Music Promotion for Beginners: 7 Steps Before You Spend a Dollar

Most artists waste their first $500 on promotion. They boost Instagram posts to random audiences. They pay for playlist placements that deliver bots. They hire “music marketers” who promise exposure and deliver nothing.

The problem isn’t paid promotion itself. It’s paying for promotion before the free fundamentals are in place.

Here’s the truth: the seven steps in this guide cost nothing but time. Complete them before you spend a dollar on ads or promotion services. They’re not optional extras—they’re the foundation that makes paid promotion actually work.

If you’ve released at least one track and want to grow your audience, this is where you start.

Step 1—Optimize Your Artist Profiles (Before Anything Else)

Every piece of promotion sends people somewhere. If that destination looks abandoned or unprofessional, you’ve wasted the effort.

Before you promote anything, optimize these profiles:

Spotify for Artists

Claim your profile at artists.spotify.com if you haven’t already. Then:

  • Profile image: High-quality, recognizable at small sizes (your face or logo)
  • Header image: Updated for your current release or era
  • Bio: 2-3 paragraphs covering who you are and what you sound like. Include your city—it helps with local playlist curation
  • Artist’s Pick: Pin your newest release or most important link
  • Gallery: Add 3-5 recent images
  • Social links: Connect all your active profiles

The “Artist’s Pick” feature is underused. You can pin a single track, an album, a playlist you curated, or even a concert listing. Update it with every release.

Apple Music for Artists

Claim at artists.apple.com. The customization options are more limited than Spotify, but still important:

  • Profile image: Should match your Spotify image for brand consistency
  • Bio: Can be longer than Spotify—use the space
  • Custom background: Upload a high-res image that represents your aesthetic

Apple Music for Artists also gives you access to detailed analytics, including Shazam data. If people are Shazaming your music, you’ll see where.

YouTube

If you release music videos, lyric videos, or visualizers, your YouTube channel matters:

  • Channel banner: Consistent with your other profiles
  • About section: Brief bio with links to streaming and social
  • Playlists: Organize your content (all official videos, live performances, etc.)
  • Channel trailer: Set a video to autoplay for new visitors

Even if you’re not actively posting long-form YouTube content, claim and set up the channel. YouTube Shorts may become part of your strategy later.

Why This Matters

When someone discovers your music and clicks through to learn more, they make a snap judgment. A complete, professional-looking profile says “this artist takes their career seriously.” An empty profile with a blurry image says “this might be abandoned.”

You get one chance to convert a curious listener into a follower. Don’t blow it with an unoptimized profile.

Every social platform limits you to one clickable link. That link needs to do a lot of work.

A link-in-bio hub is a simple landing page that houses all your important links in one place. When someone clicks from your Instagram or TikTok bio, they see options to stream your music, join your email list, buy merch, or follow you elsewhere.

Your Options

Linktree (free tier available): The original and most recognized. Simple setup, basic analytics, good enough for most artists starting out.

Stan (free tier available): Built specifically for creators. Includes features for selling digital products and collecting email signups directly on the page.

Carrd ($19/year): Not a dedicated link-in-bio tool, but lets you build a simple one-page site that can serve the same function—with more design control.

Your own website: If you already have a site, create a mobile-optimized landing page that serves as your link hub.

What to Include (Priority Order)

  1. Latest release (streaming links)
  2. Email signup (if you’re building a list—you should be)
  3. Upcoming shows (if applicable)
  4. Merch (if you’re selling)
  5. Other social profiles (limit to your 2-3 most active)

Resist the urge to add 15 links. Every additional option decreases the chance someone clicks any of them. Focus on what matters most right now.

For more on building your digital foundation, see the setup section of our indie artist guide.

Step 3—Set Up Email Capture (Yes, Already)

“But I only have 200 followers. Why would I start an email list?”

Because those 200 followers are worth capturing now, not later. And because email is the only direct line to your audience that you actually own.

The Numbers That Matter

  • Average Instagram post reach: 2-5% of followers (and declining)
  • Average email open rate: 30-50%
  • Average click rate from email: 2-5%
  • Average click rate from Instagram: 0.5-1%

Email converts better than social media by a factor of 5-10x. When you have something to sell—tickets, merch, a new release—email is how you monetize your audience.

