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The Artist Guides

If you are an independent artist wanting to release your own music, then this course is for you. If you want to monetize your music and build an artist career, then it’s vital you work with a proven, professional marketing strategy for releasing music.

This course covers everything you need to know and prepare before you begin your release campaigns:

· Learn effective music marketing concepts for independent artists

· Prepare for your own release campaigns

· Learn how to develop your brand and create your marketing assets

· Learn how to find your market

Read more

If you are an independent artist wanting to release your own music, then this course is for you. If you want to monetize your music and build an artist career, then it’s vital you work with a proven, professional marketing strategy for releasing music.

This course covers everything you need to know and prepare before you begin your release campaigns:

· Learn effective music marketing concepts for independent artists

· Prepare for your own release campaigns

· Learn how to develop your brand and create your marketing assets

· Learn how to find your market

· Learn how to find relevant industry contacts

· Understand how release campaigns can build your artist career

Follow this course and release your music like a professional artist

Whether you are releasing for the first time, or have already released before but achieved little progress, we will show you how to prepare for an effective release campaign.

We have worked with thousands of artists through artist management, coaching and education.

This course has been written from the numerous coaching sessions we deliver and the real-life release campaigns we manage for our artists.

This course combines strategies, knowledge and ideas that have proved successful in advancing artist careers. The course focuses on developing your own brand, based on your music and artistry, and then building your campaign around it. We show you what you need to prepare for your campaign and how to do it.

Importantly, we also show you how to develop your own set of music industry contacts, so you are ready to begin your campaign in the real world, and not just in theory.

Most self-releasing artists do not follow a campaign preparation strategy and often their marketing efforts only begin after already releasing their tracks. But only a professional approach produces professional outcomes. If you have gone to so much effort to create your music, then surely you want to reach your full potential when it is released. We will guide you and show you how.

Once you have completed this course you will be ready to begin releasing your music with your campaigns prepared to a professional standard. You will understand your strategy with clarity and have confidence you are giving your music the best possible chance of success.

You owe it to yourself to make the most of your talent.

We look forward to seeing you inside.

Enroll now

What's inside

Syllabus

Introduction
Social Media Content
Artist Branding
Branding! It’s not Just a Corporate Thing
Read more

Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Focuses on developing a unique brand based on artistry, which is essential for standing out in a crowded music market
Covers strategies for building a network of music industry contacts, which is crucial for career advancement
Emphasizes campaign preparation before releasing music, which can lead to more effective marketing and promotion
Includes guidance on creating marketing assets like press releases and artist biographies, which are essential for promotion
Requires creating promotional assets such as press shots, cover artwork, and music videos, which may require additional resources

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Reviews summary

Practical guide to music release campaigns

According to learners, this course is a practical, step-by-step guide for independent artists preparing a music release campaign. Many found the course clear and easy to follow, providing actionable advice that boosted their confidence and was great value for money. However, some students felt the content was a bit short for deeper understanding or potentially outdated, particularly regarding the current digital landscape and industry connections, suggesting it might be best suited for those with little to no prior experience in music marketing.
Helps learners feel ready to release.
"gave me confidence to start preparing my release"
"It boosted my confidence in planning my campaign."
"I feel much more confident about releasing my music now."
Well-organized and easy to follow course.
"easy to follow"
"clear and concise, with a good structure"
"Well structured and easy to understand"
"The information was presented logically and was simple to grasp."
Provides actionable steps for release.
"practical steps and easy to digest information"
"very step by step and provides useful tips"
"It gives actionable advice that is easy to digest"
"The course provides practical tools and strategies I can immediately apply."
May be outdated or lack depth for some.
"instructor seems completely unaware of how digital marketing works... industry connection part is totally outdated"
"a bit short for deeper understanding"
"content feels dated or not in-depth enough for someone who already has some experience in the area"
"I found myself wishing for more detail in certain sections."

