Not that long ago, getting into the music industry meant getting a home-recorded tape into the hands of the right person in a record company or hoping that you’d be discovered at a showcase or local gig. For several reasons, for example the rise in digital sales and the increasing amounts of artists creating their own independent labels, the music industry has changed a lot and thus so has the requirements of musicians.
Music
In order to be able to make a lasting impact on the music industry, a band or artist needs a music marketing team with knowledge, connections and the flexibility to create an individual strategy just for them. The amount of radio plays a single gets is still important as it means more exposure and gets the music to the masses to encourage them to buy the music or even see one of the artist or band’s shows, so a music marketing team must be have a great working relationship with several radio stations to increase the likelihood of the music being played on air.
Even though the majority of sales is via downloads nowadays, the radio is still a very strong promotional tool for gaining new fans, getting exposure for your latest single and even generating more ticket sales for shows. It really is a case of ‘it’s who you know, not what you know’, so a music marketing team needs to be have good connections in the whole of the entertainment industry and know the right people to speak to. As there are so many new artists trying to crack into the music industry, a music marketing team should be able to create a unique and bespoke marketing plan for you that gets your music to your target audience and to the radios and shows that they will listen to or watch.
Bespoke Works
Part of creating a bespoke marketing plan is finding a studio and producer that fits in with your individual needs as well as your budget. Just a few years ago, artists could be in debt to their record companies as they were using recording studios, photographers and music video directors that they couldn’t afford but their record company had connections to.
Your marketing team should also find you the right graphics for the visual side of your campaign and photographers for your promotional shoots that share your vision so that your image is presented in a way that is true to you. Again, a marketing team should also make sure that they fit in with your budget. All of this means that music marketing team puts the power back into the hands of the artists and they get treated as individuals.
Package
Finally, a music marketing package should help drive and direct publishing and distribution so that the artists and musicians have full security and their work is copyrighted, and they receive their fair share of royalties. Your marketing team should give you creative freedom and control over the direction you want to take your music whilst giving you the best advice, connections and selling you to the most important people- the fans.
Natasha Bennett currently works for Quite Great a Music PR Company specialising In Music promotion, band promotion and Entertainment in the UK. Natasha uses her vast industry knowledge to contribute as a writer to a variety of publications across music, business, magazines and blogs.