You already know TuneCore is your go-to resource for getting your music live worldwide in 150+ stores online, but what you may have overlooked was the option to set up a pre-order for your latest release on iTunes and Google Play. These two popular stores allow artists to put their album, single or EP available for sale in advance of their official release dates in order to build excitement and engage their diehard fan base.
Two great aspects of iTunes pre-orders are Instant Gratification Tracks and Pre-order Pricing. “Instant Grat” tracks are delivered immediately to fans who purchase the pre-order; these songs are also available for purchase as an advanced single. Pre-order pricing is an option to offer a release at a lower price in advance of release date, encouraging early purchases. Listen: we could go on and on all day about the benefits of setting up a pre-order for your next release and the facts you need to know about beforehand, but why not take it from your fellow TuneCore Artists? We invited a handful of artists, labels & managers to chime in and offer their thoughts on setting up pre-orders…
“TuneCore and YouTubers are the two mediums that makes it possible for me to be an independent musician. They give me the tools to build an audience and the freedom to connect with my fans in my own way.
Pre-order sales are key because they build anticipation for a release. Just like movies use movie trailers to build hype, an album pre-order gets fans excited. Also, the early release of a track or two on that pre-order gives expectant fans a taste of what this new album is going to sound like.
The hardcore fans – the ones that unite themselves under a self-proclaimed name (mine call themselves Stirlingites), or the ones who want to support your art just as much as they want to have the art – want to be a part of the experience as much as possible. If they feel they are getting an early piece of the album before its even officially released to the rest of the world, then they will be there to get it.”
– Lindsey Stirling, Electronic
“Bottom line, you want to create awareness and excitement for your new album before it comes out so you can have a big first week of sales. And a big first week can generate even more excitement. Having your album on the iTunes Store as a pre-order makes it look the same as many of the major label artists, so to your fan base you will be perceived in a similar light. Sometimes it’s that perception that is enough to help create more awareness as people pass your music along via the iTunes links and word of mouth. Plus, the longer its up as a pre-order, the more potential pre-orders you’ll get which all count as first week sales. To me, it was a no-brainer doing the iTunes pre-order with Tunecore. It was easy and very cost effective.”
– Brian Culbertson, Jazz/R&B
“Implementing pre-orders for releases have played an important role in evaluating the effectiveness of the marketing campaigns for releases. This allows us to adjust marketing strategies in real time.”
– Michael Cammarata, Manager, Heffron Drive, Big Time Rush, Jai Waetford
“We recommend for every independent artist to choose the pre-order option for their next single or album. For us, it generated momentum pushing our album into the Top 10 Hip-Hop chart on iTunes before we even released it, as well as giving our fans a gratis track as an incentive.
We do not have a label or a big budget for our album but with the tools provided by TuneCore, we were able to look like we did.”
– Social Club, Hip Hop/Rap
“The decision to use TuneCore for our Monstercat 019 – Endeavour album was an integral one. We’ve found that from the time we announce the release date, maintaining excitement all the way through the release day is key. Teaming up with TuneCore for our pre-order of the album allowed us to keep that buzz going which in turn had a clear translation into sales. Their effective and stress-free system to set up pre-orders allowed us to shift our attention to other key elements of the campaign, and consequently have a successful album.”
– Conor Systrom, Monstercat Records
“Setting up a pre-order through Tunecore was one of the things that helped my album’s first-week sales be as successful as they were. We released a single with the pre-order, and the excitement from that drove people to the iTunes store to pre-order the album. Thanks to TuneCore for always coming up with new things to help us indie artists.”
– Thi’sl, Hip Hop/Rap
“A pre-order is a really awesome way to get your fans stoked for the record. It’s also a great way to gauge how your upcoming sales will look. It’s always awesome to give your fans a song or two before the album is out so you can get some feedback!”
– Rajiv Dhall, Pop/Country
Setting up an iTunes & Google Play pre-order for your next release is easy and painless – we promise! Sales from your pre-order impact your release date sales and could drive you up iTunes sales charts increasing your presence. Learn more about how you can generate excitement for your next album, single or EP here.
Don’t be afraid to take this time during your pre-order to take advantage of the TuneCore SoundOut service to gauge fan reaction to your release. This might influence what songs you focus your campaigns around.
Tags: brian culbertson featuring google play heffron drive itunes lindsey stirling monstercat music distribution music on itunes pre-order rajiv dhall social club thi'sl