Dance music: a guide to increase revenue on Beatport

Since 2004 the world of digital dance music has been dominated by Beatport, the biggest portal for electronic dance music, originating in North America. It is part of an even bigger company called SFX Entertainment. Amongst DJ’s, Beatport is a benchmark for newly released electronic music; the genre and main Beatport chart are constantly under close supervision by all dance minded enthusiasts.

Kwettr started out as part of a record company and has been in good contact with Beatport ever since the beginning.

This guide has tips & tricks on how to improve music marketing for Beatport.

Tip 1: Quality over Quantity

Remember that Beatport’s customers are mostly DJs and producers, which is a big difference compared to Spotify or Apple Music. Customers of Beatport are very critical when it comes to buying music; only the best productions or most promising tracks are being bought.

Beatport is also run by dance-minded people, of course, their curating teams for all genres know their business very well. Make sure to only deliver high-quality productions because the competition is killing. Mastered tracks, a good distributor or record label and proper quality control are crucial.

Tip 2: Lead time

Like any other major DSP, Beatport has strict rules regarding delivery and pitch deadlines. Be sure to always take at least three weeks lead time for a pitch, which means that the content needs to be delivered even before that. Stay on the safe side, deliver content at least 4 weeks prior to the release date.

Tip 3: Pitches

Same goes for pitching, be sure to be on time. Pitching for features is done by independent labels and distributors. Make sure they receive all the relevant marketing information well in time so they can send a proper pitch for playlists. Kwettr can also help with pitching new releases.

Tip 4: Pre-orders

Beatport was very late in adopting the pre-order possibilities for the Beatport catalogue. A tool outdated for the commercial music industry, like iTunes and streaming platforms, but very useful for online marketing in the DJ world.

Generating lots of pre-orders enhances the chance of a new song charting upon release date (which gives better chances of a track gaining visibility). Besides that, generating pre-orders enhances the chance of getting featured on a genre page. Include pre-orders in your marketing campaign.

Tip 5: Beatport Hype

The Beatport Hype program is a marketing tool specially made for a smaller label or an upcoming independent artist who seeks visibility. It is a paid service of around $10 per month. Labels that use Hype can get featured on the Hype sections of each genre.

Keep in mind that this is a paid feature; fellow DJs are potential customers and may take Hype tracks in lower esteem as paying for features is not common in the dance world.

Tip 6: Beatport Streaming

A few years ago Beatport streaming was launched, enabling DJs to create a playlist and use electronic music in sets without downloading them onto a USB stick. It can be used on DJ software such as Pioneer DJ. The streaming service also opens up opportunities for a label or artist in terms of branding. It is called Beatport Link. The DJ app also contains curated playlists. Fans can use the DJ app to become a Beatport DJ.

Tip 7: Beatport charts

A large portion of the tracks sold is sold through DJ charts. DJs can submit charts of tracks they have been playing frequently (and yes, you can include your own new music of course) and these charts get featured. DJs act as tastemakers, influencers and inspirators for other DJs.

Tip 8: The use of social media

Social media channels play an important role in communicating a new release. Not so much aimed at generating sales, but more a matter of creating awareness amongst fellow DJs. (However, all posts on social media always contain the usual ‘buy my track on Beatport now’).

Using social media marketing for releases on Beatport should be aimed at fellow DJs, as a brand awareness and indicator of success. A track in the charts indicates that lots of DJs value the track and are playing it. Organic posts usually suffice, online advertising for chart positions on Beatport usually does not make up for the money spent.

Tip 9: Kwettr tools

Kwettr has tools to improve Beatport promotions which are included in our Distribution deal. Your Kwettr account contains pitch forms for Beatport marketing and forms for submitting charts.