Why Marketing should be the second biggest part of an Artist’s release strategy after the music is ready for release!
When we think of Coca-Cola or Pepsi, we picture globally iconic brands so recognizable they hardly need an introduction. Yet these giants pour billions into marketing year after year. Why? Because staying visible, relevant, and top of mind is a continuous effort, even for them. This same logic applies to artists, whether emerging or established.
For Coca-Cola, marketing isn’t just about introducing themselves, it’s about nurturing their relationship with consumers. They remind people why they should choose their brand again and again. Artists, in the same vein, need to remind audiences why their music matters. It’s not enough to be discovered once, you need to foster ongoing engagement.
Pepsi competes in a crowded market, always adapting to new preferences. Similarly, artists compete with millions of tracks on streaming platforms. Marketing helps an artist cut through the noise, giving their work a chance to be heard. Without that effort, even great music might be overlooked.
Ultimately, just as these brands build loyalty and preference, artists use marketing to build fanbases. It’s not vanity; it’s survival and growth. If Coke and Pepsi, despite being giants, keep marketing, artists certainly should too.
Marketing plays a crucial role in today’s streaming world. When an artist drives traffic through ads, social media, or PR, it signals to Spotify’s algorithm that people are engaged. This is especially crucial in the first month. Strong initial momentum boosts a song’s likelihood of landing on algorithmic playlists like Radio, and Release Radar. Essentially, marketing helps “train” the algorithm, showing it who the core audience is and encouraging it to amplify the track to new listeners.
Once the algorithm is activated by early marketing momentum, it can become a self-sustaining cycle. Songs that gain traction continue to be surfaced to more listeners, leading to consistent streams. Repeating this pattern with each release, backed by smart marketing builds a stronger profile. Over time, this not only grows a fanbase but also opens doors to other revenue streams. A loyal audience can convert into merch sales, ticket purchases, and beyond, creating a sustainable ecosystem where each release strengthens those relationships, and your career.
Having a solid infrastructure is critical once marketing gains traction. As you attract fans, you need a system to capture their emails, phone numbers, or social contacts. Often, you only get one shot to convert casual listeners into long-term supporters. This infrastructure, whether it’s email lists, SMS campaigns, or a fan club, allows you to keep fans engaged. You can update them on tour dates, ticket sales, merch drops, or new releases, essentially creating a community. Without this direct line of communication, you risk losing momentum. Marketing may bring them in, but infrastructure is what keeps them close.
In the end, having a strategic release and marketing plan isn’t optional, it’s the key to sustained success. By emulating what major brands do, building awareness, sparking engagement, and nurturing relationships, artists can activate algorithms, grow fanbases, and create lasting careers. When every release is part of a bigger, deliberate cycle, you don’t just hope for success, you set yourself up to win, release after release.
Just like any business, artists go through an investment phase. At the start, you must plan for marketing funds, this is your seed to grow. Without that initial investment in visibility, it’s hard to eventually turn music into profit. But with a plan, spending now to build momentum, you can transform that early investment into a thriving, profitable artistic career over time.
Considering that around 86 percent of music on Spotify never surpasses 1,000 streams, marketing has become more essential than ever. In today’s world, where we live on our phones, marketing through platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Google is the most effective route to break out of that silent majority. It’s how you get noticed, how you drive streams, and ultimately how you make sure your music reaches the ears it deserves.
Keep in mind, marketing alone isn’t the whole answer. You need to be active online, genuinely engaging with your audience. You need to tour, even starting with smaller shows, to gain visibility and experience. Crucially, begin building your infrastructure early, so that every live show is a chance to collect fan information and strengthen your ecosystem. Success is a combination of smart marketing, real-world hustle, and building meaningful connections from day one.