Opinion: Why you probably shouldn't be spending money on paid ads, when its ok to, and what to do instead

As a music marketer, I've often found that musicians are all too eager to pay for exposure, but haven't began to lay the groundwork for their fanbase first. If you don't already have a large following and movement on the algorithm, here's what you should be doing to grow your audience instead of paying for ads.

• You shouldn't be paying to advertise your music with paid ads because you will probably will never see that money back. If you want to make it in the industry, you need to be able to succeed without huge budgets first, and regardless, large ad campaigns won't net you any money if your target is growing your audience as a musician.

Instead

1. Pay yourself to make content. If you aren't already putting out TikTok videos promoting your music, putting out music videos, etc then its time you give it a shot. And if you are but aren't seeing results, keep learning and trying new things until you do.
2. Utilize streaming services special features to their full advantage. Many of the major streaming services have special features that most smaller artists don't even realize are free to use and proven to increase listenership. Spotify Canvas, Amazon Spotlight, etc.
3. Submit your music to streaming curation. Even if you don't think you'll get accepted, services like Spotify and Amazon will give your listeners push notifications and further promotion just for submitting to curation regardless of the outcome. Every release you put out without curation submissions is a missed chance at reconnecting with existing fans who aren't actively searching for you
4. Run an email/sms list. This is quite possibly the best marketing tool you can use, and it's free or super affordable to run. Instead of having to worry about only a small % of your fans seeing you after following you on social media, you can use an email or sms list to guarantee that a huge portion of your fans will hear what you're up to.

When It's Ok to Pay

1. When you have an event that you're confident will resonate with a wider audience. Paid ads can be useful for amplifying your reach in these scenarios, especially if you're promoting a ticketed event which will pay off directly
2. When you've built a solid fanbase and have consistent engagement. If you already have a dedicated following that interacts regularly with your content, paid ads can help you leverage this existing audience to attract new listeners. Using look-alike audiences and retargeting on mailing lists or follower lists of your existing audience can allow you to expose yourself to new fans who will stick around long term
3. When you're trying to book shows or get signed. Let's face it, promoters & labels want to see that you can pull in a crowd and have an audience. Advertising is the fastest way to give yourself an audience out of the boot. Although the practice of "juicing" streams with advertising isn't always beneficial in the long term, if you need good numbers to get noticed, advertising is the way to go.

The Bottom Line

Investing in paid ads without a solid foundation in your music career can be an often fruitless endeavor. Focus first on building your audience organically through engaging content, leveraging streaming service features, and maintaining direct communication with your fans through email and SMS lists. Once you have these elements in place and a clear strategy, then consider using paid ads to further amplify your reach and engage with a broader audience. Remember, sustainable success in the music industry often comes from a consistent, strategic approach rather than relying solely on paid promotions. Paid ads won't ever be a direct way to make money as an artist if all you're doing is promoting your music and social media, so consider how you can use other methods to grow your audience instead and save ads for things which will get you money directly.