How to Promote Music on Reddit (Tips That Work In 2022)

So you have done the hard work of creating and refining your music, and you have turned it into a cool CD with a pretty hot live act. Now comes the time that every musician hates: promotion.

When you think of promoting your music online, you may think in terms of Instagram or Twitter. Reddit may be a less intuitive place to consider. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t a good place to put your tunes out there if you know how to do it without offending the notoriously watchful communities on the platform.

How to Promote Music on Reddit (Tips That Work In 2022)

How Do You Promote Your Music on Reddit?

reddit

Promotion on Reddit requires a different finesse than on other platforms. Facebook and Twitter are quick hits that often require the use of a promotional blunt instrument (like paying for likes).

On Reddit, you have to bring your long game. Source after source comments on the fact that Redditers are extremely fussing about how people promote themselves. Reddit’s own rules are limiting:

  • The vast majority of the links you post (as in 90%) cannot be to your original content.
  • You cannot in any way or through any other platform encourage people to upvote or like your Reddit content.

This means you have to promote yourself carefully.

Stay Focused on Reddit’s Purpose

If you don’t already know, Reddit is like a giant clearinghouse of public conversation. Within that clearinghouse are a lot of little houses called subreddits where you can learn a lot about a specific topic that people are passionate about and knowledgeable about.

But don’t miss the big takeaway. Reddit is about conversation with a direct implication of helping other people out by sharing the knowledge you have gathered. On Reddit, you can be a hero for helping people. You can also be a villain if you turn that into self-promotion in the wrong way.

One person went so far as to say that you could ruin your reputation on the forum by approaching this without careful thought and consideration. Given that, read on to find out what you need to know about promoting your work on Reddit.

Get Involved For Others First

get involved for other's first

When you create your account, the first thing you want to do is start interacting in the subreddits where your interests lie. The most obvious place to begin is the subreddit that supports your genre of music. Once there, start commenting.

On Reddit, relationship is Queen. Redditers value interaction and don’t like to feel put upon by people whose promotional technique is callous and brash. Think of it this way. You get together with your non-virtual friends because you all share common interests and give each other the space to express yourselves freely and respectfully.

If someone suddenly came into the friend group and on the first outing together wouldn’t shut up about how cool their new album is, you and your friends would probably tell the person where to get off or quietly uninvite them.

So too with Reddit. Most of the policing is done through volunteer moderators who care about the quality and safety of their threads. They, in turn, are watched by paid Reddit employees called Admins. But here’s the thing: If you get involved without ulterior motives, people will listen to you and respect you.

Be Strategic About Subreddits

Be strategic about subreddits

As you begin to get involved in the platform, you will see that people will get to know you and remember who you are. Some of these people will be way more knowledgeable about music than you.

This means that you have access to a lot of knowledge and, eventually, feedback on your work that you would otherwise have to pay for. But you need to be strategic about the subreddits you spend time in. 

Reddit offers a comprehensive list of music-related subreddits that will be very useful to your endeavors. Like I said earlier, genre is a good starting place. But if you are thinking in terms of what you can learn, you’ll soon realize there are a lot of subreddits that could help you improve your craft.

Subreddits for Promotion

Yes, there are subreddits dedicated to simply getting your music out there in front of others. Some explicitly denote feedback like r/ratemysong, for example. Others capitalize on this in more of a fair game kind of approach, like r/roastmytrack.

The same rules of Reddit promotion apply, and you should be willing to accept the trade-off of getting your music out there for enduring some criticism of your track. Again, if you want to promote on Reddit, you need to be willing to learn and to give.

Subreddits on Craft

Don’t ignore the subreddits that are dedicated to spreading and gathering information about a given field. As you contribute and learn from the other contributors on these forums, the insight you can gain is invaluable.

For example, r/makinghiphop is broadly regarded as one of the best hip-hop-related subreddits with high-quality craft-focused insight. Another good subreddit in this regard is r/songwriting which is a welcoming community of songwriters who are dedicated to improving their craft.

Make a Subreddit of Yourself or Your Band

It’s a thing. Reddit doesn’t have profile pages like Facebook or Instagram, which means there is no single source on Reddit that embodies who you are. So, the best way to create a presence for yourself after you have taken the time to interact with others like the good Reddit citizen that you are is to make yourself into a subreddit.

There is a bit of Reddit red tape you have to go through:

  • You have to have had your account for thirty days, which is good because this gives you time to focus on interaction
  • You have to have enough karma

Not spiritual karma. Karma is the Reddit equivalent of brownie points, but only Admins know how much karma you have to have to create a subreddit.

It’s kind of weird. But if you try to create a subreddit and find that you can’t, go get more karma and try later. Remember, patience is a virtue.

Conclusion

If there is a single word to describe promoting your music on Reddit, it is patience. The good news is that if you take time and do this right, the scope of your promotional reach could end up paying dividends.

For an independent artist, music promotion is an act of uncovering an audience. You can’t afford to assume that all the people who listen to your music are also following your social media presence, so go out and find them.

Be everywhere, as everybody isn't on a single medium! Some other promotion tips that might help you grow your social media presence and master the digital marketing game are:


Sign up for a free Canva account and start designing graphics for all of your social media pages with one click!

FAQs

How do I find subreddits for promoting my music?

Aside from the subreddits listed, you can also find music-focused communities on Reddit by doing a keyword search for terms like “album reviews” or “music promotion.”

You can also check out subreddits like /r/listentothis and /r/indieheads, which are great places to share your music and hear feedback from other users.

Finally, don't forget to post links to your music on your own personal Reddit account, as well as other social media sites like Twitter and Facebook. Sharing is key when it comes to promoting your music online!

What are some common mistakes people make when promoting their music on Reddit?

1. Failing to research the subreddit(s) they are promoting in. Each subreddit has its own unique culture and rules that must be followed in order to be successful.

2. Posting their music links as self-posts instead of comments. This will ensure that their music is given a chance to be heard by more people, as self-posts are not automatically removed from the page like comments are.

3. Not using enough relevant keywords in their titles and descriptions. This will help their posts show up in search results for those interested in finding new music.

4. Reposting the same content repeatedly without variation. This will lead to users unsubscribing from their channel, as they will be tired of seeing the same content again and again.

5. Engaging in behaviors which are against subreddit rules, like self-promotion without permission, etc. This will only hurt their chances at promotion rather than help them.

6. Ignoring feedback or comments left on their channel by users after they post their music.

Sources:

https://www.reddit.com/r/help/comments/2yob6r/creating_a_subreddit/

https://www.reddit.com/r/Music/comments/21lakd/how_to_get_the_most_out_of_reddit_as_a_musician/

https://www.benjamingroff.com/blog/how-to-promote-your-music-on-reddit

https://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2019/08/guide-to-promoting-your-music-on-reddit-draft.html

https://www.lastminutemusicians.com/blog/reddit-for-musicians/

https://www.reddit.com/r/ratemysong/

https://www.reddit.com/r/roastmytrack/

https://www.reddit.com/r/makinghiphop/

About Author

Arielle P

Arielle P

Songwriter | Music Producer | Engineer.

With a background in music production and a strong passion for education, Arielle is dedicated to helping emerging artists navigate the music industry. She has worked with a diverse range of artists, from indie rock bands to well-known hip-hop and grime artists. Arielle's unique approach to teaching focuses on empowering artists to take control of their brand, ensuring they retain creative ownership throughout their journey. In her free time, she enjoys experimenting with new sounds in her home studio and sharing her insights through music production tutorials and workshops.

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