How to Set up an Engaging Email List

Step 1: Setting Up Your Mailing List

 Choose a Mailing List Provider:

There’s a lot of options for running a mailing list, take a look around and see what suits you best. Popular ones include:

• Mailchimp – Free up to 500 subscribers; user-friendly. Can get expensive with larger mailing lists
• ConvertKit – Designed for creators, good automation tools.
• MailerLite – Affordable with excellent deliverability.
• Substack – Better for long-form writing and optional paid tiers.

Create Your Signup Form:

Include basic fields:

• Name
• Email address.

Optional

• Location (for targeted tour alerts)
• Favourite song/album (to personalise emails).

Embed Your Form:

• On your website
• On your smart link landing pages (Linktree, Koji, Toneden, Future FM)
• On your Bandcamp, SoundCloud or Linkfire pages if supported

It’s a good idea to offer an incentive for people to sign up. Something like access to a free download, demo, or lesson if you also teach your style.

Set Up a Welcome Email:

Automate this to send immediately after someone subscribes. This should:

• Thank them
• Let them know what to expect
• Share a link to the free download, unreleased demo, or discount code
  • Something special that makes them feel happy for signing up

Step 2: Growing Your Mailing List

Beyond just embedding forms, here are active strategies to grow your list:

Offer a “Fan-Only” Incentive

• Exclusive song or demo
• Behind-the-scenes video
• Discount on merch
• First dibs on gig tickets

Include Signup Links in These Places:

• Social bios (Instagram, TikTok, Twitter)
• YouTube video descriptions
• End screens on YouTube videos
• Pinned posts on Facebook/Twitter
• During livestreams (“link in bio” shoutouts)

Use Contests and Giveaways

Offer fans the chance to win a signed item, gig ticket, or hangout by subscribing.

Collect Emails at Gigs

Use QR codes on posters and merch tables that link directly to your signup form.

Step 3: Engaging Your List, Best Practices

Now you’ve built your list, don’t let it sit idle. Email consistently but not aggressively. It all depends on how much you have to say, but a good rule is once a month.

• Minimum: Once every 2 months to keep engagement alive
• Best practice:
  • Every month
  • Every 2-3 weeks if you have notable news or content
• During campaigns: Weekly updates are acceptable (e.g., album pre-release, tour launch)

What Should a Musician’s Newsletter Include?

Here’s a content framework you can rotate through, or use as a guide for your own content ideas:

1. Music Updates

• New releases, videos, or demos
• Link directly to Spotify/YouTube/your website

2.Behind-the-Scenes Content

• Studio diaries
• Songwriting stories
• Early stage demos

3. Tour & Gig Announcements

• Exclusive presale access
• Reminders by region if you collect location data

4. Personal Notes or Anecdotes

• Reflections
• Milestones
• Personal stories
  • Make emails human

5. Fan Shoutouts

• Feature fan photos
• Fan reviews
• DMs or comments (with permission)

6. Merch Launches or Discounts

• Include visuals and discount codes exclusive to subscribers

Newsletter Structure

Subject Line

• Keep it short, under 9 words
• Create curiosity or urgency for special mail outs, for example
  • Hear the demo I almost didn’t release
  • London gig tickets drop tomorrow, early link inside
  • You’re the first to hear this
• Use the pre-header text to give an added teaser (if you use it)

Body Content

• Personal opening (not ‘Dear subscriber’)
  • Personal mails have better open rates
• Clear structure with 2-3 sections max
• Use images or embeds sparingly (to avoid spam filters)
• Keep the main content visible so people see the main section titles

It’s common for people to look at only what they can see in the newsletter, only scrolling if something interests them. Making sure your subjects are all in view when they open the mail means you capture maximum attention.

Experiment with templates for style to make your newsletter stand out. People get loads of emails, so spending a little extra time to make it look great is worth the effort.

CTA (Call to Action)

Try to always have one clear action:

• Stream the track
• Buy merch
• Reply to the email
• Enter the competition etc.

Mobile Optimisation

• 40–60% of emails are opened on mobile, test for responsiveness
• Keep paragraphs short and use clear headings
• Test that content is all in view on mobile

Boosting Engagement

Segment Your List

In your mail provider dashboard, group by:

• Location (for gig alerts)
• Sign-up source (e.g., from Linktree vs. website)
• Interest (superfans vs. casual listeners)

This lets you send more relevant emails, which drives higher open and click rates. You can add a city or country in you mailing list form.

If you want to segment by the place a user signs up (Website, Insta etc) you can make a different form for each space, which will show in your mail dashboard. This way you can see where the most successful place to find fans is.

Target Superfans

You can also segment your list via integrating your ecommerce platform with your mailing list provider (if they allow it).

Doing this allows you to find people who make purchases already. You can reward this by sending the most dedicate fans special discount codes or special mails.

Track Your Metrics

Watch these key metrics:

• Open Rate: Aim for 25–35%
• Click Rate: 3–5% is solid
• Unsubscribes: >0.5% per email = too frequent or irrelevant

Test Subject Lines

A/B test different headlines to see what gets better open rates.

Send a slightly different mail to a selection of your subscribers. Don’t make wholesale changes, just one or two elements. You can then send the version that had the best open rate to the rest of your subscribers.

Test these things primarily:

• Subject Line
• Email Body Layout
• Call to Action
• Day / Time Sent

Remember: The number of people receiving these test mails needs to be large enough to be statistically relevant, otherwise the data isn’t reliable.

For example, if you send them to 10 people that’s way too low. But if you send them to 50 or more people you can make some assumptions.

What Not to Do

• Don’t send generic mass updates
  • Write as if to one person
• Don’t over-email unless you’re running a time-limited campaign
  • Which has to have genuine interest to your fans
  • People unsubscribe if they feel pestered
• Don’t ignore replies
  • If someone writes back, respond

Personal

Paying more attention to your mailing list lets you make them more personal, which helps to create a stronger bond between you and your fans.

Refine the approach as you go to make sure you keep that connection, no matter how large your list becomes. Authenticity and connection matter for music, they can be the difference between passive subscribers and loyal supporters who buy, share, and show up. You can enhance the personal connection in a few ways:

• Share anecdotes in your own voice, not professionally written
• Use fan responses to create content
  • Social comments like Instagram
  • Messages on your website
  • Ask for comments on specific posts of yours
• Ask fans to reply to the email for something specific
  • Maybe to help you decide what the next song title should be
• Share subscriber only content
• Personalise your announcements
  • Talk about a connection you have to a gig location
• Make sure the visuals of the newsletter reflect your personality

People don’t like being marketed to. It’s a two-way relationship though, if you’re giving them something that feels personal and of value, they’ll naturally want to support you, which can lead to sales.