Although I’m a publicist now, I started my career in the music industry as a blogger, and in the six years since I created that blog, I’ve seen my fair share of submissions from bands and publicists alike. Thousands of emails have landed in my inbox, but I’ve only covered a fraction of those stories on the website.

Why?

2020 was the year of surprise albums by major artists, and most offline marketing efforts went out the window. So some artists experimented with releasing their album with zero marketing. This is an interesting strategy for a major artist, as it is a pleasant surprise for fans, which is likely to become a success and an engagement driver.

If you’re a developing artist, DIY promotion is essential for finding an audience for your music. But in 2021, traditional ways of promoting a new record, like touring, have become complicated and out of reach for many artists. The good news is that listeners are hungry for meaningful music experiences and artist engagement online during this uncertain time. Try these four DIY online promotional tactics to get the most mileage from your releases in 2021 and beyond:

At least over the short-term, the pandemic is transforming almost everything about music, including the way artists need to promote their work effectively and enduringly. Whether it’s heading off on tour to promote a new record to sending CDs out to college radio stations, the usual ways of getting the word out about music are being upended. Here are three current promotional changes you should think about if you’re sharing new music right now:

‘Tis the season! Yes, I’m talking about the season of beautiful lights hung all around the city, twinkling Christmas trees, holiday music pouring out of every store, and of course, delicious baked goods. But you know what else it’s the season for? Incredibly unique and collectible merch from you to your fans (or gifts, if you prefer), in the most thoughtful and DIY way possible.

When it comes to releasing new music, it’s an exciting time. After all, you’ve been working on this new piece of art for months or even years, and when it’s finally time to bring it to fruition and show the world what you’re made of, it can be tempting to just throw it out there, wait for the crowds, the press, the labels to jump on it and realize your brilliance, and for fans to go nuts over it.

Even before the pandemic, it’s safe to say that funds were probably pretty tight for most developing artists. But now without the ability to earn money through touring, festivals, and even most local live in-person shows, money is a bigger concern than ever for many independent musicians. This doesn’t change the fact that if you want to release music and find an audience in 2020, there are some things you can’t avoid spending money on. Here are four things worth investing in as a developing artist making music in today’s complex music industry:

An important part of getting more fans is to go beyond your music in your marketing efforts. You might have great songs, amazing visuals, and nice videos, but sometimes these might not be enough to get more following.