Simply put, yes, you can! You can’t necessarily buy all the different kinds of promotion you want, such as a feature in Rolling Stone or plays on the local radio station, but you can spend money to secure some promo for your work.

Online Advertising. In addition to promoting your art on social media via posting about your work and reaching out to individuals, you can also help get the word out there with a bit of money.

Advertising on platforms like Facebook is usually inexpensive and easy to figure out, so why not spend a few bucks to push your latest tune to the masses?

Media Outreach. If you have something new to share, such as a single, video, or album, it might be time to mount a full PR (public relations) campaign.

After doing a lot of research, you can actually do the work of reaching out to Journalists, Podcast Hosts, magazines, newspapers, and TV and radio stations yourself, or you can hire a company to do it for you.

Influencers. This is another instance when you can either do your own research or work with someone who knows this world well to find influencers who are popular on social sites like Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok and pay them to feature your new single in some way.

They might review it, include the tune in some kind of video post or perhaps just share the cover and a snippet.

CHARTIN and Others. CHARTIN is a service that allows musicians to upload their music and pay to reach out to certain outlets, playlists, influencers, and more.

The company promises some level of response, but don’t believe too many guarantees of that sort from promo firms. There are plenty of other companies like CHARTIN that will deliver your work to tastemakers, for a fee, of course.

When selecting a music promotion service, there’s a lot you want to keep in mind before you pull the trigger and hire.

You want someone who listens to your music and comes to the table with suggestions based on you, your look, and your art.

You also want someone who proposes items you wouldn’t have thought of yourself or programs you don’t know how to operate. If all they say is that they have a few suggestions for your social media, that’s probably not what you need.

If a company steps up and lays out a plan that involves pitching Spotify playlists, creating tons of social content you never considered, and spending money on advertising on Instagram and Facebook, hear them out!

Essentially, you’re looking for expertise beyond your own, as well as a team that will put in the hours to do your music right.

There are a lot of people out there who claim to be working in “music promotion” who are just out for your money, so be careful!

I could write a complete article on just what to avoid when looking for help in this realm, but I’ll stick to the most glaring red flags that you’re sure to encounter when searching for help.

Concrete promises
If a service absolutely promises you a certain number of new followers on social media or placement in a high-profile blog, be wary.

Even the most connected Publicists can’t guarantee a profile in a magazine or a spot on a TV show, as things change all the time.

Also, when looking at social media, anyone can buy followers or likes, so those numbers-based promises aren’t as impressive as you may think.

Instead, demand only that they work hard and smart for you. That’s all you can ask!

Are you special?
The best music promotion companies are always looking for business, but they’re still selective.

If their website suggests you call them or email to start a conversation about working together, that’s a good sign. If all they want is a link to your music and your credit card info, it means you’ll be receiving the same treatment everyone else gets, and this isn’t a business where cookie-cutter plans work.

They don’t have past work to show you
If you’re willing to take a chance on someone just getting started in the music promotion game, that’s up to you, but if a company claims to have plenty of past successes to their credit, check them out!

What bands or musicians have they worked with? What did they get them in terms of social media, PR, or streams? Ask for concrete examples, and possibly even to contact previous clients.

They come to you
Again, many music promotion companies are looking for new clients, but not many actually do a lot of outreach, begging for work.

If the brand finds you and slips into your DM with a boilerplate message you can tell was sent to many others, don’t bother. They need you a lot more than you need them.

What Can You Do to Promote Your Music on Your Own?
A lot! In fact, you may soon find you need to start cutting back on your music promotion efforts, as you can literally spend all your time promoting your latest single, instead of writing and recording new music.

The first thing you can (and should) do on your own in the music promotion realm is to share your latest releases on social. Now, this doesn’t mean you should tweet once that your single is out and move on.

An entire plan is needed, and you want exciting content for all platforms. You’ll want to tease a release, share it frequently when it drops, and then find interesting ways to continue to promote it (but not be annoying) in the days and weeks following its arrival.

You can also spend some money on ads on social sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, though if you’re going to go this route, do your research first.

These processes can be a little complicated, and it may be best to let a team you eventually hire handle this instead.

Artists choose singles using a number of different methods, but ultimately, what matters most is what you feel.

Do you love this song the most? Does it get stuck in your head? How do your bandmates feel? Have you played it for your friends and family? What are their thoughts?

Basically, your single should be the song that has the best shot at attracting an audience and becoming a “hit,” whatever that means for you at this stage in your career.

Typically, the songs that major artists select as their singles are the ones that are the catchiest and have the best shot at dominating radio waves, so think like them!