4 Marketing Tips That Have Worked for My Music Career
Hey pals, my name is Tory, and I write blogs for Hellbender! I'm also a musician of 22 years, and have been playing more professionally for the last 10. My band has played across the country and opened for some indie phenoms like Jay Som, Bartees Strange, Katy Kirby, Ezra Furman, and Summer Salt. I also work at Hellbender doing marketing and communications - I run the socials and plan our events.
I'm definitely not claiming to know everything about marketing in music, but I've picked up some good lessons over the years and thought I'd share.
1. If you want to open for a cool show, email the venue booker!
Every cool opening spot I've gotten came from looking at a venue's website to find out who books the shows, checking their calendar to see what bands are coming to town that match my sound, and just... emailing them. Something like, "Hi Carol, (or whatever the booker's name is) I'm Tory, a local indie rock musician in Pittsburgh. My sound is similar to Palehound and Katy Kirby for reference - I saw that [band] is coming to town and I think my band would be a great opener. Here are some links to a live show, my Bandcamp, and my bio. Thanks so much for considering!"
I've played some 500-cap sold-out rooms just by reaching out. Sometimes the headlining band isn't looking for a local act, but sometimes they are, so why couldn't it be you?
2. Have live footage of yourself!
It's really important to have good footage of yourself playing a live show. Bookers especially want to see it. I went to a talk once with Jay Sweet, who books Newport Music Festival in Rhode Island, and he said he won't book a band without seeing a live video. He wants to see how the crowd reacts, the chemistry between you and your bandmates, how you actually play - not just a good song on Spotify. Send live videos to any booker you reach out to, full stop.
3. Post quality stuff to socials.
To me that means nice flyers, good photos of you or your band, some videos of you playing, and something that shows a little personality. My internet presence is pretty quirky - if you follow the Hellbender Instagram you've maybe noticed it can get a little silly. My personal one is even more so. I love making observations about stuff and that's kind of become my thing. I think it's important to post more than just your music - show people who you actually are so they can relate and connect with you.
What I don't want to see: blurry photos, unedited videos that drag on forever, bad filters, screenshots from Facebook (sorry, 50-year-old dudes.)
4. Get out there!
This one can be hard, especially if you're not a people person, but showing up to local shows really matters. I've met so many cool people just by going out. I know it's a lot - you've got a job, you're working on your own music, and now you're supposed to go to other people's shows too, but it's about supporting the community, and once you start meeting people you realize how small the music world actually is. It's always wild when you're talking to someone and you both happen to know the same person across the country because you each played a show with them once. Meeting people is honestly the most important thing for your career. Heck, it's how I got this job! If you're in Pittsburgh, check out the Pittsburgh Music Tracker - it lists all the shows happening around the city, big and small.
That's what I've got! Music is hard and the industry can feel really overwhelming, but at the end of the day it's about making stuff you love and finding your people. Pittsburgh's got a really cool scene right now (did you know there's a vinyl plant here?!), so get out there and be a part of it. Hope to see you at a show sometime!
