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Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Collection

2023

Successful Digital Marketing Strategies of Independent Artists Successful Digital Marketing Strategies of Independent Artists

Wendy Renee Hicks

Walden University

Walden University

Dr. Craig Martin, Committee Chairperson, Doctor of Business Administration Faculty

Chief Academic Officer and Provost

Sue Subocz, Ph.D.

Walden University

2023

MBA, Trinity Washington University, 2013

was to explore what digital marketing strategies some independent artists used to achieve

and sustain profitability. The participants were nine independent artists on the east coast

of the United States who published original music at a profit during the last 5 years. Data

were collected from semistructured interviews. Data were analyzed using Braun and

Clarke’s six-step interpretive analyses. Three themes emerged: primary digital marketing

strategies, marketing analysis tools, and key barriers to sustaining profitability. The key

recommendation is for independent music artists to implement technological advances to

support the digital marketing of their music. The implication for positive social change

includes the potential for independent music artists to contribute knowledge to support

and encourage fellow artists to continue composing music.

Walden University

in me, we did it! I thank my children, Tatiana and Tahj who motivated me to continue

without even knowing it. As a parent we learn to lead by example, and I pray that I

demonstrated that anything in life can be achieved if you put your mind to it. I could not

have done this without you! My partner, Dr. Marvin Carroll, love you! I have so many

family members and friends I could name individually. There are not enough pages to

write and express my gratitude, please know that each of you played a role in my

evolution, thank you! Thank you to the participants that shared invaluable information

and experiences to advance this study. To my awesome Committee, Dr. Judy Blando, Dr.

Rocky Dwyer, I humbly thank you! To my Advisor, Professor and Chair, Dr. Craig

Martin, I knew from the beginning, I wanted you to be my Chair! You have been

your education, just do it and know that you can! Knowledge really is empowering.

i

Purpose Statement ..........................................................................................................2

Nature of the Study ........................................................................................................2

Research Question .........................................................................................................3

Interview Questions .......................................................................................................3

Conceptual Framework ..................................................................................................4

Operational Definitions ..................................................................................................5

Assumptions, Limitations, and Delimitations ................................................................6

Assumptions ............................................................................................................ 6

Limitations .............................................................................................................. 7

Delimitations ........................................................................................................... 7

Marketing Mix ...................................................................................................... 11

ii

Digital Marketing .................................................................................................. 21

Digital Marketing Strategies ................................................................................. 23

internet Marketing ................................................................................................. 25

Social Media Marketing ........................................................................................ 26

Web analysis tools ................................................................................................ 28

Revenue Streams ................................................................................................... 29

New Model for presenting music to consumers - Independent Artists ................. 31

COVID-19 and Impact on Music Industry ........................................................... 32

Transition .....................................................................................................................33

Research Design.................................................................................................... 40

iii

Data Analysis ...............................................................................................................47

Reliability and Validity ................................................................................................49

Reliability .............................................................................................................. 50

Validity ................................................................................................................. 50

Transition and Summary ..............................................................................................51

Section 3: Application to Professional Practice and Implications for Change ..................53

Introduction ..................................................................................................................53

Presentation of Findings ..............................................................................................54

Emergent Theme 1: Primary Digital Marketing Strategies .................................. 56

Emergent Theme 2: Marketing Analysis Tools .................................................... 59

Conclusion ...................................................................................................................69

5

generating income for the business (Olson et al., 2018). I examined independent artists

applied the four factors in the marketing mix to provide value to the customer and

generated income with selling their music products.

I chose marketing mix because the mix is a combination of various factors used to

develop a strategy independent artists (entrepreneurs) used to market music products and

appeal to their target audience. Marketing can be used to determine the best product,

pricing, and placement with how products are distributed, sold, and promoted. The

purpose of this study was to identify the various digital marketing strategies independent

consensus approval (Anderson & Taylor, 1995). McCarthy defined marketing mix as the

controllable variables that an organizational leader can coordinate to satisfy the target

market (Rafiq & Ahmed, 1995). The marketing mix included useful examples of what

independent artists incorporated into their own digital marketing strategies for success. I

used this theory to gain insight into how independent artists used various marketing

frameworks to digitally market their music.

The terms listed below are some of the terms that I used in the study.

6

Inbound marketing: Digital marketing strategy that connects with potential

customers using media such as email distribution lists, blogs and social networking

(Venisse, 2016).

Independent artist: Music artists with no ties to a major record label (Oliver &

Armit, 2018).

Major Labels, record company: The dominant record industry major record

labels (EMI, Sony, Universal‐Vivendi, Time Warner and Bertelsmann BMG) that control

the market for recorded music in terms of both production and distribution (Mall, 2018).

Assumptions, limitations, and delimitations are critical research components and

necessary for a viable study (Leedy & Ormrod, 2016; Marshall & Rossman, 2016). In

this section I discuss the Assumptions, limitations, and delimitations in this study.

