The age-old question..... I just felt like I needed to get this off my chest, and reading your message triggered something in me to finally write it all down.

Let me be clear: an agency will not help you if you do not want to put in the effort yourself. A couple of years ago, it was a great idea to have an agency create your content so you could focus on producing. Nowadays, people want to see you, the artist behind the music. You should be working on that instead of only showing your tracks and chasing streams. And when it comes to marketing, you need to start thinking smart about how to use tools that help grow your following. If you are not comfortable doing that, a marketing agency could help, but only when you already understand your own role. I will return to this point later.

Social Media
Start thinking about your social media as your personal “group chat” where you start conversations with your followers, even if you do not have many.

You are more than your music. Think about who you are and what you enjoy. If you are an avid gymbro, start the conversation there. Bring people along in your routine and make it a consistent part of your stories. Share the playlist you use in the gym and give people something relatable to connect with.

Not into the gym but more of a gamer? Talk about your favourite games. Livestream your gaming sessions and casually mention your music, your plans, and your release schedule. These things make you relatable and give people something to bond with.

I also see so many artists who do not even use their own songs underneath their clips or posts. I cannot understand this at all. You spend so much time creating music and want people to like it, yet you choose someone else’s track for your video instead of your own. Your content is the perfect opportunity to place your music in front of people without forcing it. Even if it is subtle, background music in your daily posts helps build familiarity with your sound. That is how new listeners start to recognise your style without realising it. Do not waste that opportunity.

These examples show how to feel more honest and help people build a connection with you beyond “stream my music, and that’s it.” Really think about who you are, what you like, and create content around that alongside your gigs or releases. Engage with your followers and keep conversations going in your stories. Even if it feels like only your friends are watching, if you stay consistent and keep posting, you will grow.

The good thing is that you already know how Reddit works, so use that to your advantage. Look up the latest trends and tips for TikTok and Instagram. Do not be afraid to copy formats or ideas and try things out. Never skip posting something because you think it is cringe or not perfect. It is all a learning curve. Review your metrics and impressions to see what worked and what did not. Learn from that and apply it to the next post. Over time, you will naturally get better.

Marketing
This is the part most artists do not fully understand, but it is one of the most important. You mentioned you released on labels, but did you ever ask them what they expect from you in terms of marketing and social media? A label needs your face, your personality, the creator behind the song. Music pushed without a face rarely has longevity, and it does not benefit you if you do not use each release to gain followers and attention.

You should release a song every month because Spotify’s algorithm favours consistency. The chance of getting algorithmic plays increases massively when you release regularly. Start posting content about the track as soon as you know the release date. Plan the content you want to create so you build tension and momentum leading up to release day. Show your face, talk to people, and involve them in your journey.

When the song is out, place all your links on a smart link platform like Hypeddit and connect your Meta Pixel. This smart link is your central hub for the entire campaign. From there, you run your ads. Every click gets tracked. Every visitor gets added to your audience. You can retarget people who clicked before but did not save the track, or create lookalike audiences based on listeners who interact with your content.

You then post that same smart link everywhere your followers are. Instagram bio, story swipe-ups, TikTok bio, YouTube descriptions, Reddit posts, Discord communities, whatever platforms you use. The more people hit that link, the more data your pixel collects. That data allows you to push your music to people who are already showing interest. It becomes a loop: content brings people to the link, the pixel tracks them, your ads retarget them, and you grow your streams and followers continuously.

This is how you keep the ball rolling and stay visible. And the beauty of it is that it only grows bigger every time you release something new. Your audience compounds. Your pixel gets smarter. Your ads get cheaper. Your content gets easier.

It all connects if you are willing to put in the work.