Canva is a free graphic platform that comes with specific templates to make it easier for you to create a professional press kit that meets the industry standards. You want to make sure to incorporate as much information about yourself and your music as possible, including your social media handles and the inspiration behind your song.

When you have your press kit, you can send it to different agencies, radio stations, and publications. You can draw up a list of both local and national media that you want to send your press kit. Most of these organizations will have a press officer whose email will be easy to track down online. Set aside an afternoon before the release of your song and send out as many copies of your press kit as possible, along with a personalized message to each organization.

Networks are a two-way street, so you’ll have to find a way to help your fellow creators as well. These creators may also be able to provide you with opportunities to link up with organizations and introduce you to people who can help you promote your music. Social media is a perfect way to grow your network and reach out to other creators within your industry.

Don’t forget to reach out to the people in your network who you collaborated with to make your song. Whether it’s your producer or artwork designer, these people have an interest in your music being successful, so they’ll be more than happy to promote your work on your behalf.

To get your song featured on playlists, you want to be utilizing all of your social media platforms to encourage people to add the music to their playlists. If you spot a playlist that you think your song would fit well with, you can reach out to the user and suggest your song as an addition to their playlist.

If you plan on making videos or other free promotional material, you want to incorporate your story into as much of the content as possible. If this is your first single, it’s even more critical that you introduce yourself to your audience and give them a taste of what’s to come. Creating an emotional connection with your audience can turn a listener into a fan.

When you have a website, you can use it as a base for all your content. You can add links to all your social media platforms, embed videos, and post exclusive content there. Having a website will add an extra layer of legitimacy to your work, helping to attract the attention of potential record labels or journalists. If someone likes your music, they want to have a place to go and find out more about you.

Having a website is also a vital tool for your overall marketing. You can access analytics that gives you information about the demographic that is viewing your website, broken down by country, age, and gender. You can also see how people access your website and feed that into your overall marketing strategy.

You don’t need to have a four-figure budget to create a tailored marketing campaign that promotes your song and raises awareness of your music career.

Most website platforms will allow you to embed a newsletter sign-up directly into your site, so you don’t have to worry about manually adding emails to your list. With a mailing list, you can keep your audience up-to-date with everything that is happening, whether it’s a new song or an interview you’ve done with a local publication. You can treat your newsletter as a weekly or monthly roundup about everything that’s happened with your music.

The song ‘Drivers License’ by Olivia Rodrigo proves how effective TikTok can be in making your first hit go viral. There are almost 2 million videos on the platform that uses her original audio, with countless others using remixes of the song. With its focus on short musical clips and chatty audio, TikTok is the perfect platform to focus your efforts. While Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter have their benefits, TikTok is your primary source of potential.

With over 800 million active monthly users, TikTok is a platform you can’t afford to overlook when trying to promote your music for free. You want to focus on creating engaging, 15-second videos that capture your audience’s attention. Use your original music as much as possible. You can turn your music into a challenge and get other users involved. Once a trend starts on Tiktok, everyone gets involved. It’s one of the most powerful free promotional methods available for you.

If you don’t have time to create separate content for Instagram, you can repurpose your TikTok videos and add them onto your IGTV and ‘reels’ section of your Instagram. The more people who see your TikTok content, the more likely you will have other people share your videos for you – it’s free advertising that you can’t afford to miss out on.

Fans rarely get to see behind-the-scenes content from their favorite mainstream artists. As an independent artist, you don’t have a publicist controlling you or trying to put you in a box. Share your journey – both the high and low points – across your social media platforms. The more genuine your content is, the more your audience will engage with it. It’s this unique content that will set your profile apart from mainstream artists and help you build a connection with your audience.

You can get in touch with the blog editor and ask about writing a guest blog to promote your music. As these websites generally make ad revenue, they usually won’t charge for guest blogs that they think will bring traffic to their website. If you’re not a natural writer, you can offer to interview the website to promote your new release. You can use these music blogs as a way to start your ‘as seen in’ section on your website. It may take a while for you to land a slot with a mainstream press publication, but these blogs will be a step in the right direction.

Which of these free promotional tips are you going to use for your next music release? What free platforms or methods of promotion do you use? Let us know in the comments below. Got a question about marketing your music online? You can drop me a DM on Instagram at @adelantemusic or email me at info@adelantemusic.net