Music Promotion Blog
This is the place we write down everything we learn about promoting independent music in 2026. Honest reviews of the tools you keep seeing on Twitter, walkthroughs for setting up smart links and download gates, breakdowns of what changed on Spotify this month, and tactical guides on pre-saves, playlist pitching, email lists and release campaigns. No fluff, no recycled press releases, no affiliate slop. Every post is written by people who actually ship releases and run gates day to day. If a tool is broken we say so. If a platform shut down we tell you what to switch to. Bookmark this page and check back, we publish new guides roughly every two weeks and we keep the older ones updated as the platforms change.
All posts
4 articles5 Real Hypeddit Alternatives That Won't Cost You $20/mo
Hypeddit is fine until you hit the free tier wall. Here are five alternatives that keep the download gate, drop the monthly fee, and actually let you own your fan data.
I Tested Every Free Download Gate Platform: Here's What I Found
Eight platforms, twelve hours of testing, one shared track. Which gate actually delivers downloads to fans without breaking on mobile or hiding pixels behind a paywall?
The Complete Spotify Pre-Save Guide for Indie Artists (2026)
Pre-saves are the most underused release tool on Spotify. This guide covers setup, timing, what to put on the landing page, and how to actually convert followers into day-one streams.
ToneDen Shut Down: Here's Exactly What to Use Instead
ToneDen pivoted to enterprise ads and left a hole in the indie toolkit. Here is the direct replacement path for smart links, action gates, and the Facebook ad integration that artists relied on.
Stop reading. Start releasing.
Every tactic in these guides works better when you have the tools in your hands. Smart links, download gates and conversion tracking all live on one TimbrGate dashboard, and your first gate can be live in a couple of minutes.
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