Do you know who your target audience is as a musician? Ask yourself these 6 questions

Weet jij als muzikant wie je doelgroep is? Stel jezelf deze 6 vragen

Playing on This Morning, in the BBC Radio 1 studio, or as the support act for a well-known artist? As an ambitious artist, you’d never say no to that. But sometimes you actually should, advises guest blogger Jim Kreeftenberg, aka De Muziekindustriecoach. Because your gig might unintentionally attract the ‘wrong’ audience. With these six questions, you’ll work out who your target audience is and how to reach that ideal fan.

Dare to say no

At the start of your career, you’re probably happy with any media attention you can get. Wherever they want you, you’ll turn up to play—especially if it’s national broadcasters or big stages. You’ve got to get yourself noticed, right? Absolutely. Plus, performing is always fun, and the most important thing is that you make the music you want to make. But if, as an artist, you want to build a loyal and growing fanbase, it’s smart to really get to know your target audience. Who’s listening to your music? Who do you want to be listening? And where are those people? In short: who is your ideal fan? Once you know who you’re making music for, you’ll understand why it can sometimes be better to say no to a gig that seemed like an amazing opportunity at first. Because if you’re a singer-songwriter opening for a trap artist, you probably won’t meet your ideal fan there. And if you want to appeal to cool kids aged 13 to 19, but you premiere your new single on This Morning, your credibility won’t last long.

Your ideal fan

So it’s really important to know who your target audience is, where you can find them, and how you can speak to them. The following six questions will help. Keep your ideal fan(s) in mind and work through the list. Once you’ve answered all the questions, you’ll have a clear profile of your target audience. Use that profile as a guide for every choice you make as an artist—from posting a TikTok video to saying yes to a gig. Again: you should absolutely do what you enjoy, but if you want to build a steady fanbase, having a target-audience profile is a solid anchor. And you’ll immediately know what to say when This Morning calls 😉

#1. What stage of life are they in?

How old are your fans, what do they study and/or do for work, where do they live, and what do they earn? And what media fits with that? Is your ideal fan, for example, a young parent? Maybe there are parenting influencers who’d like to use your music under their content.

#2. What does their day look like?

What do your ideal fans do in a day? Think study, work, sport and hobbies. Where do they spend time, and at what times are they easy—or difficult—to reach? Is your ideal fan, for example, a dedicated fitness enthusiast? Then you could target workout playlists on Spotify. Or you make sports content on your socials: ‘Look how well you can run/mountain bike/deadlift to my music’.

#3. How do they listen to music?

In the UK, by far most people listen to music via Spotify, but there are still loads of people who listen to the radio in the car, or swear by vinyl. And yes, CDs are still being sold too. What about your ideal fans? How do they listen to your music? You’ll want to match their needs. So what will you do: release only digitally, or also put out a physical product?

#4. Which media do they use?

Does your ideal fan read newspapers? Or do they have a favourite magazine? Bingo! Approach those outlets yourself, or hire a PR plugger to generate coverage in the press. And social media is of course also media (who knew). Where are your fans? Do you reach them on Instagram, are they still on Facebook, or do you need to be on TikTok or Snapchat?

#5. Which other artists do they listen to?

You’re (unfortunately 😉 not the only artist your ideal fan loves. Think about what other music they listen to and learn from those artists. So not necessarily artists similar to you or your music, but artists with the same target audience. Finding it tricky? Start with your own inspirations. Make a playlist with ten tracks you love and where your music fits perfectly in between. Then enter those artists on musicroamer.com to find more artists in the same spectrum. Dive into their profiles. Which playlists are they on? Pitch to those lists as well. Who’s their booking agent? Get in touch—maybe you’re their ideal support act. That way you know for sure you’ll (also) be playing to your own audience.

#6. What are their names?

Give your ideal fan a name. It turns an abstract character into a real personality, bringing the profile to life and helping you connect even more with your target audience. It also sounds nice and friendly in meetings with your team: “Mariëlle listens to the radio every morning.” “Mo went viral on TikTok again.” And “Cissy was front left again—she was absolutely loving it!”