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Tomas George, Christopher Carvalho, and Digital Music Masters

Got music to release but not sure what to do?

This course was designed for you.

The videos in this course are designed specifically to help artists and producers like you, confidently release and market their music.

Tomas George is a full-time music production instructor and educator

And Christopher Carvalho runs Unlock Your Sound, helping independent music artists release their music, and build their businesses. Christopher uses these principles and strategies on a daily basis with his artist clients.

Read more

Got music to release but not sure what to do?

This course was designed for you.

The videos in this course are designed specifically to help artists and producers like you, confidently release and market their music.

Tomas George is a full-time music production instructor and educator

And Christopher Carvalho runs Unlock Your Sound, helping independent music artists release their music, and build their businesses. Christopher uses these principles and strategies on a daily basis with his artist clients.

In this course, we teach you timeless marketing principles that focus on what matters most, building and cultivating a loyal fan base.

This course will cover such topics as : 

• Tips for Building a Release Strategy

• Organizing a Release in Trello

• Marketing Funnels for Music Artists

• Building an Audience and Setting up a Welcome Message in Mailchimp

• What NOT to do When Promoting your Music

• Marketing Lingo

• An Introduction to Print on Demand Merch and Teespring

• Different ways to Design your T-Shirts

• Finding Freelancers to help Design your Merch

• Instagram Merch Tips

• And Much More.

By the end of the course, you'll be able to take the concepts and strategies you learned and apply them forever.

Our Promise to You

If you have any questions about the content, we will always be responsive to questions. 

If this sounds like the course you need, then hit the enroll button and we'll see you in the first lecture.

Cheers,

Tomas and Christopher

Enroll now

What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Marketing concepts
  • Tips on building a release strategy
  • Tips on organising a release
  • What not to do when promoting music
  • Email marketing
  • Creating and selling merch

Syllabus

Introduction and Welcome to this Course

In this Music Marketing and Music Promotion video, you will be introduced to your instructors and learn an overview of what you are going to learn in this course

Read more

In this Music Marketing and Music Promotion article, you will be introduced to this next section

In this Music Marketing and Music Promotion lecture, you will learn some top tips for building a release strategy

In this Music Marketing and Music Promotion lecture, you will learn about organizing a release in Trello

In this Music Marketing and Music Promotion lecture, you will learn about the no.1 platform for music artists

In this Music Marketing and Music Promotion lecture, you will learn about the importance of building an email list

In this Music Marketing and Music Promotion lecture, you will learn about marketing funnels for music artists

In this Music Marketing and Music Promotion lecture, you will learn about building an audience in Mailchimp

In this Music Marketing and Music Promotion lecture, you will learn how to set up a welcome message in Mailchimp

In this Music Marketing and Music Promotion lecture, you will learn some advice and tips about what not to do when promoting your music

In this Music Marketing and Music Promotion lecture, you will learn about some marketing lingo

In this Music Marketing and Music Promotion lecture, you will learn advice and tips about playlisting

In this Music Marketing and Music Promotion lecture, Tomas will analyze some popular music artists YouTube channels to help give you some ideas and inspiration for building up your own YouTube channel

In this Music Marketing and Music Promotion video, you will be introduced to this next section about print on demand merch and t-shirt logo design

In this Music Marketing and Music Promotion lecture, you will be introduced to Teespring and print on demand merch

In this Music Marketing and Music Promotion lecture, Tomas will compare Canva and Placeit for designing your own t-shirt

In this Music Marketing and Music Promotion lecture, you will learn how to design a t-shirt logo design for free in Canva

In this Music Marketing and Music Promotion lecture, you will learn how to design a t-shirt with Placeit

In this Music Marketing and Music Promotion lecture, you will learn how to find and hire freelancers on Fiverr and Freelancer contests to help you design your t-shirt

In this Music Marketing and Music Promotion lecture, you will learn some Instagram merch promotion tips

In this Music Marketing and Music Promotion lecture, you will learn how to set up YouTube Merch Shelf

In this Music Marketing and Music Promotion lecture, Tomas and Christopher have a discussion where we share advance and tips about building a business online - Part 1

In this Music Marketing and Music Promotion lecture, Tomas and Christopher have a discussion where we share advance and tips about building a business online - Part 2

Thank you for watching our course!

Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Covers building a release strategy, which is essential for musicians looking to launch their music effectively and reach a wider audience in today's competitive market
Explores email marketing using Mailchimp, which helps artists cultivate a direct line of communication with their fans and promote their music and merchandise
Teaches how to design and promote merchandise, which allows artists to diversify their income streams and create a stronger connection with their fanbase
Discusses marketing funnels, which are essential for guiding potential fans through the process of discovering, engaging with, and supporting an artist's music
Uses Trello for organizing releases, which may require learners to familiarize themselves with a project management tool if they haven't already used it
Explores building an audience on Mailchimp, which may require learners to subscribe to a third-party service to fully implement the strategies taught

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Reviews summary

Practical music marketing essentials for artists

According to learners, this course provides a solid foundation in music marketing and promotion essentials. Students appreciate the practical tips and actionable strategies, finding the guidance on topics like building an email list (using Mailchimp), organizing releases (using Trello), and exploring merchandise options (like Teespring) particularly useful. While many find it a great starting point for indie artists, some reviews indicate it might be too basic for those with prior experience or that certain tool interfaces covered may have become slightly outdated. However, overall feedback is largely positive, highlighting its value for artists looking for a clear roadmap.
Includes guides for Mailchimp, Trello, and merch.
"The Trello and Mailchimp sections were super helpful for organizing."
"the merch section was surprisingly useful."
"Learning how to use Mailchimp specifically for building an audience was a key takeaway for me."
"The parts on Trello and Teespring were really helpful for practical application."
"Detailed steps for setting up Mailchimp campaigns were very beneficial."
Provides a solid starting point for newcomers.
"Good overview of essentials... Solid foundation. Covers the basics well, especially the marketing funnels explanation."
"This course is a great starting point for anyone new to music marketing."
"For someone just starting out, the information here is invaluable and easy to digest."
"It gives a basic understanding of music marketing and is okay for beginners."
"If you know absolutely nothing, this course will get you going."
Offers concrete steps for music promotion.
"Great practical tips! The Trello and Mailchimp sections were super helpful for organizing. Learned a lot about email marketing."
"Very actionable strategies. I'm an indie artist and this course gave me clear steps for releasing my next track."
"It provides a clear roadmap and actionable steps needed to start promoting your music effectively."
"I gained many practical strategies that I can apply directly to my music career."
"The course cut through the noise and gave me specific, usable tactics."
Some tools/interfaces may have changed.
"Some useful info, but felt a bit outdated in parts. Mailchimp interface might have changed since recording."
"Wish there were updates reflecting current platform changes."
"While the principles are timeless, some technical demos seem based on older versions of the software."
May not be challenging for experienced marketers.
"Too basic for me. I already knew most of this from free online resources. Expected more advanced strategies for '102'."
"Some parts felt a little rushed..."
"Okay course. It covers various topics but doesn't go very deep into any single one. Good starting point, but be prepared to do more research."
"Expected more depth on specific platforms and advanced tactics."
"If you have any prior marketing knowledge, you might find this course covers ground you already know."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Music Marketing and Music Promotion 102: Essentials with these activities:
Review 'This Business of Music'
Gain a solid understanding of the music industry's legal and business landscape to inform your marketing strategies.
Show steps
  • Read the sections on copyright and publishing.
  • Summarize key points about record deals.
  • Identify how these concepts impact marketing.
Review Basic Marketing Principles
Solidify your understanding of core marketing concepts to better grasp the course's application to the music industry.
Show steps
  • Review the 4 Ps of marketing (Product, Price, Place, Promotion).
  • Define target audience and market segmentation.
  • Understand the concept of value proposition.
Create a Mock Music Release Plan
Apply the course's release strategy tips by creating a detailed plan for a fictional artist or song.
Show steps
  • Choose a fictional artist and song.
  • Define the target audience for the release.
  • Outline a week-by-week release schedule.
  • Determine marketing activities for each week.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Design a T-Shirt Mockup
Practice merch design skills by creating a t-shirt mockup for an artist, applying the course's design tips.
Show steps
  • Brainstorm design ideas related to an artist.
  • Use Canva or Placeit to create a mockup.
  • Get feedback on the design from peers.
Review 'All You Need to Know About the Music Business'
Deepen your understanding of the music business landscape to make informed marketing decisions.
Show steps
  • Read sections on digital distribution and royalties.
  • Summarize key points about touring and merchandising.
  • Relate these concepts to marketing strategies.
Build an Email Marketing Funnel Diagram
Visualize the email marketing funnel discussed in the course to solidify your understanding of audience engagement.
Show steps
  • Map out the stages of the funnel.
  • Define the purpose of each email in the sequence.
  • Create a visual diagram of the funnel.
Analyze a Successful Music Marketing Campaign
Learn from successful campaigns by dissecting their strategies and identifying key elements.
Show steps
  • Choose a recent successful music marketing campaign.
  • Identify the target audience and goals of the campaign.
  • Analyze the marketing channels used and their effectiveness.
  • Summarize the key takeaways and lessons learned.

