In the ever-evolving realm of independent music, releasing a song or an album is not merely an artistic endeavor but a strategic project that demands proper planning and execution.
Navigating the complexities of an album or single release strategy can be difficult, but thankfully, there are three powerful project management solutions that can help independent artists when releasing music.
Without further ado, let's dive right into the article and uncover the power of project management for planning your releases!
Table of Contents:
The Prelude: Understanding Music Project Management
Before we delve into the intricacies of 3 project management software options, it's crucial to comprehend the essence of music project management itself.
Put simply, project management refers to the process of orchestrating tasks, deadlines, and creative energies to reach your goals.
When it comes to indie music, a release schedule may involve creating artwork, social media content, promotional materials, lyric videos or music videos, or smart link landing pages.
How to Release Music Independently
Independent artists often wear multiple hats – musician, marketer, manager.
To successfully release music independently, a meticulous strategy is paramount.
From conceptualization to distribution, each step in the process requires careful consideration.
Single Release Strategy: Harmonizing Your Vision
Crafting a single release strategy involves understanding your target audience, defining your unique selling proposition, and finalizing a timeline.
Consider a blend of teaser content, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and interactive engagement to build anticipation.
The Checklist: Things to Do Before Releasing a Song
A comprehensive single release checklist or album release checklist is your conductor's baton when you release new music.
Ensure that you have mastered essentials like copyright protection, cover art design, and a captivating press release.
Don't forget the power of pre-save campaigns and building relationships with influencers, playlist curators, and bloggers.
The 3 Best Project Management Software options for Musicians
As the digital age evolves, project management tools have become indispensable for artists striving to maintain control and organization.
Let's explore three notable platforms – DropRocket, Kosmo, and MusicGateway – to see how they can help orchestrate your musical journey.
In the world of music project management, Drop Rocket emerges as an excellent option, offering a blend of comprehensive features and battle-tested strategies.
Designed as more than a mere checklist, Drop Rocket is a pocket marketing tool that caters to artists at various stages of their musical journey.
Why Drop Rocket?
Drop Rocket makes preparing for your upcoming release day easy. What sets it apart is its arsenal of battle-tested strategies that artists can effortlessly plug-and-play, along with it's robust templates that can be customized exactly to your liking.
Manage: Organizational Support
Drop Rocket simplifies the complexity of music release management. With its user-friendly interface, artists can easily oversee all aspects of their release and track their progress on tasks.
A personal favorite, the ability to create subtasks allows for a detailed breakdown of the release process, ensuring no nuance goes unnoticed.
Customize: Do What Works for YOU
The platform provides artists with an industry-standard single or album release checklist as a template, which is a starting point you can adjust to your liking.
However, the true brilliance lies in its customization capabilities. Every artist has a unique voice, and Drop Rocket understands that.
Tailor the template to suit the specific nuances of any particular song, ensuring that your music is presented to the world in a way that resonates authentically with your artistic vision.
Collaborate: Staying on the Same Page
In the collaborative world of music creation, keeping the entire team on the same page is crucial.
If your operation is more than a one man (or woman) show, Drop Rocket is built for that as well. Drop Rocket facilitates seamless collaboration, ensuring that everyone involved in the project is in unison.
From musicians and producers to managers and label executives, this tool acts as a central hub for communication, fostering a collaborative environment for all.
Content: Crafting Virality with Intuitive Planning
Beyond the music, storytelling plays a pivotal role in capturing audience attention.
Drop Rocket offers useful information, such as content ideas and streaming platform strategies that help weave a compelling narrative around your release.
For new artists, I definitely would recommend exploring Drop Rocket's wealth of knowledge in this area.
Pricing:
Maybe you are convinced that Drop Rocket can help you complete the things to do before releasing a song. Most likely, you're wondering how much this costs.
Well, after a two week free trial, for the rather affordable price of $4.99 CAD per month (~$3.70 USD/month), Drop Rocket opens its doors to artists of all levels.
This accessible pricing structure makes it an inclusive tool, democratizing the power of effective music project management.
Regardless of your budget, Drop Rocket ensures that every artist, from novices to seasoned professionals, can benefit from its orchestration prowess.
Rating: 9.5/10
Kosmo is a cloud-based platform that transforms the often daunting task of project management into a harmonious experience, offering musicians an all-encompassing solution for organizational prowess.
How It Works:
For musicians, the ability to stay organized and manage not only their own music, but also the business side of their craft is key. Thankfully, Kosmo takes center stage in facilitating this.
The cloud-based platform provides an all-in-one solution, seamlessly integrating project management, client relationships, and billing processes.
Creating and managing projects for gigs, recording sessions, or songwriting collaborations becomes a breeze with Kosmo.
Project Management Simplified: Set start and end dates, assign hourly rates, and add notes to ensure every facet of your project is meticulously covered. Kosmo acts as your virtual assistant, freeing up valuable time for you to channel into your music.
Attached below is an example of how you can structure tasks in Kosmo.
