5 Untapped Ways Musicians Can Promote Their Music

Even though there are many ways musicians can promote their music, one of the biggest challenges faced by every musician is getting their music in front of the right audience. Some musicians spam social media with the hope that someone will take a look at their music, while others utilize already crowded marketing channels, such as seeking out radio airplay, paid ads on social media, or more popular music streaming services.

This isn’t to say that musicians shouldn’t use these channels for promotion―they should. However, for new musicians without a budget or team in place to help them execute their music marketing strategies, using untapped channels may prove to be a good use of their time.

If you’re a musician, here are some ways you can promote your music that aren’t commonly used by musicians.

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1. Help A Reporter Out (HARO)

Reaching out to bloggers and news outlets for coverage is extremely hard for new musicians, so why not let the reporters come to you?

Help a Reporter Out is a service that sends you emails multiple times a day containing inquiries from reporters looking for help with a story. Simply sign up, scroll through the emails, and respond to the ones that you can add value to. Often times, this can result in links, which can bring referral traffic to your music or website.

Many inquiries won’t be music related, but there are a few hidden gems that can land some coverage for you. Get creative and see how you can put a spin on stories that aren’t exactly about music.

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2. Upload Music to Newer Services

Every musician has their music on services like iTunes, Spotify, and SoundCloud. Since the music catalogs are so vast on these services, it’s hard for new artists to stand out anymore.

Uploading your music to newer, less competitive apps and websites can result less competition for your music, which means you’re likely to reach more users of a given service. To find new places to upload your music, search the App Store, Google Play, and page 2 of Google.

3. Guest Blogging

Writing articles about a topic that interests you for a blog or websites is a great way to increase awareness of your music, especially if the blog’s audience is likely to be interested in your style of music.

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Find a topic that interests you and overlaps with the interests of your music’s audience, then start contributing valuable content to blogs that cover the topic. If you can become a regular contributor on a popular blog, readers will eventually recognize your name and check out your music.

Guest blogging is also a great way to increase your website’s rank in Google, which can lead to more free traffic to your website.

4. Google Adwords

If you’re looking for a new paid marketing channel to get more website traffic or to promote a new music video, Google Adwords might be of interest to you. Do a quick search for any music genre, and you’ll notice there are no ads. Additionally, if you look at Google’s Keyword Planner, you’ll notice that keywords related to music genre all have low CPC and competition. Because of this, AdWords can be an effective paid marketing channel for you as a musician.

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Many people use Google to try and find new music. Play around with Adwords to see if it can work for you. Set up ads that target keywords with low competition to get your website or music video in front of someone who’s actually searching for new music; then convert them into fans with your awesome music.

5. Get Your Music Played in Businesses

An often overlooked promotional channel that isn’t controlled by big record companies is background music―the playlists set up by restaurants and retail stores designed to help increase their merchandise sales.

Pitching your music to background music services, and even individual restaurants, can result in exposure to a large audience if your song is played daily during peak hours. Find small businesses in your area that are interested in supporting local talent and ask them to play your music in their business. Make sure your music is on Shazam so it’s easy for their customers to tag your song.

Featured photo credit: pixabay.com via pixabay.com

Every mature relationship has had a less-than-memorable anniversary. Maybe one of you forgot, or both of you got busy with work, kids, family issues, or something else. Whatever happened, the day came and went without fanfare. And neither of you seemed to notice or much care.

But for the health of any relationship, it’s important to make important days feel special. Anniversaries offer the wonderful opportunity to relive beautiful memories, practice gratefulness for your partner, and to show your love and strengthen your bond. Make this year’s anniversary with your significant other something special — one that will bring you closer together.

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The best way to create a memorable anniversary is to do something new and different together as a couple. Stretch yourselves a bit.

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While boredom can silently kill a relationship, new experiences reinforce the shared bond you already have and create strong new memories. Just think back to the most significant memories you have right now with your spouse and imagine what new ones you can create!

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While you enjoy your chosen anniversary activity, be sure to keep a positive attitude and make your partner happy too on that day. Leave all arguments and day to day detail behind. Just celebrate your relationship. Whether you’re going to spend the day together at home, getting away, or having a wild and crazy new experience together, you can have your best anniversary yet!

