This document provides techniques for musicians to build an audience using growth hacking strategies. It discusses how traditional music marketing is expensive and overwhelmed, while growth hacking uses creativity, data analysis, and social metrics to grow a digital subscriber base with limited resources. Various techniques are presented, such as creating engaging content and landing pages, search engine optimization, social media engagement, leveraging niche platforms, partnerships, creative promotions, and analyzing metrics. Successful case studies are provided of artists who used these non-traditional growth hacking methods to build large followings.

1. HOW
TO
BUILD
AN
AUDIENCE
FOR
YOUR
MUSIC
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2. 1. IntroducKon
2. Background
3. The
Problem
4. What
is
Growth
Hacking?
Why
Growth
Hacking?
5. Growth
Hacking
–
AcKonable
Techniques
6. Case
Studies

3. • CreaKve
technologist,
analyst
and
educator
• MS
in
InformaKon
Design
&
Technology
from
The
Georgia
InsKtute
of
Technology
• 20
year
veteran
of
music
&
tech
industries
• Developed
courses
and
teaches
for
the
Audio
ProducKon
program
at
The
Art
InsKtute
of
Atlanta
• Clients
have
included:
CNN,
BBC,
GE,
G4
Channel,
2K
InteracKve,
AES,
Atlanta
Gas
Light,
Primus,
Tube
InteracKve,
Universal
Records,
James
Brown,
Gnarls
Barkley,
Godsmack,
Ming
&
FS,
DJ
Spooky

4. Source:
Business
Insider,
February
2011

5. Source:
The
New
York
Times,
2/15/12

6. Sources:
thetrichordist.com,
wikipedia.com

7. Source:
om.co

8. Credit:
Jochen
Schlenker
/
Robert
Harding
World
Imagery
/
Universal
Images
Group

9. • 2008:
105,575
albums
released*
– Only
228
broke
10,000
units
(2.17%)
– 87,541
sold
less
than
100
units
• 2009:
97,751
albums
released*
– 8
years
of
listening
24/7
to
listen
to
all
Sources:
Trebuchet
Magazine,
Midem.com

10. • 2010:
75,000
albums
released
– 60,000
sold
less
than
100
units
– Average
of
13.3
units
sold
per
new
Ktle
Sources:
Billboard,
Digital
Music
News

11. • “The
sad
reality
is
that
the
next
Jimi
Hendrix
is
probably
now
buried
in
a
pile
of
28
million,
staKsKcally
doomed
to
a
life
of
obscurity.”
– Paul
Resnikoff
• Formerly
of
Sony
Music
Source:
Digital
Music
News

12. Source:
Fast
Company

13. • What
is
growth
hacking?
– a
markeKng
technique
which
uses
creaKvity,
analyKcal
thinking,
and
social
metrics
to
grow
a
subscriber
base
for
a
digital product
Source:
Prompt
Cloud

14. • Why
growth
hacking?
– Musicians
have
limited
resources
– TradiKonal
music
markeKng
channels
are
expensive
and
oversaturated
– Bands
focus
on
their
music
but
the
real
challenge
is
distribuKon
and
revenue
– It’s
a
way
to
“game”
the
system
Source:
Twodoo

15. “Music
markeKng
is
growth
hacking.”
-­‐ Corey
Crossfield
The
CollecKve
Music
Management
Source:
coreycrossfield.net

16. Source:
Prompt
Cloud

17. Source:
Ma"an
Griffel

18. Source:
Yongfook

19. Source:
Yongfook

20. • Pull
– Give
fans
a
reason
to
come
to
you
– IncenKvize
and
enKce
– Provide
something
of
value
– Low
cost
• Push
– Instead
of
enKcing,
you
push
people
to
your
site,
ooen
interrupKng
whatever
they
were
doing
– Higher
cost
because
you
pay
for
a
visitor
Sources:
Quicksprout,
Andrew
Chen

21. Source:
Quicksprout
Headlines
criKcal
Link
to
other
popular
pages
on
your
site
Call
to
AcKon
that
captures
emails
(in
exchange
for
free
music)
A
big
image
or
video
Social
Proof/Media
Your
unique
value
proposiKon

22. • Write
effecKve
content
• Know
your
fans
• Look
at
offline
publicaKons
for
good
examples
of
headlining
and
copywriKng
Source:
Quicksprout

23. Simple landing page: capture
interest/email address
Source:
Dropbox

24. Source:
Young
The
Giant

25. Source:
Bryan
El

26. Source:
Cory
Chiasson

27. Source:
ASAPH

28. Source:
Jay
Neutron

29. Source:
J-­‐Whoa

30. Source:
Alvarez
Kings

31. Source:
The
Foresters

32. Source:
Taylor
Jackson

33. Source:
Delta
Spirit

34. Source:
Franky
Rizardo

35. Source:
BasKan
Vilda

36. Source:
Maffiss

37. Source:
Ne"a
Brielle

38. Source:
God
Bless
Toronto

39. Source:
Unbounce

40. • Key
to
SEO
• Keyword
rich
• Easily
indexed
by
Google
• RSS
distribuKon
• Guest
blogging
Sources:
Quicksprout

41. • Search
Engine
OpKmizaKon
• Understand
the
basics
• Two
main
areas:
code
&
content
• Target
keywords
based
on
music
genre
or
niche
Sources:
Quicksprout

42. Source:
thetrichordist.com

43. • Engage
with
fans
• Answer
quesKons
• InteresKng
content
• Social
media
takes
Kme
Source:
thetrichordist.com

44. • Use
niche
platorms
– Soundcloud
Source:
thetrichordist.com

45. Source:
Shopify
Social
Commerce
Study

46. Source:
kotke.org

47. Source:
GigaOM

48. Source:
Clear
NoKce
Recordings

49. • Alex
Day
– Hacked
the
UK
charts
– 3
Top
UK
40
hits
– 600,000
YouTube
subscribers
– 100
million
video
views
– Has
never
worked
with
a
record
label
Source:
Hypebot,
BitTorrent

50. Source:
Digital
Trends,
NPR
• Quiet
Company
– Partnered
with
Grooveshark
– When
from
2,800
fans
to
55,000
in
3
months
– Uses
analyKcs
to
get
increased
merchandise
and
digital
sales

51. Source:
Digital
Trends,
NPR
• Garcia
Goodbye
– Belgian
band
– Tied
USB
containing
their
new
single
to
a
bunch
of
balloons
– CreaKve
use
of
digital
in
a
physical
format
– Built
press
interest

52. Source:
Digital
Trends,
NPR
• Howler
– Indie
rock
band
from
Minneapolis
– Partnered
with
ad
agency
to
market
debut
album
as
a
brand
– Used
web
analyKcs
to
determine
effecKveness

53. Source:
Digital
Trends,
NPR
• iamamiwhoami
– Swedigh
electronic
musician
– Grew
a
cult
following
by
culKvaKng
mysterious
idenKty
– DistribuKon
via
YouTube
and
influenKal
blogs

54. Source:
Digital
Trends,
NPR
• Vulfpeck
– Michigan
funk
band
– Hacked
SpoKfy
to
raise
$20,000
for
a
tour
– Asked
fans
to
stream
a
silent
album
on
repeat
while
they
slep

55. Source:
Evderbird

56. QuesKons?
Comments?
Email:
sharaab@gmail.com
h"p://saurabhbose.com
sharaab@gmail.com