The Simple Guide To Using Music Hashtags

Just about all social platforms now accommodate the use of hashtags, and as a tool they’re more powerful than ever – if used correctly. The biggest problem is that most people aren’t aware of the best way to use them, especially when it comes to music hashtags. Here’s a list to keep in mind the next time you post, regardless of the platform.

What Are They Good For?

First realize that hashtags have 2 very definite purposes.

• To increase your social visibility, discoverability, and brand awareness

• To allow the platform to categorize your content so it can be included in feeds

That’s why using a vanity feed like #theNameOfYourAlbum or #hashtagsarestupid are a waste of time. No one will see them, and no one will probably use them, and the platform won’t index it.

What Should I Use Then?

Consider this strategy before selecting hashtags for your next post:

• Check the platform for activity to be sure that it’s current being used. Just do a search for the hashtag and see what comes up.

• Then select a few broad hashtags that are regularly used in. For instance, it might be #musician, or #songwriter, or #bands. IMPORTANT: Make sure the hashtags you choose are relevant to the post, otherwise they won’t help you much. As an example, you wouldn’t want to use #coffee when the post is about your gig last night.

• Now select a few that are a bit more nuanced, but apply to your specific niche. For me, I always use #proaudio, #musicproducer, #musicstudio, and #musictech, among others.

• Combine the use of both the broad and nuanced hashtags in your posts.

• Keep a list of different hashtags to use on different platforms. Yes, they won’t necessarily be the same, so best to have a list to pull from.

If you want to do a deep dive into finding music hashtags, you can try hashtagify.me, the Hash Me app, AllHashtag, and about a dozen more hashtag-specific search sites (ask Google).

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