roomfore

Best advice we could probably give people new to releasing music is to spend as much time on it as possible, really fine tune their ideas so it's the best they can possibly make it, and then once it's released just promote the life out of it as much as they can. It's a tough graft trying to promote music but you've got to just try and get it out to as many people as possible!

Jutebox

Releasing music in 2024 is not what it always was and is a lot of work which not everyone realises.

For us just off the back of recording our debut EP Soul Maintenance there were a couple things that we felt made that extra difference.

In terms of releasing use a reliable distribution site that you can know for sure will hit all the platforms you are aiming for e.g. Spotify, ITunes, Deezer, YouTube etc. to optimise the interest.

Another really important aspect of releases which can often be a dilemma, which is creating music that will appeal to the audience and the radio stations nowadays but most importantly yourselves as the artists. For us we found our formula of writing 2.30 to 3 minute singles in an EP was very effective. Short and sweet is always best as it keeps the listener attentive and involved. Also add a bit of funk ;)

You should also utilise the team you have around you. Delegate the release tasks. For example having someone focus on distribution and uploading, artwork and graphics, promotion and emailing all the radio stations (local and national) and music mags, blogs etc. This will make the release process easier.

And finally, the most important thing is to have fun with it. Enjoying the feeling of recording your own music with your friends.

Gavin Forbes

I would like to start by saying I'm certainly no expert on this topic, but I have made enough mistakes to have learned some things that could be valuable when creating and promoting a release.

First I would say to make sure you schedule properly and give yourself plenty of time. A bad example would be me with every release so far! I've set a date first long before the album is finished - a date that seemed miles away I would add.
But without fail, it has always ended up being something that adds some tension and stress. If I'm being honest, in the future I would make sure I'm at the very least finished the album and at the mixing stage before I set a release date.
So moral of the story, make sure you give yourself plenty time so you can enjoy the process and not be stressed out.

Kind of carrying on from the same point, get everything ready for the release in plenty time so you can enjoy the release process and not be running around like a mad man!
That means having Spotify ready and up at least 3 weeks in advance, get any physical releases prepared way in advance in case of any delays (my cassettes arrived 2 days before the launch! Don't be like me!) and even Bandcamp can be done in advance. And the quicker you do it, you can then also do things like preorders etc. And while you're at it, have any YouTube videos, social media posts etc all prepared too so it isn't a burden to promote it.
That way you can also carry on with your usual non release content (if you do that) as well. Something else I struggled with - between the album and launch gig, I felt like that's all I was talking about. Keep the process fun and interesting.
And don't be scared to delegate. Burn out is the only result of doing everything yourself, so make sure you have help. Again, keep it fun. Releasing music should be exciting!

On a more boring note, always triple check your details. On digital that includes ISRCs for singles etc, but it's especially important on things like physical releases. Copyright details, side A&B on cassettes and other things like that. It's better to be over cautious before hand than to have the headaches afterwards - trust me! I learned that the hard way!

And lastly, once it's out don't forget about it. Promoting it before it's out is useful. But once it's out, that's when you really have to promote it. But that can again be fun if done the right way, using fun social media posts for example. It doesn't have to be a "buy my album!!!" Post. But include your music in posts, share stories from others who have listened and maybe even break down the process of recording the album/ song. That's what I intend to do moving forward at least.

But the big thing in all of this is to enjoy the process. Releasing music is so much fun, and that's something you should not take for granted. Make sure you enjoy it!

Theo Bleak

- I think so many times releasing music is sweated over unnecessarily. I think it's good to use all the tools available to promote it, but ultimately it has to be music that you love and that you genuinely connect with. Otherwise how can you expect others to connect with it? Organic growth is far more sustainable and growing your music digitally and in the real world is so important. Grassroots first.

- I think being organised with your release is important, making sure you have everything you need for each song. Making sure you've sent it to blogs/ local radio, uploaded it to things like the bbc introducing platform and maybe putting on something cool in the local area around the release! Always ask advice from other artists or music lovers too if you're unsure.

- I wish I'd known I didn't need to sign things because they were put in front of me. I wish I'd asked for help more. I wish I'd trusted my intuition about people I let into the project

- Initially, focus on finding your projects unique identity, sonically and visually. It's okay to try things and grow past your initial releases but they're a great period of exploration. Try and grow some local support by playing locally, messaging artists you love and collaborating and learning from others!

- I think the most important thing to remember is that the music industry is completely random. No one actually knows what they're doing so it's very important to stay true to yourself and your music. Trust your gut feelings about people and decisions and say yes to everything that makes you feel excited, because you never know what creation of opportunity may arise from it.