There are right ways and wrong ways to release a single, and that’s why we’ve written this 10 Steps To Do Before Releasing Your Single in 2023 blog! We’ve been working in the music industry for over 17 years, and we’ve seen musicians drop their single and not promote it (wrong way) or they take the necessary steps to gain traction while making revenue from their music (right way).
In this video, you’ll learn 10 tips as to how you can have a strong single release!
1. PLAN AHEAD
Planning ahead is key when you’re working in the music industry. When you think about well-known artists who are signed to record labels, those artists aren’t just dropping songs and music videos because they feel like it. They’re following release plans. When releasing your single you should give yourself a 4-6 month planning window after you get the final mix of your song. You need lots of time to plan and prepare everything that needs to be done for a proper single release.
2. FIGURE OUT YOUR RELEASE DATES
Pick a date for your single release. Having the date gives you a direction and lets you plan everything else around your release date. You’ll also need to think about these types of releases: online releases, radio releases, press releases or music video releases, but we will talk about that later in the blog.
3. FIGURE OUT IF YOU ARE RELEASING YOUR SONG TO RADIO
Releasing your song to radio is another very important part of promoting your music, and it’s also a way that your music can generate revenue. When your songs get played on the radio, you can get paid royalties for every time your song is played. Radio is also another great way to generate credibility in your music career. It shows that you’re a serious artist in the music industry. Consider hiring a Radio Tracker or putting your music on DMDS if you want to reach a wider audience.
4. DETERMINE IF YOU’RE GOING TO HIRE A RADIO TRACKER TO PROMOTE YOUR SONG
A radio tracker is the person you hire to get the music director of a radio station to listen to your song. They are the experts at getting your music on the radio. A good Radio Tracker will also have established relationships with people in the music industry, guide you on how to do radio tours, and teach you the best ways to promote your single.
5. DETERMINE IF YOU WILL USE DMDS INSTEAD OF A RADIO TRACKER
DMDS is short for Digital Media Distribution System. Using DMDS is an inexpensive solution compared to hiring a Radio Tracker. DMDS delivers your music tracks and promo materials directly to the email inboxes of music programmers at radio stations within Canada and the US. This is what you would use if you decide to radio-track your song yourself. Check out DMDS’ website for more information. Using DMDS is the DIY way to get your song on the radio. You will have to call the radio stations yourself to convince them to play your song instead of having a radio tracker do it on your behalf.
6. PLAN A MUSIC VIDEO WITH YOUR SINGLE RELEASE
Music videos are a great way to promote and market your single. They give your fans a visual of who you are as an artist. Music videos give your audience a way to develop a deeper connection to you as an artist. But keep in mind that it’s important to plan music videos ahead of time. There is a lot of planning and work that goes into creating a music video. You will need to hire a professional music video company (like Nolita Studios) as they will help you through the entire process of creating a music video.
7. USE DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION TO RELEASE YOUR MUSIC
Using Digital Distribution allows you to sell your music online. Do not give your music away for free!!! You need to make money off your music if you’re going to have a sustainable music career. Digital Distribution is what you use to get your music on iTunes, Spotify, Apple Music and all other music platforms. They keep track of your sales and pay you after they take their percentage. The two websites we would recommend are CDbaby or Tunecore.
8. SINGLE/ALBUM ARTWORK
Your single needs to be paired with great cover artwork. People are very visual these days, and if your artwork looks slapped together, people won’t take you seriously. In 2023, everyone is now streaming music on their phones or looking up artists on various social media platforms including YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, so your visuals are the first thing they will see when they come across you. And in a world where people have a 3-second attention span, you’ll need to grab them quick. Again, hire a company like Nolita Studios to help you with your artwork.
9. CREATE A PRESS RELEASE
A press release is a write-up to send to press outlets. You should tell a story in these write-ups to convince the press that your release is newsworthy, and that you are an interesting story to cover. Typically, they are mailed, faxed, or e-mailed to assignment editors and journalists at newspapers, magazines, radio stations, online media, television stations or television networks.
10. PLAN A SHOW/TOUR
Having a show/tour booked after your single is released is a great way to build up your single, and a great way to promote your tour/shows. Shows are a place for your fans to come out and experience what your live show is like. It’s also a great revenue source. You can get paid by the bar/venue to play or you can put on the show yourself. That way, you can make a profit from the ticket sales and merch.
We hope this information was useful for you. Let us know if you’d like to see more blogs like this one – 10 Steps To Do Before Releasing Your Single in 2023! Contact us if you are from Saskatoon or Saskatchewan area, we’d love to have you be a part of the Nolita Family! You can also reach us on our website, Facebook and Instagram.
Cheers,
Jesse Weiman at Nolita Studios