For a lot of people the pathway to completing their first album involves a launch without fans. You start working on your songs, eventually start recording and then after months and even years of work you’re holding a finished record in your hands.
Now while a lot of artists approach things a bit differently and build a fan base first it really Is of no relevance. And from where you’re standing you needn’t pay that thought any mind. What is important is doing your best to start your introduction to the public so that you can find an audience to share all of your hard work, effort and creativity with.
Getting Started
When building a fan base it starts with the first one. Then you work until you eventually find another. The one thing you do have going for you is your music is already together. Which is great! That gives you a wonderful excuse to introduce yourself to others.
Like most anything the hardest part of doing is just getting started. Maybe counting numbers isn’t the best plan but, at the beginning it’s probably fine. So, let’s set some milestones relating to the numbers of subscribers you get. That way you can feel a sense of winning small victories. That positive reinforcement should go a long way to building your confidence going forward.
If you haven’t finished your album and are still trying to decide what songs you are included. We have a great article that discusses what goes into making those decisions well. I’m sure it will be a big help. Save it for later!
What First
With your album finished and you still with your freedom of anonymity. Start to take a hard look at how you intend on setting up your artist accounts on social media. Get some nice photos made, maybe even find someone to help you with a logo and theme. Keep it nice and consistent across all of the accounts. Make sure its professional. Make sure it represents you well.
From here we begin the work. The first thing you will need to decide is how you will release your music. You’re welcome to give the whole album away at the beginning or you could release one song a month. If you don’t know how to choose. This guide will help. Have a read!
No matter how you do decide to do things it’s important to consider how you can leverage each one of these songs as a tool to engage both new listeners and reengage ones that have already subscribed. Thats especially true when you are having an album launch without fans.
One of the best ways in the long term to promote your music and musical efforts is to create an online home base. A Website to showcase you and your music. Here is a guide that really goes a long way to explaining why your website is so critical for promoting your music. Read and Bookmark!
Release Strategy
By releasing new songs regularly and encouraging those listening to share them with their friends you will gradually start to build your audience. Document the process, and post videos about the effort to release songs. It’s a great excuse to make content and for those that start to admire what you are doing it will be interesting.
You should also think about recording DIY lyric and music videos regularly to help your monthly promotions. Here is an in depth guide about how to get started making your own DIY music videos. Goodluck!
Once you start creating be sure that why you document all of the behind the scenes activities that go into creating your videos and songs and share that. You’re starting to get the picture. But with Zero people following at the beginning you’re going to have to start with friends and family.
For an informed discussion about lyric videos vs. music videos, here is a great article. Have a look!
Friends and Family
It goes with out saying that if you are going to have an album launch without fans you are going to need help. Definitely rely on your friends and family to be some of your first supporters. Be sure to explain to everyone how they could help you buy liking and subscribing to your accounts. If they want to do more to help they can promote what you are doing to their friends. Always make sure you have nice content to share. With any luck this strategy will get you off of the ground running.
Paying Influencers
If you want to speed things up you can try to make contact with some influencers. Start by reaching out to your favorite Social Media personalities that are relatable to what you are doing. Make sure you’re being reasonable about who you are targeting for the ask. You may not have the budget to afford someone who has 10 million followers.
Find an influencer you like that has following that is respectable. When you have send a DM to ask how they might select music to feature. They should respond to you with the fee that they’d expect. You can ask more than one.
The Real World
While the internet and all of its corner cutting can be great, there is nothing as present and effective as making connections with people in the real world. Get out and play live shows. If you don’t have a band put together, then get out and do some open mic nights.
If you want to lean in to your Youtube Channel, Get out on the street and ask people to be in one of your videos listening to your songs to give you their opinion, film their reaction.
You could go out and ask a hundred people and then make a compilation of all the happy listeners listening. Then you could tell each person who appeared in your video to be sure and sign up to the YouTube channel so they can see themself in the video when it is released.
The real word is a big place and you should be striving to get your music out into, for a great guide to promoting your music abroad; read this. It is your pathway in!
Money for Hard Work
I do believe in getting paid for hard work and certainly making an album and going out to have to build a fanbase to promote it to, is no easy lift. But in order to make my point I want to use the metaphor of farming.
The farmer has to go out and work forever, before there is any getting paid. The Farmer has to go out and till, plant, raise and harvest and still there is no pay.
So while I do believe in pay for hard work, it is a good idea to come to peace with your first album being a tool to build the following that later you may be able to monetize. The first album is you planting the seed.
When you can have a website set up, make sure you do. It is a great place to have a store front to sell third party drop ship merchandise that you never need to purchase inventory for. You can also use the site to earn with from your music. Here is a link to an article with more about just that. Check it out!
Stay Consistent And Be Engaging
When you do start to get a little bit of attention do your best to settle into a consistent schedule across the platforms that you use. From here on your in it for the long haul. People will come to look forward to your regularly released updates and new releases. You won’t have to have another album launch without fans.
Be generous with your audience and engaged with people who post on your profile. Make it a point to do your best to respond to everyone who comments on your posts.
Lastly
Having an album launch without fans might feel like a bit of a letdown, but progress is step by step. So the first step is to celebrate your accomplishment. Put your music out there, even if it starts with friends and family. Thats better than yesterday.
Treat your first album as a seed. Build a website, Play live, Don’t underestimate the real world. Talk with people face to face as well as online.
Start a consistent posting schedule across platforms. Engage with your audience—respond, connect. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Remember, every musician starts somewhere. One foot in front of the other. The audience will catch up as they find you moving forward. Good Luck!