7 strategies to grow a global fan base for your music
There are more ways to promote your music internationally than just social media.
Success in music can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. Ultimately, it’s up to you to define what success means for your career. You may be happy being a big fish in a smaller pond, and conquering your local scene. Or you might have your sights set on global recognition. Either one is fine, but if the latter sounds more like your personal goal, we’ve got some tips to help make it happen.
Identify your international audience
It can be challenging enough to determine who your audience is – are you aiming to go mainstream or do you fit into a specific niche? So, tackling this challenge on an international scale can seem doubly difficult. It’s an important step to take, however, to know where to direct your efforts and ensure you don’t waste your time appealing to the wrong people.
How can you identify your international audience, then?
- Research International Trends: See where artists in your genre are getting the most attention. For instance, Latin music has a huge fanbase in North America, while K-pop has become globally popular.
- Track Listener Data: Streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music offer analytics that show where people are listening to your music. Use this data to identify countries with growing fan engagement.
What next?
Once you’ve identified your international audience, you’ll need to dig a little deeper to make use of this new information. Think to yourself, what languages do they speak, which social media platforms are popular in their area, are there cultural aspects to consider?
Figuring out the answers to these questions will help you to know how best to target these new audiences and promote your music to them.
Use social media to connect with fans worldwide
When you’re thinking about promoting your music internationally, your first thoughts were probably towards social media. Understandable. It’s an incredibly powerful online tool that connects artists with fans from every corner of the globe. To not utilise it would be to waste a valuable marketing and promotional resource. But you need to know how to use it in a way that will boost your international presence. Here are some ideas:
- Post in different time zones: You can schedule posts for times that align with fans in specific regions. For example, if you want to reach listeners in Japan, plan your posts to go live when they’re most likely online.
- Leverage location tags and hashtags: Use hashtags in different languages or specific to particular regions, such as #UKHipHop or #ReggaetonLatino, to gain visibility.
- Collaborate with international influencers: Reach out to influencers or musicians with strong fanbases abroad and ask if they’d be interested in a shout-out exchange or collaboration.
Take advantage of global music distribution services
With digital distribution services, getting your music out to a global audience is no longer an exclusive privilege of major record labels. Distributors like RouteNote make it possible to get your music on streaming platforms around the world, so your songs can be discovered by listeners everywhere.
- Choose platforms popular in your target markets: In addition to mainstream platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, consider regional services like Anghami in the Middle East or JioSaavn in India to access niche markets.
- Engage with curators of international playlists: Look for curators who manage popular playlists in your target regions. Submitting your songs to them could help you connect with local listeners and increase streams.
Get involved with international communities
Connecting with international music communities can give you valuable insights into trends, fan preferences, and ways to promote your music effectively abroad.
- Join online music forums and social groups: Sites like Reddit, SoundCloud communities, and Facebook music groups often have members from around the world. Engaging here can help you learn about fans’ music preferences in different countries and network with artists from across the globe.
- Follow international music blogs and influencers: Explore content from bloggers and influencers who focus on international music scenes. Commenting, sharing, or even collaborating with them can introduce your work to their audience.
- Participate in international music events virtually: Look for live-streamed music events, global music summits, or international music showcases that you can attend online. Not only will this help you network, but you’ll also learn about global music trends and reach new potential fans.
Collaborate with international artists
Nothing brings audiences together quite like music collaborations. Working with local artists in your target countries offers a mutually beneficial way to introduce each other’s music to new fans. Finding artists from other countries that are at a similar level to you will help you forge connections abroad and, in turn, promote your music internationally.
But, how do you pull off an international collaboration? Here are a couple of ideas for how you can execute an effective collaboration.
- Plan joint releases: Joint singles, remix collaborations, or even live sessions can reach fans of both artists. Local listeners are often more likely to explore an unfamiliar artist when they’re associated with someone they know.
- Consider genre fusion: Genre-blending collaborations with international artists not only attract wider audiences but also bring fresh sounds that resonate globally.
Create content that appeals to international fans
Think about the ways you try to appeal to fans on home turf. If you’re using social media to share content you’ve created, then why not do the same for international audiences? Creating content that resonates with fans worldwide is a strategic way to increase your engagement across regions.
- Celebrate international holidays and events: Recognising major holidays celebrated abroad (like Chinese New Year or Dia de los Muertos) through special posts or live sessions can create meaningful connections with fans.
- Share localised content: Consider customising content, like making video messages in different languages or acknowledging fans in a specific city or country.
Submit to international press and music blogs
Press coverage is an essential way to reach audiences abroad. Getting featured on music blogs and media outlets in your target regions can create exposure and credibility. Obviously, if you could just click your fingers and get press coverage that would solve a lot of problems. But, just like sending records to labels and publishers, you can reach out to blogs and magazines.
Getting press coverage from international blogs and magazines is an ideal way to kick off your global fanbase. Here’s how you can get started:
- Build a list of blogs and online magazines: Search for blogs that specialise in your genre and have a following in the areas you’re targeting. Focus on blogs that highlight indie artists, as they’re more likely to showcase emerging talent.
- Prepare a professional EPK (electronic press kit): Your EPK should include your bio, press photos, sample tracks, and links to your social media profiles. This makes it easy for bloggers and journalists to get an overview of your work.
When contacting international press, tailor each email to the region and style of each blog. Mention why your music would appeal to their readers and highlight any unique qualities that make you stand out as an artist.
Summing up
Breaking into international markets may take time, but with determination and the right approach, you can connect with fans around the world. You don’t have to wait and hope that you’ll be picked up and noticed by audiences in other countries and territories. By taking a proactive approach, you can take control and speed up the process.
Start small, experiment with different strategies, and see what works best for your music and style. Creativity, and a willingness to engage with new communities and blow your own trumpet a little will be the keys to success in this international mission. Don’t lose heart if it doesn’t happen overnight, these things – like so many things involved in building a music career – take time. Whether you collaborate with international artists, or get in touch with global press (or everything on the list), enjoy the journey and see what opportunities arise.