Assumptions are thoughts believed to be factual but are unable to be validated by

the researcher (Babbie, 2015). In this study, I assumed that independent artists would be

open about their profits, that independent artists had the technical aptitude to leverage the

7

technology and marketing skills to digitally market their music, and that independent

artists can earn a living working solely in the music industry. I also assumed independent

artists that participated in the study would provide honest answers to the research

questions. I ensured that the participants fully understood their contribution to the study

and the potential for positive influence on other artists.

Limitations are inherent weaknesses found in the design of a research study (Yin,

2017). Limitations for the study included: limited amount of peer reviewed articles for

study (Theofanidis & Fountouki, 2018). The main delimitations were the number and

scope of the selected research participants. I focused on independent artists that were in

the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. Selecting this group of participants seemed most

relevant to view the business of music through the lens of the group who worked strictly

as entrepreneurs. In addition, the scope of the study was limited to digital marketing

strategies independent artists used to sustain profitability.

8

Artists in the music industry experienced a shift in revenue and sales because of

technology and the creation of the independent artist concept (Eiriz & Leite, 2017). The

decline in record sales, from the effects of disruptive technology, affected the music

industry business model and independent artists (Gamble et al., 2017). The record

industry model changed, and the new era of independent artists is one in which artists are

a part of the do-it-yourself (DIY) culture (Vito, 2019). I aimed to increase music business

knowledge of how independent artists used successful digital marketing strategies to

media and technology, independent artists discovered innovative solutions to market their

music beyond the sale of CDs. My goal for this study was to expand on the strategies that

were proven successful and provided opportunities for independent artists to profit.

People worldwide can hear and enjoy recorded music using a multitude of

receivers based on new technology (Vismara, 2018). Changes in the music industry’s

business model arising from technological change created challenges for new artists to

remain viable and sustained their careers in the music business, which resulted in artists

9

not entering the music business (Sun, 2018; U.S. Department of Labor, 2015). In this

study, I focused on digital marketing strategies to sustain profitability; however, the

implication for social change could be that independent artists continue to make music. A

detailed description of successful digital marketing strategies of some independent artists

might create awareness for other independent artists about how to sustain profitability in

the music industry and stimulate the economy.

My objective for this qualitative, multiple case study was to explore what digital

entrepreneurship to develop additional insight into this phenomenon.

My literature review includes articles that support the general business problem. I

reviewed entrepreneurial strategies for independent artists to use to thrive in the new

music business model. I also explored digital marketing strategies to sustain and increase

profitability. The following literature review consists of peer-reviewed research studies

for the topics (a) conceptual theories in marketing, (b) digital marketing, (c) history of the

music industry, and (d) independent artists in the music industry. Other sources include

statistical reports from music industry trade associations, small business associations and

scholarly books. Walden University databases included Thoreau, Business Source

Complete, Emerald Management Journals, Google Scholar and Sage Premier were the

sources, and searches included peer reviewed journal articles, preferably within the last 5

years. Keywords in the search process included independent artists, music industry

music, impact of covid and the music industry, and social media analytics. The emphasis

was on peer-reviewed studies within 5 years old at the time of publication. The study

included 178 references: 89% peer-reviewed articles; 59% of the articles were from 2017

105 105 59%

53 53 30%

20 11%

Totals 105 53 178 100%

I explored the various digital marketing strategies that independent artists used to

sustain profitability. Technology changed how consumers listened to songs; interacted

but also conducted all aspects of their business endeavors (Walzer, 2016). The functions

that the record labels once served for promoting, marketing, and distributing music were

now the responsibility of the independent artist, those who were not signed to a major

label. Independent artists leveraged various marketing strategies to build a fan base and

strengthen sales by merchandising and touring (Best et al., 2017).

I used marketing mix as the primary theory to explore successful digital

marketing strategies. In addition to the marketing mix theory, I used theories such as

marketing manager can control to influence sales or market share. Borden (1964; as cited

in Constantinides, 2006) initially identified 12 marketing elements that would increase

profitability for a business if managed properly.

McCarthy (1964) reduced Borden’s 12 to a four-element framework (4Ps):

product, price, promotion, and placement. An understanding of marketing is essential to

analyze the success of marketing strategies for business models in the music industry

(Vaccaro & Cohn, 2004). Kannan and Li (2017) revealed how technology changed

consumer buying intention and the marketing factors that influenced sales with music

products.

Kotler (2001) elucidated the optimal allocation of marketing efforts can produce

an optimal marketing mix by using mathematical programming as an alternative

framework. Constantinides (2006) posited a mixed review of some authors proposing

alternative marketing frameworks while others accepted modified versions for the 4Ps

with new elements added to the traditional parameters. In the music industry, price

becomes a major factor because of the possibility of consumers who want to spend

The marketing strategy should either apply to a product or service. According to

Grönroos (2020), the various marketing models differed from conventional models

because they included aspects related to service production and interactions between

customers and service providers. Product is a key marketing variable consistent with the

foundational marketing principles. Without an understanding of the product being

marketing, successful outcomes cannot be expected. Marketing concepts and theories

evolve constantly and with each evolution a new thought, concept and model is

developed based on customer requirements (Homburg et al., 2017).

