DIY Artist Self-Promotion Plan: First 6 Months

The typical starting conditions for a musical artist today are quite minimalistic. Usually it's not even a team but just one person, occasionally two or three at most. A budding artist typically has a modest home studio where they create their tracks independently. They release their music through platforms like DistroKid. Most newcomers initially don't plan live performances and rationally decide to start an online career first.

These charming adventurers immediately face the challenge of self-promotion on social media—often with no budget whatsoever. All young indie artists face the daunting task of breaking through the information noise created by other aspiring musicians. It's a serious challenge—by 2025, approximately 12 million solo artists and bands regularly upload their tracks to streaming platforms (based on Spotify's report).

To avoid excruciating psychological pain when trying to find your initial audience in the early stages, it’s best to develop a clear plan for the first period and stick to it. And don’t worry if the initial results seem modest. Where can you find such a plan? Here it is…

 What to Do If There's No Budget? Obvious Answer — Content Marketing

Let's say you've got two to four ready-to-release tracks. Time to begin. But how exactly do you start? Here's what you should focus on:

1. Release Planning (tracks + lyric videos/D.I.Y. clips)
2. Content Marketing (short videos, posts, audience interaction)
3. Artist Profile Optimization Across Social Media & Streaming Platforms
4. Mini Collaborations & Organic Networking
5. Collecting Feedback & Building Social Proof

Overwhelmed? No worries. Let’s break this down step by step.

H3: Month 1: Foundation and Content Launch

✅ Setting Up All Social Channels:

• Instagram: Your primary channel for connecting with fans.
• TikTok: Essential, even if you're unsure about its relevance to your genre. Short videos drive initial visibility these days.
• YouTube: Start with YouTube Shorts and set up a basic channel, even without full-length music videos.
• Spotify for Artists: Complete profile setup including photos and bio.
• Choose a unified link service as your hub across all platforms (e.g., Linktree), placed prominently within each profile.

✅ Weekly Content Plan: 2–3 Short Videos Per Week Themes include:

• Behind-the-scenes footage: Work process, track snippets, raw demos.
• Simple clips: Song excerpts with minimal visual effects.
• Personal stories: Why certain songs matter to you, their background, etc.

Important note: Even if you're not skilled at filming, simplicity works well now—authenticity and consistency are key.

✅ Minimum One Text Post per Week (on Instagram, YouTube Community once subscribers appear).

Months 2–3: Kickoff and Acceleration

✅ Track Release and Content Rollout

First track release with mandatory mini content plan:

• Announcement two weeks prior.
• Teasers across all platforms.
• One short video right before the official drop.
• Post-release videos sharing creation backstory or reactions from friendly fellow artists.

✅ TikTok and YouTube Shorts:

Algorithm Testing Repetition of content formats is acceptable; test different styles. Experiment with trending sounds while always integrating your own music. Aim for 2–4 weekly video drops.

✅ Engaging Micro Audiences

• Respond to every comment.
• Find similar artists and engage organically.
• Try getting featured in small Spotify playlists via services like SubmitHub. Some payment might be required, though free submissions are available too.

What Is SubmitHub and How to Use It Wisely

SubmitHub is a popular online platform that connects independent artists with playlist curators, music bloggers, and influencers. It allows you to pitch your songs directly to people who can help increase your visibility.

Here’s how it works: You submit your track along with a short description. Curators listen and decide whether to feature your song on their playlists, blogs, or social media. There are free and paid submission options — with paid ones, you're guaranteed at least brief feedback.

Important tip: Don’t waste free submissions on massive playlists with thousands of followers — chances of success there are low for beginners. Instead, focus on smaller, niche playlists where curators are more likely to appreciate emerging talent.

SubmitHub isn’t a magic bullet, but when used strategically, it can help build early social proof and attract new listeners — especially when combined with consistent content creation on TikTok and YouTube Shorts.

Month 4: Second Mini-Release or Revisiting Old Tracks

✅ New Track Scenario: Repeat Basic Release Strategy

• Two-week pre-announcement campaign.
• Platform-wide teasers leading up to launch day.
• One final teaser video shortly before release.
• Post-release follow-up videos with behind-the-scenes insights or collaborator reactions.

✅ No Immediate Releases? Focus on Existing Material:

• Create fresh visuals for older tracks.
• Produce new videos discussing the songwriting process or reflecting on past work.
• Encourage user-generated content: ask friends to share Stories featuring your music.

Months 5–6: Consolidation and Analysis

✅ Monitoring What's Working:

• Review performance metrics across TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram.

✅ Continuing Short Video Creation:

• Keep producing regular bite-sized content.

✅ Email List Growth Initiation:

• Start collecting a small list of subscriber emails.

✅ Repackaging Old Content:

• Repurpose previous tracks into new video formats.

Attention: The Right Metrics During the First Six Months

During this initial phase, what matters isn’t absolute numbers—like views, likes, or streams—but consistent growth. Steady upward trends indicate you’re on the right track.

Explanation About Unified Link Services Using Linktree Example

You'll want a unified link service for a compact URL across all social profiles. Most platforms only allow one active link. This link will lead users to multiple destinations.

With Linktree, for example, visitors land on a customized page where you’ve arranged links to your website, socials, blog posts, YouTube videos, etc.

Key Tips:

• Algorithms love frequency and variety, but two to three videos per week are enough.
• TikTok and YouTube Shorts are among the few realistic ways to grow beyond friends without spending money.
• Music must sound professional—poor mixing undermines all marketing efforts.
• Expect little response at first—that’s normal.
• Consistency builds long-term progress.