Free Email Tools to Start

Mailchimp (free up to 250 subscribers): The default choice. Easy to use, good templates, robust enough as you grow.

MailerLite (free up to 500 subscribers): Cleaner interface than Mailchimp. Good landing page builder included.

Buttondown (free up to 100 subscribers): Minimal, simple, no-frills. Good if you want to write text-focused newsletters without fancy templates.

Where to Put the Signup

  • Your link-in-bio page (make it prominent, not buried)
  • Your website (every page should have a signup option)
  • YouTube video descriptions
  • Pinned social posts

What to offer: Give people a reason to sign up beyond “get updates.” Offer an unreleased track, a demo, a behind-the-scenes video, or early access to tickets. The incentive matters.

For detailed email strategies, including what to send and how often, see our guide on building an email list as an indie artist.

Step 4—Claim Your Content on All Platforms

When your music lives on social platforms, other creators can use it. This is good—it means free promotion. But only if you’ve claimed your content properly.

TikTok Sounds

When you distribute through DistroKid, TuneCore, or similar services, your music should automatically be available as a TikTok sound. Verify this:

  1. Search for your song in TikTok’s sound library
  2. Check that it links back to your artist profile
  3. If it’s not appearing, contact your distributor

When other creators use your sound, you get credited. This drives discovery back to your profile.

Instagram Music Library

Instagram pulls from the same catalog as TikTok (via your distributor). Verify your music appears in the Instagram music library and links to your profile.

If your music isn’t appearing, the most common issues are:

  • Distribution settings not enabled for social platforms
  • Music not yet synced (can take 1-2 weeks)
  • Metadata issues (check that your artist name matches across platforms)

YouTube Content ID

Content ID is YouTube’s system for identifying copyrighted music. When someone uses your song in their video, Content ID can:

  • Track the usage (you see the data)
  • Monetize the usage (you get ad revenue)
  • Block the usage (not recommended for most indie artists)

Most distributors offer Content ID registration. Enable it, set it to “track and monetize” rather than “block,” and let user-generated content work for you.

Why This Matters

User-generated content is one of the most powerful discovery mechanisms in 2026. When a creator with 100K followers uses your song in their video, thousands of people hear your music for free. But if you haven’t claimed your content, you get no credit, no link back to your profile, and no revenue share.

Spend 30 minutes verifying your content is claimed everywhere. It pays dividends for years.

Step 5—Create 3 Reusable Content Formats

Promoting music in 2026 means creating short-form video content. There’s no way around this. But you don’t need to be a content machine pumping out original ideas daily.

Instead, develop three reusable formats you can adapt and repeat.

Format 1: Behind-the-Scenes / Process

Show how your music gets made. This can be:

  • Recording clips (studio or home)
  • Songwriting snippets (“I wrote this verse about…”)
  • Gear and production walkthroughs
  • Practice and rehearsal footage

The bar for production quality is low. Authentic phone footage often performs better than polished content. The appeal is access, not perfection.

Format 2: Performance / Music Clips

Let the music speak:

  • Vertical clips from music videos
  • Live performance footage
  • Simple “listening” posts (song playing, visualizer or aesthetic background)
  • Lyric highlight videos

These work because people scroll with sound on TikTok and Reels. A compelling 15 seconds of your best hook can stop the scroll.

Format 3: Personality / Relatability

Music fans follow artists, not just songs:

  • Takes on topics your audience cares about
  • Reactions to industry news or trends
  • Day-in-the-life content
  • Humor that fits your persona

This format builds parasocial connection. People support artists they feel they know. Give them something to relate to beyond the music.

The Batch Strategy

Don’t create content one piece at a time. Set aside 2-3 hours to batch:

  1. Film 10-15 raw clips using all three formats
  2. Edit them down over the next few days
  3. Schedule posting across 2-3 weeks
  4. Repeat

This approach is more sustainable than trying to be creative on demand every day.

For platform-specific tactics, including what’s working on TikTok right now, see our guide on TikTok music promotion.