East et al. (2017) explained the influence of word-of-mouth (WOM)

communication and the effect on consumer purchasing behavior. Customer satisfaction

positively influences customer affective commitment (Iglesias et al., 2019). Such

communication can have a strong influence on consumer behavior. WOM can influence

people to buy product when it's recommended from a person, they know and trust

inducing the purchase of certain products (Bugshan & Ahmed, 2021). Roy et al. (2018)

reviewed how electronic word-of mouth (eWOM) influenced consumer buying behavior

through the online exchange of customer opinions and experiences using social media.

purchases significantly strengthens as the spatial proximity between disseminators and

receivers grows and can tether the potential of eWOM. The analysis of marketing mix is

the basis which aligns marketing activities and concepts included in the configuration

theory.

The configuration theory is used in organizing marketing activities in ways that

align with an organization's business strategy. According to Leenders et al. (2015), the

configuration theory provided detailed insight into viable and unviable marketing

strategies. Managers may use configuration theory to align strategies to design options

that independent artists used when they experiment and seek a position for a competitive

advantage in an atmosphere that delivers acceptable performance. Independent artists can

use configuration theory to develop various strategies such as the use of radio airplay,

live performance, and social media platforms to generate profitable sales. Configuration

theory posits that for each marketing strategy, there are organizational characteristics that

align with strategic initiatives that form a significant source of competitive advantage

(Leenders et al., 2015). For example, despite the decline of CD sales, CDs could be a

media marketing strategies, and recorded music on different platforms (e.g., streaming)

that yielded above average performance. Configuration theory played a role in research

on how these interdependencies combined marketing and media platforms for maximum

effect (Peng et al., 2020). The analysis of configuration theory led to marketing concepts

entrepreneurs (independent artists) can use to sustain profitability.

Hu et al. (2017) stated in the music industry, environmental turbulence created the

emergence of entrepreneurs, who thrive in this environment. According to Anderson et

Digital distribution facilitated a quick exchange between the independent artist

and consumer (Walzer, 2016). Streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music,

Sound-Cloud, and Pandora substantially increased the accessibility of music with little to

no distribution costs to artists and record labels (TuneCore, 2017). When Apple

introduced the a-la-carte legal digital download service, this new model created a greater

gap between consumer purchase of legally obtained digital music and music acquired

through alternate means (Vamosiu, 2018). New Apple innovation prompted the music

industry to revise its business model to a more fluid model that could be continuously

personal computer. Digital marketing involved promoting product and service by means

of a range of digital channels to reach customers (Kamal, 2016). Cruz et al. (2017)

posited content-based marketing strategies such as blogging or posting on popular social

media platforms have become staples of digital marketing practice. In the contemporary

world, every part of the consumer decision-making process is influenced by social media

(Appel et al., 2020). The rise of the internet allowed the potential to reach far greater

numbers of prospective customers than was previously possible and social media has

become key for branding because of the brand’s ability to connect with consumers in a

more personal and interactive manner (Du Plessis, 2017).

The growing momentum of digitization and the scale of disruption had a profound

impact on current marketing practice (Ruyter et al., 2018). Digital marketing has become

the most effective method of doing business online and is a diverse marketing platform

used for marketing all types of products and services over the internet or any form of

electronic media (Jaya & Jaya, 2016). During the digital era (1970s), the sales of music

cassettes and CDs dropped drastically, prompting the manufacturers to create innovative

ways to develop their music products by adjusting the development of technology.

motivator. Independent artists have more opportunities to communicate, network,

promote and distribute music, which previously could not be widely published against the

commercial power of major labels (Haynes & Marshall, 2017). Aguiar and Martens

(2016) posited music producers view digitization as a threat to their revenue; however, an

alternative adaptive strategy was to provide content for free and find other sources of

revenue.

The importance of understanding the digital world and digital marketing is crucial

for independent artists. Customer behavior and the identification of the right perspective

segment is important when determining a marketing strategy. According to Anjum et al.

(2020) marketing was undergoing a transformation and can no longer rely on traditional

marketing techniques (Kannan & Li, 2017; Opreana & Vinerean, 2015). The COVID-19

pandemic emphasized this need even more, but even pre-pandemic, challenges were

incurred with reaching fans and presenting work to a wider range of audiences without

time lapses, as well as tutorials. The artists should ask questions to their followers and

share stories from their personal life, establishing a participatory relationship with them,

making them feel like they know the artist and making them believe that their

contribution matters. Additionally, meaningful hashtags are a way to be found, and after

sharing a post it is beneficial to reply to comments as soon as possible. In addition, it is

noted that artists with strategies on what to post to Instagram based on the number of

likes or comments increased their visibility.

Blogging is an essential key to expanding business and competing in the digital

age (Fialkoff, 2019). When done correctly, blogs boost online traffic, leads, and

conversions. According to Fialkoff (2019), the key to blogging success is posting 2 to 3

times per week which keeps a website in high ranking with Google and helps potential

customers to find a business online.

