The internet offers numerous opportunities for gospel CD promotion.
Major recording contracts usually come with big promotional budgets to pay for mass advertising exposure. This level of promotion usually is out of reach for an independent recording artist. For most, the costs involved in financing a radio promotional campaign or buying glossy magazine advertising are not an option. Fortunately, the Internet offers numerous low-budget opportunities for artists looking to promote their recordings.
Instructions
1. Have your gospel CD mastered by a professional to ensure your sound will be competitive with other gospel CDs in the marketplace. Mastering will provide consistent volume levels across all tracks and give your songs smooth fades. EQ and effects processing will give your CD a professional polish and sheen.
2. Pay for the services of a graphic designer to create professional-looking artwork for your CD package as many casual browsers will judge your CD by its appearance. Consider using a CD manufacturer with an in-house designer when ordering your CDs to eliminate the possibility of sending incorrectly formatted art files or artwork that doesn't exactly fit the manufacturer's templates.
3. Sign up with online retailers that specialize in independent releases. "CD Baby" and "Tunecore" are two of the biggest names in the field as of 2011, and although there is a listing fee, the website traffic is huge. Your CD will have its own web page with CD artwork, liner notes and sound clips of your choosing. You'll also be able to categorize your listing so that when visitors search for "gospel "music, your CD will be part of the search engine results.
4. Send query e-mails to online music magazines and blogs that review music in your genre, and ask if you can submit your CD for review. Keep a detailed record of all submissions and monitor the websites in case your CD is reviewed. Bookmark all reviews and use key sentences as quotes or testimonials to further promote your CD.
5. Create a website devoted to your CD release. Feature your CD artwork prominently on the home page and link it to your "CD Baby" or "Tunecore" CD listing so that you can quickly transform interested listeners into potential buyers. Add links to all of your online reviews and add one or two of the best testimonial quotes on the home page alongside your CD.
6. Research public radio stations that feature gospel programming and ask for submission guidelines. Check station playlists and make a note of any airplay. Add links to these playlists on your website so that visitors can see which stations are playing you. Include this information in future submission queries to other radio stations.
7. Upload your music to an online podcast directory. Once there, podcasters will be able to use your music in their podcasts, giving you valuable exposure.
8. Contact other artists in your genre and ask them to exchange website links. When you hear good music, be vocal about it on your website and on online forums.
