The Rotor Blog

Best Music Distribution Apps

What are the best channels for music creators to use for music distribution and promotion? Here are our picks.

Music promotion is a tough gig. How do you cut through the noise and get your name out there? It’s not easy but it’s certainly not impossible. There are a few vital apps out there that can get you noticed. Here are some of the best music distribution apps every up-and-coming artist needs.

Get Your Music Noticed

YouTube

Let’s start obvious. Download YouTube and manage your channel from your phone. Make sure you keep up to date with your fanbase. Keep your eye on the comments section and interact with users. Oh, and remember to share your videos everywhere!

Vimeo

Why only have a YouTube channel? Get yourself on Vimeo!

SoundCloud

Is your music on SoundCloud yet? This is pretty vital for every music creator. With a smart tagging system and categorisation, your music is open to over 250 million mobile users.

Audiomack

Similar to SoundCloud, Audiomack allows artists to share their music on a fan-friendly platform. The site lets artists measure the reach of their music with trend-based rankings. The analytics are simple and hugely beneficial. Aspire to feature on the ‘What’s Trending' section, this shows fans where the hottest current music is.

Bandcamp

It certainly has a niche following but Bandcamp is an ideal platform for independent artists. It’s a simple opportunity for fans to connect with artists and show their support. It’s not easy to get traction on Bandcamp but once you do, you’ll see a massive surge in popularity.

Spotify

Spotify has transformed the music streaming genre. If a casual fan can’t find your music on Spotify, you can quickly fade into obscurity.

ReverbNation

ReverbNation is a great platform for any up-and-coming artist. Create a sleek mobile-friendly site, get unbiased fan feedback on your music, promote your gigs and engage fans with sleek emails. It’s a great one-stop shop for music promotion.

Last.fm

Add your music to Last.fm and the site will place your tracks on playlists with bands your fans love. This is huge for boosting your reputation among new listeners.

Get Social

UStream

Connect with your fanbase directly by live chats and personal, real-time conversations. UStream allows you to broadcast videos to anyone, anywhere.

SoundTracking

Dubbed the ‘Instagram for songs’, SoundTracking allows users to share the songs they’re currently listening to. With a strong community spirit, this is an app you should be taking advantage of.

BlueJay Music

BlueJay is a social radio app that allows users to stream live playlists to users around the world. Every week artists host playlist sessions on the app opening the airwaves to new listeners. Get yourself registered as an artist and start sharing your music.

Reddit (/r/music)

Reddit is a platform that sets the precedent for content to go viral. The content sharing community is crucial to the popularity of internet trends. This grassroots community is a great place to build a following. Keep your eyes glued to the /r/music subreddit, this will give you a solid understanding of current trends and how to infiltrate the industry. It’s also worth creating your own vanity subreddit – an ideal place for users to find your tracks.

Instagram

Anyone who’s anyone is on Instagram. It gives fans a snapshot of your life. Share regular updates, reach out to new fans and start creating an online community. The better you capitalise on the power of Instagram, the larger your fanbase will grow.

Twitter

Similar to Instagram, Twitter is crucial for influencers. Directly speak to new fans while reaching countless others with your music. Make use of high value hashtags to get the most reach. Tools like Hashtagify will help you with this.

Facebook

Another important place for music promotion. Share your music and regular updates with those who care about your work.

Buffer / Hootsuite

Keeping your social media platforms updated regularly can be a job in itself. Sometimes it’s just not possible to send live tweets or updates. Buffer and Hootsuite allow users to schedule social media posts in advance. Ideal for those with a busy lifestyle.

Gramblr

Gramblr is a scheduling tool for Instagram. It lets you streamline the upload process and manage your account from a desktop.

best music promotion social media apps

Make Some Money

iTunes

If a fan is devoted, they’ll buy your music. Get your tunes on iTunes as soon as you possibly can.

Google Play

Google Play may not be the most popular place to buy music but that doesn’t mean you should ignore it. If you want fans to buy your tunes, ensure they can find you wherever they look.

Big Cartel

Get on the merchandise bandwagon. It’s a huge opportunity to build a brand and even make a bit of money on the side too. Big Cartel offers a simple-to-use online store that can be customised to your style. It’s inexpensive and an ideal place to start.

Bandsintown

Got an event coming up? Reach more fans and sell more tickets with Bandsintown. This live music platform lets you promote tickets, engage with fans, share tour trailers and gather insights. Ideal for your upcoming gigs.

SongKick

Songkick is the world’s largest artist ticketing platform and leading concert discovery service. Take control of the fan ticketing experience and ensure you sell more tickets globally.

Create Seamless Music Videos

Got a great tune but not sure where to begin with making a music video? We can help. Our seamless budget music video tools let you craft professional quality vids to ensure your tracks get noticed. Find out more about how it works here.