
Music Marketing: 5 Proven Strategies to Engage and Grow Your Fanbase Find out how you can get your work in front of more people with these music marketing strategies.
By
Aaron Trumm
March 19, 2025
Illustration by Michelle Parkos
Given the success of select indie artists on social media, its easy to assume that a few viral social media posts cant take you a long way toward success in music. But the truth is, in todays saturated market, standing out without a solid plan can be challenging. Success requires leveraging modern tools and incorporating timeless principles: connecting directly with fans, building meaningful relationships, and developing long-term strategies beyond fleeting virality. This is what musicians have done for decades, and its still foundational.
It also demands a strong DIY ethic. Today's musicians must be as business-savvy as they are talented. Read on for our top tips to market your music and elevate your career.
How Music Makes Money You can do whatever you want in your basement for as long as you want, but the minute youve decided to enter the world of commerce, you need to understand how it works, says Stephanie Kellar, who teaches Berklees Digital and Social Media Marketing course.
While social media revenue sharing (e.g., monetizing YouTube) might seem like a significant income stream, the reality is that most small- and mid-sized artists make little to no money this way.
That shouldn't dissuade you. A solid music-based business makes money from a diversified portfolio of live performances, merch sales, streaming royalties, sync licensing, and various other sources.
Level Up Your Music Business Skills
Download a free Music Business digital handbook with lessons from Berklee's curriculum and exclusive advice from industry-leading faculty. What Is DIY Music Marketing?When we say DIY, we don't necessarily mean doing it all alone, but a modern musician must shape their own destiny. Gone are the days of relying on a tightly controlled network of major labels, physical distributors, and radio stations to plug you into a machine and make you a star.
The modern musician is a clear-headed entrepreneur who can lead a team. It's harder in one sense, but you'll have more control over your own success-rather than leaving it to luck-and you'll be better off financially and mentally in the long run. Whether you like it or not, part of the job now is to become a great marketer.
Music Marketing Strategies To help you along the way, we've compiled some of our best music marketing advice.
1. Build Genuine Networks Human interaction still matters. Meeting people face-to-face-whether at open mics, local shows, workshops, classes, or conferences-lets you forge deeper, more authentic bonds than you might achieve online. In-person interactions encourage spontaneous conversations, spark creative collaborations, and help you earn trust more quickly.
These relationships often become long-term connections that can lead to unexpected gigs, introductions, or mentorships. While online networking is useful, the immediacy of meeting others in a live setting remains vital for building a stable, supportive network and help guide your career forward.
Pre-internet, musicians built fan clubs with notebooks and played gigs three, four, five nights a week to build connections, Kellar says. Today, networking still requires effort, but digital tools make it easier to stay connected.
Stephanie Kellar
2. Make Merchandise that ConnectsBand merchandise does more than boost your bottom line. Each piece-be it a T-shirt, hoodie, hat, or something more inventive-reinforces your identity and serves as a billboard for your project, helping fans feel more connected to your music. You're free to get as creative as you like, but your ideas need to align with what your fans actually want.
Finding what resonates with your fans takes time, observation, and conversation. Pay attention to whos drawn to your act, note their style, and see what they actually buy. Dont hesitate to ask fans directly for feedback-youll find theyre often eager to share their opinions with you.
When someone watches one music video, they spend about three to five minutes with your band. When someone watches 10 music videos, that's 30-50 minutes. That's not just YouTube views; that's also their time investment, said Laser Malena-Webber, member of the Doubleclicks and author of Crowdfunding for Musicians. Thats a fan getting to know you, and your music becoming part of their lives. So when you ask them for money, or ask them to buy your albums and T-shirts, they're excited about it. They want to support the art they already love.
When you get it right, youre not just moving product-youre building community. The people who buy from you directly are raising their hand and identifying themselves as your fervent fans, Kellar says. They are the ones who will sing your praises and do your word-of-mouth marketing. It's never too early to set up an online store, but remember: selling at shows often nets the highest profit and the most meaningful fan interactions.
Learn the Art of Music Marketing
Berklee Onlines Music Marketing 101 course equips you with the skills to design and execute effective campaigns. 3. Choose the Right Physical Format Don't overlook creating hard copies of your music. While digital streaming is still the main way people listen to music, physical formats still pack a punch, especially with dedicated fans and collectors. CDs are still reliable sellers in many marketing funnels, and vinyl is making a strong comeback. Some artists are even bringing back cassettes or trying out unique formats like VHS tapes and thumb drives to stand out. It's key to know your niche and audience to make sure the media you choose makes sense and works well. A
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
11/02/2026
FYI: Phone Support Maintenance One thing we pride ourselves on here at Utah Scientific is our 24-hour support included with our signature 10-year hardware warra...
11/02/2026
Leading provider of video streaming solutions, Bitmovin, has appointed Ian Baglow as Co-CEO alongside existing CEO and Co-Founder Stefan Lederer. Under this str...
11/02/2026
Paramount and the CBS Television Network will partner to air UFC 326: HOLLOWAY vs. OLIVEIRA 2 live on Saturday, March 7, from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, mar...
