In music marketing, a music promo is what in marketing terms one calls a promotional copy. In other words, it is, generally speaking, a duplicate (or copy) of an album that has advertising purposes. It’s different from a music demo in that the demo is a rough recording, whereas the promo is a finished version, ready for distribution, that will help you to get more people listening.
Artists (and their teams, if that’s the case) usually send music promos to press and radio stations. They do so before the official release of the material, so that the reviewing process starts beforehand. Other copies go to promoters and agents, which is of particular benefit when targeting a gig booking. The point of the whole ordeal is to exacerbate press coverage and attract attention as a result.
Music Promo: a Traditional Approach
Some people argue that the music promo is the main element of a promo package. But be careful: although it is not included in the promo pack itself, it serves as a way to level it up while the whole promotion of your music takes place.
Here we’re dealing with the most traditional kind of promo, but there are others. Generic promos such as the one we’re explaining are usually the cheapest, which is the best option for the emerging artist. Once you’ve got your career going, music promos can change and adapt, especially if you’ve had support from specific people or companies along the way. An additional piece of advice is that you keep a couple of varieties of promo CDs available for your convenience. Moreover, if you’ve already listened to our other tips and have a website on your own, you can make use of the music promo by uploading it there.
Music Promo: a Less Traditional Approach
Considering today’s context, some artists opt for a music video for their promos. Just as in the case of the album, the video aims at promoting the latest release. In contrast to albums, however, videos formulate a story around the lyrics of a specific song. When everything’s put together, the audience can familiarize with both the music and the musician, which will lead to more engagement.
Record labels are in charge of the creation of these videos; they’re experts and have a whole team that backs up the artists and their production. Regardless, this should not discourage you to try some new avenues for letting people know what’s up with your music.
Beware: Some Final Thoughts
If you’re aiming for a traditional approach, that means you’re okay with radio stations and press sharing your music. The thing is that this manner of sharing does not mean the audience gets to keep your production. When you’re looking for more interactive and digital approaches, our recommendation is that you do not give away every minute of your song when promoting. Yes, the idea is to raise interest in the public. And, ideally, this interest will turn into sales. But this doesn’t mean that all of your materials should be running wild on the web, necessarily.
Try to use your resources as intelligently as possible so as to keep a balance between overindulging and keeping everything to yourself.