Slootweg and Rowson (2018) stated age groups or generational considerations

were a factor when determining marketing strategies. Identifying the optimal marketing

approach required consideration of the target audience and generation groups. Baby

generates leads from social media networks. Inbound marketing is the most important

digital marketing strategy that connects with potential customers using media such as

email distribution lists, blogs, and social networking. Venisse (2016) defined inbound

marketing to use social media as a tool to convert an audience into customers. For an

artist to set up this strategy using inbound marketing, artists must offer interesting,

relevant content on their site, blog, or social network page, to attract and sustain an

audience.

Prahalad (2000) first coined the term value co-creation as a theoretical concept

that allows companies and customers to create value through interaction. Co-creational

marketing is based on customer experience and value created through interactive

relationships. Social media is a digital marketing strategy that is used to identify and

engage customers. Through this engagement, the researcher can analyze the results from

the study to determine the effectiveness of the marketing strategy and its effect on sales.

replaced with a marketing focus in which value is created and shared by either party

(Eggert et al., 2018).

Developing an effective marketing strategy has contributed to independent artists

generating revenue on the internet. Naveed et al. (2017) stated new business opportunities

in distribution and live entertainment will increase in popularity as the progression of the

internet continues. According to Haynes and Marshall (2017), the internet had several

benefits the independent artist used to build a fan base and sell their music. Those

benefits included a worldwide audience or portal to publicize music and a means through

which artists can keep their audience engaged.

Music videos represented a significant musical expression and are an important

vehicle for the artist to connect with their audience. Maljkovic (2017) suggested newer

forms of creative expressions will continue to progress as digital technology progresses.

Digital technology provided an increase of access to potential customers. According to

Schuster et al. (2019), the increase of music reviews and musical sampling encouraged an

increase in online sales. Online markets functioned as communication markets which

LinkedIn, other options exist which contain a significant social media element, such as,

user-generated content sites to include YouTube Soundcloud, Bandcamp Songkick, and

Spotify. Social media is a natural platform for promotional efforts because of its wide

access to consumers (Torres et al., 2018).

According to Choi and Burnes (2017), social media was a marketing and business

practice; however, there is insufficient insight into what drives small businesses to use

social media and how the interaction builds bonds with consumers. While acknowledging

that there are examples of artists who have benefited from using social media, and have

generated a sustainable living from their music, Choi, and Burnes (2017), question how

representative success stories are and whether they reflect the experience of most

musicians working today. More research is needed to investigate how new internet

technologies work (or do not) for most working artists, and on how these technologies are

being integrated into existing music industry practices. Haynes and Marshall (2017) also

concluded that social media is an important tool for an independent artist, and does

provide advantages for them, but disadvantages have emerged, and benefits of social

media are overstated.

social media continues to be viable in targeting an audience.

Despite the challenges recognized by researchers, social media fostered an

important role with relationships between performer and the audience (Oswari et al.,

2019). Researchers provided results that show small companies use social media to

establish relationships and interact with fans to engage current fans, develop new fans,

and identify valuable content. The creation of online postings that contain artist

authenticity, intimacy, insider commentary and quick response time to posts, maximizes

online engagement (Herrara, 2017).

Saboo et al. (2016) agreed social media played a big role in the music industry

and the consumer buying process is influenced by social media activities. Because music

tracks are a digital product, shopping via social media websites also provides instant

gratification to consumers bringing the consumer a complete retail experience. Social

media has become an advertising platform used to reach consumers online (Evans et al.,

2017).

Social media redefined marketing strategies and broadened marketing potential

brand penetration (Saboo et al., 2016). Analytics consists of several steps, of which data

analysis is only one. Before the data can be analyzed, they must be discovered, collected,

and prepared. Data mining can identify specifically defined features on social media. The

large amounts of information make data analysis challenging to identify useful

information (Chen et al., 2017).

Social media experienced exceptional growth and adoption across all generational

groups, which contributed to the speed of information sharing and expansion of

relationships (Gawas et al., 2018). According to Risius (2015), social media predicted

elections, stock markets, product design, and brand communication. This exceptional

growth encouraged the invention of an innovative brand to consumer engagement tools.

With the emergence of new e-Commerce platforms such as Topspin, Big Cartel, and

Bandcamp, musicians can sell products directly to consumers with a higher profit margin.

Booth (2017) identified the development of long tail economics in which retailers

sell small amounts of a product with a large distribution. According to Anderson et al.

(2018), long tail economics provided an entrance into the seller's market segment which

the independent artist can realize a market niche. The rise of the internet lowered the cost

recording contracts and expanding into non-music areas (e.g., restaurants, radio ads,

fashion lines, and movies). Revenue streams are diversifying to incorporate other sectors

of the industry such as live events, as Gamble et al. (2017) acknowledged under existing

music industry business models, top popular musicians earn far more from concert ticket

sales than from record sales royalties (Maasø, 2016).

