My Music Marketing Research Process

For this part of the project, I started by choosing one music company within our assigned genre and then picking two artists from their roster who have put out music in five years. I wanted artists who were active recently so their marketing strategies would actually reflect what’s happening in the industry right now.

I began with the company’s website to get a sense of their background and the kinds of artists they usually work with. Looking through their “About” section helped me understand how the company presents itself, what they value, and how they position their artists in the market. Having that context made the rest of the research a lot easier.

From there, I focused on my two artists. I looked into how each one got started, how their sound and image developed, and the style they’re known for now. I paid attention to the details that build their brand — things like recurring colors, visual themes in their photos and album art, and the overall tone they use across their platforms. Seeing those patterns made it clearer who they’re trying to appeal to.

A big part of the project was analyzing their target audience, so I studied the kind of engagement they get on social media and the type of posts they share. Then I went deeper into their digital marketing: the way they use TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, streaming platforms, and short-form videos to promote new releases. I also looked at how they shape their visuals in music videos since those often set the tone for their branding.

For the non-digital side, I researched touring schedules, merch drops, interviews, and how they use real-world appearances to keep their audience involved. Even though most promotion happens online, these offline efforts still play a huge role in building a loyal fan base.

As I researched, I filled out each part of the chart and added links and examples so everything stayed organized. By the time I was done, I had a clear picture of how the company and both artists market themselves from their visual identity to the platforms they use and the audiences they connect with. It all came together in a way that made the whole marketing process make more sense.