I know, I know… we probably sound like a broken record when it comes to talking about all things Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and the like. However, these aren’t the only useful social media type apps in the game for musicians. There are alternative platforms out there built with musicians in mind, created specifically for anyone looking to learn more and grow their career in music. While the mainstream platforms remain as important as ever, exploring these specialized tools can help you expand your audience, engage directly with fans, and deepen your industry knowledge even further. Here’s the rundown…

Last.fm

Typically used by artists to track your music’s stats and performance, Last.fm is a free platform where users can also discover new music based on their listening habits. As a musician, you can engage with your fans by participating in discussions, responding to comments, and updating your profile with new content. In addition, there’s an events section where you can list upcoming gigs, tours, and performances to get more fans out to your shows.

By connecting with other musicians and industry professionals on Last.fm, you can explore collaboration opportunities, network with your fellow musicians, and stay up to date with what’s trending in the music community.

Fanbase

Fanbase is a free next-generation social media app that allows musicians to create exclusive content for fans and generate income directly from social media engagement. Just like with your other social media platforms, you can post content like photos, videos, and written updates to help you share your work, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and personal moments with your followers. You’ve even got a Stories feature, similar to Instagram and Facebook, which encourages spontaneous updates which disappear after 24 hours.

Interaction is the biggest part of the platform. Users can like and comment on your posts, helping your engagement and fostering a sense of community. Artists can follow and be followed by users, direct message other users for private conversations between artists and their fans or collaborators, and even includes monetization features, similar to Patreon, where artists can monetize their content by offering exclusive content and experiences to subscribing fans.

Drooble

Drooble is a music-focused social network designed to connect musicians, foster collaboration, and promote the sharing of music and ideas. Offering a range of features tailored specifically to the needs of musicians and music enthusiasts alike, Drooble helps musicians like you upload and share your music with your Drooble community, and so much more. One of the collect features includes their remote collaboration tools, which allow musicians to share files, track progress, and easily communicate with each other, making it easier to co-write songs, produce tracks, and work on joint projects without being in the same location.

Additionally, the platform includes a marketplace where musicians can offer and purchase services such as mixing, mastering, session work, and graphic design, enabling artists to find professional support for their projects and offer their skills to others. Plus, Drooble offers real-time collaboration features like chat and video conferencing to help musicians brainstorm, discuss ideas, and work on projects together in real-time, enhancing the creative process and fostering professional growth as an artist.

Reddit

Before you question my logic here, I love Reddit for many reasons. Aside from the entertaining stories from a random guy about his experience getting swindled by a third-party playlisting scam or the beginner band-member looking for answers on how to confront his frontman about his BO, artists can use Reddit to engage with a vast community of fans, fellow musicians, industry vets and more in so many ways. Through the hundreds of subreddits on everything from music production tips to how to grow your audience online, the community on Reddit is one of the best places for you to directly engage with a like-minded community.

On Reddit, you can post your tracks for critique from the community (warning: not for the faint of heart), seek advice on production techniques, or look for other artists to collaborate with. Reddit’s AMA format allows artists to host interactive Q&A sessions where fans can ask questions directly, which can help you connect with your audience, showcase your personality, and generate buzz around your music. Through networking on Reddit, you can gain connections with not only your fans, but also industry vets who have been in the game for decades.

Bandsintown

Although Bandsintown is primarily known as a concert discovery and event promo platform, it does have some social media-like features that can help you engage with your fans on a deeper level. The platform facilitates direct connections between artists and fans around live music events, creating a community-like environment similar to your other social media networks. As an artist, you can promote your shows here, and your fans can follow you (and their other favorite artists), receive notifications about upcoming shows, and even interact with your event posts through shares and RSVP’s.

When it comes to effectively promoting live shows and engaging with your fans, Bandsintown is definitely a useful tool worth putting some effort into. (Not to mention all the other great features it has to offer like audience insights, tour management, social media integrations and so much more.)

To wrap things up…

While mainstream social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok remain vital for any musician’s online presence, exploring alternative platforms like these can offer unique advantages for artists. No matter what you’re looking for, each of these platforms brings something distinct to the table, giving artists like you the tools to diversify your digital strategy, connect with your fans, collaborate across the industry and so much more. We hope this post gives you some ideas! In the meantime, check out some of our past articles on social media right here.

Good luck!