Metal music has been around for decades and still has been going strong with millions of listeners globally. It has spawned hundreds of sub-genres from easily accessible heavy metal to more technical progressive metal. Despite being less popular than its companion sub-genres, progressive metal enjoys a dedicated listener base.
As a progressive metal band, you will therefore need to step up your marketing game to effectively reach out to a large number of people and promote your new album. It may seem like a daunting task, but there are certain tips and tricks you can utilize to make your job easier. Some of the best ones are given in this article.
Forums and Groups
Metal fans, particularly those who like progressive metal, often frequent different forums and groups online to discuss their favorite bands, albums, and songs. Some of these groups are found on mainstream social media platforms, such as Facebook and Reddit, that are more open to accepting new members.
You must make official accounts for your band on these groups and forums and start regularly interacting with members there. You can share your music there, which will be listened to by these members, who will not only discuss it but also share it further with their friends and acquaintances. This way, you will enjoy some word-of-mouth marketing and target your main audience. If you manage to impress them, then they will be discussing, listening to, and sharing your music for a long time to come.
Tease and Create Hype
Before you can release your album, you must first prime the market and build anticipation and hype. Movies and TV shows do so by releasing trailers, and musical artists create hype by releasing a single or two from their album a certain amount of time before its official release.
Select the best song from your album and release it sometime before the official launch of your album. The song will be heard and make your listeners excited for more. They will be waiting for the album’s full release eagerly and will be likely to quickly buy and stream it on launching day.
One of the most well-known progressive metal bands in the world, Dream Theater, did so by releasing a single with a music video prior to their album’s release. The video featured footage of the band playing their instruments and singing in a studio which was then combined into one video. On top of it was the audio of their single. This built hype and expectations among the fans, who were eager for more music from their favorite band and quickly bought and streamed the album on release.
Eye-Catching Album Covers
The presentation also plays a key role when it comes to getting people to buy and listen to your album. Music is an art form, so it is crucial that an album cover depicts art in one form or another as well to keep up with the theme. As a progressive metal band, you want to ensure that your albums have an artistic and engaging cover that catches the eye of your listener and compels them to listen.
A fan will buy your album regardless of factors that may influence them, simply because it was made by their favorite band. But for people who aren’t fans or people who you want to make into fans of your music, you must get their attention via your album covers.
Many services over the internet, such as PosterMyWall, allow users to create album covers with ease, regardless of their graphics designing ability. They also offer album cover templates that have half the work done, allowing you to modify and use it as you see fit. The whole ordeal will take you a maximum of a few minutes, and you will have your album cover.
Not only will this cover go with the album, but you may use it as a social media post itself. Progressive metal band Dream Theater did so when they were promoting their latest album. They shared their album cover artwork on Instagram, along with some information regarding the release in the caption. They also included a call to action giving their listeners a link where they could pre-order their album, which they would receive the second it releases. You may do something like this as well.
Live Sessions
Many social media platforms now allow users to “go live” where they broadcast themselves to their audience. Influencers and celebrities do so regularly to share a plethora of content with their followers and such. You can also take advantage of this facility and go live leading up to the release of your album.
To make it a success, you must first inform your listeners that you will be going live on this date and time so they can ensure that they will attend. You can then hold a live session and discuss your upcoming progressive metal album and answer any questions your listeners may have. The whole session will be one giant marketing strategy in and of itself, so be sure to be detailed without giving too much away. You may also play a song or two if you can to further whet your audience’s appetite.
Some platforms are better suited than others for this purpose. Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube are excellent for the occasional live session. But if you want to make it a regular thing, consider signing up on Twitch. It is a platform built for streamers, and you will have a better time conducting your live session.
A marketing strategy is only good enough if the product being marketed is good as well. Good music will determine the success of your album. If the music being offered to the audience is up to standard and expectations, then your album will sell like hotcakes. If you follow the advice listed above, you can give yourself the required edge to effectively promote your album and make sure it becomes your best-seller to date.
