Effective music marketing involves a multi-platform approach. TikTok, Instagram, and Spotify complement each other in your journey to music discovery. By creating engaging content, building a visual brand, and consistently releasing quality music, you can leverage these platforms to catapult your music career to new heights in the digital age. Remember, it’s not just about the music; it’s about the story you tell and the connection you build with your audience.
We’re seeing more and more clients focus on the cross promotion and benefits of 3 key DSP’s, TikTok, Instagram and Spotify. Understanding the interplay between TikTok, Instagram, and Spotify is key to maximising your music’s reach. TikTok’s viral potential can introduce your music to a broader audience, while Instagram humanises your brand and keeps fans engaged. Spotify, as the destination for streaming, solidifies your presence in the music industry. We offer you some tips on how to use them within your campaigns.
Fast Track Marketing Plan
#1 Create Engaging TikTok Content
Post TikTok videos featuring catchy snippets of your music, dance challenges, or unique creative content related to your songs.
Leverage trending TikTok challenges and hashtags to increase visibility and join in on viral trends.
Collaborate with TikTok influencers or popular creators to promote your music through duets or featured videos.
#2 Utilise Instagram for Visual Storytelling:
Share visually appealing content on your Instagram feed, including behind-the-scenes glimpses, studio sessions, or live performances.
Create engaging Instagram Stories to provide exclusive updates, teasers, and interactive content related to your music.
Leverage Instagram’s interactive features like polls, question stickers, or quizzes to boost engagement and gather insights from your followers.
#3 Spotify Integration & Promotion:
Optimise your Spotify artist profile with high-quality images, a captivating biography, and curated playlists that reflect your music.
Share Spotify links and embed music players on your Instagram posts and Stories to drive traffic and encourage followers to stream your music.
Collaborate with popular Spotify playlist curators or influencers to get your tracks featured on influential playlists.
Leverage Spotify’s advertising platform to reach targeted audiences and promote your music through audio ads or sponsored playlists.
#4 Cross-Promotion & Linking
Cross-promote your TikTok content on Instagram and vice versa by sharing highlights, reposting or linking to your TikTok videos on Instagram.
Encourage your TikTok and Instagram followers to follow you on Spotify, directing them to your Spotify artist profile or specific tracks/albums.
Include links to your TikTok and Instagram profiles in your Spotify artist bio or song descriptions to create a cohesive online presence.
#5 Engage & Collaborate with Fans
Actively engage with your audience by responding to comments, direct messages, and user-generated content on TikTok, Instagram, and Spotify.
Host interactive Q&A sessions, live performances, or exclusive listening parties on Instagram Live or TikTok Live to create real-time connections with your fans.
Encourage fans to create and share their own content using your music, and consider featuring or reposting their creations on your social media platforms.
PRO tip:
Remember, consistency and authenticity are key to successful integration. Develop a cohesive content strategy that aligns with each platform’s unique features, audience preferences, and music promotion goals. Monitor analytics and insights from each platform to refine your strategies and adapt based on audience engagement and feedback.
Key Areas of Focus
- Focus on creating exceptional music that stands out from the crowd. Invest in professional production, songwriting, and vocal skills to ensure your music resonates with listeners.
- Develop a unique artist identity that reflects your personality and resonates with your target audience. Be genuine, authentic, and true to yourself in your music, image, and interactions with fans.
- Establish a strong online presence by creating engaging profiles on social media platforms relevant to your target audience. Regularly share content, connect with fans, and interact with industry professionals.
- Cultivate a dedicated fanbase by actively engaging with your followers. Respond to comments, messages, and mentions, and make an effort to connect with fans at live shows or through virtual events. Offer exclusive content or experiences to reward their support.
- Utilise data analytics tools to gain insights into your audience demographics, streaming patterns, and social media engagement. Use this information to inform your marketing and promotional strategies.
However, focusing these general marketing efforts can be hard. Looking forward it’s important for us to highlight the key areas of music discovery. TikTok, Instagram (Reels specifically) and Spotify majorly are the main ways of discovering new talent. These can be used separately and together.
TikTok Marketing
#1 Viral Potential
TikTok’s algorithm and user behaviour contribute to the platform’s ability to make songs and challenges go viral. When a song gains traction on TikTok, it can quickly spread and reach a wide audience, leading to increased exposure and popularity for the artist.
#2 Discovery
TikTok provides a platform for new and emerging artists to be discovered by a vast user base. Users actively seek out new music and trends, creating opportunities for lesser-known musicians to gain visibility and build a fan base.
