Three Rules to Succeed in the Music Industry in 2024

Read this if you’re planning a career shift to music. Here are three essential moves to help you get noticed and gain exposure.

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Consistent song releases

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You need to drop a new single every 4-6 weeks.

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Big artists can afford to release once a year because their tours and constant visibility keep their catalog streaming. As a new artist, you don't have that yet. Your best friends are algorithms and advertising. Releasing less frequently can cause you to lose algorithmic support on streaming platforms, which means no features on Spotify Radio, Spotify Release Radar, and Discover Weekly. Unacceptable!

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Tips

• Before the big launch of your project, prepare a few songs in advance—3-4 tracks—so you have a buffer. Four tracks will cover you during the first six months if you release every six weeks.
• If eight new singles per year sounds too intensive, consider variations like acoustic versions, extended cuts, or remixes to extend your content lineup.
• Remixers who are just starting out will be motivated if they like your music and you share your marketing plan to promote the single. Find your right people on Instagram! For both of you, it’s also an audience-sharing opportunity, as you’ll be featured on each other’s profiles.

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Plan multichannel presence

‍Every channel is extra traffic

‍‍That’s why you need YouTube from the beginning; it enhances discoverability. Shorts attract viewers, but full videos engage them more.

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Having a video for each single is beneficial. Options include lyric videos, visualizers, or music videos. Even simple videos with basic plots can be effective.

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‍Budget tip: You can find affordable video creators on platforms like Fiverr.

‍Different channels, different audiences

‍‍Audience habits vary globally; for instance, Southeast Asia—countries like Singapore and Indonesia—prefers YouTube over Spotify. Japan loves YouTube, too.

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Platforms like Spotify and Apple Music have given us access to a global audience. While many aim to break into the U.S. market, there are numerous countries with avid music consumers. If your song becomes popular in one region, it can often transfer to others.

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Genre tip: All music—especially pop and R&B—breaks into other countries before the U.S., then comes to the U.S. For example, rock breaks into LatAm, R&B into Southeast Asia. Hip-hop starts in the U.S., but not on Spotify! As a highly visual genre, it goes to YouTube first, then SoundCloud, and then—if at all—they release on streaming services.

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Smart advertising

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‍Allocate your budget wisely. Spread it across Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Test different channels to see which works best, then allocate more funds accordingly.

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Initial budget: Plan to spend around $1,000 per track on advertising across the three platforms. Working with a team to manage and analyze your campaigns is crucial. At A-ME, we provide this support to artists as a dedicated marketing team.

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TikTok tips: Hire influencers through platforms like Sound.me and target your top streaming markets. This approach helps identify where your audience responds best.

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YouTube strategies:

• Use different types of ads depending on your video: Discovery ads, TrueView ads, and Video View Campaigns (VVC). Consult with your marketing team to determine the best option for each song.
• Even lyric videos can be promoted!

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Instagram tips: Focus on ads that drive listeners to Spotify. Your goal is to get people to listen. Don’t chase followers—they will follow naturally if they like your music.

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Ad content: Tailor your ads to similar artists' audiences to ensure you reach the right people. This can be challenging, so your marketing team can help. At A-ME, we build a fan persona, collecting all details about consumption behavior to better target each campaign.

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Instagram is a significant platform for music consumption, so targeted, well-crafted ads are vital. Music ads should be 60 to 120 seconds long to give people a chance to connect with your sound and vibe.

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Why advertise

With 250,000 songs released daily on Spotify and 370,000 new music videos hitting YouTube daily, cutting through the noise is essential. Building a music career requires investments to stand out from the crowd. Consistency and smart marketing strategies are key to continuous growth.

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Consider this

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• Viewers and followers are metrics everyone looks at, especially booking agencies.
• A musician's career demands these investments for visibility and growth.
• It’s a slow process, but perseverance and smart strategies will keep you moving forward.
• A strong, dedicated team can make this process less tough and more enjoyable, allowing you to focus on creating more music.