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 Business for Artists – Preparing a Release Campaign with these activities:
Review Music Marketing Fundamentals
Reinforce your understanding of core music marketing principles to better grasp the campaign strategies discussed in the course.
Browse courses on Music Promotion
Show steps
  • Review basic marketing concepts like target audience and value proposition.
  • Research successful music marketing campaigns from the past year.
  • Identify the key elements of a strong music marketing plan.
Develop Draft Artist Brand Guidelines
Solidify your understanding of artist branding by creating a draft set of brand guidelines for yourself or a hypothetical artist.
Show steps
  • Define the artist's core values and musical style.
  • Choose a color palette and typography that reflects the artist's brand.
  • Create a mood board with images that represent the artist's aesthetic.
  • Write a short brand statement that summarizes the artist's identity.
Draft a Press Release for a Hypothetical Single
Practice writing a compelling press release to promote a single, reinforcing your understanding of key messaging and target audience.
Show steps
  • Research press release templates and best practices.
  • Craft a catchy headline and introductory paragraph.
  • Include key information about the artist and the single.
  • Add quotes from the artist and relevant industry figures.
  • Proofread and edit the press release carefully.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Read 'All You Need to Know About the Music Business' by Donald Passman
Gain a deeper understanding of the music industry landscape to make informed decisions during your release campaign.
Show steps
  • Obtain a copy of 'All You Need to Know About the Music Business'.
  • Read the sections relevant to artist branding and marketing.
  • Take notes on key concepts and strategies.
  • Reflect on how the information applies to your own music career.
Build a Contact List of Music Industry Professionals
Actively build a network of industry contacts to prepare for your release campaign, putting the course's advice into practice.
Show steps
  • Identify relevant music blogs, radio stations, and playlist curators.
  • Find contact information for key personnel at these organizations.
  • Organize the contacts into a spreadsheet or CRM system.
  • Personalize outreach messages to each contact.
Read 'The Indie Music Promotion Book' by Peter Spellman
Expand your knowledge of indie music promotion techniques to enhance your release campaign strategy.
Show steps
  • Acquire a copy of 'The Indie Music Promotion Book'.
  • Focus on chapters related to digital marketing and social media.
  • Identify actionable strategies that you can implement in your campaign.
  • Consider how to adapt the strategies to your specific genre and target audience.
Create a Post-Release Campaign Report
Analyze the results of your release campaign to identify what worked well and what could be improved, solidifying your learning and preparing you for future releases.
Show steps
  • Gather data on your campaign's performance (streams, social media engagement, etc.).
  • Analyze the data to identify trends and patterns.
  • Write a report summarizing your findings and recommendations.
  • Present your report to a mentor or colleague for feedback.

