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Social Media Self-Promotion:

The first form of promoting your music starts with you. 

An email wouldn’t be enough to cover all the ways you can promote yourself on social media, so here I’ll only talk about Instagram.

There are different types of posts on Instagram, and over time I’ve found that some work better than others. Here’s how I recommend promoting a release:

• Reels: Reels work only when they are very engaging; otherwise, they have a very limited reach. I’ve noticed that reels showing the various stages of track production work well, like this one of mine. Film some phases of the production and then edit the various clips into a single short video. Share it at the time of your track or EP release.
• Carousel: A carousel is a post with multiple photos or videos in a single post. It works better than a single photo because it can include some storytelling, both in the media and the caption. I usually share moments in the studio or on the road and in the caption, I try to share some of my thoughts, inviting the audience to interact. Typically, at the release of a new EP, I share a carousel with previews of the various tracks. Unfortunately, making this type of post engaging isn’t easy, but I still think it’s important to share the work cleanly so interested followers can listen to a preview on the platform without having to leave it. Remember to mention in the caption where they can find and buy the full tracks. You might also ask them to express a preference in the comments to increase engagement, as I did here.
• Stories: Lastly, stories can engage those followers who prefer scrolling through this format instead of the feed. Remember that Instagram will show your stories to more followers based on the interest shown by the first viewers. Before an important story that I want many people to see (for example, a story promoting my new EP), I share a poll, so that people responding send a signal to Instagram saying “Hey, this user shared something interesting, show it to more people.”

To conclude the social media section, my advice is to share content throughout the year that shows your work, even when it’s in progress.

However, keep in mind that these contents should mainly serve to inspire others rather than mere self-promotion, which, especially when you’re not a well-known artist, generates little interest.

Premieres:

Another well-known form of promotion is getting support from one or more pages that share your work with their audience on platforms like Instagram, YouTube, SoundCloud, or blogs. 

Some of these operators will ask for exclusivity (meaning you can’t have the same work shared by others).

Among those in the scene, I feel like mentioning Storytellers (here’s the premiere of my track GG) and Recordeep, two pages that have always supported my music and to whom I am very grateful. 

There are many others that offer the same services, paid or not, but since they have never been kind or proactive towards me (despite my contribution to the music producer community), I do not intend to advertise them.

(If you sensed a bit of resentment in these last lines, you sensed correctly. After all, I’m human too.)

Agencies:

The agency channel is somewhat less known, but almost all labels use it.

Essentially, there are agencies that send your music to their network of DJs, radio stations, and magazines, then send you weekly reports with feedback from those who received it.

You know the famous photo that many producers post?