Are you a singer or songwriter looking to establish your presence on social media? Learn how to network and promote yourself in and beyond the music and audio space with this eBook.

1. How Singers &
Songwriters Can
Build a Social
Media Following

2. Decades from now, music scholars will think of the record
industry in two eras: pre-Internet and post-Internet.
Before the birth of the Internet, large record companies
plucked bands from obscurity and turned them into
stars. They helped young bands pay for music videos,
tours, and the records themselves, hiring hotshot
producers, songwriters, and session musicians create
albums that would hopefully sell millions of copies. And
of course, bands owed much of that money back to them,
which made it difficult for anyone to get blazingly rich off
becoming a rock star, save for the lucky ones that were
shown on MTV all the time.
2 | How Singers & Songwriters Can Build a Social Media Following
Pre- and Post-Internet

3. But then the Internet happened. The world was introduced to
entities like Napster, Limewire, the Pirate Bay, and iTunes. Suddenly
the music industry was in disarray. People were stealing music. No
one wanted to buy physical music merchandize, things like CDs and
concert DVDs. And of course, MTV stopped playing music videos.
But in many ways, this leveled the playing field and made it interesting,
giving us the music we have today. Bands don’t need MTV to show off
their videos when they have the wide reach of YouTube and Vimeo at
their disposal.
A young kid in Florida can make a futuristic dance record on his
Macbook with Garage Band or another similar program. And anyone
can release a batch of MP3s to the world marketplace on their on
Soundcloud page or Tumblr. Best of all, none of this stuff costs
very much.
So how can a young singer, songwriter, or musician use the
Internet-namely social media-to build a following? Here are 5 tips.
3 | How Singers & Songwriters Can Build a Social Media Following
Pre- and Post-Internet

4. 4 | How Singers & Songwriters Can Build a Social Media Following
Make Your Music
Available Everywhere
Whether you’re a beginning musician or a stadium-
packing superstar, the key to success as a musician relies
on giving people access to your music. In order to do this,
you need to create accounts on music-minded social
platforms.
Bandcamp and Soundcloud are examples of two sites that
allow musicians to post their music and interact with fans.
These platforms are primarily places where musicians post
new music for fans to stream or download, but you can also
post tour dates, share your band photos or bio, or even
fundraise.
On a site like Soundcloud, you have two options: you can
either let people stream your music or offer it to them to
download. Generally, it’s a good idea to let them download
your music so they can add it to their music library and
listen anywhere. Don’t forget to include some sort of cover
art. Even though you might never press a record or sell a
CD, albums in the digital age still have artwork.
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5. 5 | How Singers & Songwriters Can Build a Social Media Following
Use the Tried
and True Platforms
Once you’ve established a presence on Soundcloud and
other music-minded social platforms, you’ll need to
make sure your band is EVERYWHERE on social. That
means you need to create a Twitter feed, Facebook page,
Instagram feed, Tumblr (or other site), and maybe even a
Vine or Snapchat account.
These platforms serve various purposes. First off, they
allow you to tell the story of your band. Fifteen years ago,
MTV would follow bands with video cameras while they
were on tour and create rockumentaries; Spin and Rolling
Stone would publish photos and short interviews with
bands introducing them to the world.
But in this day and age, you are your own MTV, Spin, and
Rolling Stone. So start showing the world who you are!
If you’re on tour, take lots of videos and upload them to
your Instagram page. Want to give fans a peek at how
you practice? Set up a live broadcast on Periscope and let
the world watch. Bored while spending hours in the van
between shows? Tweet a picture of that questionable
chilidog you bought at the truck stop back there.
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6. 6 | How Singers & Songwriters Can Build a Social Media Following
Use the Tried
and True Platforms
For most people, the life of a musician or band is thrilling
and exotic, even when you’re doing decidedly boring
things like eating a chili-dog in a van before your show in
Topeka. Still, all of this adds up to a wonderful document
of your career that is fun to share with fans, friends, and
your future self.
Twitter, Facebook, and other social platforms can also
come in handy when you want to get the word out about
certain things. A single tweet can help you find a place to
crash, a show to replace one that was cancelled, or track
down gear in the awful event that it gets stolen. And of
course, these platforms are great at letting people know
when you have new music out.
Of all the traditional platforms, YouTube might be the one
that’s most music-minded. Your music-focused YouTube
page should be less focused on fun videos of you and your
bandmates wrestling backstage and more focused on
music, videos, and live performances. As with any platform,
make sure you monitor the comments and watch your
number of views to see which content is resonating most
strongly with your audience.

