A musician can also be known as an instrumentalist. He or she is an artist who plays a musical instrument. Although some people use music as a hobby, ultimate object of most of musicians is a profit. For that, you should market yourself as a musician.
Music industry I a very competitive and rapidly changing field. Under that condition you have to follow marketing strategies for your durable existence as a musician.
To follow the marketing strategies, musicians should have managing skills too. For that, musician should be aware on his or her business sphere. There are three bottom lines in every business. They are; people, planet and profit.
People are the most important component for a musician. There are two types of this component as internal and external. If you are a member of a music band, internal stakeholders are the other members who work together with you. You should have the ability to work with them collectively. Internal stakeholders provide you an opportunity to build your self-image at the beginning stage. Your audience is the external stakeholder. Before you follow the marketing strategies, definitely you must understand your audience. The types of your fans, their age ranges, gender and socio-cultural basis are also significant in your music path.
Planet means the environment. As the music industry is a very dynamic field, always musicians must be on alert. They must consider about some questions like; what is the music trend in nowadays? And what is the need of the audience? Moreover, if there is an external challenge like covid-19 pandemic, musicians should also consider about it.
Although music is an art, musicians expect to have a profit from it with the self-contentment. So, be conscious about your budget, expenses and expecting profit. It will ease off you to select which marketing strategies must be followed.
When you have a proper knowledge those triple bottom lines of your business as a musician, you could follow the most suitable marketing strategies for you. It leads you for the success.
In modern world, there are more opportunities to be settled as a musician than the past. In past, musicians had to follow a difficult and inefficient process to market them. They had limited resources and these resources was also very time consuming and costly. As a result of modern communication and transport facilities, musicians have only a far of fingertip for marketing.
Generally, following strategies can use for a musician to market himself. Namely;
- Maintenance of your own website
- Use of social media to reveal your talent
- Strategic allies
- Use of visual platforms like YouTube
- Promotion of you brand / identity
- Maintenance of public relation
As a musician, it is better to maintain your own musical website. It demonstrates the professional stance of your music path. Website is an effective and efficient way to promote you among a mass audience. It provides you a forum to disclose your talent for your fans effectively. Furthermore, you can sell your music albums efficiently. You can also use the website to display information on your upcoming events and shows. So, web sites are time saving and economical.
Earlier, talent shows organized by a television or radio channels were the only opportunity for the musicians to reveal their talents. These channels’ transmission was limited within a country. But now you can reveal your talent to the entire world within a few minutes. Nowadays, “Tik Tok” is a very famous social media. Musicians can easily promote their music covers by it. Furthermore, “face book” and “instagram” are also very famous social media in the world. Musicians have the opportunity to perform their talent live through them. You can also send your music to more music stream platforms such as blogs and play lists.
“The strategic ally” is a well-known concept in the marketing field. As the music industry is very competitive, beginners may be unable to exist alone there for long time. So, it is more favorable to corporate beginner with a competitor or with an expert for mutual benefits. As a beginner, strategic alliance would ensure your progress and the experts can also get new ideas and attitudes.
At present, audience of music has a tendency towards audiovisual media rather audio media. If a musician combines his music with a visual performance, he or she will receive a more value and an attraction on his or her business. “You tube” provides a best forum for that. As “you tube” is popular among young generation, musicians can reach to them easily by conducting a “you tube” channel.
To market a musician, he or she should have an own identity or a brand. This uniqueness may be a name, dress, hairstyle or a motion. Musicians can promote these identities through their brand printed outfits, caps, bags and hand bands, signed posters and so on. They facilitate a musician to be famous among people.
The public relation is a win-win model to both the musician and the audience. It promotes the good will and the self-image. For example, musicians can organize fund-raising musical shows.
The above strategies are useful to market and promote the image of a musician for durable and fixed existence.
