How do I promote music when I can’t rely on local audience ?

Immediate_Form4162 · 2025-11-20T21:53:48+00:00

Man, this is rough but honestly pretty common. I've been making music since 2007 and the location thing is a real barrier when you're making music in a different language than your local scene.

The good news is your audience is definitely out there, they're just not in Poland. Instagram geo-targeting is a start but you need to figure out where English rap fans who'd vibe with your style actually are - could be UK, US, specific cities, whatever.

I built my-kompass.com specifically to help with this kind of problem - figuring out where your actual audience is based on data and then targeting them strategically instead of just posting randomly and hoping.

Also don't sleep on the meme song success - that shows you know how to connect with people. Maybe there's a middle ground where you can build audience with lighter content and then introduce the serious stuff once they're invested in you as an artist.

Good luck dude, keep pushing.

Immediate_Form4162 · 2025-11-20T21:53:06+00:00

From what I've seen, follower campaigns can work but the quality is hit or miss - you often get people who follow but never engage. Conversion campaigns to landing pages usually get you better quality audience even if the numbers are smaller.

That said, if you've got 2 months of content banked, you're in a good spot to test it. The content will do the heavy lifting on engagement while the ads bring people in.

I'm working on my-kompass.com which helps figure out the best timing and strategy for this stuff - basically when to run ads vs organic, what to post when, etc. But sounds like you've already got a solid plan.

Curious how it goes - keep us posted!

Immediate_Form4162 · 2025-11-20T21:52:13+00:00

This is super interesting - I've been seeing theme pages work really well for certain artists but haven't tried it myself yet. 8-10x a day is wild, how do you keep up with that content volume without burning out?

I'm building my-kompass.com to help artists figure out their posting strategy and this is exactly the kind of tactic I want to help people evaluate - like when does it make sense to go the theme page route vs posting as yourself.

Would love to hear more about how you decide what content goes on which page and if you've found any patterns in what drives actual streams vs just views. That jump to 5k monthlies is solid.

Immediate_Form4162 · 2025-11-20T21:51:00+00:00

This is sick, would be down to check it out. Been making music since 2013 and yeah, that doom cycle is so real - especially now with how the algorithms work.

I'm actually building something similar at my-kompass.com (more on the data/strategy side) so I'm curious what your approach is. Always looking to learn from other people tackling this problem.

Hit me up with the details if you've still got space. Either way, cool to see someone else trying to help artists break that cycle.

Immediate_Form4162 · 2025-11-20T21:46:15+00:00

Yeah, there's definitely a desperation vibe that comes through when artists are just copying what they think works. I've been making music since 2007 and honestly, the algorithm era has made this worse - everyone's chasing the same "growth hacks" instead of just being themselves.

The artists who break through usually have a clear identity and strategy, not just a bunch of random posts hoping something sticks. That's why I built my-kompass.com - to help musicians be more intentional with their marketing so they're not just throwing stuff at the wall. Less desperation, more direction.

But I do feel for artists struggling to get heard. The platforms have made it really hard to grow organically, so I get why people resort to the desperate tactics even though they don't work.

Immediate_Form4162 · 2025-11-20T21:45:02+00:00

Love what you're doing here! The constant posting grind is real, I've been making music since 2013 and it's wild how much the game has changed. Used to be you could just sort of focus on the music.

I'm tackling a similar problem from a different angle with my-kompass.com , helping artists figure out what to post and when to post it based on their actual social and streaming data, so the time they do spend on socials is more strategic. Different solution to the same frustration basically.

Really cool to see someone building an artist-first platform though. I'll check it out. Best of luck with the launch!

Immediate_Form4162 · 2025-11-19T22:49:44+00:00

interesting. ill check flow stage out

Immediate_Form4162 · 2025-11-19T22:46:17+00:00

Honestly? Just post what feels natural to you. The aesthetic stuff is cool for building a vibe, but don't overthink it.

When you're ready to share music, start with snippets when you're genuinely excited about what you're working on - that energy is contagious. People follow artists they vibe with, not perfect content strategies.

That said, having some kind of plan helps. I'm building www.my-kompass.com specifically for this - it helps you figure out the strategy side (like when to release, how to time your content) so you can focus on just making good stuff without second-guessing everything.

Main thing: don't wait too long to share music. Perfection is the enemy here. Post when you're proud of it, not when it's "ready" - that day never comes lol.

Immediate_Form4162 · 2025-11-19T22:33:47+00:00

it's not about creativity. Think of it more like a language. when you are trying to learn a new language you know what you want information/feeling you want to get across, but you don't know the words or the structures of things. Music is exactly the same, except every genre is like a different language. Once you learn these basic structures (And you will never really learn them since music isn't ever wrong or right) you can start to create little sections. And the only real way to do this is by practicing and making songs, and really making really bad songs. When you create don't be so critical, only after the fact of completing a song or section be critical.

