So you’ve put your soul into creating new music for the world to enjoy. But stepping out of the recording studio doesn’t mean your job is complete. This is where the real challenge begins.
Releasing an album is a strenuous process. From creating the music to getting it ready for release, every step requires great concentration and effort. Now that you’ve finished these steps, it’s time to bring all that hard work to fruition and make sure your music reaches the world. But how will you do that?
Tips On Building Hype Before A Release
Through an effective pre-release promotional strategy, of course. Whether you’re an up and coming band or a popular group with an established fanbase, it’s equally important for you to effectively market your release well before your music is scheduled to come out.
If you’re unsure of how to get your fans excited about your upcoming album release, we’ve created a shortlist of some of the most popular marketing strategies for you.
Set up a pre-order option
The first step to promoting your upcoming album is setting up a pre-order. This will allow you to generate some early buzz by targeting fans who want to be first in line to purchase a copy.
Set up your website and allow your fans to pre-order your album directly. Through this, you will get direct access to statistics on how many fans click on your website and purchase your album. You will also be able to get the contact details for each customer who pre-orders for future targeted marketing.
The pre-order phase will also allow you to have a ready call-to-action for pre-release interviews. Anyone who hears you on the radio or watches an online interview has the option of pre-ordering your album right there.
Release an exclusive preview to get fans excited
A common tactic for bands to use is to showcase a small preview of their album before the official release date. This will add an exciting touch to your upcoming music and will give fans a fun sneak peek into what’s ahead.
Add a touch of intrigue and exclusivity to your preview by creating a surprise strategy for your fans. Hold a live show where you can surprise the audience with a small preview of your latest album in between sets.
Start an Instagram or Facebook live where you sing a small part of your upcoming single. This will not only raise the excitement for your upcoming music but also help drive traffic toward your social media pages.
Singer Taylor Swift turned up the heat on Good Morning America as she talked about the new, re-recorded version of her classic album Fearless. As a special reward for her fans, she released an exclusive 15-second first glimpse of one of her upcoming songs to get her audience excited for the upcoming tracks.
Design the perfect album cover to stay on brand
While external promotional strategies are important for gaining traction, the one promotional tactic you must not underestimate is the power of an attractive album cover.
A good cover acts as a visual gateway to your music and tells your fans about the kind of artist you are. If you’ve released music before, it is a good way to stay on brand and add a signature touch that people can recognize as yours.
If you’re worried about how to create an aesthetically pleasing cover that resonates with your musical identity, look no further. With online design tools like PosterMyWall, you can get free access to a wide range of design templates to make the design process smoother.
All you need to do is hop onto the PosterMyWall album cover maker tool, pick your design of choice, and add your own personal touches to make it yours. Add your album name to the top of the cover to make it visible and clear. Choose the right font to go with the vibe of your music.
Select a color scheme that plays into your identity as a band. And most importantly, don’t overdo it. Add imagery that enhances the design instead of distracting from the music. Once you’re done with these steps, you’ll have an album cover ready to be released.
Engage your local audience with vibrant flyers
Social media, interviews, and live videos can help you reach out to a global audience, but it’s important to engage your local fan base separately. Your local community deserves to be engaged closely and directly.
Look around for places in your local community that have high footfall and have a set of eye-catching band flyers ready to be put up anywhere. Use PosterMyWall’s easy to use flyer maker to get free access to a wide variety of engaging band flyers and customize them according to your needs.
Create a free account on PosterMyWall and look for your favorite design. Then hop onto the editor to add in your own details and make it attractive to your fan base.
Make your flyers as engaging as you can. Add an image of yourself and your band name to increase recognition. Make sure your album name and release date are in bold and centered on the flyer.
Use PosterMyWall to add a QR code that links your fans to your site where they can know more about your music and pre-order your album directly.
Create a story behind your music to entice your fans
The only thing fans love more than new music is new music with a narrative behind it. As an artist, you always have a story behind each song you write and record. So why not let your promotion efforts tell it?
Ask yourself the following questions about your music.
- What inspired you to write this album?
- Was it in response to a significant event in your life?
- What are the main ideas behind your music?
- How does each song on the album relate to your story?
Once you’ve figured out the answers to all of these, it’s time to push your thoughts out and into your promotional strategy. Fans love it when a singer has a story to tell behind their music. It makes them seem more relatable and approachable.
Famous singer Bon Iver openly speaks about the brilliant album he made while leaving his loved ones to go spend time in a cabin in the wild. His studio album, For Emma, Forever Ago, tells the story of his time in the midst of nature and is a great favorite among fans.
You can also use your life stories to add a personal touch to your album and continue to tell this story through interviews, social media, and radio shows in small tidbits until the album itself is released.
Your music should be appreciated by the world. But the world won’t appreciate your work if your promotional strategy doesn’t do justice to it. With these 5 simple hacks, you can market your music the right way and have your fans count down the days until that monumental album release.
