The Advanced Guide to Independent Artists Success in 2021

Portrait of male singer in hat and coat. Artist, performer

As an independent artist, you lack a linear path, and a clear map does not exist. While record label artists may follow a blueprint, there’s little or no direction out there for you to emulate.

Independent Artists Success in 2021

If you meet most indie artists, you’ll see the zeal, drive, and readiness to put in the work. Unfortunately, they often don’t have an idea of what the work should be. That’s why you’ll find most indie artists zigzagging their way into the music business.

We are far away from the 1990s music business but find ourselves in 2021, where the music business is ever-changing. Here’s what you can do as an indie artist to stay on top of your game;

Personalized Marketing Like Never Before

This is usually every indie artist’s nightmare. Not to worry, with the music industry reinventing itself, there’s still room for you to take advantage of these new technologies.

Today’s artists are fast adopting several platforms in the bid to reach new listeners. Marketing for indie artists is beyond “this year” or this album.” You have to switch your focus to providing a personalized experience to your audience.

You have to create a personal touch in fan communications, creating an avenue to serve your fans with personalized merch and ads.

Artists are also shifting to alternative platforms in their bid to reach more audiences. Interestingly, these audiences are in love with the experience. Look at what Travis Scott did with Fortnite, where close to 30 million fans tuned in.

Merchandising The Right Way

It all started with the Coronavirus pandemic that opened the eyes of artists to the merchandise to generate additional income. Beyond generating income, merch has also proven to be a way to keep in touch with your fans constantly.

We are not talking about you slapping your logo on just any shirt and unveiling it. Think of it from the perspective of who your followers are, where they live, where they hang out, and what they care about.

Like your fans expect a personalized experience in your marketing, the same should also apply to your merch. Have you to ask yourself why Lady Gaga is selling a jockstrap or why The Jonas Brothers are into a wine tote.

It’s all about bringing a personalized experience to your followers via your merch. You’ll be surprised at how much they are willing to pay for this experience.

Out of The Box With Social Media

There’s quite a lot out there about social media music promotion. Interestingly, only a few have gotten the tremendous result that took them from being a small-town artist to one that has concert-level followers.

While we are all on social media, it takes skills, ingenuity, and content. Of course, you’ve got all these three; why are you not getting the results? That’s because social media is not over saturated more than ever, with everyone competing for the same space and attention.

Then ever, social media is crowded with content, ads, and collaborations. To unseat those gaining attention on social media, you must adopt unique storytelling in a personalized yet entertaining approach.

Positive and Beneficial Collaboration

The importance of collaboration cannot be overstated. You need to go beyond collaboration with other singers, extend your collabo to sound engineers, producers, social media influencers, and other relevant stakeholders.

Look out for avenues to network with other people in the music industry, both online and offline. Develop camaraderie with other artists by encouraging collaborative studio sessions, co-tours, and international collaborations.

Wrap Up

Going from Point A to Point B as an indie artist means you are taking action. You are not going to get anywhere but where you currently are.

To be able to build success, you need to follow the steps above. This will help you generate the required press interests, high play counts, tours and build fan enthusiasm.