When indie artists and labels complete their albums and singles, they often fail to consider how to promote them. This leads to a massive rush of anxiety once the music is finished, as they suddenly face the "what next?" questions. I've been in this exact position with my artists—we had to figure it out as we went along. But if you want to skip the trial-and-error phase, tune in to today's episode of the Music Money Makeover Show!
Time Stacking
The number one key to a successful music and artist promotional campaign is time stacking. Every artist contract only allows so much time leading up to the album release and shortly after for promotion because the attention will be gone. From an independent standpoint, you have much more freedom—which for most usually leads to the demise of their efforts—however, operating the same way major labels do will help you gain momentum much quicker. When you constrain your promotional time to 90 or 180 days, you get the effect of the artist who came out of nowhere. Even though you're independent and you want to take your time, time is always of the essence, so it would be best if you put time constraints on your promotional efforts. This way, you can increase the provisions of your effort, money, and time more quickly and effectively than moving forward sporadically.
Geo Stacking
Many artists and small indie labels try to promote solely from a laptop. However, when you have fans and listeners in different geographical markets outside your home base, it's best to meet these people on a physical level. Geo Stacking occurs when multiple cities are combined and a schedule is made to greet the people, businesses, perform, or all of them. This is why promotional tours exist—and they're different from concert tours. They're designed to connect you with people where they live. The best approach is to focus on a 300-mile radius around your home city, creating events and activities that let you not only meet these fans but show genuine care for their local markets. Just as you stack multiple digital posts for online promotion, you'll want to stack multiple in-person activities and multiple cities for physical promotional efforts.
Operations are key
What no one tells indie artists and labels about promotions—as they soon find out—is that logistics are key, and everyone on your team will be looking to you for direction. When team members, including the artist, have no clear instructions about what's happening, the promotional run begins to fall apart. You may start with a Google Calendar to get going, but eventually, it won't be enough. You'll need itineraries for everyone on the team because people will get lost in the sauce when they aren't part of your team's inner circle with all devices synced. A daily schedule should be sent to everyone each day, and a weekly schedule every week. If you can do this for your team and give them marching orders, I guarantee they will look at you like a godsend.
What if I don't have enough time to coordinate all these promotional activities?
You do have enough time—you're just feeling overwhelmed by the logistics of everything. Your mind is already "lost in the sauce" on the amount of work it will take to schedule a promotional campaign. Time constraints can feel daunting, but that's exactly why we need a structured approach. Get around it by breaking down your promotional calendar into 30-day chunks, and scheduling pillar events like releases, performances, and interviews. Then start delegating tasks using project management tools like Artist Growth, which is the one I'm using. A Google Calendar is a nightmare, trust me!
What if I don't have enough money for promotional activities?
Money isn't the real problem—the truth is you're wondering if it's going to work or not. This comes down to self-confidence and belief. Do you really believe in your project or songs? Many artists get stuck thinking they need a major label budget to promote effectively. However, that's not a good reason to avoid taking action. Get around it by starting small and scaling up—focus first on your 100-mile radius where travel costs are lower, leverage free social media promotion, cash in on some favor people owe you, and reinvest any earnings back into your promotional budget. If you don't have the money, spend the time; if you don't have the time, spend the money. If you avoid investing in promotion, you'll remain unknown regardless of your talent. But if you start small and stay consistent, you can build momentum that attracts bigger opportunities.
What if I don't have the right connections or industry contacts for promotion?
Connections aren't actually the core issue—you’ve actually built up an anxiety of rejection and putting yourself out there. Many artists use the "I don't know anybody" excuse to avoid reaching out to people. However, that's not a good reason to stay in your comfort zone. Start by connecting with who you do know—friends, family, local venues, small blogs, and podcast hosts. Build genuine relationships on social media with other artists and industry professionals. Then muster up the confidence and start cold calling and emailing. That’s how you get the real connections. Remember, everyone starts with zero connections. If you avoid networking and reaching out, you'll always feel like an outsider. But if you consistently put yourself out there and provide value to others, you'll naturally build a strong network over time.
Here’s what you can do!
Jot down the event pillars for your next events (single release, album release, merch drops, shows, interviews etc.) and plan how you can promote those events on the day of, the day before, and the day after. Then expand your promotion timeline—two days before and two days after each event.
Next, I want you to grab this tool I've been working on called Artist Growth to handle your planning. It's super affordable, even for a one-person team. Simply place all of your scheduling ideas into your Artist Growth calendar. Visit https://www.artistgrowth.com/ to start for free today!
If you implement the strategies in this video,
you'll experience three major payoffs:
Your promotional efforts will become more focused and impactful, leading to increased visibility and fan engagement within your target markets
You'll develop a professional, organized approach to music promotion that attracts better opportunities and industry connections
Your time and resources will be optimized, resulting in better ROI and sustainable growth for your music career
If you don't follow a structured promotional strategy
you'll face three major costs:
You'll waste precious time and money on scattered, ineffective promotional efforts that don't build momentum or reach your target audience
Your artistic vision and message will get lost in the noise, leading to diminished confidence and creative frustration
You'll either remain stuck in obscurity while watching others succeed, or burn out trying random tactics that don't yield results.
At the End of the Day
The strategies we've covered today aren't just theoretical—they're proven methods that major labels use to create successful promotional campaigns. By implementing time stacking, geo stacking, and proper operational management, you can achieve the same level of professional promotion that bigger players use, just on a scale that fits your current resources. Remember, it's not about having unlimited time or money—it's about using what you have strategically and effectively.
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