6 Ways to Get Publicity for Your Album

As a new artist releasing an album for the first time, it is one of your goals to get as much attention as possible. You are willing to experiment and do whatever it takes in order for people to talk about your album, your gigs, your creative posters, and of course, let’s not forget- your CD artwork. This is the time that you’re creating a brand for yourself and your band. One of the best ways to do this is by making a CD packaging that everyone will surely talk about. A creative CD packaging will not only make your album more attractive to fans, it will also make people(columnists, critics, bloggers, magazine writers)talk about you.

Here are some of the best ways to get them talking about your album:

First Things First: Create a Buzz-worthy Packaging

I know this is a given and I should not have included this on the list but hey, some people do not know what’s buzz-worthy and what’s ho-hum! Buzz-worthy means something is extremely, extremely awesome you can’t help but click and share.  Some album artwork look good but they’re not remarkable. Yes, remarkable is the word. If you want to go viral, you better have something remarkable. It should be at least unique.  It could be as to-the-point as Animal Collective’s Post Pavillion or as astrounding as Spiritualized’s Ladies and Gentlemen We are Floating in Space. If you are not so sure of your concept and design, try asking the opinions of 20-50 people first.

Document Everything

Shoot good, hi-res pictures of how you did your CD package- from conceptualization, revisions, to manufacturing. If your album art is more interactive and 3-dimensional, then I greatly recommend that you create a video  demonstrating how to assemble it.

Make a Press Release

One advantage of having a creative CD package is that you have more things to talk about aside from your album release.  Create a press release about your awesome album packaging and send it to bloggers.

Give Free CDs to Writers

Make a list of good music bloggers and send them CDs to review.  Be ready for bad reviews though. It doesn’t mean that they’d praise your stuff just because you’re sending them freebies. If you’re scared of bad reviews, stay away from snobs.

Get Interviewed by Bloggers

Aside from blog reviews, it’s also a big plus if you get interviewed by bloggers. Approach the credible ones with really good reputation and traffic. You don’t want to have thousands of interviews all over the web. Only choose the good ones. Here are some tips to get featured by print media and blogs.

Throw a Contest on Facebook

Post pictures and reviews on Facebook about how awesome your CD packaging is. Then throw a contest with your CD as the prize. You have to be strategic. You have to spread your awesomeness like a virus. Try to come up with clever online promotional gimmicks. Maybe a sketching contest or a band logo? It’s up to you. The prize should be great so lots of people will join, of course. Well, unless you’re already a hotshot.