As times change and technology makes it easier for consumers to access products and
services online, it is extremely important that artists and the record labels that they are with move
to promoting and engaging with fans digitally, at least in some capacity. Social media is one way
for customers to express brand loyalty, and it also provides an unofficial endorsement in the form
of user-generated content (UGC) that can then be reposted and shared.1 As the younger
generations enter the marketplace, it is imperative that companies find ways, such as social
media, to advertise new music to them using the platforms that they frequent. This also allows
them to interact with the artist, their music, and share it amongst their friends in ways that are so
much faster than before. The more focused and targeted the marketing is, the better and quicker
it will grow and spread, gaining more notice. This will allow for more engagement, follows,
shares, plays, and downloads, all which benefit the artist and their record label.
There are several different types of social media platforms from which to find ways to
advertise and share music. Facebook is the largest social media platform, with 2.23 billion active
monthly users.2 About 25 percent of Facebook users are between the ages of 25 and 34, which is
an excellent demographic to market music to. Facebook offers a feature that allows a user to
promote a post for a fee, which pushes the post (which could include a music video, touring info,
or link to an artist's recorded works) to a wider audience. This option does present an artist or
label with a good opportunity to jumpstart the engagement of a new page by promoting select
posts that nurture strong engagement with your audience.3 Creating a fan page will allow more
1 Alison Munsch. 2021. “Millennial and Generation Z Digital Marketing Communication and
Advertising Effectiveness: A Qualitative Exploration.” Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing
Science 31, no. 1 (January): 10–29. https://doi.org/10.1080/21639159.2020.1808812.
2 Bobby Owsinski. Social Media Promotion For Musicians. Available from: Liberty University
Online Bookshelf, (3rd Edition). Bobby Owsinski Media Group, 2020.
3 Clyde Philip Rolston, et al. Record Label Marketing : How Music Companies Brand and
Market Artists in the Digital Era, Taylor & Francis Group, 2015. ProQuest Ebook Central,
http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/liberty/detail.action?docID=4098068.
people to follow the artist than a personal page does, and you can also track insights and track
how well posts are doing and how often they are being viewed and shared. The artist can also
post giveaways, tickets to shows, or announce special events or touring information to a large
group of people. There is a slight downside to using a fan page, however. If the artist wishes to
post music information on their personal page as well as their fan page, they now must do double
the work and make sure to maintain both pages.
Instagram has over 1 billion active monthly users, and 59% of all active online users
between the ages of 18 and 29 use the platform.4 It has a wide variety of ways to interact with
posts and other users, which include: comments, shares, saves, direct messages, as well as others.
Instagram has a business feature, which is excellent for an artist because they can see insight data
on posts, as well as being able to connect it to their Facebook fan account. Instagram is excellent
for reaching potential consumers, and it is set up in a way that users can interact and share it with
their friends and family easily. According to Instagram’s internal data, 50 percent of their users
follow at least one business, 60 percent claim they learn about a product or service on the
platform and 75 percent visit the product’s website or tell their friends, after looking at an
Instagram advertising post.5 Instagram allows users to post reels, which is an excellent way for
an artist to post short videos about their music for promotion purposes. They can also conduct
polls, offer giveaways, and engage directly with the fans and visitors to increase interactions.
They can post short clips on their stories, as well as go live and interact with their fans in real
time, and they can also use hashtags in their posts to be pulled up during users searches on the
app. However, it is easy to post too often and flood people's timelines with posts that become
easily ignored, so it is best to post fewer posts for better engagement.
4 Bobby Owsinski. Social Media Promotion For Musicians. Available from: Liberty University
Online Bookshelf, (3rd Edition). Bobby Owsinski Media Group, 2020.
