Releasing a new product into any marketplace requires a lot of careful planning to ensure its success and it’s no different for the music industry. In fact, planning the release for a single is extremely necessary as it sets the mood for the rest of the album to follow. If you look at the history of successful musicians like Pharrell Williams, you’ll see that he’s doing something right since every single he releases is very well received. If you’re planning on releasing a single and want to make sure that it’s good, here are a few tips that can help you ensure that it will be a success.
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1) Register Your Work
Always register your work before you plan on distribution. This ensures that there are no copyright issues that could derail the launch of your single. It’s always a good idea to pay attention to the kind of organizations that work in your locality.
For example: In the US, there is the US Copyright Office, ISRC, Nielsen Sound Scan and more. This allows for your single to be eligible to get featured on the Billboard charts as well as qualify for gold or platinum by the RIAA if it sells well. For the UK, the registration process might require different authorities.
2) Market Your Product
As with any product, be sure to market your product. Most music companies and artists have their own social media accounts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube where they promote their new releases.
However, it is a good idea to opt for other ways to hype up your single by offering a promotional campaign such as “Share and Win” or a “Musical.ly” challenge which has made a lot of singles popular. Just think of the “Mannequin Challenge” which turned the single “Black Beetles” by Rae Sremmurd, into a viral sensation.
3) Set Achievable Goals
One thing that you have to keep in mind is that you need to set achievable goals for your marketing team. It is not always possible for a single to go viral overnight. In that case, you shouldn’t focus on making your marketing team try to make it viral.
Being viral is a byproduct of good marketing and your marketing should be more about making your music become as successful as possible. There are plenty of singles that have gained momentum, slowly but steadily, so it is a good idea to be patient and set goals that are reasonable and achievable.
4) Make Sure Your Music is Good
The most important factor is that you need to make sure that your music is good. Even good musicians that are known for their work can have a single which tanks on the Billboards once they stop making good music. Don’t just collaborate or feature big-name artists; rather, create quality music that helps to set the stage for the album that is sure to come after the release. Remember, if the single release goes well, the listeners will be more than willing to snap up the album when it is available in the market.