Use the same username for all services. This is important for consistency and helping people find you. If you are @JohnSmithTunes on Instagram, then your Twitter handle should be @JohnSmithTunes - making it easy for others to directly tweet to you.
To keep it consistent, you should do a quick check on social media sites first by going to facebook.com/johnsmithtunes, instagram.com/johnsmithtunes etc. to see if the username has been taken (yes, you can do this from a web browser, much quicker than searching in the apps).
Tip: If any new social media apps or sites launch after this book is released please also sign up for them, even if it is just to claim your unique username. If a new social media site takes off, you want to have facebook.com/johnsmithtunes not be stuck with facebook.com/johnsmith1989bro or worse. Claim it now, just in case! Here’s a site you can use to check all socials at the same time - checkusernames.com.
Now, I’m not just going to tell you to sign up and then “get to work”. Below are tips on creating a good profile, and where and how to find your first contacts. Once you’ve found them, don’t do anything yet. Write them down on the piece of paper that you grabbed before.
Follow these GOLDEN RULES when creating profiles on social media.
Use your real name, even if everyone knows you by “DJ Smells Good.” Don’t give people an opportunity to decide what you are about until they connect with you.
Use a real photo of your face. Show that you are a real person, don’t post crowd shots or a picture of the back of your head staring into the sunset.
Don’t use fake credentials but, at the same time, don’t undersell yourself. If you have been producing music for two weeks, don’t include that, instead say “Music Producer. Australia”. If people want to know more, they will slide into ask you.
Facebook is a perfect icebreaker because you can easily see mutual friends of contacts, even before they accept your friend request. This gives you a chance to ask your mate if they know ‘Person X’ and if they could introduce you through a DM. Once the conversation has started and they have responded positively, then go ahead and send a friend request while you are speaking with them (they are less likely to ignore it if you are speaking with them at the time).
Twitter is different. Introductions don’t work, most people don’t check their inbox or will block all Twitter users from being able to DM them. For now, set up your profile using the rules above and follow some artists, curators, or celebrities that you would like to work with or see inspirational tweets from. Once you have gained some value in yourself by creating your playlists (see Grow your playlist followings), then you will reach out to these Twitter contacts (if they don’t hear about you first).
While LinkedIn is mostly used for job hunting and co-worker creeping, it is also a useful tool for music industry professionals to network. Keep it real but also keep it relevant. Similar to Facebook, use an actual photo of your face (maybe a touch more professional here) and an honest resume. Also, only put relevant jobs, if you flipped burgers for five years but now work in a music store, just have the music store on your profile. Sign up for a free trial to get InMail credits. More detail on this in the Reach out to other curators chapter.
You might be asking why you need to sign up to a website that consists of photos and videos. However, Instagram is a great place to reach out to social influencers (see Influencer marketing). No rules here, just post pictures that show who you are. If you love food, you’ll fit right in but also share other cool stuff. If you went for a hike recently and saw a beautiful sunset, share it. People are more drawn to other people on Instagram, especially if you do cool stuff and post inspiring photos (don’t post gig flyers unless it’s the Coachella lineup and you are on it).
Set up your artist profiles
This is crucial. Even if you only have one song released, it’s essential to have a profile with as much information as possible. If your song gets in front of the editorial team at a major streaming service they are going to look at your profile. If you have a photo, brief biography and an artist playlist, you have a better chance than the next artist that doesn’t have anything on their profile. Below you will find links or details for the process for each streaming service. I intended to keep this chapter short and not copy/paste from the websites. You can find out more details once you sign up… so get to it.
Anghami
Anghami allows Artists to directly upload their music for sale, as well as offering analytics and payouts. Sign up at dash.anghami.com to set up your artist profile as well.
Apple Music
Register at artists.apple.com before you do anything else. This will give you insights into where your fans are from, as well as listener counts resulting from playlist adds. At the time of writing this, updating your Apple Music profile with a photo and biography is possible through your distributor.
Beatport
Beatport allow you to upload a professional headshot to your artist profile. The artwork must be at least 590 × 404 pixels and a JPEG image. You can do this by going to https://www.jotform.us/form/13105057250
If you are a DJ in addition to a producer you can create your own charts on Beatport at beatport.com/dj/charts/new and you can then add these charts to your artist profile.
Deezer
Email [email protected] with the subject "Artist Profile Update: Artist Name." In this email you can include two links to playlists you have created, these will be added to your artist profile as "artist playlists". Deezer also requires the URL of your artist profile (e.g., https://www.deezer.com/artist/6837) and your username (e.g., workhardplaylisthard) in the email.
Attach the following: a profile photo (a square JPEG image that is smaller than 3MB), links to your social media and an artist biography. It would be best to send them an email asking for the current image size requirements first.
Genius
A community of music lovers and artists sharing their knowledge and stories behind the music. Genius also deliver lyrics and extra information to various streaming services. You can get verified at genius.com.
Once verified you will be able to share accurate lyrics, hidden meanings/stories behind songs/song lyrics, and even to reach out to fans that are already annotating your music on the site.
Google Play