#3 UGC
TikTok’s emphasis on user-generated content allows fans to engage with music creatively. Users create videos, dances, and challenges around songs, which helps increase engagement, spark trends, and generate user-generated content that can be shared across other social media platforms.
#4 Music Promotion Tools
TikTok offers various music promotion tools, such as sound libraries, challenges, and advertising options, allowing artists and labels to target specific demographics and engage with users in creative ways.
#5 Chart Impact
TikTok’s popularity can impact music charts and streaming platforms. Songs that gain traction on TikTok often see a surge in streams and downloads, which can translate into higher chart positions and overall exposure.
PRO Tip:
Please see our TikTok resources and how to’s here. An example of a success story comes in the form of alt-pop artist PinkPantheress. Starting in December 2020, she initiated a TikTok journey by sharing snippets of her music accompanied by playful captions, such as uploading a song daily “until someone notices it” or simply out of boredom. The TikTok community responded with enthusiasm, propelling her first video to amass over 750K views rapidly, and she’s gone from strength to strength since.
Instagram Marketing
#1 Music-Specific Features
Instagram has introduced music-specific features like the ability to add music to Stories, music stickers, and lyrics stickers. These features enhance the music listening experience on the platform and provide opportunities for artists to connect with fans through shared music interests.
#2 Large User Base
Instagram boasts over 1 billion active monthly users, providing a massive potential audience for musicians to connect with and promote their music to a wide range of demographics.
#3 Visual Storytelling
Instagram’s emphasis on visual content allows musicians to showcase their personality, visual aesthetics, behind-the-scenes moments, and music-related visuals. Artists can use photos, videos, Stories, and IGTV to engage fans and create compelling narratives around their music.
#4 Instagram Stories
With over 500 million daily active users, Instagram Stories offer a powerful tool for music marketing. Artists can share snippets of their music, teaser videos, behind-the-scenes footage, tour updates, and more, keeping fans engaged and excited about upcoming releases.
PRO Tip:
You can find our Instagram resources here. An example of a success story comes in the form of rapper Saweetie. Saweetie’s path to discovery began by sharing her rap videos on Instagram, amassing an impressive following of over 13 million fans. In 2016, she gained widespread attention when she showcased her skills by rapping over the beat for Khia’s ‘My Neck, My Back (Lick It)’, resulting in the song going viral. This significant moment marked the birth of her iconic track ‘Icy Girl’, which propelled Saweetie further into the spotlight.
Spotify Marketing
#1 Discovery & Algorithms
Spotify’s personalised recommendation algorithms help users discover new music based on their listening habits, creating opportunities for lesser-known artists to be discovered. Artists who optimise their presence on the platform and engage listeners through playlists, collaborations, and curated content increase their chances of gaining exposure and attracting new fans.
#2 Playlists and Curated Content
Playlists play a crucial role in Spotify’s ecosystem. Placement on popular playlists, both editorial and user-generated, can lead to increased streams, discoverability, and follower growth. Curated playlists by influential tastemakers and Spotify’s own editorial team provide opportunities for artists to showcase their music to a wide range of listeners.
#3 Collab Playlists & Cross-Promo
Artists can collaborate with other musicians, influencers, or brands on Spotify’s collaborative playlists. This allows them to tap into each other’s fan bases, cross-promote their music, and gain exposure to new audiences.
#4 Analytics and Insights
Spotify for Artists provides valuable data and insights about listeners’ demographics, streaming patterns, and geographical location. Artists can use this data to understand their audience better, refine their marketing strategies, and make informed decisions regarding their music releases, tour planning, and promotional efforts.
#5 Official Spotify Playlists and Radar Program
Spotify’s official playlists have significant reach and influence. Artists who are selected for official playlists benefit from increased visibility and potential streaming growth. Additionally, the Spotify Radar program highlights emerging artists, offering exposure and support for up-and-coming talent.
PRO tip:
You can find our Spotify resources here. An example of a success story could be Israeli DJ Rafael. He achieved remarkable success with only three releases on Spotify, including just one playlist entry. Despite this limited catalogue, his music garnered exceptional engagement rates and captivated fans worldwide. Listeners from a staggering 92 countries have streamed his music over half a million times, solidifying his global appeal and expanding his fanbase significantly.
However, it is possible to link these three together by taking advantage of the positives of each platform.
Instagram