11/02/2026
Beginning February 10, fans can buy MLB.TV on ESPN, a new milestone in one of sports media's longest-standing partnerships. ESPN becomes the new streaming h...
11/02/2026
Fubo Sports Network is available to Hulu's Live TV subscribers in the core $89.99 a month subscription plan, which also includes full access to the entire H...
11/02/2026
Following a competitive public tender process, Rai (Radiotelevisione Italiana), the national public broadcasting company of Italy, has awarded Imagine Communica...
11/02/2026
Major League Baseball is making in-market streaming subscriptions for 20 Clubs available today for fans. Subscriptions for the following Clubs are available vi...
11/02/2026
Building on successful demonstrations during the Paris Olympics 2024, Italian public service broadcaster Rai and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) are condu...
11/02/2026
Following Sunday's Super Bowl LX, ESPN and Disney unveiled We're Going,...
11/02/2026
Delayed streams are a growing source of frustration for sports fans. During the 2026 Super Bowl, some streams lagged up to 62 seconds behind the action on the f...
11/02/2026
NASCAR and FloSports announces an expanded slate of racing events that will bring FloRacing coverage live throughout the 2026 season to the NASCAR Channel, furt...
11/02/2026
Manifold technologies GmbH announces the appointment of Nick Tucker as Sales Manager for Europe, reinforcing the company's continued growth across broadcast...
11/02/2026
Genies, the AI avatar technology company powering the next era of interactive digital identity, entered into a landmark collaboration with MLB Players, Inc., th...
11/02/2026
The International Cricket Council (ICC) and Google have joined forces for an AI-...
11/02/2026
Dolby's CEO Kevin Yeaman and Giles Baker, SVP of Dolby Cloud Solutions, shared how the brand's latest innovations - Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and Dolby...
11/02/2026
Ilitch Sports + Entertainment has entered a first of its kind partnership with Major League Baseball, which will provide broadcast support to both the Detroit T...
11/02/2026
For major U.S. events like Super Bowl 2026, FIFA World Cup, America 250, and the...
11/02/2026
Broadcasts of the NHL's Detroit Red Wings will also be produced by the leagu...
11/02/2026
Video moves fast can your DAM keep up?
Join Blue Lucy in LA for the West Coast's leading Digital Asset Management event as we explore, celebrate, and acc...
11/02/2026
NEW YORK - February 10, 2026 - An estimated 124.9 million viewers watched Super Bowl LX on Sunday, February 8, according to Nielsen's Big Data Panel measu...
11/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/02/2026
Clear-Com provided an advanced, IP-based communications infrastructure for TEDNext 2025, supporting production, media, and editorial teams with a highly flexib...
11/02/2026
Astera introduces QuikBeam, the newest addition to its acclaimed Quik family of focusing LED Fresnels. This ultra-compact spotlight combines the equivalent powe...
11/02/2026
Following a competitive public tender process, Rai (Radiotelevisione Italiana), the national public broadcasting company of Italy, has awarded Imagine Communica...
11/02/2026
With Convertible Mount for NL Bowens & Aputure A Mounts See it at BSC Expo Stand #133 LCA
DoPchoice continues to refine light shaping tools for professional LE...
11/02/2026
World Premiere at BSC Expo, Booth #319 Oberkochen/Germany, 10 February 2026
ZEISS introduces the new Aatma, set of nine high-end full frame T1.5 cinema primes ...
11/02/2026
As Re-recording Mixer and Head of Sound at The Farm, one of UK's leading post-production facilities, Nick Fry has built his career on making stories sound a...
11/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/02/2026
Graduate Spotlight: Gabrielle Rodriguez The educator, who grew up in the Philippines, shares how shes bringing what she learned at Berklee back home.
Februar...
11/02/2026
Wednesday 11 February 2026
Sky brings together Netflix, Disney , HBO Max and Ha...
11/02/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Confirms Production of Love O'Clock' From the...
11/02/2026
Back to All News
Investing in Belgian Stories: A Commitment to Culture and Choice
From left to right: Undercover, Ang le, Rough Diamonds, Into the Night, John...
11/02/2026
At the end of January, ICG headed off to the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, for our annual conference.
An early flight gave us plenty of time to start exploring s...
11/02/2026
ABS Strengthens Ku-Band Capacity and Expands Regional Reach Through Strategic Pa...
11/02/2026
The intergalactic children's show starring Adam King will premiere on 14 February on RT 2, RT KIDSjr and RT Player
The Late Late Toy Show star Adam King...
10/02/2026
From San Fran to Santa Clara down to Los Angeles, ESPN celebrates the Big Game w...
10/02/2026
A team of broadcast engineers and experts dispersed across Northern Italy help broadcasters and still photographers keep shooting
OBS has put new imaging techn...
10/02/2026
If you can have the best pictures and the best sound quality for these global ev...
10/02/2026
Disney+ will add vertical video within its app this year after ESPN introduced V...
10/02/2026
GameChanger today unveiled the most comprehensive product update in its 15-year history, marking a major step forward in how families, athletes, coaches, fans, ...