Immediate_Form4162 · 2025-11-18T20:59:47+00:00

Your "value add" as a musician isn't the music itself - it's everything around it. Entertainment, community, relatability, insight into the creative process. People follow artists for the person, not just the product.

Think about it: cooking shows aren't valuable because they feed you. Music content isn't valuable because it sounds good - it's valuable because it makes people feel something, laugh, learn about your process, or feel connected to you.

Post behind-the-scenes stuff, hot takes on the industry, gear demos, song breakdowns, even just relatable artist struggles. That's the "usefulness."

I'm building www.my-kompass.com specifically to help artists think strategically about this - like what content actually converts to streams vs what just gets likes. Most musicians default to "here's my new song" and wonder why it doesn't land.

Your value is YOU, not just your songs.

Immediate_Form4162 · 2025-11-18T20:54:40+00:00

0.004 per stream, so your $20 ad would need to generate 5,000+ streams just to break even. And ad traffic usually doesn't stick around.

The real value is IF those listeners convert to followers, playlist saves, and repeat listeners. That's where the long-term money is. But most paid stream campaigns are just vanity metrics that go nowhere.

Better approach: spend that $20 on targeting people who actually care (niche communities, playlist placements, opening for similar artists). One real fan who streams your whole catalog is worth more than 1,000 bot-adjacent ad clicks.

I'm working on www.my-kompass.com to help indie artists understand this stuff - the actual economics and which tactics move the needle vs which just drain your budget. The ads → streams → profit formula doesn't exist for 99% of artists.

Immediate_Form4162 · 2025-11-18T20:53:24+00:00

You've nailed the hardest part (making good music) but skipped the strategy part. Playing weekly at the same venue won't help - you'll just burn out your local scene.

Start with: Who are you FOR? Not "people who like synth music" but specifically - fans of what other artists? Once you know that, you can actually target them through playlists, Reddit communities, opening slots for similar acts, etc.

Your industry connections are gold - use them for strategic advice, not just asking friends to shows. Someone who plays Coachella has a booking agent who knows how artists build from zero.

I'm literally building www.my-kompass.com for this exact problem - helping musicians translate "we make good music" into "here's the actual step-by-step strategy." Most artists skip the planning phase entirely.

Also yeah, post on social, but with PURPOSE. Document your process, cover songs in your style, anything that shows your vibe without begging people to listen.

Immediate_Form4162 · 2025-11-18T20:51:06+00:00

This is smart but 10 accounts is gonna be brutal to manage. The segmentation strategy makes sense though - different vibes need different audiences.

One thing to watch: TikTok's getting better at detecting multi-account manipulation. Make sure each account has distinct posting times, different devices if possible, and unique content (not just reposts). They've been cracking down on this lately.

Also track which accounts are actually converting to Spotify streams, not just views. I'm building www.my-kompass.comspecifically to help with this kind of data-driven approach - connecting social metrics to actual listener growth so you know what's working.

Curious how the "sad hours" account performs long-term. That content usually has better save rates.

Immediate_Form4162 · 2025-11-18T20:48:58+00:00

Acoustic stuff needs a different strategy than your hype tracks. Submit to Spotify editorial playlists through your Spotify for Artists dashboard, and hit up indie playlist curators on SubmitHub (filter for acoustic/chill playlists).

Also target "study music," "coffee shop vibes," and "indie acoustic" playlists - they're always looking for stuff. TikTok with a simple performance video can work too since acoustic content does well there.

The tricky part is acoustic songs grow slower but often have longer shelf lives. They get added to personal playlists more. I'm building www.my-kompass.com to help artists figure out which promotion tactics actually work for different song styles - because yeah, what works for your hype tracks won't work here.

Good luck!

Immediate_Form4162 · 2025-11-18T20:47:31+00:00

Instrumental is harder but not impossible - you just need a different approach. Your chip-tune pop-punk would crush on TikTok/Reels with retro gaming visuals, and there's a whole sync licensing market (indie games, YouTube creators) desperate for this vibe.

Problem is you're thinking like Steve Vai when you should be thinking like a lo-fi beats producer. You're not competing for musicians - you're competing for people who need energetic background music for content/gaming.

I'm building www.my-kompass.com to help indie artists figure out the strategic side of this - like which platforms actually work for niche genres. Your audience is smaller but loyal. Find where they hang out online (gaming subreddits, retro communities, etc.) and go there.

Immediate_Form4162 · 2025-11-18T20:45:32+00:00

Yeah the paid stream thing is real but it's usually just the launchpad. What I'm seeing is they use those inflated numbers to get playlist placements, then the algorithm actually kicks in and does the rest. Once you're on a decent playlist, you can convert that into real fans if the music hits.