Career center

Learners who complete Music Marketing and Music Promotion 102: Essentials will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Music Marketing Manager
A music marketing manager develops and implements marketing strategies for musicians, record labels, or music-related businesses. If you aspire to be a music marketing manager, this course is directly relevant, covering essential marketing concepts needed to build and cultivate a loyal fanbase. This course covers tips on building a release strategy, organizing a release, and marketing funnels for music artists, all of which help you effectively promote your music releases. The course includes lessons on building an audience and setting up welcome emails. This is important for managing fan engagement and communication.
Content Creator
A content creator develops engaging material for various platforms. As a content creator on a music marketing team, you will find this course highly beneficial. It provides essential knowledge of building a release strategy and organizing releases. This is helpful for creating content that aligns with marketing goals. The course also covers fundamental marketing techniques. The skills taught in this course will help you to create content, such as videos and posts, that are informative and that successfully appeal to music fans.
Copywriter
A copywriter writes marketing and promotional materials. As a copywriter in the music industry, this course is perfectly tailored, providing the essentials you need to create compelling copy. You will learn marketing concepts and the importance of building an email list. This will help you craft effective campaigns. Furthermore, this course provides instruction on storytelling, which goes hand in hand with writing effective copy. You will learn to write effective copy for music artists.
Digital Marketing Specialist
A digital marketing specialist develops and implements digital marketing campaigns to promote products or services online. As a digital marketing specialist in the music industry, you'll find this course useful as it covers key marketing concepts and important tips for building a release strategy. The course's emphasis on building an audience and setting up welcome messages through email marketing is crucial for nurturing fan relationships. The course discusses what not to do when promoting music, which can prevent costly mistakes. Print on demand merchandise is also covered, which is important for music artists.
Brand Manager
A brand manager is responsible for developing and overseeing a brand's marketing strategy. If you are looking to become a brand manager in the music industry, this course can help you with building a loyal fanbase. The focus of this course is on marketing concepts, so you will learn about marketing funnels for music artists. You will also learn about essential techniques, such as email marketing using Mailchimp. You will also learn about what NOT to do when promoting your music, which is helpful for avoiding embarrassing marketing mistakes.
Artist Manager
An artist manager oversees the career of a musician, handling business and promotional activities. As an artist manager, this course will help you promote musicians. You will learn important tips for building a release strategy, and you will learn how to organize music releases. The course covers essential areas, such as what not to do when promoting music, which is valuable for avoiding mistakes. Moreover, this course addresses email marketing and strategies for building an audience. Learning about print on demand merchandise will allow you to help your client build revenue streams.
Social Media Manager
A social media manager is responsible for creating and managing a brand's social media presence. To become a social media manager in the music industry, this course is a perfect fit. It equips you with the knowledge needed to build an audience and engage with followers. The course covers essential aspects like building a release strategy, what not to do when promoting music, and email marketing. The skills to create and sell merchandise are incredibly useful for growing revenue streams and fan communities. This course also offers tips on Instagram merch, which is very helpful for the role.
Music Publicist
A music publicist works to promote musicians and their work to the media and the public, securing press coverage, interviews, and other opportunities to raise awareness. If you're looking to become a music publicist, this course may be helpful as it covers key marketing concepts such as building a release strategy and what not to do when promoting music, valuable knowledge for securing positive publicity. You'll learn about building an audience and setting up welcome messages, which is essential for managing communication and engagement with fans and media contacts. Additionally, the course introduces print on demand merchandise, valuable for creating promotional items and branding opportunities.
