**Guest post written by Octavius Crouch, Founder & CEO of Red Octave.

 

"If you're an independent artist or label looking to hire a team for label services, the options can be overwhelming. From companies with polished pitch decks to flashy Instagram pages showing off work with major-label artists, it can be hard to tell who actually knows how to build success from the ground up and who only knows how to ride on someone else's momentum.

Let’s make this clear from the jump: working with an artist who already had a seven-figure budget and a global label machine behind them is not the same as building a campaign from scratch for an artist who's independent, self-financed, or working with modest resources. The strategies, expectations, and day-to-day hustle required are worlds apart. When you’re hiring a label-services team, you need partners who understand what it means to grow something from zero.
+Dreams and Reality

Red Flags to Watch For

1. Hyped-Up Case Studies Without Context

Be wary of companies that heavily promote their work with major label artists but don’t have verifiable wins with independent clients. Major label backing changes the rules of the game. Ask them to show results for artists like you: same genre, same budget constraints, similar goals.

2. One-Size-Fits-All Marketing Packages

If a company markets to "everyone," they're probably not focused on you. Niche matters. Your team should have an understanding of your sound, your audience, your culture—and a plan tailored to scaling your release in your space, not the mainstream.
+Money Talks: 5 Strategies to Profit with Music Investing

3. Grand Promises, No Substance

"We’ll make you a star" sounds great until you realize the promise is just smoke. Look for clear deliverables: campaign timelines, platforms they'll be targeting, examples of previous rollouts, and real metrics they’ve achieved for artists who weren’t already famous.

4. No Emphasis on Data or Strategy

If they’re not talking about data—like Spotify for Artists insights, follower growth, or conversion rates from paid ads, they're not building with intention. Every piece of a campaign should be rooted in real listener behavior, not just vibes and visuals.

5. Lack of Transparency Around Recoupables

Watch out for hidden fees or unclear terms around what's considered "recoupable." Ask what the upfront services cost, what gets paid back from your royalties, and what happens if the campaign underperforms. You want partners, not creditors.
+How to Build a Music Team: Practical Ways to Get Support

Building a Realistic Budget: Where the Money Should Go

Music Videos and Online Content

Start with your singles and the tracks that catch fire post-release. Budget for music videos that match your visual identity, but don’t stop there. Invest in BTS footage, interview clips, studio sessions, day-in-the-life reels—content that gives fans context and helps them connect.

Social Media Ad Campaigns

Use Spotify for Artists to study your listener data and identify similar artists. Build ad audiences based on those overlaps. Don’t run ads blindly—target by genre, behavior, and geography. Every dollar should bring back a fan.
+Is Social Media Failing Your Music Promotion?

Influencer Campaigns

Collab with influencers who already connect with your desired audience. Don’t just go after music influencers either—think lifestyle, gaming, fitness, wherever your sound fits. The goal is for users to organically start using your music in their content.

YouTube Ad Campaigns

Treat YouTube like a second DSP. Run skippable and in-feed video ads to fans of similar artists. Use your Spotify data to determine which countries and demographics are most engaged. Focus on converting passive watchers into listeners.

Publicity

A solid PR push adds credibility. Features, interviews, and blog placements help build SEO and a paper trail for new fans to discover you. Even a small PR budget can open doors when you have a real story to tell.

Tour Budget

If you’re new to the road, you’ll likely need tour support. That could mean buying onto a tour, covering travel, or producing your own small run. You’ll need to plan for transportation, lodging, food, promo, and unforeseen costs. Touring without a budget is a quick way to lose money and energy.
+How To Determine Your Marketing Budget

Merchandise

Merch is your walking billboard and an extra revenue stream. Make it cohesive with your brand. Don’t just slap your name on a t-shirt—create something fans will want to wear. Choose quality over quantity, and don’t overprint.

Final Thoughts

At Red Octave, we’ve worked with artists across genres and stages of their career to build marketing plans, execute release calendars, manage playlist campaigns, and scale their reach through strategic YouTube and social ad placements. What matters most is building a campaign that reflects the artist’s identity and speaks directly to the right audience, not the loudest one.
+Tapping into Your Unique Cultural Identity In Your Brand

Before you start spending, here’s a quick breakdown to guide your marketing budget for an album release:

Sample Marketing Budget Breakdown (Mid-Level Independent Artist):

Music Videos & Video Content: 25%

Social Media Ad Campaigns: 20%

Influencer Marketing: 10%

YouTube Ads: 10%

Publicity/PR: 10%

Tour Support: 15%

Merch Production: 5%

Misc. & Contingency: 5%

Planning ahead means you don’t just throw money at visibility. You invest it in sustainable growth. And that’s the only real success metric that matters."

 

 

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