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# #1 Mistake In Modern Music Marketing and How To Avoid It
- URL: https://www.hypebot.com/1-mistake-in-modern-music-marketing-and-how-to-avoid-it/
- Published: 2019-04-22T10:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2019-04-22T10:00:00.000Z
- Description: The most common mistake in modern music marketing is both frustrating to fans and deprives artists of precious plays. It is also very easy to avoid.
- Author: Bruce Houghton
- Tags: DIY Advice & Tips, Music Business, Music Marketing, Social Media, DIY, DIY musicians, indie, music, music industry, music marketing, musician, musicians, streaming, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-01-21 09:55

[![image from theleaderslocker.files.wordpress.com](https://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e20240a4a3de29200b-pi "image from theleaderslocker.files.wordpress.com")](https://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e2022ad3be8434200d-popup?ref=hypebot.com)The most common mistake in modern music marketing is both frustrating to fans and deprives artists of precious plays. It is also very easy to avoid."I’d say one of the most misunderstood marketing essentials, even in 2019, is that marketers tend to simply direct listeners to a single track on a streaming service," says Cindy James, VP of streaming and playlist strategy at Island Records."The problem is that if the user who clicks on the link isn’t a premium subscriber of that service, they won’t be able to play the song on demand,” James told [Music Ally](https://musically.com/2019/04/18/reminder-the-perils-of-marketing-singles-to-free-streamers/?ref=hypebot.com). Most music services, including the mobile version of Spotify's free tier, do not enable full single song plays. If you are not a paying subscriber, most only deliver 30 seconds of music, if they offer anything at all. **[![image from frontpagegui.linkfire.com](https://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e20240a4a3dd82200b-200wi "image from frontpagegui.linkfire.com")](https://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e20240a4a3dd82200b-popup?ref=hypebot.com)Alternatives**James suggests that, "it’s far better to direct listeners to a playlist of that artist’s music on a joint premium and ad-funded service." Other alternatives include pointing fans to the track on Soundcloud or YouTube. Bandcamp also offers the option to allow full song playback. Services like [Linkfire](https://linkfire.com/?ref=hypebot.com#/) (pictured to the right) and [AmplifyLink](https://amplify.link/?ref=hypebot.com) quickly create a landing page that allows the fan to use the music service of their choice.