Step 6—Submit to Spotify Editorial Playlists

This is the single highest-impact free action you can take before a release. Spotify’s editorial playlists can add thousands of monthly listeners overnight.

How to Submit (Step by Step)

  1. Log into Spotify for Artists
  2. Go to “Music” → “Upcoming”
  3. Click on your unreleased track (must be at least 7 days before release)
  4. Click “Submit for Editorial Consideration”
  5. Fill out the submission form completely

Timeline

Submit 4 weeks before release minimum. The editorial team reviews submissions manually, and earlier gives you better odds. Some artists submit 6-8 weeks out.

What Makes a Good Pitch

The submission form asks for:

  • Genre and mood: Be specific. “Indie pop” is less useful than “upbeat indie pop with 80s synth influences.”
  • Song description: What’s the song about? What’s the story behind it?
  • Instrumentation and production style: Help curators understand what they’ll hear
  • Target playlists: Research playlists that fit your sound and mention them

Don’t be generic. The person reading your pitch reads hundreds. Give them specific details that make your song memorable.

The Reality Check

Most submissions don’t get playlisted. Editorial placements are competitive, and curators favor artists with existing traction. But:

  • You miss 100% of the playlists you don’t pitch for
  • Even without editorial placement, submitting helps Spotify’s algorithm understand your music
  • The process forces you to clarify your positioning, which helps your other marketing

For a complete playlist strategy covering editorial, algorithmic, and user-curated playlists, see our Spotify playlist guide.

Step 7—Reach Out to 10 People Who Should Hear Your Music

Cold outreach feels awkward. But it works, especially when you’re starting out.

The goal isn’t blasting 500 generic emails. It’s crafting 10 thoughtful messages to people who genuinely should hear your music.

Who to Contact

Playlist curators: Find user-curated playlists that fit your genre on Spotify. Many curators include contact info in the playlist description or their profile. Platforms like SubmitHub can also connect you with curators (paid submissions give better response rates, but free options exist).

Music bloggers/writers: Look for blogs that cover artists at your level, not just major labels. Search “[your genre] music blog” or “[your city] music scene” to find relevant outlets.

Other artists for collaborations: Reaching out to artists at a similar level for features, remixes, or playlist swaps is a legitimate networking strategy. Collaboration expands both audiences.

How to Find Them

  • Spotify playlist descriptions often include email or social handles
  • Blog “About” or “Contact” pages
  • Instagram DMs (for smaller curators and artists)
  • SubmitHub, Groover, and similar platforms

A Non-Spammy Email Template

Subject: [Song Name] – [Your Genre] for [Their Playlist/Blog Name]

Hi [Name],

I’m [Your Name], a [genre] artist from [city]. I’ve been following [their playlist/blog/artist page] and think my new single “[Song Name]” could be a fit.

[1-2 sentences about what makes the song interesting—story, production, collaborators]

Here’s a private link: [SoundCloud/Dropbox private link—not Spotify unless it’s released]

No pressure either way—I just wanted to make sure it crossed your radar.

Thanks for what you do.

[Your Name] [Website/Linktree]

Keep it short. Don’t attach files (use links). Don’t follow up more than once. And genuinely personalize each email—people can tell when they’re getting a template.

Expectation Setting

From 10 well-targeted emails, expect 1-2 responses. That’s not failure—that’s normal. If you send 10 emails per month for a year, you’ll build relationships with 12-24 curators, bloggers, and fellow artists. That’s a real network.

What Comes After the Free Steps

You’ve optimized your profiles. You’re capturing emails. You’re creating content and pitching playlists. Your foundation is in place.

Now you can consider paid promotion—and actually see results.

What’s Worth Paying For

  • Meta ads (Instagram/Facebook) for driving streams, email signups, or show attendance. Start with $15-25/day to test (lower budgets rarely exit Meta’s learning phase, which requires ~50 conversions per week for optimization).
  • SubmitHub paid submissions for better curator response rates
  • Playlist pitching services (vetted ones like Playlist Push—not the sketchy ones promising millions of streams)
  • Publicist/PR when you have a notable release and need press coverage

What’s Usually a Waste

  • Paying for Spotify playlist placements directly: Most are bot farms that’ll get your music flagged or removed. If it sounds too good to be true, it is.
  • Social media management packages for new artists: Until you have a real budget, you should own your content voice
  • “Viral” promotion services: No one can guarantee virality. Anyone who promises it is lying.