Tour Manager
A tour manager handles the logistics and operations of a music tour. While this course does not discuss tour logistics, as a tour manager, you need to promote the tour. This course covers timeless marketing principles that focus on what matters most, which is building and cultivating a loyal fan base. The course will also cover tips for building a release strategy, which will help you to prepare for the release. You will also learn about marketing funnels, which can help music artists.
SEO Specialist
An Search Engine Optimization Specialist optimizes online content to improve search engine rankings. If you are an SEO Specialist in the music industry, this course might be valuable. You will learn many marketing concepts that will help you attract an audience. The course covers building a release strategy. You will learn about email marketing through learning about Mailchimp. You will also learn what NOT to do when promoting your music, which will help you to avoid embarrassing mistakes.
Event Planner
An event planner organises music festivals and concerts. While this course doesn't discuss event planning. However, as an event planner for music festivals, you need to be able to promote those festivals. This course is very useful because it will help you market those festivals to a young demographic. This course covers essential marketing concepts. The focus of this course is timeless marketing principles that focus on building and cultivating a loyal fan base.
Music Licensing Specialist
A music licensing specialist manages the legal rights and permissions for music usage. As a music licensing specialist, working knowledge of marketing and promotion may be useful when deciding whether to license music. This course covers marketing concepts such as tips on building a release strategy and what not to do when promoting music. The course will also cover topics such as marketing funnels for music artists. This can help your decisions surrounding music usage.
Music Producer
A music producer oversees recording sessions. While this career is distinct from marketing, many producers today need to market their own work. If you are a music producer, this course may be useful because it will assist you when releasing and marketing your music. The course covers essential marketing aspects such as email marketing for building an audience. The course also covers creating and selling merch, which is also directly applicable to a modern music producer looking to expand their income streams. This course also includes storytelling, which is helpful when creating promotional material.
Music Journalist
A music journalist writes about music and musicians. While this course has nothing to do with journalism, it may be useful for improving your understanding of the music industry. The focus of this course is on timeless marketing principles that aim to help build and cultivate a loyal fanbase. This course can provide you with a vocabulary and a frame of reference for your writing that is very helpful. You may learn what questions to ask when interviewing artists.
Talent Scout
A talent scout searches for promising new musicians. While talent scouting has little to do with marketing, this course may be useful in helping you discover musicians who know the fundamentals of marketing. Marketing is essential for growing an artist's presence. This course covers marketing concepts, tips on building a release strategy, and what NOT to do when promoting music. The course also covers the importance of building an email list, which is crucial for marketing.

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Music Marketing and Music Promotion 102: Essentials.
Comprehensive guide to the music industry, covering everything from contracts and royalties to publishing and touring. It provides essential knowledge for musicians and anyone involved in the music business. It is particularly useful for understanding the legal and financial aspects of music marketing and promotion, providing a solid foundation for the strategies discussed in the course. This book valuable reference tool for navigating the complexities of the music industry.
Comprehensive guide to the music industry, covering everything from copyright law to record deals. It provides essential background knowledge for understanding the legal and business aspects of music marketing. It is commonly used as a textbook in music business programs and valuable reference for anyone pursuing a career in the music industry.

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