There is a menace! There is a plague!! It has driven many to the edge of giving up but the disease is not giving up yet. To make things worse, the pressure of releasing great singles, headlining gigs, in addition to staying abreast with the volatility of the internet of things (IoT), keeps artistes busier than ever. More often than not, artistes work hard on new projects, dedicating hours to practicing, writing songs, not to mention the ever-increasing financial costs of recording, mixing and mastering, creating visuals, and album artwork, only to rush the release of that single with no plan in place.
Here are 5 of the basic things you need to consider BEFORE YOU DROP THAT SINGLE:
1. DISTRIBUTION
Technology evolution has changed the way distribution of songs is carried out; broadly categorized into physical and digital. Producing physical promo copies (CDs) of your music cannot be over emphasized. These could be dropped with radio stations, TV stations(if you have a video), public outlets (restaurants, hotels, eateries, malls etc), DJs and not forgetting our infamous Alaba market. Based on your discretion, you could organize a listening party, invite family and friends and tell them to invite their friends and tell their friends to invite their friends (i.e tell somebody to tell somebody to tell somebody…don’t forget to do a media coverage of the event) and at this occasion you need to offer the guests your promo CDs. You also need to be aware of the importance of digital distribution outlets for increased reach which includes SoundCloud, iTunes, NotJustOk, Tooxclusive, Jaguda, Naijaloaded, Linda Ikeji, Pulse.ng, 360nobs e.t.c.
2. SOCIAL MEDIA
A lot of time and energy needs to be spent building a strong online presence in order to be taken seriously as an artist especially when the time comes to start building brand awareness. Inadequate knowledge of the importance of social media to your music will hurt your promotional efforts as music industry professionals, bloggers, and fans will visit your pages to observe and determine if you are worth the time or not. Stale, overly promotional, or boring profiles will not help your chances of engaging anyone. You should upload cover photos and pictures that align with your brand and you could take advantage of a tool called Canva for a fast and easy banner and social skin creation.
3. WEBSITE
The music industry is built on appearances (packaging/branding) and musicians now know better to expand their branding beyond social media. It has become important to have a total and professional online presence and this starts with your online home – your website. You need to have a modern and functional site that you can update on your own. Your website should have a section where fans can easily listen to and download your music, a news section with latest happenings, and a newsletter sign-up that offers an incentive through discounts on tickets for shows or merchandise.
4. GRAPHICS
As trivial as it might sound, the attractive and creative nature of your graphics also has a tremendous impact on whether or not that song would be downloaded. Do not forget to include your social media details too. Simple put, let your artwork look creative and disruptive, let it be “good unique”.
5. CONSISTENCY
As consistent as the word “consistent” is consistently used in the music industry, many still run foul of this by either muddling contents in the build up to the release of that single or not even having enough contents. You have to “consistently” create buzz around your coming single which can be achieved using various social media platforms. You should create an anticipation atmosphere for your single and with the help of friends and colleagues. Social media PRs with adequate amount of followers can also be hired to help in the publicity but ensure they have the target audience for your music. After the release of the single, you still have to keep up with engaging your supporters by creating contests and give-away.
In conclusion, creating a long-term plan with proper execution will put you a step ahead in the game; do not cut corners here. Remember, the preparation towards releasing a single is as important as the works that have been put into making that masterpiece. What about getting a management team that can take away this burden like #GustoEntertainment while you focus on making good music?