My Research for the Music Marketing Project

Behind the Scenes: My Research & Planning Process for the Music Marketing Project

For this project, I set out to explore how music artists and their labels build their brand identities and market themselves across digital and non-digital platforms. I chose to focus on two modern bands—Militarie Gun and The Beaches—because they represent different sides of the alternative music world and have very distinct promotional strategies. Here’s a look at how I researched and planned the project from start to finish.

Step 1: Choosing the Artists and Labels

The first step was identifying artists whose marketing approaches were both effective and easy to compare. I selected:

• Militarie Gun, a rising post-hardcore/alternative band signed to Loma Vista Recordings, an independent label known for its visually strong and artist-driven branding.
• The Beaches, a Canadian alternative rock band working with MDM Recordings and AWAL, which use a more flexible, analytics-driven digital distribution model.

Choosing two artists from different backgrounds helped me analyze different types of industry structures—from indie labels to modern artist-service platforms.

Step 2: Researching Record Labels

Before digging into the bands themselves, I researched their labels to understand the business systems behind them.

I focused on:

• Founding history and mission
• Major artists on the roster
• Branding tendencies
• Distribution partnerships

This helped me see how each label helps shape the marketing identity of its artists.

Step 3: Studying Each Band’s History

Next, I investigated the origins of each band:

• When and how they formed
• Changes in their lineup
• Their early releases
• Their musical evolution
• Key moments that boosted visibility (e.g., Life Under the Gun for Militarie Gun and Blame Brett going viral for The Beaches)

Learning this gave context for why each band markets themselves the way they do.

Step 4: Analyzing Target Audiences & Brand Identities

To understand who the artists are speaking to, I broke down:

• Their typical fan demographics
• The emotional themes they focus on
• Their visual style and tone
• Their position within their genre

This step was essential because audience shape determines marketing strategy—including the tone, platforms, and promotional timing.

Step 5: Comparing Digital Marketing Strategies

I studied each band’s online presence, focusing on:

• Instagram and TikTok engagement
• Short-form and long-form video content
• Aesthetic consistency
• Release rollout strategies
• Interaction with fans
• How their labels support their digital presence through distribution and playlist placements

This helped me understand how much modern marketing depends on social media algorithms and direct-to-fan communication.

Step 6: Exploring Non-Digital Promotion

Finally, I examined each band’s offline strategies:

• Touring
• Festival appearances
• Physical merch
• Vinyl, CDs, and posters
• Press, interviews, and magazine features
• Radio play and broadcasting

These traditional methods showed how important real-world visibility still is, even in a digital-first industry.

What I Learned

Throughout the research and planning process, I discovered that successful music marketing is always a blend of:

• Strong storytelling
• Clear visual identity
• Consistent digital engagement
• Active live performance strategy
• Supportive record label partnerships

By comparing Militarie Gun and The Beaches, I saw how different backgrounds and industry structures can create completely different—but equally effective—marketing paths.