Kosmo’s Powerful Features:
Client Management Excellence: Musicians with a growing base of fans, collaborators, and clients will find solace in Kosmo's robust client management feature. All contacts and their pertinent information are conveniently stored in one centralized location, streamlining communication and collaboration.
Expense Tracking and Invoicing Mastery: Kosmo doesn’t just stop at project management; it extends its capabilities to financial aspects. Generate professional-looking invoices effortlessly and track expenses meticulously to ensure timely compensation for your artistic endeavors.
Dashbord: Imagine having all your project details, deadlines, and invoices in one place – that's your Kosmo dashboard, but it's more like a mission control center. It helps avoid anything falling through the cracks, allowing you to navigate your music projects with unparalleled ease. Easily set tasks such as updating your Electronic Press Kit, or setting a release date on streaming platforms.
Benefits:
Efficient Organization and Scheduling: With multiple projects concurrently in progress, from recording sessions to gig bookings and promotion, Kosmo's well-organized project board keeps you on top of deadlines, streamlining your workflow and facilitating seamless task management.
Enhanced Collaboration: Collaboration lies at the heart of music creation, and Kosmo provides a centralized platform for communication and updates. Assign tasks, share files, and track progress in real-time, eliminating the need for convoluted email threads and disjointed communication.
Insights for Improvement: Beyond organization and collaboration, Kosmo offers valuable insights into your work. By analyzing project data, you can identify bottlenecks and opportunities for improvement, refining your process for a more efficient and productive workflow.
Pricing:
If you are considering using Kosmo to help with smoothly releasing music to streaming platforms and more, you likely want to know the price.
Well, their service is slightly more expensive at a price of $8.99 per month. However, when using their platform their free version was quite impressive and definitely worth a try.
Rating: 9.3/10
MusicGateway enters the spotlight with its versatility. Their platforms offers promotion opportunities, management assistance, and licensing to name a few of their services.
However, one of their more overlooked features is "The Private Network".
This exclusive feature, though shrouded in mystery regarding its pricing, unfolds as a bespoke platform designed to foster secure and productive collaborations in the ever-evolving landscape of music creation.
Why Use their Private Network?
MusicGateway introduces the Private Network as a solution for indie artists looking for both enhanced productivity and seamless project management, providing a secure haven for creative minds to converge and transform concepts into tangible musical realities.
Be More Productive: The Private Network acts as a virtual studio, liberating users from the constraints of physical spaces. Now, teams can manage creative projects from anywhere, at any time, equipped with an array of creative tools that bridge the gap between concept and reality.
Custom-Built to Suit You: This is not just a network; it's your team's personal project space. MusicGateway empowers users with the ability to control access, adding team members and clients selectively. The Private Network becomes a realm where you dictate who can access what, providing a comprehensive overview of all your projects at a glance.
Stop Chasing, Start Leading: The Private Network eliminates the need for frantic chasing and status updates. Wondering about the progress of a particular project on Amazon Music, Apple Music, or even CD Baby? Instead of navigating a labyrinth of communication channels, simply access your Private Network and witness the status firsthand. It's a remedy for last-minute panics and team headaches.
Collaborative Team Workspaces: A Symphony of Creativity
Within the Private Network, MusicGateway unveils Collaborative Team Workspaces, a feature that transcends traditional collaboration methods.
Leave Timeline Feedback: Audio and video projects come to life with the ability to leave timeline-specific feedback. This real-time collaboration ensures that every note and visual element aligns with the artistic vision, elevating the quality of creative output before you get your music heard by the world on release day.
Project & File Management Mastery: The Private Network becomes the command center for project and file management. Experience an unprecedented level of organization as you navigate through projects and files, ensuring that every piece of the musical puzzle finds its place.
Present Professional Playlists: A Visual Symphony
The importance of presentation in the music industry cannot be overstated.
MusicGateway's Private Network allows users to send branded playlists to clients, supervisors, and A&R professionals.
The clean, minimal designs ensure that the focus remains on the music, enhancing the overall presentation of your artistic prowess.
Mass File Storage & Contacts System: Harmony Under One Roof
The Private Network extends beyond creative collaboration to offer practical solutions for file storage and contact management.
Manage All Your Files: A centralized repository for all your files ensures efficient organization. From metadata tracking to contact information, or even as much music as you can upload, everything is neatly stored under one roof, streamlining your workflow and facilitating seamless collaboration.
Pricing:
Since the price is not listed, we expect this tool to be rather pricey, ideal for larger artists or music industry representatives. However, feel free to request a demo on their site to learn the actual cost.
Rating: 8.8/10
In Conclusion: Project Management for Musicians
As your release date approaches, it's essential to reflect on the journey. Did your project management strategy align with your artistic vision? Did the software enhance collaboration and efficiency?
Whether you choose DropRocket, Kosmo, or MusicGateway, the key is to find a tool that resonates with your unique style and empowers your creative process.
With the right project management strategy and tools, releasing music independently is made infinitely easier. So artists, be sure to utilize these project management tools for musicians for an organized and effective music release.
That is all, until next time, musicians!