5
YouTube is a fantastic tool for artists to promote their music online and connects them to
people all over the world that may not have necessarily been able to be exposed to the artists
music otherwise. YouTube is the second largest online search engine. It has hundreds of millions
of users from around the world and is localized in 53 countries across 61 languages.6 It allows
the artist to personalize their page, as well as optimize it so that it shows up in search engines and
make it easier to be found by consumers. It also allows for a personalized URL that follows the
YouTube URL and utilizes keywords that describe the artists channel that are searched most
often by listeners. While it is not a traditional social media site in the sense that users post and
type out messages and share pictures, YouTube allows users to post videos, such as music videos
and artist concerts, which will attract attention and gain followers. It is a powerful site, and
something that should be used. An artist is using their gift that God has given them, and it is
important to ensure that it is being shared, all in the efforts of glorifying Him and spreading the
gospel. 1st Peter 4:10 says that Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve
others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.7 YouTube is a way to do just
that- by showcasing the talents that God has gifted them with.
TikTok is a more casual and lowkey social media platform, and it is built around the use
of short videos that are shared, liked, followed, and viewed on a “For You” page. It allows users
to use a viral sound, in most cases an artist's song, in their videos as well, which is a way to
increase the popularity and virality of an artist's music. And, of course, TikTok has perhaps had
the most obvious influence on the music industry; trending songs on TikTok find commercial
6 Clyde Philip Rolston, et al. Record Label Marketing : How Music Companies Brand and
Market Artists in the Digital Era, Taylor & Francis Group, 2015. ProQuest Ebook Central,
http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/liberty/detail.action?docID=4098068.
7 Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by
Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
success and land at the top of the charts.8 TikTok utilizes a trained A.I. that learns from the
billion people that are watching and using the app. It learns what videos people like to see and
shows them similar content. An artist who plays their music on the app or posts relatable content
will gain a following that is easily able to tag, share, repost, or duet videos to their own
followers. Using hashtags is also important on TikTok, and the right ones will see the post go
viral or show up on the FYP (For You Page) of other users. It is a great way to market new and
upcoming artists.
In conclusion, social media is a powerhouse for the music industry, but only if used the
right way. It is important to understand the platform the artist is trying to use and know how to
post in a way that will be seen by as many people as possible. While some platforms are better to
use than others, in the right circumstance, each one of them can be used to promote music. For a
Christian artist specifically, it is so important that they find a way to share their gifts with as
many people as possible, and not squander what they have been given. Sharing the truth about
God, especially in a time where it is not popular to be Christian, is so important. Matthew 5:15
says, neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and
it gives light to everyone in the house.9 Using online social media platforms in the right way will
help both an artist and their record label promote their music and reach markets and
demographics online that previously may not have been able to experience it, and ultimately
grow their audience and fan base.
Reference List:
8 Trevor Boffone. 2022. “Introduction.” TikTok Cultures in the United States, March (March),
1–13. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003280705-1
9 Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by
Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Boffone, Trevor. 2022. “Introduction.” TikTok Cultures in the United States, March (March),
1–13. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003280705-1
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica,
Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Munsch, Alison. 2021. “Millennial and Generation Z Digital Marketing
Communication and Advertising Effectiveness: A Qualitative Exploration.” Journal of
Global Scholars of Marketing Science 31, no. 1 (January): 10–29.
https://doi.org/10.1080/21639159.2020.1808812.
Owsinski, Bobby. Social Media Promotion For Musicians. Available from: Liberty University
Online Bookshelf, (3rd Edition). Bobby Owsinski Media Group, 2020.
Rolston, Clyde Philip, et al. Record Label Marketing : How Music Companies Brand and Market
Artists in the Digital Era, Taylor & Francis Group, 2015. ProQuest Ebook Central,
http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/liberty/detail.action?docID=4098068.
Teo, Li Xin, Ho Keat Leng, and Yi Xian Philip Phua. 2019. “Marketing on Instagram: Social
Influence and Image Quality on Perception of Quality and Purchase Intention.”
International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship 20, no. 2 (May): 321–32.
https://doi.org/10.1108/ijsms-04-2018-0028.
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