Successful Music Release | Part 6 | Out Now

Congratulations on releasing your music! 🎊🍾 🥂

Remember, bringing your artistic vision to life and having the bravery to release it into the world is already a HUGE accomplishment.

YOU ARE WINNING 🏆

You've now reached the final stage in the Successful Music Release series.

If you haven’t reviewed Parts 1 through 5, take a moment to do so now. Each part builds upon the last, equipping you with the strategies and tools needed to launch your music effectively.

• Part 1 - Setting a Clear Objective

• Part 2 - Developing a Roadmap to Release Every 8 Weeks

• Part 3 - Six Weeks from Release - Focusing on things like the artwork, distribution, and marketing plan.

• Part 4 - Four Weeks from Release - Focusing on content creation, editorial playlists, and pre-release strategy.

• Part 5 - Two Weeks from Release - Focusing on 3rd party playlisting, social ads, and fan sharing.

In this final installment, your music is out. Let’s make sure the world hears it!

Here’s the Successful Music Release GANTT chart again for you again:

At this point in the Successful Music Release roadmap, you are in weeks 7 & 8 on the release chart above. You are already actively doing the following things:

• Creating Content

• Posting & Engaging

• 3rd Party Playlisting

• Running Social Ads

• Asking Your Fans to Share

We’ll start this part of the series by tackling the last crucial action item on our GANTT chart - Leveraging Influencers - an EXTREMELY powerful strategy for music marketers.

Leverage Influencers (10 hr)

What is Influencer Marketing?

Influencer marketing involves getting your music shared through individuals who have a substantial and engaged following on social media platforms.

Influencers can amplify your music by sharing it with their audience, providing impactful recommendations or exposure that resonates with potential fans.

Influencer Marketing in Music

Influencers can play a pivotal role in your music marketing strategy by:

• Expanding Reach: Introducing your music to a broader audience.

• Building Credibility: Leveraging the trust influencers have with their followers.

• Driving Engagement: Encouraging their audience to listen, share, and engage with your music.

Organic Influencer Strategy

If you are going to have an organic influencer strategy, you should technically be working on it all the time. But during the two weeks following your release, you should put in some extra hours to see who might be interested in sharing your new song!

1. Identify Relevant Influencers: Look for influencers whose audience aligns with your target demographic. Their followers should have an interest in your music genre or style.

2. Approach with Caution: Just because someone has a lot of followers does not mean that they get much engagement or that their followers will appreciate your music. It’s all about targeting.

3. Build Relationships: Engage with their content genuinely before reaching out. Comment on their posts, share their content, and establish a rapport. Once the rapport is established, ask them if they do any partnerships with artists.

4. Measure Impact: Track the engagement and reach of influencer posts to assess the effectiveness of your partnerships.

Actionable Tips

• Choose Quality Over Quantity: Focus on influencers with genuine engagement rather than just high follower counts.

• Offer Value: Provide influencers with exclusive content or financial incentives that make collaboration appealing.

• Be Authentic: Ensure that the partnership feels natural and aligns with both your brand and the influencer’s persona.

  • Need a refresher on brand and persona? Read the Artist Branding Playbook 📖

Engagement Metrics of Influencers

When selecting influencers, consider the following engagement metrics:

• Engagement Rate: The ratio of interactions (likes, comments, shares) to the total number of followers.

• Reach and Impressions: How many people see the influencer’s content.

• Audience Demographics: Ensure their followers match your target audience in terms of age, location, and interests.

• Authenticity: The quality of interactions and the presence of genuine comments versus generic or spammy ones.

Marketing Metrics to Measure Campaign Success

To evaluate the success of your influencer campaigns, monitor these key metrics:

• Streams: Track increases in your song’s streams and downloads during and after the campaign.

• Social Media Engagement: Measure likes, comments, shares, and new followers gained.

• Website Traffic: Monitor visits to your landing page from influencer posts.

• Conversion Rates: Assess how many interactions lead to desired actions, such as new fan data collection or merchandise sales.

Estimated Cost/Budget Considerations

Here are some average price ranges for different types of influencers according to Google:

• Nano-influencers: (10,000–50,000 followers) $20–$200 per post

• Micro-influencers: (50,000–100,000 followers) $200–$5,000 per post

• Mid-tier influencers: (100,000–500,000 followers) $5,000–$10,000 per post

• Macro-influencers: (500,000–1 million followers) $10,000–$20,000 per post

• Mega-influencers: (1,000,000+ followers) $20,000+ per post 

Companies That Help With Influencer Marketing for Music

You can find interesting platforms like Preffy where influencers compete for your marketing budget by creating content featuring your music. Preffy is owned by the same Nashville-based company that owns Songfluencer, which is a higher budget influencer marketing company.

Check out this case study on Songfluencer’s site to learn more about their tactics and results.

If you are planning to work with a company, always ask for their case studies, testimonials, and track record for success!

Another company I will shoutout here is Innovo. They have various music marketing and influencer services. I know their founder, and they are definitely legit!

Looking Forward: Preparing for the Next Release

Your release cycle is actually 10 weeks according to the GANTT Chart:

• 2 Weeks of Review, Planning & Prep

• 4 Weeks of Promotion Leading up to Release

• 4 Weeks of Promotion Post-Release

So I decided to present it as a 12 week roadmap to clearly illustrate how each release feeds into the next, creating a continuous cycle of growth and improvement. The first two week period overlaps with two weeks of promotion from the previous release.

The key here is to build a machine that can turn into a real career for you.

Yes, it is hard, which is why not many people succeed.

It takes LONG TERM, STRATEGIC THINKING as I covered in this podcast monologue ‘The Number One Reason Artists Fail’

Keep the Machine Running

• Consistency is Key: Regular releases keep your momentum going and your audience engaged.

• Increase Quality Over Time: Focus on improving your music, content, and marketing strategies with each release.

• Optimize Systems: Streamline your processes to make your release strategy more efficient and effective.

The Power of Compounding

As you enhance various aspects of your career, the benefits compound:

• Music Quality: Better music attracts more listeners and increases retention.

• Content Quality: Engaging content keeps your audience interested and eager for more.

• Marketing Systems: Efficient systems save time and resources, allowing you to focus on creativity.

• Relationship Building: Strong relationships lead to collaborations, support, and eventually a team of talented people working on your music!

  • Read From DIY to Dream Team for a reminder about why a teamwork mentality is so important 💯

As your career grows, the real game changer is building a team to handle different aspects of your music business. A dedicated team can help scale your efforts, manage your marketing, and maintain your creative output, further compounding your success.

Your job is to build the machine, and then get other people to help you run that machine and make it run faster 📈

Get the machine running and always look for ways to make it more efficient. 

Over time, this machine will earn money, allowing you to build the life you truly want—a career fueled by creativity and sustained by smart marketing and strategic growth.

Conclusion: Your Journey Continues

Releasing music is not a one-time event but an ongoing journey.

The next two weeks on the roadmap start repeating the entire process over again. Even if you do not roll straight into your next release, it is a reminder to begin prepping early.

Remember, one of the key strategies behind releasing every 8 weeks is that you will stay top of mind for your audience.

By the time you get done promoting this release, you are already locked and loaded, ready to announce the next one 📢

The cycle is continuous, and each release builds upon the last, creating a powerful, self-sustaining machine that propels your career forward. You’ve got this, and HOME is here to support you every step of the way.

Keep creating, stay focused, and stay inspired!

P.S. if you need help staying inspired, read my post Inspiration is EASY for some techniques to channel unlimited creativity 💫