Why Every Musician Needs an Email List — Even in 2023

It seems pretty intuitive to think email lists are boring or even archaic, but in today’s constantly shifting tech environment, they’re one of the most reliable ways to reach fans with new music, share information about what you’re doing musically, and news about your upcoming projects.

Here are a few reasons why email lists aren’t only great, but absolutely crucial for an artist if you want to grow at a steady pace— and ensure that your growth stays.

Email is the BEST way to sell music and merch

Let’s switch sides for a moment. When you add your name to somebody’s email list, it usually means that you’re really interested in what they have to say. It signifies your trust in them and your interest in what they’re offering. 

That’s the kind of people who are going to subscribe to your email list. 

When somebody is trusting you enough to give you something which gives you the power to contact them every single day—their email address—which means they really do want to hear what you have to say. And if they really want to hear what you have to say, chances are good that sooner or later, they’ll want to buy something you have to sell. 

Besides, no other platform provides that kind of a one-on-one connect with your fans. People read email in the privacy of their inbox. The message is not on a public timeline or newsfeed. They can ask you questions directly with confidence. This helps build trust and connection.

Ownership

The old social media networking company Myspace recently made headlines for accidentally deleting millions of songs that artists had uploaded to its platform. 

Now imagine if this happened today with your content on Instagram or Facebook. Most musicians now promote their work through Instagram and Facebook, however, Myspace’s embarrassing debacle shows just how unreliable social media platforms are, not just for sharing music but also as marketing tools.

Having your own email list makes you not rely on 3rd party sources to show your brand. What if Facebook, Twitter or Instagram shuts down, should that mean you lose all your content? Or worse, should that mean you lose all your fans?

Having an email list places all your information in your own hands. You get to control what people see and how you build your brand. 

Email beats the social media algorithm

Each time you post something on social media, what are the chances that all your fans will see it? Whether it’s a fan taking a break from social media, or the platform you post on intentionally limiting the number of users who see your post, getting your audience to pay attention to what you share online can be rather tricky. 

Email marketing enables you to send engaging messages to the most attentive parts of your fanbase by grouping them all together. The amazing thing that you can do with email marketing is segment this list further to key in on specific demographics within your fanbase.

You do not own Facebook, Twitter, or Google. Your social media campaigns and SEO efforts can go to waste when these platforms change their policies. On the other hand, you own your email list, and it is not influenced by decisions of other businesses.

Email beats social media— period.

You may have heard that Facebook has 1.4 billion and Twitter has 100 million daily active users. What you have may not have heard, is the number of people using Email every day. 

Every internet user has at least one email account. A recent research conducted by Radicati found out that there 3.8 billion active email accounts. That’s half the population of Earth.

Email marketing is a phenomenal marketing tool because personal email isn’t going to go out of fashion anytime soon. Everyone from your grandma to the most avid music fans depend on personal email, making it a great way to connect with your fans.

Also, having a blog or website is necessary to your marketing plan because it gives people a place to find you that’s permanent. It doesn’t need to be fancy. In fact, all you really need is one page! Make sure you have a website set up before you get to setting up your email list.

How Do I Get An Email List?

To get started with an email list, you’ll need two things.

1. A platform to collect the email addresses.
2. A platform to email those people from (a CRM—Customer Relationship Management). 

Bandcamp is an inexpensive way for musicians to collect emails and MailChimp is a great CRM to start with since your first 2000 email addresses are free.

Having said that, make sure your email list is worth being subscribed to. One of the reasons that fans subscribe to a musician’s newsletters is because they hope they’ll get the inside scoop on what’s been up. Everybody likes to feel that they have access to exclusive content. A fan newsletter can be the electronic equivalent of a backstage pass. Make it seem that way!

Do not make the mistake of slacking off building yourself an email list. Want to know what other mistakes to steer clear from? Check out the Top 4 Mistakes Most Artists Make. While social media continues to dominate the focus of online marketing discussions, there is no question that email has, is, and will continue to be the key to success for musicians.