How to Make It in Music without Social Media

This is a tough one, for sure.

Especially as it seems as though every other day somebody is blowing up off of a viral TikTok reel or putting up a music video at midnight that smashes 1M views on YouTube by breakfast.

Social media is definitely an important tool for many artists in the modern landscape, but it is certainly not the only way to be successful in the music industry.

In fact, you won't be the first or last musician to choose to avoid social media altogether. Musicians choose to stay off of it for various reasons, but some will say it is because they don't like it, trust it or because they want to maintain a certain level of privacy.

Whatever the reason, if you don't want to use social media, there are still other ways to get your music heard and build a fan base.

4 Ways To Make It In Music Without Social Media

Here are four methods you can use to get your music out there without using social media:

1. Live Shows :

No matter what happens online, live shows aren't going anywhere. There is nothing like the vibe people get at an event.

Getting out the house, getting dressed up, being in the venue – people will always love that.

Try reaching out to local music venues, festivals, and other events to see if they would be interested in featuring your music or having you perform.

Of course, this works better if you already have a network you can lean on. The music industry is still very much an “It's not what you know, it's who you know,” place.

Knowing promoters and event organizers running open mic events and shows is a huge foot in the door… literally!

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2. Use other online platforms to share your music:

You can use other online platforms, such as SoundCloud or Bandcamp, to share your music and connect with fans. These sites can help you to reach a wider audience, even if you don't have a social media presence.

Although they are not considered “Social media platforms”, you have to think, how would people find my music organically in a sea of music?

Typically, artists use social media to build a buzz and then get potential fans over to their Spotify page, Youtube Music or Soundcloud to try to convert them to real fans.

It isn't impossible to get organic hits on SoundCloud, but it is going to be more difficult.

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3. Sell Your Music on Physical Formats:

Hitting the road with a mixtape was a very common practice not all that long ago! There was no social media, anyway. So it wouldn't have been crazy to see a musician with a trunk full of vinyls or CDs.

Fans may be interested in owning something tangible with your music on it, and creating something exciting that they can keep forever could benefit you in the long run.

Plus, music still sounds best when it's spun off a vinyl record!

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4. Collaborate

You don't have to be on social media yourself to make the most of another musician's online presence!

If you aren't completely against the idea of showing up on social media, this can be a HUGE HACK!

Get enough collabs under your belt and you will be that artist that “just came out of nowhere” and shows up in everybodies feed at some point, while being elusive!

Overall, while social media can be a useful tool for musicians, it is not the only way to be successful in the music industry.

There are many other ways to get your music heard and build a following, and you can find the methods that work best for you.

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