Marketing & Playlist Campaigns

Welcome to Blog Post #11

On this post I will share some insight into what I’ve learned through tackling marketing and playlist campaigns for releasing music on an indie artist’s budget! Below you can find some platforms that I have used in the past along with some options that I have not explored, but maybe they could bring you some success.
When your song/album gets traction on playlists, websites, and blogs, be sure to share this everywhere you can!! Let people know that platforms are enjoying your music, and also tag the streaming service, curator, and website that your music is being placed! This shows mutual promotion, and that you are keeping busy while gaining traction and attention. Spotify wont know you’re being placed on a bunch of playlists independently, so let them know by tagging them in a story or post with all your new playlist adds, blog posts, interviews, and music reviews. Make sure you share!

PLEASE NOTE!!!! Playlist submission campaigns and music reviews/blog posts are a slippery slope. You can easily invest money into a platform that is only out to take your money, and not grow your monthly streaming rates. There are so many marketing agencies and playlist scams looking to place your song in the biggest places, making you go viral instantly.

• MusoSoup
  https://www.musosoup.com/
  Used for setting up release campaigns focusing on music reviews, blog write ups, playlist pitches, as well as connecting you with other artists and curators. I have used this platform in the past for album and single campaigns, and it is a great option for independent artists on a budget. Check out the photo below for the layout of MusoSoup!
  

• Submithub
  https://www.submithub.com/
  I have heard mixed reviews on Submithub, however I always incorporate it within my single releases for playlist pitches. With spending roughly $100 on song credits, I have had some great success on certain releases (nearly 100k streams), while others have just done alright (5k-10k streams). With that being said, it is a great option for artists looking to target a ton of playlists with a guarantee of getting into some, which results in streams on that new music!
  Remember!! Don’t jump into this option thinking you will hit all the big playlists just because you are paying for credits to apply. Definitely target those big playlists, but don’t shy away from those with smaller followings by spending all of those credits on the most popular guys.
  

• Sound Camps
  https://soundcamps.com/
  I have never used this platform myself, but the creator reached out to spread the word, so I thought I’d share the option! The set up looks great for indie artists looking to tackle a playlist campaign on a budget, and the reviews are positive. The platform promotes more perks, like connecting artists and curators and providing a space to even submit your own curated playlists, which is a great way to organically build your own big playlist that you control.
  If you have any experience with this platform, please let me know about it in the comments or through an email/DM!
  

• Eric Alper
  https://www.thatericalper.com/
  Eric is a legend in the music world and he offers affordable marketing and playlist promotion for indie artists. I have never done a campaign with Eric, however he is super connected and knows his stuff, so it could be worth your time to check it out!
  

• Auteur Research
  http://auteurresearch.com/
  Here is an option I have worked with in the past with single releases and have always had great experiences. The team is super helpful and is happy to provide the latest industry insight into music releases and the up-to-date popular platforms, such as blog posts or music reviews, etc. Working with Auteur provides opportunities for whatever you want to focus on, whether that is interviews, or playlists, or music reviews, or a mix of it all - the team will listen to your direction while providing their thoughts on what could be the most successful. Even if you don’t see 100k streams on your release through an Auteur campaign, you will learn a heck of a lot for your next release and you will certainly have a few accolades to use in order to continue promoting that release.

On top of this, or if you have zero budget for marketing, I recommend submitting to as many free playlist and blog options as you can, so check out my list of 10+ FREE submission platforms right here, and my tips on how to approach blog submissions independently right here.

If you have any other platform suggestions, please share them with me in the comments or to my email!

Thanks for reading & get submitting!!!