How Music Business Works & Who’s Responsible for Marketing
The music business includes:
- Record labels
- Distribution platforms
- Booking agencies
- Music marketing agencies
Which music business department is responsible for marketing?
At a record label, the marketing department oversees everything from campaign strategy to digital rollouts, ads, and brand partnerships. Promotion and PR departments handle radio, press, and influencer outreach.
What Is a Music Marketing Agency?
A music marketing agency is a team that plans and executes campaigns for artists or labels. Services often include:
- Branding & strategy
- PR & media coverage
- Playlist pitching
- Paid ads
- Tour marketing
Agencies are vital for indie artists and busy managers who need execution support.
Are Music Videos Marketing Tools?
Absolutely. Music videos:
- Increase song visibility
- Improve fan engagement
- Help songs trend on platforms like TikTok and YouTube
- Act as strong content for ads and press campaigns
They’re both creative assets and commercial tools.
How Does Music Marketing Work?
Music marketing works by aligning strategy and content:
- Audience research
- Branding and story
- Digital rollouts
- Playlist & PR pitching
- Ads and influencer seeding
- Performance tracking and optimization
Success requires creativity, data analysis, and consistency.
How to Get Into Music Marketing
Interested in the field? You can:
- Intern at labels or agencies
- Volunteer for local artists or festivals
- Start by running social for a band
- Study digital marketing tools
What do music marketers do?
They run campaigns, buy ads, pitch to blogs/playlists, oversee content, and report results.
What Is a Music Marketing Job Like?
Expect to:
- Plan and manage campaigns
- Work on brand positioning
- Run ads, manage budgets
- Coordinate with PR, design, and content teams
Average salary: $40K–$100K+, depending on experience and location.
How Much Does Music Marketing Cost?
It depends:
- Indie artist campaigns: $500–$5,000
- Label-supported campaigns: $10,000–$100,000+
- Major acts: $250,000+ (with videos, ads, and PR)
Most spend 20%–50% of their release budget on marketing.
How Much Is the Music Market Worth?
- Global recorded music revenue in 2024: $29.6 billion
- Labels spend billions annually on A&R and marketing
- Thousands of artists compete, but marketing helps you rise
How Many Music Creators Are There?
On Spotify alone:
- 8M+ creators have uploaded music
- 165K+ have 10+ tracks
- Only a few thousand earn 6-figure incomes
Marketing helps cut through saturation.
How Often Do Artists Get Paid?
- Streaming royalties: Monthly or quarterly
- Performance royalties (radio, PROs): Quarterly
- Shows: Per gig
- Merch & sync: Varies
Cash flow depends on release cadence and marketing momentum.