Galuszka and Wyrzykowska (2016) agreed with diversifying revenue streams

toward live events, publishing rights and merchandising. With this insight into how

revenue streams are diffusing into the live sector of the music industry. Naveed et al.

(2017) added with concerts increasingly becoming a revenue stream, the cross buying

behavior from records to concert tickets might be more relevant (Papies & van Heerde,

2017). In 2019, streaming generated 75% of the music industry's revenue from

generational change and the newfound popularity in music streaming applications. This

popularity has caused an increase in streaming companies such as Spotify, Apple Music,

Tidal, Pandora, and Amazon Music gaining household recognition (Friedlander, 2020).

Crowdfunding is a type of crowdsourcing that artists use to raise money for a

several other models such as the donation model (which contributors receive nothing),

the lending model (also known as peer-to-peer lending) and the equity model (which

contributors gain a share of profits or other return on their investment).

Digitization of music, particularly streaming services have become increasingly

popular, and Naveed et al. (2017) posited the parallel path and increasing popularity of

streaming and live music would likely find the most success in promoting their music.

Streaming services such as Spotify as a commodity that sells a subscription to consumers,

subjects: respect for the person, beneficence, and justice (Miracle, 2016). I provided

information in a comprehensible format and confirmed participants agreeance to

participate, by requesting they acknowledge approval in their approval email response

with the consent form attached.

The interviewing protocol contained a full explanation of consent and details of

how the interview would be conducted was detailed in the interviewing protocol.

According to Gaus (2017), an interviewing protocols framework is a systematic approach

for developing and refining interview protocols. The interview protocol framework is a

I chose participants that met the selection criteria to minimize risk and to assure

participants had the knowledge to address each interview question in depth. Participants

of the study were 10 independent artists in the Washington, DC metropolitan, 18 years

old or older and had a proven track record of success with digital marketing strategies at a

profit within the last 5 years. From the 10 participants chosen, I interviewed nine

participants because data saturation was achieved. Participants confirmed multiple

revenue streams including sales of merchandise, CDs or digital streaming sales, and

demonstrated high profile use of technology and successful digital marketing strategies

used to generate revenue. The artists chosen had a significant presence on social media

and well respected in the music industry.

I used multiple resources to conduct the participant search. Facebook was a

primary resource to recruit participants (Sikkens et al., 2017). I posted an open call

request in various Facebook groups specifically for independent artists and requested

referrals or recommendations for known artists that met the requirements detailed in the

protocol (see Appendix B). As the interview concluded, I requested referrals based on the

other participants and remained anonymous. Each participant was 18 years of age or

older and contacted initially by email or Facebook messaging to confirm willingness to

participate in the study. The sample request (see Appendix B) includes a formal

introduction and is used to detail the requirements for the participants. Participants

received full disclosure of the study by email and volunteered to participate by approval

of the consent form before the interview. I used Zoom to conduct interviews in a private

setting.

The research method chosen for this study is qualitative. The qualitative method

is subjective and provides an in depth understanding of a phenomenon and answers the

questions about what, how or why, rather than how many or how much, which are

answered by quantitative methods (Dasgupta, 2015; McCusker & Gunaydin, 2015). I

explored the effect of digital technologies and how independent artists used technology to

market their music to sustain profitability. The qualitative paradigm of research was

statistical analysis or quantifiable information. According to Booysen et al. (2018),

quantitative research was considered objective. This method is applicable to phenomena

that can be expressed in terms of quantity (Nelson, 2016). In quantitative research

relationships are identified, facts are established, statistical descriptions are provided

(Boachie & Amoako, 2017), and hypotheses are tested (Saunders et al., 2015).

A mixed method is the blending of research methods from both quantitative and

qualitative traditions. The use of both methods can be complex (Saunders et al., 2015). In

mixed method research, the analytic process of combining qualitative and survey data by

quantifying qualitative data can be time consuming and expensive and, thus, may lead

researchers working under tight budgetary or time constraints to reduce sample sizes or

limit the time spent interviewing (McCusker & Gunaydin, 2015). I did not use the mixed

method approach because the qualitative method was best and sole method used for this

study.

Qualitative researchers can choose between five distinctive approaches to

qualitative inquiry: narrative, phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography, and case

asked, sample selection, data collection, and analysis, and report writing.

Narrative, phenomenology, ethnography, and grounded theory designs were not

appropriate research methods for this study. Narrative researchers seek experiences as

expressed individual stories (Lewis, 2015). Storytelling was not my focus and was not a

chosen method for this study. The purpose of phenomenology is to describe and

understand the essence of a phenomenon to grasp the nature of an experience. In order to

understand the essence or structure of an experience, the researcher put aside personal

attitudes or beliefs about the phenomenon, and therefore this method was not chosen.

Ethnography is the study of behaviors for a cultural group and requires an extensive

amount of time and observation. The purpose of this study was not to observe cultural

behaviors and was not a consideration for this study. The grounded theory design is based

on building a theory that explains the phenomenon. I did not choose grounded theory

because the focus of this study is not to create or discover a new theory. I did not choose

single case study because this study does not represent a critical case in testing a well-

formulated theory or an extreme or unique case. For this to be a single case study, one

program would be the unit of analysis.

previous participants (Moser & Korstjens, 2017; Namdarpour et al., 2018).

