The secrets to promoting yourself and your music with more ease

In an ideal world you could just focus on being an artist: writing, producing and releasing music, playing shows, and becoming the best musician or producer you can be. You’d make a couple of announcements about your upcoming project, tour or single, et voila! Your music would speak for itself. Your fans would follow you, stream your songs and come to your shows in droves.

Now, in the real world, you have to put yourself out there, promote yourself and network, so people can discover you, buy your music or collaborate with you. Picture this: there are now a whopping 100,000 tracks uploaded on streaming services. Every. Single. Day. Yep, that’s a lot. In order to have a successful music career, you need to stand out and give others a chance to know about you and your work.

As a sensitive artist, self-promotion can feel super uncomfortable but I promise you: like any other skill, and with practice, you can get better at it.

And while the music industry is flooded with information on music marketing strategies, none of them will work for you if you resist doing them in the first place, or do them inconsistently - aka self-sabotage.

So first, you need to overcome the fears and blocks that are in the way, so you can promote yourself with more confidence and ease, in a way that feels authentic.

If you’re a musician and your name is not Kanye, chances are talking about yourself doesn’t feel natural to you. You don’t want to brag, sound arrogant or annoy people. Networking brings up a lot of social anxiety and showing up on social media is not your forte either. I feel you, I really do. Cancel culture has created a fear of being shamed, and it can feel scary and vulnerable to put yourself and your music out there: what will others think? What if I get negative comments? What if no one likes what I post?

Fear of being seen for who you are and being judged is very human. We are social animals and no one wants to be rejected from the pack. Plus, you’ve poured your heart and soul into your music, so it’s easy to take criticism personally.

You want to get better at sharing your music and portray and promote yourself in a way that feels authentic and not pushy.

Here’s a reframe that will help: self-promotion is not really about you.

I know it sounds paradoxical, but deep down, promoting your music or projects is about you standing by and for your deeper purpose: the way you want people to feel, the experience you want them to have, the message you want to share, the impact you want to create.

Self-promotion is in service of THAT. It’s in service to the people whose lives will be changed by your music. It’s an act of generosity towards your art and towards others (and also towards yourself, because if you never make any income from it, music is just an expensive hobby).

Let go of the idea that your music is ‘yours’. A client of my Thrive program and I recently came up with this analogy in a coaching session: your tracks are like babies you created. As you let them out into the world, it’s on you to nurture them and give them what they need to thrive. You’ll always be the supportive, loving parent, but now that you’ve set them free, their life is for them to live and experience.

You do promotion as a service to those creative babies, without being overly attached to how they're received.

Let go of wanting others to validate or approve of you, which is a form of people pleasing. The Zuckerbergs of this world don’t want you empowered, but addicted to looking for validation outside of yourself. Be a rebel and take your power back!

When you share your music, only ask for and let in feedback from people who want the best for you and are actually qualified to give you constructive feedback - whether they’re other musicians if it’s on your creative work, or marketing experts if it’s on your promo content. The stranger on the internet doesn’t count.

Speaking of which, if you’re going to check social media comments, do it intentionally. Our reptilian brain tends to fixate on the negative (the one nasty comment), and overlook the positive (the 99 loving ones). When people praise you, allow yourself to truly take that in and own it! If people judge, let them have their own opinion, or even be wrong about you. Use this as a potent spiritual exercise to recognize the ego-self (the part of you that feels judged or offended), heal any of your own self-judgment and return to a place of unconditional love and acceptance. Have your own back and don’t abandon yourself.

Every bit of communication that every human being shares is either a loving response or a cry for help _ A Course in Miracles

Use your creativity and personality to share content that is authentic to you. As an artist, you get to share your whole creative process, not just the finished product. What inspired you to create this song? What projects are you working on? Which other artists do you admire?

Your people also want to get to know you, so let them have a peek behind the curtains: your hobbies, your quirks, the causes you’re passionate about. Show us what’s in your creative universe, like dj & producer Honey Dijon whose Insta is filled with fashion and queer culture references.

Another factor in showing up authentically is being ok with being imperfect and being open about your challenges as well as your happy moments. Your imperfection is what will create true connection.

The world doesn’t need more bland, polished, music celebrity social media posts that add noise and nothing of value. We want you to be a real human that we can relate to and connect with emotionally.

Don’t be shy about sharing all of your wins (it’s in service to your art, remember?). Be your own advocate and share your good reviews, sync placements, interviews - or even having a productive day in the studio. Tell us what you’re proud or excited about. If a fan tells you how your song has touched them, make it about the difference you’ve helped create. Get into the habit of sharing your accomplishments with your friends, family or peers so it becomes easier when you have to promote something.

Art is making something out of nothing, and selling it_Frank Zappa

If you feel that you’re annoying people when you promote your releases or tour dates, remember that we need to hear things multiple times for them to sink in. Additionally, the algorithms will only surface your content to a very limited number of your audience, so not everyone will see every one of your posts.

If you’d rather hide under a blanket than network at an event, shift the focus away from ‘I need to promote myself’ and onto what you can give. Get curious about who you’re chatting to, ask them questions, find ways to add to their day.

The music business is based on relationships and we want to work with people we like.

Just be yourself and be friendly, and people will remember you when you reach out for help or look for peers to collaborate with. When people engage with you online, don’t be a ghost and respond to emails, DMs and any relevant comments - that’s how you’ll create your community of superfans.

When you change your perspective around self-promotion and overcome the mental blocks that are in your way, it will be easier to put yourself out there in a way that feels good so you can grow your fanbase, your network and your income.

Helping you shift your mindset and take consistent action is a big part of my Thrive program. Check out the details now to see how I can support you to achieve your potential and your music goals.

It’s your time to shine baby! ⭐️