Happy New Year, indie musicians! Now’s the time to get ahead in 2026 by reflecting on the past year and setting clear, achievable goals for success.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to evaluate your progress across key facets of your music career — from releases and marketing to revenue and community. Each section starts with prompts for reflection, includes helpful resources to level up your approach, and ends with suggested resolutions you can put into action throughout the year.
As an independent musician, you have the freedom to chart your own course. Setting goals that align with your values, creativity, and capacity is one of the most powerful ways to build momentum.
As you look toward the year ahead, think about what you want to accomplish. That might include releasing new music, playing more live shows, landing press, growing your streaming audience, or building stronger fan relationships. Identify a few big-picture goals, then work backward to outline the tasks, timelines, and resources needed to achieve them.
Your release strategy is the foundation of your music career. It influences your promotion, social media activity, live performances, and revenue. Before planning your next release, take a moment to reflect on how your recent releases performed.
Key reflections
Promotion: Did you create a 4-6 week plan for promotion before your release day? If you felt stuck, here are some ideas for promo. If you were overwhelmed, get organized with strategies for a single or album release.
Playlisting: Did you get your music on any playlists — editorial, self-made, or fan-made? Learn the different types of Spotify playlists and how they can support your release.
Playing live: Did you take your music to the stage? Live shows remain one of the best ways to grow your fanbase and income. You don’t have to jump straight to tour to make an impact, either. Start by getting to know your local venues and organize a release show.
Electronic press kit (EPK): Did you create a referenceable document for journalists and other industry professionals to learn about your music, access your links, and view your photos? Here’s everything you need to create an EPK.
Streaming platform best practices: Did you claim and optimize your profiles on major streaming platforms? Each platform offers tools to help you promote your music and reach new fans, too. Learn some key best practices from major DSPs.
Resolutions
- Set your release 4-6 weeks in the future and plan promotion for every week
- Claim and optimize your profiles across major DSPs
- Build a release checklist that includes pitching, promo assets, and timelines to execute
- Book a release show to celebrate and gain new fans
- Focus on fewer, more intentional promotional tactics rather than trying everything
Social media is a leading source for fan discovery and connection. From quips on X or Threads to engaging videos on YouTube or TikTok, your social media profiles are an extension of your artist identity.
Reflections
Platforms: What social media platforms did you use last year and which provided the most growth and connection with your fans?
Profiles: Across your social media platforms, do your profiles feel recognizable and consistent to fans? Learn how to brush up your social media profiles in minutes.
Content: What types of content performed best — music clips, behind-the-scenes videos, storytelling posts, or live content? Use those insights to shape your content plan for 2026.
Consistency: How often were you posting? Did you see higher engagement at specific times or with certain formats? Aim for consistency in 2026, or if you’re already posting regularly, double down on what’s working.
Campaigns: Did you plan your social media out ahead of time to support tent pole moments like releases, live shows, or merch drops? Learn how to plan a social media campaign.
Gut check: Social media can be overwhelming. If it feels draining or creatively limiting, it’s okay to reassess; take breaks, set boundaries, and explore alternative ways to connect with fans. Put your mental health before everything else.
Resolutions
- Choose one or two primary platforms to focus on instead of spreading yourself thin
- Create at least 3 repeatable content formats (weekly song or rehearsal clips, studio updates, fan Q&As, a newsletter, etc.).
- Plan a social media campaign around key upcoming events
- Review analytics monthly and adjust based on what’s resonating
Artists often confuse music promotion with music marketing. Promotion is tactical — focused on short-term buzz and actions. Marketing is the long-term strategy for building your career, brand, and fanbase.
Promotion focuses on short-term action and buzz, while marketing focuses on long-term strategy to grow your fanbase and artist identity.
Reflections
Branding: Do your visuals, messaging, and values align across platforms? A clear brand will help you develop stronger fan relationships. This guide to artist branding is a helpful reference.
Fan growth: How did fans discover your music — through streaming algorithms, short-form video, live shows, or word-of-mouth? Understanding your fan funnel helps you focus your efforts on key marketing drivers.
