How to Prepare to Run Ads for Your Music: A Checklist for Musicians

Running ads for your music can be a game-changer, but it can be very overwhelming the first time you do it. This guide will walk you through the essential steps to get ready for a successful ad campaign.

1. Set Up a Meta Business Manager Account

Meta (formerly Facebook) has played a critical role in all of my campaigns for the last few years, and was one of the tools that helped the Rough Edges gain traction. If you don’t already have a Meta Business Manager account, create one at business.facebook.com. This tool lets you manage ads, track performance, and connect all your accounts in one place.

Key Steps:

• Link your Facebook Page and Instagram account.

• Add your payment method (more on this below).

• Install the Meta Pixel on your website for better tracking (more on this below).

Depending on your style of music, TikTok can also be a good option in addition to, or instead of, Meta ads. I generally recommend starting with Meta for louder, guitar-driven music.

2. Establish a Budget and Payment Method

Determine how much you’re willing to spend on ads. A good starting point for most musicians is $150-$500 per campaign, but your budget depends on your goals. Anything in this range will provide a noticeable improvement to growing your audience, especially compared to those of you who haven’t run ads before. While you can get started with as little as $150 (and potentially even less), spending more allows you to gain results and data faster. This is especially valuable if you’re leveraging ads to help expand your reach on time-sensitive, algorithmic playlists like Spotify’s Release Radar.

Make sure you have a valid payment method ready to connect to your ad account. You can use a credit card, PayPal, or direct debit.

3. Define Your Audience

Targeting the right audience is crucial. To start, pick 5-10 major artists with a similar sound. These shouldn’t just be your favorite artists—they need to be acts that people compare you to and that are well-established.

For example:

• Good target: Artists signed to major/indie labels or with international recognition. These artists have a clear connection in sound, and your fans and peers have compared you to them in the past.

• Poor target: Local band in your scene or underground artist with limited reach. You picked this artist solely because you love their latest ambient drone flute micro EP that dropped on the solstice.

This ensures your ads reach listeners who are most likely to enjoy your music. A successful marketing campaign targets a receptive audience. Start by targeting the people who are most likely to enjoy your sounds, not the people who you want to enjoy your sound.

4. Create Ads (Preferably Video)

Engaging visuals are key. Prepare four ad variations—preferably short video clips (15-30 seconds). Showcase your music in action, whether it’s a performance, a lyric video, or a creative snippet. I like simultaneously running 4 ad variations because it allows for the testing of different visuals/messaging. This allows you to see if people engage more often when they see you playing live vs. an animated version of your album art. Then based on the test, use the winning result as the backbone of your next ad campaign.

Need inspiration? Contact me for help designing ads. I offer full production services, and can also provide you guidelines if you’re designing your own ads.

5. Craft Ad Copy

Your ad text should be concise, engaging, and tailored to your target audience. Test multiple versions to see what resonates best. Always include a call-to-action (CTA). Just throwing a clip of your music in someone’s face won’t get them to do anything. Your ads should always include something like “Stream now”, “Purchase now”, or “Follow for more”. You can check out this article from Meta on creative best practices for text in ads for more guidance.

6. Use a Landing Page

Don’t send fans directly to Spotify or Apple Music—use a landing page to track engagement. Services like ToneDen, Hypeddit, or your own website work well. You can also add a Meta Pixel (more on that below) to optimize your ad delivery to those who are likely to convert.

This landing page should be free of distractions. Don’t include info about anything other than what you’re promoting. Provide a link to what you want people to stream/purchase in a clean format. Including other info like “check out our band’s bio” or “watch our live set on YouTube” will likely negatively impact the results of your campaign, as your audience will get distracted and potentially click on those links instead of the intended campaign destination.

Benefits:

• Improve performance compared to traffic campaigns (*this is based on a ton of my own tests over the years, but isn’t a guarantee of performance).

• See where your fans are coming from with more accurate data.

• Retarget with ads later on.

7. Own Your Domain

Having your own website boosts your credibility. If you’re not ready to invest in a full site, at least purchase a domain that you can use for your landing page. As of the time of writing, this is also necessary in order to use a Meta pixel.

Example: Instead of genericurl.abc123.io, use www.yourbandname.com.

8. Install the Meta Pixel

The Meta Pixel is a snippet of code that tracks activity on your website. It allows you to:

• Retarget visitors with ads.

• Measure conversions (e.g., streams, downloads, or purchases).

• Improve audience targeting.

If you’re using platforms like ToneDen, Hypeddit, or Squarespace, installing the pixel is straightforward. I personally use ToneDen. They have instructions on how to create & install a Meta pixel, however given the frequency at which Meta updates their platform, it may become outdated. If you’re having trouble, contact me for help.

Final Thoughts

Taking the time to prepare for your ad campaigns will save you headaches and maximize your results. From setting up your Meta account to crafting compelling ads and creating a landing page, every detail counts. Once you have all of these done, you’re ready to get your first campaign set up in your ad manager of choice!

Are you considering running ads, but want to make sure it’s the right move before spending your money? Check out my tailored marketing services for expert guidance on getting the most mileage out of your budget and release.