Lately in the news we’ve read about the interesting, admirable and just straight up hilarious ways local Aussie acts have been racking up numbers on the music charts.
From Sia’s inescapable smash hit of an album 1000 Forms Of Fear, the band (only audible to those under 17) 5 Seconds Of Summer owning the pop world, to the speed-dealer wearing duo of Dad and his oven playing son catapulting Timmy Trumpet into the US Billboard charts it’s obvious there is not one clear path to charting success, and it’s not only the major label stars who can crack it.
We chatted to Lee Parsons the co-founder and owner of music aggregating service (they get your music on online services like iTunes) Ditto Music who has recently written a FREE e-book on ‘How To Release A Top 40’ without a major label backing, about just how a band can crack the charts DIY style – you can read the entire thing here.
Lee Parsons: Set up Ditto Music in 2006 with my brother as a way of releasing his own music. Today they have five offices worldwide with in-house radio pluggers, PR agents, graphic designers and social teams. So all the benefits and opportunities signed artists have, unsigned artists can now have too with Ditto Music. He’s an English native who spends most of his time between the UK and US. For more info or to get in touch with Lee, you can follow him on Twitter at @ceoleeparsons, or check out the website.
Intro
If you’re reading this article, chances are you’ve made some music, had a positive response and now you want to really get noticed. Because we’ve all dreamed about hearing our music on the radio, having our talent and hard work acknowledged and getting the recognition we deserve.
So what do successful artists do to stand out from the hundreds of thousands of musicians vying for the top spot or, in your case, chart position?
Here are some tips that are proven to work.
Use The Pre-order Function On iTunes
Setting up a pre-order campaign for your release on iTunes is a vital component of a release campaign if the intention is to chart.
All pre-order sales are stored throughout the pre-order period (which can be done for as long as you like – usually they are set up to last around a month) and the stored pre-order sales will be counted on release day, causing a spike in sales which definitely helps with that chart position.
Instant Gratification
You may have seen this on iTunes – pre-order releases now can have one-two tracks available as ‘instant gratification’, meaning that when you pre-order a release, you receive one or two of the tracks instantaneously. This means that fans can get a particular track or a few tracks before the official release date, and ultimately before anyone else.
This is a huge incentive for fans to pre-order your release, and as mentioned above – pre-orders = a spike on sales on release date.
Release a Cover Version
Quick to spot an opportunity, Alexa Goddard recorded a version of ‘Turn My Swag On’ and used Ditto Music to get it onto iTunes and eligible for the charts – all in one day.
[include_post id=”426271″] People snapped it up and Alexa’s debut single launched her into the top 20, spending 10 weeks in the UK top 40 singles charts. Over 100,000 copies of ‘Turn My Swag On’ were sold through Ditto Music and Alexa was still completely unsigned.
This is a perfect example of how picking the right cover version at the right time can be a great tool for charting.
Timing Is Everything
The most solid Spotify strategy is to make your music available during the promotional phase. Then, in the release week or a week before, remove your music from Spotify. After a week or so, when your sales’ surge starts to die down put your music back on Spotify and connect with that audience all over again.
This worked for now internationally renowned band The 1975, who released their material on Spotify, built up their following and brand, and then removed their releases from Spotify two weeks before release date – which meant that fans bought via iTunes.
Because, contrary to popular belief, Spotify doesn’t harm an artist’s chance of chart placement. You just need to know how to use it to build interest in your music before it’s released.
Choose Your Genre Wisely
It’s not difficult to get into the iTunes’ Charts if you pick your genre wisely.
If you’re going into the pop genre, you need a lot of sales to hit the top 10 because thousands of songs are released in this genre every single day.
It’s a lot easier to get into the top 10 in the singer/songwriter and country genres than in the pop genre for example.
The more precise you are with your genre, the more chance you have of a hit.
Release a Remix
Remixes let fans buy even more copies of your single and increase its chart eligibility.
There’s no limit to how many remixes your single can have and they all count towards the charts. But you have to get your data right.
For example…
Version 1
MyBand-“MainSong” | MyBand-“MainSong (Remix)”
Version 2
MyBand-“MainSong” | MyBand-“MainSong (AcousticRemix)”
Version 3
MyBand-“MainSong” | MyBand-“MainSong (DanceRemix)”
Ditto Music have released singles with up to 30 remixes, but the key is to follow regular buying patterns. Because, if you release 50 remixes, 100 people buy all of them and those are your total sales, it could look like you’re trying to mislead the charts and you’ll be disqualified.
So, now you have some free, legal, and proven ways of breaking into the charts. This doesn’t mean that you can do this without great music however.
Concentrate on creating the best music you can, and once that is ready you are now armed with some strategies to ensure that you have the best chance at success.
Build a good team around you who believe in what you’re doing, and remember that in today’s digital age anything is possible.