Engagement channels: How are you staying in touch with fans? Social media, email newsletters, text lists, or fan memberships all play a role. If email wasn’t a focus, learn why email marketing is still essential for musicians.
Promotion vs. marketing: Did your promotional efforts support a bigger picture, or feel disconnected? A strong marketing strategy ties every release into a broader narrative.
Tracking: Did you track your progress? Track your streams, ticket sales, social following and engagement, and merch revenue to determine your overall growth. Feeling swamped in data? Learn how to choose what metrics matter for your music.
Resolutions
- Create a document to track metrics tied to your goals (streams, ticket sales, followers)
- Plan a 4–6 week multi-channel marketing strategy for each release (bonus points if you plan marketing campaigns outside your release schedules — on a monthly or quarterly basis — to keep fans engaged)
- Update your electronic press kit (EPK) with a fresh bio, photos, quotes, and music links
Independent artists have more opportunities to earn revenue than ever. Start the year by assessing where you’re already generating revenue and where you could expand.
Reflections
Streaming: Streaming is where most fans listen. Direct your promotion to your streaming profiles and learn how to maximize income. You can start with our guide to reaching 1,000 streams on a platform like Spotify.
Merch: From apparel to physical music, merch deepens fan connection and provides crucial revenue. Learn how to boost your merch revenue online and in-person.
Live shows: Ticket sales, guarantees, and door splits can be meaningful income streams. If live performance is part of your plan, learn how to book shows.
Publishing: Are you collecting all the royalties your streams generate? In addition to standard streaming payouts, songs earn mechanical and performance royalties that CDB Boost can help you collect. You’ll also have the opportunity to secure sync licensing opportunities.
Resolutions
- Take stock of your profits and losses from 2025. Assess where you can improve and what new channels you want to start in 2026
- Make a plan for merch. If you’re unsure of what to sell, send a poll to your fans and have them choose items, designs — even prices!
- If you’re starting to pick up momentum on streaming platforms, consider music publishing.
- Book at least one live show every quarter of 2026. Balance out headliner shows that require promotion with opening slots for local or touring bands and public shows with strong guaranteed payments.
Being an independent artist doesn’t mean going it alone. Supporting other artists is key to growing your career, finding opportunities, and finding a sense of community. Build genuine relationships that inspire you and solidify your network so when your next release rolls round, you have a community to celebrate it with.
Reflections
Local scene: Were you active in your local music community? Attending shows, supporting other artists, and participating in local events helps build visibility and trust over time. You’ll also open up new opportunities.
Collaboration: Did you collaborate with other artists? Perhaps through co-writes, features, shared shows, or content swaps online? Collaboration can introduce your music to new audiences while strengthening creative relationships. Learn how CD Baby artist Lee Wilson made a career out of collaborations.
Industry outreach: Did you pitch blogs, curators, radio stations, or playlist creators consistently? Outreach often works best when it’s relationship-driven rather than one-off. Learn how to pitch the press through intentional outreach.
Fan relationships: Beyond social media, how did you nurture direct relationships with fans? Email lists, text updates, and in-person conversations at shows all help turn casual listeners into long-term supporters.
Resolutions
- Stay active in your music scene by attending shows and supporting other artists
- Set a goal for collaborative opportunities (shared bills, features, or co-creation)
- Use live shows as intentional networking opportunities, not just performances
- Keep a simple networking sheet to track contacts and opportunities
- Create a press and outreach plan for your next release, focusing on long-term relationships rather than quick wins
Conclusion
Independent musicians juggle so much. It’s often difficult to find throughlines for growth and strategy. We hope this guide distilled some key focus areas for your music career and provided you with the resources and resolutions you need to start gaining traction.
At CD Baby, we’ve supported independent musicians through a rapidly changing industry since 1998. We’re proud to back a growing community of over two million musicians around the world with affordable and simple distribution, in addition to resources to take your music further.
Create a free CD Baby account today to get more help like this guide and prepare for your next music release.