Don’t risk it! The best way for an indie artist to invest $1K if you want immediate results

Before I begin on how to properly invest $1,000 into your music career I want to debunk a theory that many of you reading this probably had. It’s easy to think that marketing should be the first thing an artist should invest but you would be wrong. There are two reasons that investing in marketing would be a mistake.

• $1,000 invested in marketing surprisingly will not get you much return on investment, especially if you’re at the ground level.

• There are simple and free ways to grow your audience that you should be taking advantage of before you invest a dime in marketing.

Building an organic following on social media should be your one and only concern at this stage of your career as far as marketing goes. It will take time but it will be time well worth investing. A loyal and invested following that is engaging with your content will do more to make you money than paying an influencer to “twerk” to your song right now.

So now that we have stomped out that theory, let’s get into how you do properly invest $1,000.

Building a website

Establishing a platform will build an audience and generate income. It will also allow you to have a digital store to sell your merchandise. You can hire a web designer for around $125-$400 depending on your site needs. You can find even cheaper prices on this site that I’ve used for other services. You can find good quality work for discounted prices but do not set the bar to low. You always get what you pay for.

Creating a site isn’t the only thing you need to do, however. Updating it regularly with content is another goal you must set for yourself after you launch it. Singers can add a vlog where they post covers, all artists can and should promote the venues they will be performing at. You can even release your tracks via your website or do polls to gather additional data about your fan base.

Invest in Studio Time

Recording new tracks are by far the best way to spend your money. Content is king! Society is constantly being stimulated because of the web. That means you need to keep a consistent flow of quality content to be relevant and attract new fans. Studio time can range anywhere from $25-$60 an hour, but of course, you already knew that.

Mastering/remastering old ones

I hate to see good work go to waste because of bad quality recording. During my first year as an artist manager, I’ve watched entire projects be scrapped. Nothing is more infuriating than having a song with ‘good potential.” Mastering a song can cost a pretty penny, around $300 is what I’ve been quoted. Many artists have digital libraries of recorded songs that just sit on their laptop for one reason or another. Dust them off and give them a listen. You and your team identify those with the most potential and remaster them. That is assuming you have the proper files saved.

Traveling

Go outside your city and perform at other open mics and showcases. This will give you a new perspective and let you make new connections. This will also show A&R’s and other industry pros that you are serious about what you do. Everyone wants to be a star, but who is really committed?

Do you agree? What are some ways you think an artist could invest $1,000? Leave a comment below.