10 Ways to Build Anticipation for Your Music (The DIY Musician Podcast, Episode 330)
There's too much music out there now for an average listener to care about YOUR SONGS just because they're available on streaming platforms.
That's why you need to create anticipation BEFORE your new music launches. In this episode we'll discuss how to do exactly that, drawing lessons from artists such as Walk Off the Earth, Emma McGann, and Ellie Dixon. Topics include:
00:00 Intro
01:12 Our recent recording studio collab
10:20 Table of Contents
12:18 “It’s not your fans’ job to care”
13:31 Why you need to build anticipation for new music
14:46 A shift in how and when you release music
15:21 The power of anticipation: Experience beats information
16:36 The different kinds of anticipation
18:12 What musicians can learn from film trailers
19:23 Anticipation is NOT…
23:34 The old-school music industry ways to create awareness
25:16 The new ways to drive fan investment
28:00 Make the experience about your fans
29:05 Don’t think of your release date as the starting line
31:17 Building a song’s story in real-time on social
34:37 Case-Study: Walk Off the Earth’s “My Stupid Heart”
35:39 Just the chorus, multiple videos
37:27 Fruit drum machines?
38:17 Cuteness overload, and official sounds
38:58 An unexpected punch and open verse callout
40:15 Stirring controversy in the comments section
44:59 Brainstorm every visual angle
46:09 Can your fans influence the outcome?
48:29 Tease and create an open loop
49:52 Cliffhangers and unfinished things
51:05 Can your fans root for you? (The Olympics)
53:00 Don’t tie your life up in a nice neat bow
55:05 Hook them with the hook
55:31 Rarity & difficulty can encourage adventure & investment
57:49 Fan pathways are structured
01:01:08 Contests CAN be cool & creative
01:05:51 How do you create anticipation? Let us know!
01:06:42 Art and design assistance from A.I.