Also check out our guides on getting on Spotify playlists and Instagram Reels for musicians.

Common Beginner Mistakes

Paying for Spotify Playlist Placements

I’ll say it again because it’s that important: most paid playlist services are scams. They deliver bot streams from fake accounts. Spotify detects this, and it can result in your music being removed from the platform entirely.

There’s a difference between paying a service like SubmitHub (which connects you with real curators who may or may not accept your song) and paying for guaranteed playlist adds. The first is legitimate. The second is almost always fraud.

Promoting Before the Music Is Ready

No amount of marketing will make a mediocre song succeed. The bar for production quality is higher than it’s ever been. Before you promote:

  • Does the mix sound professional when compared to similar songs?
  • Is the songwriting compelling (hook, structure, lyrics)?
  • Would you listen to this if you weren’t the artist?

Be honest with yourself. It’s better to wait and release something great than to promote something forgettable.

Spreading Too Thin Across Platforms

TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Twitch, Discord, Threads, Bluesky…

You cannot do all of them well. Pick two platforms max for discovery (TikTok + Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts + TikTok). Add one platform for community (Discord, or your email list). Ignore the rest until you have a team.

Mediocre presence on six platforms is worse than strong presence on two.

Conclusion

Here’s your checklist:

  • [ ] Step 1: Optimize Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube profiles
  • [ ] Step 2: Create a link-in-bio hub with prioritized links
  • [ ] Step 3: Set up email capture with a signup incentive
  • [ ] Step 4: Claim your content on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube
  • [ ] Step 5: Develop three reusable content formats and batch-create
  • [ ] Step 6: Submit to Spotify editorial playlists (4+ weeks before release)
  • [ ] Step 7: Send 10 personalized outreach emails

These steps take 5-10 hours total. They cost nothing. And they set the foundation for everything else.

Complete them before you spend a dollar on promotion. Then, when you do invest money, you’ll actually see returns.

Start here:

FAQ

Does free music promotion actually work?

Yes. The majority of artist discovery happens organically—through algorithmic playlists, social media content, word of mouth, and user-generated content. Paid promotion amplifies what’s already working, but it can’t replace the fundamentals. Artists who build audiences “from nothing” almost always start with consistent free strategies before adding paid.

How long before I see results?

It varies, but expect 6-12 months of consistent effort before seeing meaningful traction. Some artists break through faster; most take longer. The key word is consistent—sporadic promotion doesn’t compound. Monthly releases, weekly content, and ongoing outreach build momentum over time.

Should I pay for a publicist as a beginner?

Probably not. Publicists are most valuable when you have a notable story (debut album, major collaboration, significant milestone) and need press coverage to amplify it. For your first few releases, the ROI on PR is usually low. Focus on playlist pitching, content creation, and building direct fan relationships first. Consider PR when you have a release that justifies the investment (typically $1,000+ per month).

What’s the best free way to promote music?

Short-form video content (TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts) combined with Spotify editorial playlist submissions. These two strategies have the highest potential reach at zero cost. The key is consistency—one viral moment is luck; sustained growth comes from regular content that gives algorithms multiple chances to find your audience.

How do I know if my music is ready to promote?

Compare your production quality to similar artists in your genre who are getting playlisted. Does it sound competitive? Ask trusted people (not friends and family) for honest feedback. If the answer is “it’s good but not quite there,” invest in better mixing or mastering before spending time on promotion. Marketing can’t fix a song that isn’t ready.

Is SoundCloud still relevant for music promotion?

For certain genres (hip-hop, electronic, experimental), SoundCloud still has an engaged community and can be a discovery platform. For most other genres, Spotify and TikTok have become the primary discovery engines. That said, SoundCloud is useful for hosting demos, unreleased tracks, and content you don’t want on streaming platforms.