Realistically Optimal Number of Tracks for the First Six Months

Two to four tracks is ideal for a budget-free beginner with solid ideas.

Why Not More or Less? Fewer than two:

• Insufficient content to maintain interest;
• Not enough material for algorithms to recognize.

More than four:

• Hard to promote each track properly without a budget;
• Stronger tracks may flop due to insufficient anticipation;
• Each track is both music and marketing catalyst—use them wisely.

Between releases, creatively reuse existing material for TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and other posts. Relaunch tracks under different angles. If a track gains traction, double down on promoting it before rushing new releases.

What to Film When You Have Nothing to Shoot

Even if it feels like you "have nothing to shoot," simple, imperfect content resonates more than polished personas—especially without major resources.

For an independent artist, the perfect mantra:

Here’s a breakdown of short-form video ideas:

1. Work-in-Progress Scenes

• Home studio setup.
• DAW screen recordings.
• Decision struggles: synth patches, lyrics.
• Humorous skits: "staring blankly at the wall after mixing failure."

2. Demos and Archival Footage

• Incomplete tracks—ask if they deserve finishing.
• Old project snippets reimagined.
• Raw vocal takes.

3. Personal Narratives

• Why you chose music.
• Inspiration stories.
• Funny failures.
• Reflections: "Should I quit my day job or music?"

4. Musical Memes and Humor

• "What My Brain Sounds Like at 3 AM."
• Realizing your "hit" sounds awful next morning.
• TikTok trends in your unique style.

5. Micro-Reactions and Taste Preferences

• Favorite tune of the week.
• Thoughtful music reactions.
• Highlighting relatable artists.

6. Honest Reflections and Motivation

• Encouragement for fellow emerging artists: “At least we’re not loading cargo ships!”
• Advice you wish you had.
• Music’s deeper meaning in your life.

7. Sound Experiments

• Odd noises.
• Dry vs. processed vocals.
• Rough previews: basslines, beats.

You can be far more inventive with your concepts. There’s plenty of material to work with.

H2: Indie Artists Who Made It: Success Stories in Self-Promotion

Think your niche music won’t work with this strategy? Think again. Even outside mainstream genres, artists succeed in reaching their audience.

1. Arden Jones

Genre: Indie Pop, Bedroom Pop, Rap

City: Los Angeles

Story: Arden started his career as a quintessential bedroom artist, composing songs at home and uploading them onto SoundCloud and later streaming platforms. In 2021, he began actively producing short-form content on TikTok, offering glimpses into his songwriting process, playing fragments of his tracks, and delivering humorous takes on the struggle of an aspiring musician (“I’m just a regular guy trying to make it”).

What Worked:

• Consistent short-form videos: demos, honest stories, song snippets.
• Portraying the authentic beginner artist experience.
• "Parallel Parking" went viral on TikTok.

Result:

• Millions of Spotify streams.
• Significant organic fanbase growth.
• Zero-budget beginnings eventually attracted management.

2. JER (Jeremy Hunter)

Genre: Skate Punk, Ska, Alternative Rock

City: North Carolina, USA

Story: JER is a DIY-producing musician specializing in skate punk, ska, and alt rock. Starting out in underground projects, Jeremy decided to pursue his own creative vision independently, eschewing labels entirely. His fanbase grew significantly thanks to strategic use of:

• TikTok and YouTube Shorts—humor, distinct visuals.
• "Ska Isn’t Dead" series: witty commentary, social awareness, music.
• Studio glimpses, alt-culture discussions.
• Musical memes, self-deprecating humor.

What Worked:

• Full DIY ethos and transparent positioning.
• Leveraging TikTok for a non-mainstream genre.
• Meaningful follower interaction.
• Music snippets paired with commentary.

Results:

• Strong community following for both music and personality.
• Viral individual videos.
• Successful merch, indie album releases, Bandcamp crowdfunding.

Breakthrough beyond niche circles.

3. Zeal & Ardor

Genre: Experimental Black Metal + Gospel/Blues

Country: Switzerland/USA

Artist: Manuel Gagneux

Story: Zeal & Ardor was born as a pure DIY project, initiated by Manuel Gagneux himself. Based in Switzerland but targeting the U.S. market, he composed experimental tracks blending black metal with gospel and blues influences. Completely independent, he handled writing, production, distribution, and promotion. Early success came through his direct-to-fan approach, utilizing homemade videos, memes, and engagements on platforms like YouTube and Reddit. Initial buzz built entirely from grassroots, no label backing or big budgets involved.

What Worked:

• Unique genre fusion.
• Transparency in creative process.
• Memes, humor, deep fan interactions.
• Educational YouTube videos challenging genre prejudices.
• Consistent visual content: clips, studio sessions.

Results:

• Organic audience growth via social media and YouTube.
• Coverage in outlets like Metal Injection and Kerrang!.
• Label signing followed grassroots success.
• DIY-led tours and shows.

Why This Matters:

• Extreme niche appeal works.
• Honesty-first approach suits obscure genres.
• Pure DIY strategy: authenticity, uniqueness, content output.

Self-promotion as a DIY artist is challenging—a part-time job with no guarantees. But with sustained effort and quality music, noticeable six-month growth is realistic.

Even without massive fame or wealth, 1,000 true fans can sustain your creative life. This "robust niche success" enables music to cover your expenses—allowing you to focus exclusively on artistry.