The sampling method for this qualitative study was purposeful sampling (Yin,

2017). Purposeful sampling is widely used in qualitative research for the selection of

cases related to a phenomenon (Palinkas et al., 2015). I selected the criteria for this

sample based on independent artists knowledge and experience with digital marketing

strategies. I chose ten independent artists in the Washington, DC metropolitan area to

participate in this study. Each participant is a full-time independent artist with primary

sources of income from music sales and performances.

I used a formal introduction with a cover letter to detail the requirements from the

participants and how the study is conducted. Participants received full disclosure of the

study and an email confirmation of approval with the attached consent form submitted

before interviewing. I conducted interviews using Zoom videoconference. Participants

acknowledged and agreed to recording before the start of the interview. Before the start

of the interviews, participants acknowledged and agreed being recorded.

This research involved an interview with nine full-time independent artists that

agreed to share their experiences and contributed to the results of the study. Participants

received an introductory letter containing information about the study, their role as a

volunteer, the confidentiality of their responses and an informed consent form. Research

participation was voluntary and certain aspects of the study disclosed so that volunteers

made an informed decision to participate (Tadros et al., 2019). I forwarded a schedule to

the participants to determine the time for each interview. The participants were provided

an opportunity to ask questions and discuss the significance of their participation to

minimize withdrawal from study. I informed participants they had the right to withdraw

at any time by notifying me if they could no longer participate in the study.

Participants received no incentives for their voluntary participation in the study.

Participants shared experiences and digital marketing strategies which contributed to how

independent artists can possibly sustain profitability in the music business. I complied

with Walden University’s Internal Review Board (IRB) as a measure to protect the rights

of the participants and reduce risks. Additionally, I used an ethical framework for

Participant 1 through Participant 9. Data will be stored for 5 years and after the retention

period; all documentation pertaining to confidential interviews will be deleted. The field

notes will be stored with study data and protected from disclosure in the same manner as

the interviews, audio, and transcripts (Tsai et al., 2016). The Walden IRB approval

number for this study is 04-26-22-0523359 and it expires on April 25, 2023.

The objective of this research was to explore digital marketing strategies some

independent artists used to achieve and sustain profitability. I was the primary data

collection instrument and conducted semistructured interviews to ascertain participants’

perspectives regarding digital marketing strategies used to achieve and sustain

profitability. According to Marshall and Rossman (2016), the researcher might

understand the everyday activities of the participant through interviews; however, a

limitation of interviewing is, the participant may not be willing or comfortable sharing all

that the researcher hopes to explore. Semistructured interviews, involved in depth

conversations between the researcher and participant, guided by the participants

perception, opinion, and experiences (Carr et al., 2019). A semistructured interview

qualitative study, the technique used to gather data was semistructured interviews. To

obtain potential participants, an open call seeking independent artists participation for

study, was posted on various Facebook groups specifically for independent artists.

participants were asked for recommendations of potential candidates that met the criteria

to participate in the study. Volunteers who expressed interest in participating in the study

received detailed information via email or Facebook messenger, to obtain their email

address and to ensure the criterion to participate was met. Detailed information was

provided in the sample request for participants form (see Appendix B).

Ten participants were selected for the interviews. Interviews were conducted until

the responses become redundant and no new information was provided, reaching data

saturation (Alam, 2020). Nine of the 10 participants were interviewed before data

saturation was reached. Interviews were conducted by videoconference using Zoom.

Upon agreeing to a time for the interview, each participant received a consent form with a

request to respond to the email with approval to participate along with consent form (see

Appendix A). The interview protocol (see Appendix B) was used to guide the interview

process (Tenório et al., 2017). The interview protocol was an integral component to

The primary benefits of using field notes include (a) allows researcher to closely observe

the environment and interactions, (b) supplements language focused data, (c) increase

rigor and trustworthiness, and (d) provides context to inform data analysis (Phillippi &

Lauderdale, 2017).

Triangulation is a research method strategy that uses multiple data sources,

theories, and research methods to ensure the comprehensiveness and accuracy of a

research study (Moon, 2019). Field notes were used to collect data relevant to the

research questions from interviews, music industry websites and YouTube videos. Field

notes can be used to reference behavior or nonverbal cues that may not be captured in

audio recordings (Phillippi & Lauderdale, 2017). The primary data source were

participants in the interviews. I conducted one-on-one interviews and recorded using both

audio and video interviews to ensure an accurate account of the responses. Secondary

data sources were the review of music industry websites such as the Recording Industry

Association of America (RIAA), and third source was the review of YouTube videos.

