photos, videos, tour dates, press coverage, links, and contact information. It’s always a good idea to have your EPK on hand when you release new music, book shows, or connect with music industry folks.
5. Facebook
Facebook has long been considered essential for promoting music online, but it’s become increasingly difficult to reach fans organically over the last few years.
If there’s an audience you want to reach on Facebook and you have some budget to work with, you’ll need to get comfortable with Ads Manager. It’s a powerful tool for creating, managing, and measuring Facebook ad campaigns, but it definitely has a learning curve. As long as you dedicate some time to testing and optimizing, Facebook ads can be one of the most affordable ways to promote your music online.
6. Twitter
Twitter reigns supreme for real-time updates and quick interactions. It’s a great channel for sharing thoughts on relevant trending topics, hosting Q&A sessions with fans, posting setlists, and much more. You can also use the search function to find people who are talking about your music (or similar artists), and strike up conversations with them.
7. Instagram
With over 1 billion monthly active users, Instagram has exploded in popularity. Between your grid, Stories, IGTV, Instagram Live, and the newly announced Reels (Instagram’s take on TikTok-style videos), it’s the best place to build your visual brand as a musician.
If you have a little money to put towards growing your presence, you can promote Instagram posts through Facebook Ads Manager in the same way that you’d promote a Facebook post.
8. Snapchat
Snapchat is a fun way to connect with fans, especially if your target audience skews younger. It tends to feel more casual, in-the-moment, and personal than other social media apps, which can lead to some unique marketing opportunities that don’t necessarily feel like “marketing.”
9. Streaming Services
Most fans use streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, and Pandora to listen to their favorite artists and discover new music, so you’ll want to make sure your releases are available on all of them.
Getting even one of your songs featured on a playlist can work wonders for your music career. There are millions of playlists out there for every subgenre, mood, and activity imaginable — which translates into a golden opportunity to reach the right audience at the right time.
10. YouTube
YouTube is the second-largest search engine after Google and an enormous driver of music discovery. Besides sharing your videos on other platforms, you can help people find you by making sure that every upload has a clear and catchy title, a detailed description with keywords, and relevant tags. You’ll also want to organize similar types of videos into playlists to build watch time.
11. SoundCloud
SoundCloud is one of the most artist-friendly platforms out there, especially for independent musicians and niche genres. It boasts a massive community of diverse music lovers, and it’s super easy to share or embed your tracks on just about any website. You can even use it to upload demos and gather feedback before investing in professional production.
12. Bandsintown
Bandsintown is the largest concert discovery platform, used by over 500,000 artists and 50 million fans. Whether you’re heading out on tour, live streaming from home, or anything in between, you’ll be able to sync all of your upcoming events across your website and social media channels.
13. Music Blogs
Even small blog features will have a positive impact on your SEO and exposure, so seek out opportunities for album reviews, concert reviews, interviews, and guest posts.
Research music blogs that feature artists similar to you in terms of both genre and prominence, and make sure you take the time to craft a personalized pitch email that will catch the blogger’s attention.
14. TikTok
TikTok has quickly become one of the best ways to promote music online, with over 800 million monthly active users. The app is especially popular among Gen Z, but older demographics have wasted no time hopping on the bandwagon. The fine-tuned algorithm and addictive format give you a better chance of organically reaching a new audience in comparison to other social media platforms.
15. Audiomack
Audiomack is a music sharing and discovery website that lets you host all of your tracks for free, with no storage limits. You can submit your uploaded songs for a potential feature on the “trending” page, where millions of fans go to discover new artists. You’ll also have free access to content sharing tools and a dashboard loaded with detailed stats and engagement data.
Share the music platforms where you promote your music below in the comments.