How to Release Music on Substack

Substack is a fantastic place to connect with listeners

It’s early days for music on Substack, so we’re all just experimenting. As a result, I’m not attempting to present a definitive approach here on how to use the platform. I’m seeing a wide variety of approaches, and this is just meant to be a survey of those.

This post is the first in a series.

First, let’s take a look at why you might want to release music on Substack.

Why Release Music on Substack?

I have found such a sense of community here on Substack - so much support and such a positive atmosphere. And I feel a lot of energy and excitement here.

I want to share that experience with my listeners - especially that sense of community.

On Spotify, I have no idea who my listeners are. I know their demographics - age, sex, location, etc. - but I don’t even know their names. On Meta, I do know their names, but what good does that do me anyway?

On Substack, you immediately get your subscribers’ email addresses. For life! This is so powerful.

No matter what changes occur in the social media landscape, you’ll be set.

Also, Substack is a powerful platform for amplifying the emotional impact of a song through writing and other means. Listeners are ready for longer-form pieces here, in contrast to… you know… those other stupid platforms.

You can set up the song for the listener. You can build emotion and anticipation.

And regarding money, I predict that Substack will turn out to be one of the better ways for musical artists to enhance their bank accounts.

I believe we’ll come to find that the deeper connections formed here will encourage listeners to support artists.

So, as part of this series, I will discuss monetization.

How Is Music Being Released on Substack?

Here’s a survey of some of the ways musical artists are releasing music on Substack:

SweetSweetHeart

SweetSweetHeart

Releases raw demos

Genre: “I have been told in the past that I invented my own genre, ‘glam-grunge.’💖 I like the juxtaposition of pretty melodies over heavy guitars. My biggest influences are The Beatles, Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, and PJ Harvey.”

What’s unique: She’s sharing demos via voice notes, first drafts of lyrics, and more as she writes her next album, “Upstate Girl”. In other words, she’s letting the world into her creative process. As she says, “This is part creative process document, part diary.”

My thoughts: I applaud SweetSweetHeart for having the courage to be vulnerable and let people into her process. And I find it quite engaging! Her songwriting is fantastic, and her prose is very cool, heartfelt, and funny.

Bio: “I took piano lessons as a child and grew up in a musical household. I’m largely influenced by my parents’ love of 60s music and my older brother passing down 90s alternative and grunge. I started playing guitar at 12 and wrote poetry that I imagined as songs. I was heavily involved in the Washington, DC underground/indie music scene in the late 00s.”

Check out two of her posts here and here.

and now Miguel

and now Miguel

Creates zines and writes autofiction

Genre: “Singer-Songwriter, Hip-Hop. Why Singer-Songwriter? Well, I write, compose, and arrange sound firmly rooted within the ethos of Hip-Hop. I am from New York. My style is seasoned by the Caribbean-American experience of growing up in New York.”

What’s unique: Those who were around in the 90s, like me, might remember zines. Zines are back! Miguel offers zines via his website.

My thoughts: I did purchase one of his zines, and I’m glad I did. It’s a great way to connect with someone you’ve only known online. A physical object is an excellent way to connect with your listeners. And, by the way, Miguel’s Substack is overflowing with positive energy and tasty-looking food.

Bio: “My lyrics are mustered seeds, small, packed dense with meaning. I am a singer-songwriter rooted within Hip-Hop aesthetics. My lyrics, music, and prose autofiction use sound and rhythm, weaving a bridge to connect the diasporas. My music and storytelling are rooted in the sounds of the Bronx and the ancestral echoes of the Caribbean, with themes of exploring identity, grief, and transformation. Through lyrical experimentation and sonic layering, I create the world anew.”

Check out one of Miguel’s zines here.

Monetization: Miguel sells zines on his website, and offers a paid tier on his Substack.

What’s unique #2: Miguel has been exploring autofiction in his lyrics and a recent post. Autofiction blends autobiography and fiction, much like historical fiction combines historical events and fiction. (Note: SweetSweetHeart also writes autofiction.)

Check out Miguel’s autofiction in this post.

AJ Deiboldt

AJ Deiboldt

Livestreams on a regular basis

Genre: “Bluesy Americana that's sparse, poetic, and gut-wrenching all at the same time. You've never heard anything like it, I don't think.”

What’s unique: AJ livestreams a set of music, including his originals, every other Wednesday night for an hour.

Monetization: Paid subscribers get access to all previous livestreams and a personalized video performance from AJ.

My thoughts: AJ is a music veteran - an accomplished writer, player, and producer. And he sounds like it.

Bio: “Music has been the one constant thing in my life. It's made life harder, made life easier, but it's never let me down. Songwriting and production is what I call my ‘day job,’ and I've worked with all kinds of artists, some who have even been signed to major label deals.”

Check out one of AJ’s livestreams here.

jade tree

jade tree

Produces radio-style podcasts

Genre: “Soulful hip hop, which includes a lot of subgenres like lo-fi, boom bap, jazz hop, chill hop”

What’s unique: jade tree hosts “a radio-style podcast that spotlights fellow beat makers” and, of course, her own music. She uses a Mixcloud Pro license that makes sure the artists she features are paid.

Monetization: Her lower paid tier includes hearing every new song of hers before it is released. The upper tier also includes access to her library of podcast theme songs, all her sample packs, and the ability to start chat threads. (You can also purchase her sample packs here and here.)

My thoughts: jade tree is witty and makes some funky-ass music. And her podcast approach seems like a good one to me.

Bio: “Born in Canada, I grew up on piano, guitar, and drums; as Cara Leigh, I recorded vocals for EDM tracks and wrote folk-indie songs while working as a psychotherapist. Today I’m raising two kids in San Francisco. In addition to making music as jade tree, I create sample packs from scratch with my own field recordings.”

Check out one of jade tree’s podcasts here.

What’s Next

In future posts, I’ll discuss additional approaches for releasing music on Substack.

If you’re releasing music on Substack, please let us know in the comments!