Member checking, or participant validation, is a technique used to explore the

credibility of results and to eliminate the possibility of misrepresentation (Birt et al.,

According to Yin (2017), a researcher should prioritize and focus on organizing

the data. Data collected from music industry websites and from YouTube videos were

organized by incorporating the data into my field notes. I also developed transcribed

notes from the audio recordings from my interviews. All data collected was stored for

later use on my laptop in an encrypted folder. Document reviews and field notes

confirmed themes from thematic analysis in support of the data analysis process and what

I perceived or derived from notes from body language (nonverbal cues) were used for

inclusion of interpretive analysis. I used a number in conjunction with the participant and

Section 3: Application to Professional Practice and Implications for Change

Section 3 includes an overview and findings of the study. This section also

includes the following: (a) application to professional practice, (b) implication for social

change, (c) recommendation for action and further study, (d) reflections, and (e)

conclusion and summary.

The objective of this qualitative descriptive multiple case study was to explore the

digital marketing strategies some independent artists used to achieve and sustain

participants before the interviews and received a return acknowledgement and consent

form.

I verbalized an introductory summary before each interview to ensure each

participant understood the requirements detailed in the consent form and once again

reminded the decision to withdraw from participation could occur at any time. All

participants understood the ethical nature of the consent form and their involvement with

this study. I used Zoom to conduct the interviews and upon initiation of the video

conference, participants consented to be recorded using both audio and video formats.

Once each interview was concluded, I imported the Zoom audio and video files

into NVivo and transcribed the audio files using the NVivo transcription feature. I

reviewed the transcriptions for each interview and edited the responses that were not

transcribed accurately. A few instances required an additional review of the video

because of inaudible responses. I forwarded a copy of the summarized data to participants

for member checking to ensure validity and accuracy of responses. The interviews lasted

on average 35 minutes. The shortest interview was 20 minutes and the longest was 58

minutes. Participants provided lengthy responses and demonstrated a great willingness to

marketing platforms and strategies independent artists used successfully to sustain

profitability. Furthermore, participants proposed an analysis of the key barriers and

challenges independent artists faced because of the COVID-19 virus. The analysis of

participant responses demonstrated a detour from some of the findings presented in the

literature.

The overarching research question guiding the study was: What digital marketing

strategies do independent artists use to sustain profitability? Employing a purposive

sample, I was able to obtain information rich responses from the selected participants.

Some of the findings confirmed results from the literature, while others extended the

body of knowledge and provided an innovative approach to the various digital marketing

strategies that can be used with social media solutions or created questions for further

study. The major themes revealed from the interviews were (a) primary digital marketing

strategies, (b) marketing analysis tools, and (c) key barriers from sustaining profitability.

The following themes extended those identified in the peer-reviewed articles presented in

Section 1: marketing mix, configuration theory, marketing and entrepreneurship, digital

such as CD’s, t-shirts, and paraphernalia for product; social media, mobile phones and the

internet for promotion; music placement through digital outlets, for instance, website,

Spotify, and iTunes for the distribution channel; and actual value acquired from cost of

music product for pricing.

As indicated by the data, primary digital marketing strategies range from

identifying the various social media tools independent artists used most and the various

strategies used to engage fans to increase fan base. Configuration theory is the

interdependencies between combined marketing and media platforms for maximum

effect (Peng et al., 2020). Participants validated merchandising of CDs at live

performances were used in combination of live performances for profit. Co-creational

marketing is the interaction with customers through social media based on customer

experience and value created through interactive relationships. As indicated by the data,

most participants used Facebook and Instagram as their primary social media platforms to

engage their audience and analysis of the effectiveness of marketing strategies (Evans et

al., 2017).

social media. The use of the internet and social media allowed pricing strategies at a more

affordable price.

concept of successful digital marketing strategies. McCarthy’s (1964), 4Ps marketing mix

included the foundational elements of marketing: product, price, promotion, and

placement. Promotion through social media, mobile phones and internet can increase the

sales of music products (Kusumawati et al., 2014). According to P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, P6,

P7, P8 and P9, each revealed 100% use of social media marketing, using Facebook or

Instagram as their primary solution.

Placement in the music industry is the distribution channel used to sell music

through digital outlets, for instance, website, Spotify, and iTunes. Each of the participant

responses supported this literature by confirming use of digital outlets to sell music and

as part of their strategy to advertise and gain followers. Participant 1 remarked the

addition of a song to a Spotify playlist that has “thousands or hundreds of thousands of

followers” can be used to gain a broader fan base. Participant 2 added a layered approach

combine a variation of strategies to generate revenue (Leenders et al., 2015). For

example, despite the decline of CD sales, CDs can be a feasible resource for artists during

live performances, onsite CD merchandising sales and used as a social media

promotional tool. (Leenders et al., 2015). Participant 7 revealed they profited from the

sale of merchandise such as CD’s, tshirts and stickers and accepted donations as a

revenue stream. Participant 8 added, “the sale of vinyl and momentums like tshirts enlist

the sales from their older fans”. The combination of strategies derived from participant

responses confirmed successful.

Social media and building a fanbase to target sales emerged as primary digital

marketing strategies. According to Herrara (2017), postings that contain artist

authenticity, comments, and quick response time to posts maximizes online engagement.