If You’re Staying In

Spend an evening with no technology, just the two of you and maybe a board game. It’s hard to keep ourselves away from our computers and smartphones long enough to have a meaningful conversation. Make a rule not to use your tech and you’ll rekindle your relationship!
Make wine or beer together. If you enjoy drinking together, this is a fun activity to try together. Just remember to buy the necessary equipment ahead of time.
Learn something new about each other. With an open mind, try asking some of the New York Times’ 36 questions that lead to love. They’ll help spark intimacy and will lead to some really honest moments.
Have a lazy day. Breakfasts in bed, spend all day in bed talking and napping. Follow breakfast with champagne and dessert! If you feel like getting more active, cook together or play some games. Here’re some simple breakfast ideas for you.
Learn to dance at home. This is best for those active couples who work out together and also enjoy learning something new together. Just go on Youtube to find any music with dance tutorials and learn together.
Visit model homes or open houses and plan your dream home.
Have a special dessert – champagne and chocolate covered strawberries. Having an unusual treat makes a day feel extra special. If you want to make the dessert really special, try these tasty dessert recipes.
Create a playlist of your favorite songs as a couple. Choose songs that tell your story, and songs that you bonded over throughout your relationships. Here’re some love songs ideas for your inspirations.
Write your love story. Write it together or ave each of you write your own and then bring them together in an interesting, both sides of the story format.
Get a fondue pot. Fondue is a fun way to enjoy melted cheeses (for savory items) and melted chocolate (for sweeter treats).
Decorate! Turn your home into a dressed-up french cottage, a sophisticated restaurant, or simply with flowers. The different ambience will immediately change the feel of your home and make it feel like a staycation.
Talk about the future together. It might sound simple and everyday, but imagining how you want to spend your retirement together, or planning future trips can be exciting and romantic.

If You Want to Get Away

Take a day trip together to your favorite spot. If you live in a city, it can be incredibly refreshing to get away for an afternoon and drink in the outdoors.
Go on a scenic drive and stop at a wine and cheese bar. Or, if you’re lucky enough to have lots of options where you live, try a brewpub. There are tons of small craft breweries with fantastic food options too.
Go camping. Relatively affordable and, if the weather’s right, beautiful and romantic.
Take an overnight backpacking trip. For the more adventurous couples, backpacking is an even more intense way to challenge yourself physically while becoming one with nature.
Take a wine tasting tour. If you live on the West Coast or in the Northeast, take a drive to the nearest winery. Many offer relatively inexpensive tastings and deals if you purchase a certain amount.
Take a scenic train trip. Taking the train means less stress traveling: nobody has to drive, you don’t have to stop for breaks every few hours, and you can sleep if you need to!
Save up for a destination vacation. What better time than your anniversary to enjoy the beach at a beautiful resort?
Explore a new city. Whether you’re on a budget or have a lot saved up, you can have a great time just exploring an unfamiliar town.
Rent a cabin for a weekend away, in the woods or next to a lake or ocean. If you like the outdoors but can only take so much nature, try glamping.
Go on a retreat. Yoga retreats, meditation retreats, beautiful natural surroundings … they’re all the rage. Search for centeredness and calm with your partner.
Spend a day at a food festival. Many cities have fun and affordable food festivals, occasionally based on a theme. Check out your town’s (or a nearby city) calendar for inspiration!

New & Exciting Experiences

Go spelunking. Dark, damp, and utterly exciting!
Go on a hot air balloon ride. Because the basket is relatively small, this can be a romantic and deeply personal – and yet thrilling –
experience.
Try sky diving. If you and you S.O. are real thrill-seekers, sky diving can really push you to the edge!
Explore the underwater world by snorkeling or scuba diving. This may take you far away from where you normally live and work, which is an added bonus.
Experience white water rafting.
Drive or hike to the highest spot nearby for a new view of the world. America has tons of beautiful mountains where challenging hikes (or drives) can deliver breathtaking views.
Take a craft or cooking class. Up your craft skills or food making skills, and enjoy something new!
Take a wine and painting class today. These classes are easily found these days and even a beginning painter can create a nice painting. Challenging but relaxing, fun, and you get to go home with some artwork!
Learn to salsa dance. Dancing is a fantastic way to actively get closer and coordinate physically with one another.
Visit a nearby festival you’ve always wanted to go to. Have fun and let go with fellow audience-members!
Spend the day at an amusement park together. Laugh and carry on like teenagers.
Meet new people! At a restaurant, concert, or class, make it a point to meet new friends. Striking up conversation with someone you don’t know – but with whom you have shared interests – can be an adventurous and rewarding experience.

Whether your budget is big or small, and whether you have a little or a ton of time together, focus on each other. There are tons of options, in terms of location, level of physical activity, and cost. You can make the day special in a way that’s right for you!