AI Music Release Strategy: From Studio to Spotlight in Easy Steps
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From Studio to Spotlight: Strategies for Releasing Your AI-Created Music
Creating an album with the help of AI is an exciting and innovative process. However, once the music is ready, the next crucial step is planning the release. This stage is vital for maximizing the impact of your work and ensuring it reaches the right audience. Here are some strategies to help you transition smoothly from the studio to the spotlight.
Primary and Secondary Accounts: The Foundation of Your Strategy
To effectively promote your music, it's essential to understand the difference between primary and secondary accounts.
Primary Account: This is where you will primarily make your money and engage deeply with your audience. For me, my primary account is my website, powered by Shopify. I love the versatility it offers. I can create detailed content and manage my sales seamlessly. If anyone is interested, I can create an article about why Shopify works so well for musicians.
Secondary Accounts: These are your major social media platforms where you also need a strong presence. For me, these are my VERIFIED INSTAGRAM account and my OFFICIAL ARTIST accounts on SPOTIFY and YOUTUBE. These platforms are critical for reaching a wider audience and driving traffic to my primary account.
Third-String Accounts: These are important but only if you have the time to manage them. For me, these include Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter/X. While they can be valuable, they require additional time and effort.
Why Is This Important?
The more social media accounts you have, the more work you need to put in. For example, I have one album with 12 tracks. To promote it effectively, I aim to create 3 teaser/hook videos per track (15 seconds, 30 seconds, and extended). That's 36 videos featuring all the songs in the album, plus 2 full videos (Cover Art and Lyrics).
If people don't know you, and let's face it, they likely don't, you will need to come up with 3 ideas per song. To maximize your chance of going viral, these should be customized per platform. This means creating 36 videos x 3, which is 108, plus 2 for a total of 110 videos.
The Real Challenge
Why wait 3-4 weeks or even longer to release an album? Let's review in full: Sure, you can create a full album in 3 days. However, if you want to successfully promote that album to a large audience, you need to build the content around it to get heard, liked, shared, and followed. You need to try different campaign ideas because people need to feel like they identify with something about you if they are going to keep investing their time to listen to you.
Major Lesson Learned: Focus on Fans, Not Family and Friends
A major mistake people make is focusing too much on family and friends for initial support. While they may give you likes and shares, if they do not fit the profile of your targeted fan base, their engagement can actually hurt you.
Family and friends will like your videos, sure, they may even share them. But if they are not genuinely engaging with your content, it tells the algorithm that your content is only liked by people who don't spend time with it. This means the algorithm will try to find more people who "look like" those family and friends who are not giving you meaningful engagement.
You need to focus on finding your true fans, not your friends and family. It's better to have 10 engaged users than 10,000 dismissers.
Practical Steps to Promote Your AI-Created Album
Plan Your Release Date Strategically: Choose a date that aligns with significant events or holidays. For example, I chose June 28th to release my album to coincide with Canada Day, creating a strong patriotic connection.
Build Anticipation with Teasers: Share short clips, behind-the-scenes videos, and snippets of lyrics on your social media platforms. Plan a content calendar for consistent updates leading up to the release date.
Engage with Your Audience: Respond to comments, conduct live sessions, and share user-generated content. Interaction with your audience builds a loyal fan base.
Releasing an AI-created album involves careful planning and strategic execution. By building anticipation, engaging with your audience, and utilizing various promotional tools, you can maximize the impact of your music. Remember, the goal is not just to release an album but to create a lasting impression and build a loyal fan base.
One of my favorite quotes is about how people often overestimate what they can accomplish in one year and underestimate what they can accomplish in ten years. While the music industry is changing, one approach that should not change is that 10-year mindset. Take the time to do it right, and take the time to find out what's right for you. Is the quality of your sound as good as it should be? Are you using generic image reels or canvas?
How do you sustain interest in your album? What are the best practices for promoting your music long-term? We'll explore these questions and more, helping you navigate the exciting journey of music creation and promotion. Drop your comments below!