Music Marketing: How To Support and Show Love To Independent Artists?

Music is a love language, much like crafting a playlist. It’s a delicate art of finding a hidden gem while crate digging to a point where it’s about finding the perfect blend of eclectic beats and immaculate vibes.

As a music journalist who reviews indie and underground albums for a music publication, I love independent artists who don’t get much airtime on mainstream music stations. Their sound and artistry are unique. These factors include the regional music scene, which stems from crisscrossing genres, is community-driven by artists supporting one another, and samples various artists or creates its own production.

The million-dollar question is how independent artists market themselves by being authentic and genuine. The answers lie with social media. Artists can use the platform to document their lives, whether exploring a city or performing in a city near you. They can also share snippets of producing their new single, which can lead to an album release. Collaborating with another artist and teasing a new project is a great way to build anticipation for a new record.

There are countless ways artists can market themselves, thanks to the internet.

Amoeba Music – What’s In My Bag?

Amoeba Music is the world’s famous record store on Hollywood Blvd. in Los Angeles. The beauty of Amoeba Music’s What’s In My Bag is that independent and well-known artists choose the records that inspire their craft or records that they may have sampled from. It gives insight into an artist’s favourite records and hidden gems that people should listen to.   

On a side note, I personally visited Amoeba Music three years ago on my Los Angeles trip. My trip to Los Angeles isn’t complete without a stop there.   

NPR Tiny Desk Concert

Why pay hundreds of dollars to see your favourite artist in a big stadium where you can watch a stripped-down, intimate concert on a tiny desk where you can watch on your smartphone or your laptop? NPR proudly presents…Tiny Desk Concerts. You can hear the difference between an intimate concert where the vibes are unmatched, and it feels authentic.

Soulection

Soulection, a Los Angeles-based artist-driven collective and radio station, has been spotlighting independent artists with eclectic beats and timeless sounds that captivate listeners for the vibes and artistry authenticity. They also have concerts held in different cities.

Bandcamp

Moving onto streaming services. Bandcamp is one of the streaming services where you can actually support artists by purchasing their music digitally, vinyl records, or CDs. They also sell merchandise such as T-shirts. Bandcamp helps support artists through events like Bandcamp Fridays and Record Store Day.

SoundCloud

SoundCloud and Spotify are similar but different. SoundCloud lets you hear different flips and remixes of your favourite music genre. The stuff that hasn’t been heard on TikTok and Instagram Reels. It’s also a great streaming platform for independent artists to reach new audiences.

Spotify

Spotify is the most popular streaming service and needs no introduction. What’s unique about Spotify is its algorithm based on listening habits and music genres. Listeners can share an album or track on social media, and the coveted Spotify Wrapped comes at the end of November or the first week of December.

It’s important to show love and support independent artists as they have full control of their craft and to share their music with listeners who want to expand their playlists.