With the launch of Apple Music (the subscription streaming service) comes Connect which allows You to claim your artist or band’s profile on Apple Music.
With profile claimed, you can post updates to your fans on the Apple Music platform. You are able to add:
- text,
- photos or video,
- a song,
- a soundbite (recorded in the app).
How to claim your artist profile
CD Baby’s DIY Musician blog has published a step by step guide to claiming your artist pages on Apple Music. Feel free to check that one out.
You can also sign-in directly here using your Apple ID e-mail/password combo. Once logged in, you will be asked which type of content you want to manage. For our purposes, choose Music.
Next you will be able to Add Artists. You want to have direct links to your band’s Apple store page; this will guarantee you are claiming the right band or artist (and not one with the same name).
If you like step by step instructions, refer to CD Baby’s guide.
Unless you have already been approved by Apple, you will have to wait for them to approve your claim.
I claimed mine by filling out a form my distribution company sent to me. I submitted this form months ago and just received access to Connect today (which prompted me to publish this article).
How to use Apple Music Connect
Once you have claimed your artist profile, you will post updates by using the Apple Music app on your mobile device.
Once open, simply click the Connect icon in the lower-right.
This will open the Connect feed which shows you the latest updates from artists or bands you follow.
Create a Post
To create an update simply click the Pencil & Pad Icon in the upper-right (next to the search icon).
If you notice the As box, you can see it defaults to posting as me the person, not me the artist. Simply tap As.
You now have the option of posting text, uploading photos or a video, uploading a song, or recording a soundbite.
I am just posting my first update so I have nothing to report on what happens next. People who have bought music from you before will automatically be following you when they login.
Now that I am branding myself as a solo artist, I will need to go back into their system and claim my solo profile (J.Smo).
Where are my posts seen?
- All of your followers’ Connect feeds
- Your artist page, under the Connect tab
- External social networks (if your fans share the posts)
- Any catalog content that you attach your Connect content to
- Anywhere on the Internet that you or your fans embed the content.
Below is an excerpt from the email Apple sent after my access was granted.
Any songs, audio, videos, or photos you post in Connect can be listened to and viewed by everyone—even users who are not Apple Music members. This makes Connect a very powerful way to reach a lot of people. Also, any Connect posts are embeddable on any website, including your own, and can be played back inline.
Here is an additional excerpt concerning how fans will engage with your content.
When users sign in with an Apple ID (whether or not they are members), they will see artists in their Connect feed. Users who’ve previously purchased anything from you in the history of the iTunes Store will already be following you. Anyone who adds your songs, albums, or videos to My Music or purchases your music in the iTunes Store will also follow you. And of course, users can also tap on the Follow button on your artist page.
You can learn more about Connect directly from Apple.