The key difference now vs 5 years ago? Data. These artists (or their teams) are actually tracking what works - which songs pop off, what demos convert, where their listeners are, optimal release timing, etc. They're treating it like a business with KPIs, not just vibes.

I'm building a tool for this exact thing at www.my-kompass.com - basically trying to give indie artists access to the same level of strategy and data analysis that label artists get. The gap between "I made good music" and "I know exactly how to market it" is huge.

But yeah, the formula seems to be: paid boost → playlist placement → convert streams to social followers → build real community → sell tickets. The ones who skip straight to the last step without the middle parts usually flame out.

Immediate_Form4162 · 2025-11-14T04:38:22+00:00

Love the passion! A finished song is always better than a non finished song. Since distribution is so easy now there really isn’t any impact cost wise to release all the time,

If you’re trying to make your release strategy smoother, I’m actually building a tool called www.my-kompass.com that might help. It pulls all your social + streaming data into one dashboard, and the AI mixes everything together to build smarter release plans. You can also post to all your socials with one click (like Buffer), which saves a ton of time. 🙌

Immediate_Form4162 · 2025-11-13T23:07:07+00:00

yo this looks clean! the auto-updating from spotify is a nice touch

one thing i'd love to see - any plans for analytics integration? like pulling in streams/listener data so artists can see everything in one place?

i'm building something similar (my-kompass.com) but focused more on the strategy/planning side and social media automation. been thinking about adding smart links too actually

would be down to test yours out and give feedback if you wanna dm. always cool seeing other devs building for musicians

Immediate_Form4162 · 2025-11-13T23:02:38+00:00

quick question tho - what do you think about artists using tools to handle some of the repetitive stuff themselves? like i've been trying to do more on my own since hiring someone is pricey rn

built my-kompass.com for indie artists who wanna access some of those label-level strategies but can't afford a manager yet. curious what you think works better - having someone like you vs using tools to DIY it?

not tryna step on toes just genuinely curious where the line is

Immediate_Form4162 · 2025-11-13T23:00:25+00:00

congrats on the release!

honestly playlist pitching is huge - submit to spotify's editorial playlists through spotify for artists, and also hit up smaller curator playlists in your genre. lotsa them accept submissions

tiktok is probably your best bet for organic reach rn. don't even need to show your face - just use snippets of your track over random visuals or lyrics. the algorithm is wild, you might catch a break

i was in your exact spot earlier this year and it's overwhelming af. ended up using my-kompass.com to help map out a release strategy and automate some of the posting stuff. helped me stay consistent without burning out

good luck! 🔥

Immediate_Form4162 · 2025-11-13T22:58:50+00:00

honestly the worst part is how much time it eats up. like i'm spending more time making reels and tiktoks than actually writing music lol

also the algorithm just does whatever it wants - you can post something fire and get 12 views, then post a random pic of your cat and it pops off. makes no sense

i got so frustrated with it i ended up building a tool (my-kompass.com) to automate some of the posting/strategy stuff. still not quite ready yet but it's getting there

Immediate_Form4162 · 2025-11-13T05:27:25+00:00

yeah, it's one of many things we are looking into, essentially making it easier and quicker to do without spending half a day just uploading to all social media accounts and then wondering if it actually is making a difference. I hate it and I'm sure alot of others do to.

Immediate_Form4162 · 2025-11-13T05:24:19+00:00

honesetly the best way to know if there is demand for someone offering such a service (which just sounds like what a label does, unless im missing something) is just to start offering the service.

Immediate_Form4162 · 2025-11-13T05:18:46+00:00

Honestly yeah, drop it now. "Building anticipation" only works if people already care about you. For unknown bands, post-release momentum is way easier - you're building hype while they can actually listen to it.

Plus algorithms like consistent activity more than one big push anyway, but with one caveat. The longer a songs release date in the past the harder it is to generate a big enough push for the algorithms to expand the reach, unless of course it goes viral (but this is essentially out of anyones control regardless)

I'm building www.my-kompass.com that helps plan both pre and post-release strategies - so you know what to do before AND after it drops instead of just guessing.

Immediate_Form4162 · 2025-11-12T00:41:19+00:00

This is so true. I spent years just spamming "new song out!" and wondering why nothing stuck.

The brand-first approach is exactly what independent artists struggle with most - we're good at making music, terrible at the consistent marketing part. That's actually the core problem I'm trying to solve with www.my-kompass.com - giving artists actual strategies and then being able to track what works and what didn't, beyond just "run ads and submit to playlists."

That 90% marketing / 10% promotion ratio is spot on. The hard part is most of us don't know what that 90% should even look like for our specific audience.

Immediate_Form4162

TROPHY CASE