Social media is an important tool for an independent artist and fosters an important role

with relationships between performer and the audience (Haynes & Marshall, 2017;

Oswari et al., 2019). Participant 3 used Patreon,, a subscription based model that has the

capability to connect fans with different tiers and rewards that offer access to exclusive

content. Participant 3 stated, “this attracts fans because they want to get closer”.

fans are directed to their website with instructions to follow actions requested for ticket

purchases or notifications for upcoming performances. Participant 5 added, “you have to

tell people exactly what to do and be focused with content”. Participant 6 advertises on

Eventbrite and creates an event page on Facebook to maximize ticket sales. They

responded the best day to post and call to action for purchasing is most effective when

centered around payday (Thursday or Friday). All participants collectively used some

form of social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok) and ads to

engage audience and promote ticket sales.

According to the literature, social media is essential for the independent artist and

an inordinate way to build and maintain audiences (Haynes & Marsall, 2017). Participant

responses confirmed social media was monumental in creating a significant fanbase by

the interaction and engagement with independent artists. Participant 1 responded the way

to connect with people from all over the world is via the internet and uses ads for music

placed on Google and YouTube to increase exposure. Participant 4 posts on various

platforms to capture certain age groups and certain types of consumers for a greater

opportunity to increase fan base. Another strategy is offered by Participant 6, who shared

The emergence of how marketing analysis tools and marketing metrics were used

to measure data and analyze behavioral targeting as performance indicators, partially

aligned with the literature and participant responses (Saboo et al., 2016). Social Media

Analytics (SMA) is used to measure and analyze social media data (Holsapple et al.,

2018; Keegan & Rowley, 2017; Suseno et al., 2018). Participants 1 and 2 responded the

various social media applications such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Google

have tools that can provide analytics, i.e., number of people reached, number of likes, and

length of time video was reviewed. Participant 2 also used SEO for website analytics and

with email campaigns, which can identify who opened an email, percentage of people

that forwarded their message and number of customers that opened their email.

profit and best music campaign used to generate sales. Arguably, the widespread use of

Google Analytics is because of its established presence in digital marketing in general,

such that it allows parallel collection and analysis of data across beyond social media, to

include websites, search engine marketing and e-mail marketing channels (Keegan &

Rowley, 2017). Participants 8 and 9 used YouTube analytics for analysis of

demographics and specific information and in addition, Participant 9 used analytics

incorporated in website; however, did not find it very helpful because they already know

their demographic.

Park et al. (2021) suggested an example of an analysis tool, ANCOVA.

ANCOVA calculates engagement scores for analysis and could help marketers to

regularly monitor the performance of their social media marketing by assessing

engagement among users and investigating specific comments posted by users. Although

participants confirmed the use of various social media analysis tools, none of the

participants indicated in their responses that level of statistical analysis to determine the

effectiveness of their social media strategies. Table 3 reflects the frequency in which the

participants referenced the marketing analysis tools used most.

The emergence of the key barriers independent artists described, and strategies

used to overcome perceived barriers to profitability aligned with the literature and

interview responses. Independent artists may deal with structural barriers such as cost

advantages, working relationships, access to distribution, and regulation such as

intellectual property to finding a customer base or having start-up money (Whitaker,

2017). Participant 4 did not feel a level of success or consistency with the outcome of any

specific strategy based on profitability (as a measurement) since they did not have the

time required to focus or implement strategies to build consistent revenue; however,

shared that when they were aggressively implementing their marketing strategy, the best

strategies were honest, honorable, heartfelt, and unplanned. Those characteristics created

approximately 99% success because they resonated most with Participant 4’s audience.

The biggest barrier for Participant 7 was lack of budget and stated, “as an independent

artist, the benefit of having a major label to market and fund an artists’ project is non-

existent. The strategy to counter lack of funding was bartering with artists in a similar

position and donations”.

focused most in areas outside of their local area. Participant 2 responded, “COVID-19

created a shift in revenue stream”. Most of their income was strictly from opportunities

online and focus shifted from booking shows and live performances, to creating music for

television (synch licensing). Participant 3 used a combination of strategies to ‘cross

market’ from on-line concerts to open discussions that would lead to donations and

record sales. Since most people were confined to being inside, there was an opportunity

to connect with existing fans and obtain new fans by sharing past and present projects

and establishing a repo ire which would turn into supporters for live events once venues

(RIAA) and YouTube videos. Field notes used to document reviews from industry

websites and YouTube videos which supported the interview responses. My intent was to

conduct a scholarly study that contributed to the body of knowledge and provided

practical information for independent artists to use and add to their existing strategy. An

added benefit was that I gained insight and knowledge that enhanced my personal

marketing strategy with the upcoming release of my music project.

In this study, I conducted a literature review to identify several factors that

maintain consistent testing and analysis of various strategies, use extensive capability of

internet to expand domestic and overseas audience, and expand knowledge of music

business, then artists may have the opportunity to have a sustainable career in the music

industry business.

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