How to Promote Your Song for $1,000: No Labels Necessary Breaks It Down

For independent artists trying to break into the industry, budgeting for promotion can be tricky. A $1,000 marketing budget might seem like a solid investment, but as the No Labels Necessary team points out, it’s all about spending it strategically. In a recent discussion, Brandman Sean and Cory, co-founders of Contrabrand Agency, shared a step-by-step blueprint on how to get the most out of $1,000 when promoting a song.

Sean and Cory have worked with artists who have accumulated billions of streams and views, so they know what they’re talking about. Their advice is designed to prevent artists from wasting money in the wrong places while maximizing growth potential.

Step 1: Invest in Ads (30-40% of Budget)

The first priority in your budget should be digital ads. Sean and Cory emphasize that ads are a surefire way to get your music in front of potential fans. “Almost everybody in every strategy can incorporate ads just because the barrier of entry is so low,” Sean explains.

To get started, they suggest running Instagram ads, which they see as the best beginner-friendly option. Artists should create three short video clips—either from their music video or as original content—and test them as ads. “If you can get three pieces of creative, then you’ve got enough to run ads to test out a song,” says Sean.

Interestingly, they also highlight that sometimes, a simple album cover with the song playing in the background can outperform a high-production music video. “A lot of times, just an album cover can do better than videos,” Cory adds. This is because it sets the expectation that people are clicking to listen to music, not watch an elaborate production.

Once you have three ad creatives, you should run them against a single audience—one targeting segment such as fans of a specific artist, like Drake or Taylor Swift. Additionally, focus on one market, such as the United States or the UK, rather than spreading the budget thin across multiple regions.

Step 2: Influencer & PR Campaigns (40-50% of Budget)

Once the ad testing phase is complete, you should have around 50-60% of your budget left. The next move is to invest in either influencer campaigns or social media PR.

Option 1: Social Media PR (If You Have a Narrative)

If your song or brand has an interesting story, investing in PR is a great move. However, as Cory points out, not every song has a strong enough narrative to capture media attention. “Every artist wants their song to be known as ‘good,’ but that’s not enough,” he explains. “If you were 10 times bigger, would this song be newsworthy?”

A great example of a strong narrative was rapper E. Triplin’s viral marketing move at Rolling Loud. He framed his small audience in a way that made it look like almost no one was watching, turning the story into one of perseverance and gratitude. It created an engaging conversation that people cared about. If you have a compelling story like that, consider paying blog pages like Say Cheese or Our Generation Music to cover it.

Option 2: Reaction & Upload Channels

For artists without a strong narrative, paying influencers to react to the song can be just as effective. Reaction channels on YouTube and TikTok, such as ZIAS or Screwface Jean, offer a built-in audience for new music discovery. These influencers engage with their followers through genuine music reactions, helping generate traction for new releases.

Additionally, artists can pay for placement on audio upload channels. Platforms like Escape Tracks (for R&B) and Mosh Pit (for dark rap) act as YouTube radio stations that expose songs to targeted listeners.

Step 3: Micro-Influencer Marketing (10-20% of Budget)

With the remaining 10-20% of your budget, artists should consider investing in micro-influencers—smaller social media figures with engaged audiences. This strategy provides two advantages:

The potential for organic virality if the influencer’s content gains traction.
A piece of content that can be reused later in larger campaigns.

Cory emphasizes that even if the post doesn’t go viral immediately, it can still be valuable in the long run. “Now I got more money, maybe I’ll pay for that influencer post to be on some blog and now that’s going viral,” he explains.

The Key Takeaway: Learning & Scaling

Ultimately, the goal of a $1,000 marketing campaign isn’t to make an artist blow up overnight. Instead, Sean and Cory stress that it should be treated as a learning experience. “Whenever we say budgets, we never think to spend the whole budget,” says Sean. “The whole way we’re thinking of doing it is testing the song at every step of the way.”

In short, a smart marketing campaign should provide clarity on whether a song is worth continued investment. “If the song is working, go get 5K or 10K and scale up. If it’s not, you spent less than your full budget and have money left for your next track,” Sean advises.

For independent artists looking to maximize every dollar, this framework provides a strategic approach to getting their music in front of the right audience without wasting money.

Step-by-Step Summary

Ads (30-40%) – Create three ad creatives, target one audience, and focus on one market. Run ads at a controlled daily spend and analyze results.
Influencer or PR Campaign (40-50%) – Choose between PR (if there’s a strong narrative) or influencer/reactor uploads if there isn’t.
Micro-Influencers (10-20%) – Pay smaller influencers to create content and potentially reuse it in future marketing pushes.
Assess & Scale – If the song performs well, seek additional budget to scale up. If it doesn’t, save remaining funds for the next release.

By following this structured approach, independent artists can ensure that their $1,000 marketing budget is spent wisely, providing meaningful insights and potential growth opportunities for their music careers.