7. 7 | How Singers & Songwriters Can Build a Social Media Following
Get PR Minded
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If you’re at all serious about being in a band, you may
want to hire a PR person to help you get your name out
there through the more traditional media channels.
PR people are the original “social media.” They work
hard to make connections that open doors for you.
You may be able to get some smaller websites and
publications to notice your band through your own
efforts, but in order to get the attention of any of the
big guys-places like Pitchfork, Stereogum, or the -
you’ll probably need the help of a publicist.
To find a publicist, think about what existing bands you
like. If you’re a relatively new act, you should probably
think of a band that is slightly more successful than
you, but still considered up-and-coming. Chances are
their moderate success had a lot to do with hiring a
PR person. Then find out who that person is and see if
they’ll work with you.

8. 8 | How Singers & Songwriters Can Build a Social Media Following
Get PR Minded
PR relationships can take a variety of forms.
For instance, if you are looking to generate interest in
a new album or upcoming tour, you can work with a PR
person for a month or two on promotion. Your other
option is to have an ongoing relationship where they
help you with everything - tour announcements, album
announcements, and getting publications to interview
you or post your songs.
This is where establishing a presence on sites like
Soundcloud, Twitter, and Instagram will come in handy.
A PR person or editor at a major music website will almost
certainly do research on your band to see if you’re
someone they’d like to promote or work with.
By establishing a strong social presence, you’re
setting yourself up for success.

9. Tour, Tour, Tour
Alanis Morissette’s debut album Jagged Little Pill sold an
amazing 7.3 million copies in 1996, making it the biggest seller
of that year. Fast forward to 2014 and our biggest seller is 1989
by Taylor Swift with 3.6 million copies sold, a feat that was
considered astonishing by music insiders, even though Swift’s
record sales came in at under half of what Morissette’s did.
So what does this mean? It means that people aren’t buying
albums like they used to, which means artists need to find other
ways to make money other than record sells. The best way to do
that is by touring.
You may think you need a private jet or a fancy buss to tour, but
honestly, any form of transportation that will take you from one
city to another will work. Are you a solo artist? Pack up your
Volkswagen Golf and hit the road. Are you in a four or five person
band? Buy a used van off Craigslist and sail off into the sunset.
9 | How Singers & Songwriters Can Build a Social Media Following
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10. 10 | How Singers & Songwriters Can Build a Social Media Following
Tour, Tour, Tour
Setting up a tour is hard work, but it’s not impossible.
If you’re a beginning band or musician, the easiest thing to
do is tour with another act. If the act already has their dates
lined up, all you have to do is go along for the ride. If you’re
going out on your own, think about where you’d like to tour
(the Midwest, West Coast, the American South) and look
for venues that would be willing to slip you on to an existing
bill. If you’re more established, you may find luck working
with a professional booker who already has relationships
with venues and can line you up a nice tour.
Once you’re on the road, use social media to your advantage.
Tweet a friendly hello at that band you’ll be playing with in
Oklahoma next Tuesday, or figure out the best place to get a
cheap dinner. Stuck in Asbury Park with no place to stay?
Scan your Facebook fan page for locals who might be willing
to let you crash on their couch.

11. 11 | How Singers & Songwriters Can Build a Social Media Following
Remember That
Hard Work Pays Off
Setting up a tour is hard work,
but it’s not impossible. If you’re a
beginning band or musician, the
easiest thing to do is tour with
another act. If the act already
has their dates lined up, all you
have to do is go along for the ride.
If you’re going out on your own,
think about where you’d like to
tour (the Midwest, West Coast,
the American South) and look
for venues that would be willing
to slip you on to an existing bill.
If you’re more established, you
may find luck working with a
professional booker who already
has relationships with venues
and can line you up a nice tour.
Once you’re on the road, use
social media to your advantage.
Tweet a friendly hello at that band
you’ll be playing with in Oklahoma
next Tuesday, or figure out the
best place to get a cheap dinner.
Stuck in Asbury Park with no place
to stay? Scan your Facebook fan
page for locals who might be
willing to let you crash on their
couch.
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