The generally accepted norm in the music industry is that you never promote your older songs once new music has been released. I understand that artists don’t want to live in the past and revisit older music. It’s more exciting to promote what’s new and current.
The music industry norm discourages promoting older songs after new music is released, but this approach should be reconsidered. The article presents eight compelling reasons why independent artists should promote their older songs:
- Changing Content Climate: The digital age democratized access to media, allowing individuals to act as their own media companies. This shift removed the power from traditional gatekeepers and created a fragmented online landscape where older songs can find new audiences.
- New to Someone: In the diverse online landscape, many people have never heard your music. Promoting older songs can reach new listeners who might discover your music through word-of-mouth or algorithms.
- Varied Fan Base: Fans join at different stages of an artist’s career, and many might not be familiar with the entire discography. Promoting older songs can engage both new and long-time fans.
- Focus on New Fans: Relying solely on new songs to attract fans is limiting. Proven older hits can be effective in drawing new fans while new music engages existing ones.
- Maximize Investments: Producing music is costly. Promoting older songs helps maximize the investment made in creating them.
- Consistent Content: Regular content posting is crucial for maintaining engagement. Promoting older songs keeps the content flow consistent, even when no new music is being released.
- Experimentation: Trying new promotional tactics can lead to unexpected success. Revisiting older material is worth experimenting with.
- Utilizing Proven Hits: Proven hits are more likely to attract attention and should be used in promotional strategies, leveraging streaming data, fan feedback, and relevant trends to choose which songs to promote.
Practical Tips for Promoting Older Songs
- Use Proven Hits: Start with your best songs that have already gained popularity.
- Analyze Streaming Data: Identify songs that performed well on streaming platforms.
- Engage Fans: Ask fans directly or gather feedback from online communities.
- Leverage Trends: Create content that ties into trending topics or cultural moments.
- Anniversaries and Events: Use anniversaries or relevant calendar events to create promotional content for older songs.
Conclusion
Promoting older songs should be a part of every independent artist’s marketing strategy to maintain and grow their fan base. This approach is essential in a content-saturated digital age, offering a cost-effective way to keep fans engaged and attract new listeners.
Source: 8 Reasons Why Every Independent Artist Should Promote Older Songs
