Getting your music heard has never been easier – but getting the right people to hear it has arguably never been more difficult. Thousands of new tracks are released every day, social media moves at extraordinary speed and artists are competing for attention across streaming platforms, music websites, playlists, blogs and countless other online channels.
That is why effective online music promotion in the UK requires much more than simply uploading a song and posting about it on social media.
At Quite Great, we have been working within music promotion and PR since 1996, helping established artists, emerging musicians, bands, singer-songwriters and independent acts develop their profile and reach new audiences. Our approach combines experience of the traditional music industry with an understanding of how music discovery has evolved online.
Whether you are preparing to release your first single or looking to take an established music career to the next level, a carefully planned online music promotion campaign can help put your music in front of the audiences that matter.
What Is Online Music Promotion?
Online music promotion covers the different ways an artist, band, single, EP or album can be promoted through digital media.
This may include gaining coverage from online music publications, blogs and entertainment websites, generating interviews and reviews, creating stories around an artist or release, supporting social media visibility and approaching relevant digital platforms and music-focused media.
The important word is relevant.
Successful promotion isn’t simply about achieving as many mentions as possible. A niche music publication read by people who actively follow your genre could be considerably more valuable than exposure somewhere with a larger but completely unrelated audience.
At Quite Great, we look at the artist, the music and the story behind the release before developing the promotional direction.
Why Online Music Promotion Matters
Music discovery has changed enormously.
Listeners may discover their next favourite artist through an online article, a social media post, a recommendation, an interview, a music blog, a video or a feature shared by somebody they follow.
This gives independent musicians enormous opportunities, but it also creates a huge amount of competition.
Simply being present online isn’t enough.
An effective UK music promotion campaign can help give a release momentum by creating multiple opportunities for people to discover the artist. A potential fan might see an interview, encounter the artist again through another feature and subsequently listen to their music.
Online promotion therefore isn’t simply about generating a quick burst of publicity. It can be part of building the artist’s wider identity and creating a digital footprint around their music.
Online Music PR That Tells Your Story
Great music is obviously at the centre of any successful campaign, but journalists and audiences frequently want to know more.
Why was the track written?
What inspired the artist?
Is there an unusual story behind the album?
Has the musician overcome something remarkable?
Is there something about their background, influences, career or creative process that makes their story different?
Finding these angles is an important part of music PR.
At Quite Great, we don’t believe every artist should be promoted in exactly the same way. Two musicians producing music within the same genre can have completely different personalities, ambitions and stories.
Our role is to explore what makes you interesting and create promotional ideas that give journalists, bloggers and audiences a reason to pay attention.
Music Promotion for Independent and Unsigned Artists
You don’t necessarily need the backing of a major record label to build awareness around your music.
The growth of digital distribution, streaming and online media has created opportunities for independent and unsigned musicians to establish their own audiences and take far greater control of their careers.
However, independence also means taking responsibility for promotion.
Releasing great music without a promotional strategy can result in a fantastic track receiving very little attention simply because the right people never discover it.
Quite Great works with both established names and emerging artists, adapting campaigns around the individual musician, their release, objectives and available budget.
If you’re an unsigned artist looking for online music promotion in the UK, our team can discuss where you currently are in your career and what you would like the next stage to look like.
Promoting Singles, EPs and Albums Online
Every release creates a different promotional opportunity.
A debut single might require introducing the artist and establishing who they are. A follow-up release could focus on building momentum and demonstrating how their sound is developing.
An EP gives greater scope to discuss an artist’s influences and musical direction, while an album campaign can create multiple opportunities for interviews, reviews, features and stories surrounding individual tracks.
Timing can also make an enormous difference.
Rather than starting promotion after a song has already been released, planning beforehand can provide time to identify opportunities, prepare campaign materials and begin building interest.
A coordinated campaign can then continue around the release itself and potentially afterwards, helping extend the period in which people are discovering and talking about the music.
Music Promotion Across Different Genres
There is no single audience for music.
The media that might be appropriate for an indie rock band could be completely different from those suitable for an electronic producer, jazz musician, classical artist, rapper, folk singer or reggae act.
Quite Great has worked across an extensive range of musical styles over the years, including rock, pop, indie, electronic music, classical music, jazz, blues, folk, country, reggae, Afrobeat and world music.
Understanding a genre helps us identify appropriate promotional opportunities while still looking beyond the obvious.
Sometimes the most interesting publicity angle isn’t solely about the style of music. An artist’s personal story, location, career, influences or wider interests may create opportunities beyond traditional music media.
Combining Online Music Promotion With Traditional PR
Although the internet now plays an enormous part in how people discover music, we don’t believe online promotion needs to exist in isolation.
Depending upon the artist and campaign, online activity can form part of a wider music PR and promotion strategy involving radio, press and other relevant media.
Quite Great describes its approach as an integrated music marketing campaign, bringing together areas such as online media, radio and press depending on the project.
This can create a broader promotional footprint and give an artist several different ways to reach potential listeners.
Building Your Profile Rather Than Chasing Overnight Success
There is no genuine music promotion company that can promise to turn every release into an overnight success.
Building an artist profile often happens gradually.
Every worthwhile interview, review, feature and piece of coverage can become another part of your online presence. Over time, this can help establish credibility, provide material you can share through your own social channels and make it easier for new listeners, journalists and music industry professionals to discover more about you.
For emerging musicians in particular, the objective should not simply be getting attention for one song. It should be creating the foundations upon which the next release can build.
Looking for Online Music Promotion in the UK?
If you have new music ready for release and want to give it the strongest opportunity to be discovered, Quite Great can help.
Since 1996, our team has worked with musicians from the UK and around the world, helping artists develop their stories, promote their releases and build greater awareness through carefully planned music PR and promotional campaigns.
Whether you’re an unsigned artist releasing your first track, an established musician launching a new album or an international artist looking to build your presence within the UK, we can discuss a campaign designed around you.
Your music deserves more than simply being uploaded and left to fight for attention.
Talk to Quite Great about online music promotion in the UK and discover how we can help more people hear your music, understand your story and remember your name.
Also check our little sister agency INDIE PR – DEEP BLUE PR
