How To Market Your Music Using LinkedIn

“LinkedIn for artists” isn’t a phrase you hear every day when it comes to music marketing strategies. In fact, LinkedIn doesn’t seem to be a platform musicians ever think about at all. Well, there is a certain sense to it by a reasonable margin. LinkedIn, quite frankly, isn’t the sort of place to upload your glossy press shots or make announcements for new music. 

However, what it can do for you is build contacts in the music business faster than any other medium. Here’s how you can turn LinkedIn into a goldmine for artists.

Using LinkedIn for Artists

Make Connections in the Industry

Hold your horses; we’re not talking about spamming record label executives with links to your EPs. In fact, doing so over LinkedIn might actually prove to be a bad idea. 

LinkedIn is swarming with potential connections in the music business that you might not have thought you needed. This includes music promoters, sound techs, producers, social media experts, graphic designers, photographers, web developers, the list goes on. 

Making these connections can end up helping you transform your entire image, expand your reach and even polish your tracks. Connecting with such people can be a solid investment in your music career.

Music Marketing with Music Industry Groups

Did you know that LinkedIn is brimming with very active music marketing groups? Such groups are great for learning new music marketing tactics and showcasing your own music in front of a huge audience. These groups are pretty handy places to be in to put your face in front of the people who matter.

Don’t just join a group with other musicians; look for groups that have bookers, promoters, managers, music supervisors, and the works. This is where you really want to be making these relationships. Think about all the areas of the music business that you might need help with and join a group that has those people in it. 

Remain Professional

LinkedIn is a great place for meeting new people, but it’s no Facebook. People on LinkedIn expect you to remain strictly professional in your conduct. LinkedIn is not a place to make new fans; it is a place to build relationships in the music business that are mutually beneficial.

With that in mind, send connection requests to people you might want to build contacts with, and use it professionally as a quick and easy way to connect with industry professionals without having to exchange numbers.

Look the Part

You might be tempted to use a nice shot of a live performance or your band’s logo on your LinkedIn profile, but all you really should use is a simple headshot. Remember, this is LinkedIn, and professionals wouldn’t take you seriously if you don’t look the part to them.

 Yes, that’s Freddie Mercury.

A professional LinkedIn profile can really go a long way in making you or your band look bankable and business-savvy. Hence, you really want to be making full utilisation of how your profile appears. 

Things to Add in Your LinkedIn Profile

The industry professionals you’d want to get in touch with on LinkedIn probably aren’t the most curious about your influences or your music-making process. You want to give them what they really want.

Fill up your LinkedIn page with all the accolades you’ve received from your music. All the awards or competitions your music might have won should show up on your LinkedIn profile. If you’ve been featured on podcasts, print publications, blogs, or websites, make sure to show that off as well. Make sure your contact information is easily available on your LinkedIn, as well as a link to your EPK. 

If you’re still trying to build yourself a steady fanbase, LinkedIn for artists might not seem like such a lucrative idea to you. But as indie musicians, we have to wear many hats to nurture all the areas of our career, which often also translates into making a few trusty contacts in the industry. For this, LinkedIn might prove essential.