“Promote Your Music” are the three most important words in building artist momentum in today’s music industry. To prove our point, we look to Billie Eilish who has been making generation-defining pop music for just a few short years now. Her debut LP, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? hit number one on the Billboard Top 200 albums with a record-breaking 14 songs charting on the Hot 100 on its first week of release and remains steadily at number two ever since. If being one of the youngest artists ever to shoot straight to the top of Billboard is not notable enough, the album was recorded on an extremely low budget as a passion project with her brother at their family home in Los Angeles.
An artist breakthrough like this is evidence that the paradigm has shifted – spend more promoting your record than making it. In the era where most people listen to music through tiny speakers, headphones and mobile devices, a full-service recording studio is not a necessity and should be saved for those who have plenty of budget for both recording and promotions.
The point is that today’s recording technologies allow you to make great sounding records at a fraction of the cost, leaving you more budget to make sure your release accomplishes the goals needed to build momentum for your career. Start with developing a plan to promote your music, then work your budget backwards. Set your marketing & promotions budget based on the four factors to building momentum (vision, audience, goals & budget), and then allocate what is left for recording starting with a producer first. Pay more for someone’s experienced mind than a facility and outboard gear – this is where your recording budget will get the best value – focus on the songs, not the recordings.
There are many tools available for you to start creating professional quality recordings on a budget. One that we personally recommend is Slate Digital, which, instead of a one time purchase, provides access to their extensive library of audio plugins for one low monthly price. And if you’d rather pay a lump sum, the amount of quality Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) available are endless.
How can IHM help you get the most out of your next release? One way is with our extensive release planning services. Whether your goals are to get signed or funded, tour the world, cash in on publishing & sponsorship, or top the Billboard charts, our team helps you craft a custom plan and connects you to the right people to get the job done. Once your record is released, we can also help with establishing a marketing plan to continue to build momentum.
Check out our website for all the ways IHM can help independent artists #MakeItCount!