Career center

Learners who complete Music Business for Artists – Preparing a Release Campaign will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Independent Musician
Independent musicians manage all aspects of their music career, from writing and recording to marketing and promotion. This course is tailor-made for independent musicians who want to take control of their release campaigns. The course covers effective music marketing concepts, brand development, and the creation of marketing assets. By learning how to find their market and industry contacts, independent musicians can build a sustainable and successful career. This course empowers artists to release their music like a professional.
Artist Branding Consultant
An artist branding consultant works with musicians to define and develop their unique brand identity. This course focuses on the essential components of artist branding, including building your own artist brand and creating brand guidelines. The syllabus covers the creation of marketing and promotional assets, such as press releases, press shots, and cover artwork, all crucial for a cohesive brand image. Those who want to become an artist branding consultant find value in the course's comprehensive approach.
Social Media Manager
A social media manager is responsible for creating and managing content on social media platforms to build brand awareness and engage with an audience. This course helps you understand how to create social media content specifically for musicians. The material on artist branding is useful in developing a consistent and engaging online persona. You will learn how to find and engage with a target market and artistic community online. This course helps you improve your skills for social media management in the music industry.
Creative Director
A creative director oversees the visual aspects of a brand's marketing campaigns. This course covers the essentials of artist branding, including the creation of brand guidelines and marketing assets. You will learn how to develop a unique artist brand, which is what you will be hired to do. Therefore, those who want to become a creative director may find value in this course.
Music Producer
A music producer oversees the recording and production of music tracks. This course helps music producers gain a better understanding of what's required for a release. Learning effective music marketing concepts and preparing for release campaigns is essential for producers who want to help their clients succeed beyond the studio. A grasp of artist branding and creating marketing assets may allow producers to offer guidance in more than just the music itself. Music producers will benefit from the course as they assist artists.
Digital Marketing Specialist
A digital marketing specialist develops and implements online marketing strategies to promote products or services. This course provides an understanding of effective music marketing concepts for independent artists. You will learn how to prepare for release campaigns and identify your market, which is essential for targeted digital advertising. This course covers the creation of marketing assets, which a digital marketing specialist uses to drive engagement and conversions. You may use this course to better understand how digital marketing applies to the music industry.
Music Manager
A music manager oversees the career of a musician, handling business affairs, providing guidance, and helping them make strategic decisions. This course helps you understand the importance of release campaigns in building an artist's career and the elements required to prepare for one. You discover the importance of developing a brand based on music and artistry, which managers use to guide their artists. The course also covers finding relevant industry contacts, a crucial skill for any manager. This course may be useful in building a foundation for those who wish to become a music manager.
A and R Representative
An Artist and Repertoire Representative is the liaison between an artist and a record label. This course will help Artist and Repertoire Representatives understand marketing strategies for artists. You will learn how to find your market and industry contacts. This course may help you to advise new artists.
Music Publicist
A music publicist helps artists gain media attention and build their public image. This course helps you understand the creation of press releases and press shots, which are essential tools for music publicists pitching artists to media outlets. The syllabus includes instruction on artist branding, which is critical for shaping a positive and consistent public perception. Learning how to prepare effectively for a release campaign helps you better serve clients and maximize their potential for success. The course material on creating marketing assets is valuable to a music publicist seeking to promote their clients. This course may improve your ability to promote musicians.
Music Journalist
A music journalist writes articles and reviews about music, artists, and the music industry. An understanding of the music industry is essential for a journalist. This course will help you analyze an artist's brand and understand their marketing strategy. You will develop a better understanding of the efforts that are required by musical artists to promote their work. Therefore, this course provides background knowledge that is useful to you as a music journalist.
Talent Scout
Talent scouts search for promising artists. This course about music business may help talent scouts determine if a musician has the ability to create a release campaign. With knowledge of release campaigns, talent scouts are better prepared to evaluate the talent that they track. Understanding the challenges that face musical artists, you may be better suited to help identify future high performing individuals.
Music Licensing Manager
A music licensing manager is responsible for securing licenses for the use of musical compositions in various media. A music licensing manager might use this course to understand the ways that musicians are able to market themselves. Furthermore, understanding the creation of marketing assets will enable you to better discuss licensing deals with musicians. You might benefit from this course if you work as a music licensing manager.
Music Attorney
A music attorney provides legal advice and representation to musicians and other industry professionals. Music attorneys benefit from understanding the fundamentals of the music business. This course explains how artists release their music, which is important for helping them navigate contracts and agreements. Music attorneys may find this course helpful as they provide counsel.
Concert Promoter
Concert promoters organize and promote live music events. This course will help concert promoters understand current trends in marketing. Some of the trends mentioned include effective music marketing concepts for independent artists. The course may also help create marketing assets.
Arts Administrator
Arts administrators work in various settings like music organizations. The course explains how effective music marketing concepts for independent artists. You will learn how to develop your brand and create your marketing assets will be directly applicable to promoting various music events. The course should help you create an effective release campaign.

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 Business for Artists – Preparing a Release Campaign.
Comprehensive guide to the legal and business aspects of the music industry. It provides in-depth information on contracts, royalties, copyright, and other essential topics. It valuable resource for understanding the complexities of the music business and making informed decisions about your career. This book is commonly used as a textbook at academic institutions and by industry professionals.
Focuses specifically on music promotion strategies for independent artists. It covers topics such as online marketing, social media, publicity, and radio promotion. It practical guide for developing and executing a successful music promotion campaign. This book is more valuable as additional reading than it is as a current reference, as the music industry is constantly evolving.

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