Jenna LoMonaco on How to Win in Modern Music Marketing
In an era where short-form content dominates and attention spans are shorter than ever, digital music marketing is evolving faster than most artists can keep up. To help demystify the space, I sat down with Jenna LoMonaco, the Head of U.S. Marketing at ONErpm, for an eye-opening conversation packed with actionable strategies, behind-the-scenes insights, and no-nonsense advice for artists at all stages of their careers.
With over 20 years in the industry, Jenna has worked on digital campaigns for everyone from Shawn Mendes and Childish Gambino to Prince and Lenny Kravitz. At ONErpm, she leads a team across digital marketing, influencer strategy, and advertising. Her insights are a must-read (and must-hear if you listen to the full episode of the recorded interview on my podcast Creative Discipline With TheZachMichael) for any artist, manager, or marketing professional in today’s music business.
1. Short-Form Video: The Game Changer—But It’s Not Easy
Short-form video isn’t just a trend. It’s the new language of digital music marketing—and every artist needs to speak it fluently. But gone are the days when throwing up a TikTok was enough to spark traction.
“It’s become a full-time job for artists. Where social media used to be this new exciting thing, now you have to be strategic with the type of content you're creating.” — Jenna
Jenna emphasizes that short-form content needs to be authentic, and artists should strive to make fans feel like they've discovered the music themselves—not that it’s being sold to them.
“People sniff out when you’re being fake or things are being forced. You want that real, organic connection between you and your audience.” — Jenna
2. Don’t Just Promote—Test and Tease
If you're waiting until your release day to start marketing, you're already too late. Jenna recommends teasing multiple songs well before the release, using your socials as a sounding board:
“I've had a lot of artists who teased a few songs to see which got the best reception. They used socials as a testing ground to decide what to release next.” — Jenna
However, this strategy only works if your team can move quickly. If your distribution partner can’t react fast to momentum, that viral moment might fade before the track is even live.
“We built in fast release timelines as part of our plan at ONErpm. If you're not in a position to move quickly, promoting unreleased songs can backfire.” — Jenna
3. What Metrics Actually Matter?
Millions of views feel great—but vanity metrics aren’t the same as success. Jenna encourages artists to look deeper.
“We always ask: what happened with those views? Did it lead to pre-saves? Are you converting to streams? Are you growing your audience?” — Jenna
Key KPIs to track:
Pre-saves: A leading indicator of future interest.
Conversion to streams: Are views turning into listeners?
Fan engagement & growth: Are new fans sticking around?
Creates (UGC): How many fans are using your audio?
“A video going viral is just the start. The question is: what are you doing to activate that attention?” — Jenna
4. Build Your Rollout Like a Real Campaign
Jenna doesn’t believe in cookie-cutter strategies. Instead, campaigns should reflect each artist’s personality and fanbase. That said, she offered a loose framework artists can follow:
Define the narrative: Are you mysterious, raw, joyful, vulnerable?
Tease early: Share snippets or moods that spark curiosity.
Push pre-saves: They help gauge real fan demand.
Engage directly: Use comments, lives, DMs, and fan challenges.
Follow-up: Don’t let momentum die after one viral post.
“Even if you only have 10 fans, if they’re engaged, those 10 can become 20. Never overlook that.” — Jenna
5. Personalization Is Everything
ONErpm tailors every campaign to the artist. From advertising platforms to influencer strategy and fan engagement style, every component is optimized for the artist’s audience.
“Even with Spotify advertising—there are so many levers to pull. Same goes for influencer campaigns: who fits your genre and vibe? Are they making content that aligns with your vision?” — Jenna
She urges artists to think deeply about the format and culture of each platform:
TikTok = Inside jokes, trends, reactive content.
YouTube Shorts = More forgiving, storytelling-driven.
Instagram Reels = Visual branding and aesthetics.
“You can’t just create what you want—you have to create what you want in a way that people want to consume.” — Jenna
6. The Biggest Missed Opportunity? YouTube.
“Honestly, people overlook YouTube all the time. They just post a video and call it a day.” — Jenna
Jenna encourages artists to treat YouTube as a living ecosystem:
Post Shorts regularly
Engage in comments
Go live
Use Shorts replies
Monetize long-form content
“YouTube makes real money. And with Shorts, the platform is way more open to different kinds of content compared to TikTok.” — Jenna
7. For Aspiring Music Marketers: Outwork and Outlast
Jenna also had some powerful advice for those who want to break into music marketing roles themselves:
“Start with internships. Take assistant jobs. Ask people if they need help. Speak up in meetings. Offer ideas and follow through.” — Jenna
“We get to do something really cool for a living. Make it known that you want this. Show that you’ll go the extra mile—and then go the extra mile.” — Jenna
And most importantly?
“Be a person of your word. If you say you’ll do something, follow through. That’s what impresses me most.” — Jenna
8. Success Takes Time—And That’s Okay
In closing, Jenna offered a vital reminder to anyone feeling discouraged by slow progress:
“Even artists that seem like they broke overnight have been grinding for years. They’ve had teams behind them building for a long time.” — Jenna
“If success comes too fast, it’s often unsustainable. Set small goals. Celebrate those wins. Keep going.” — Jenna
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re an independent artist releasing your first song, a marketing manager building out a rollout, or someone looking to break into the music business, Jenna’s advice is universal:
Be strategic.
Stay consistent.
Build your fan relationships.
Always be ready to capitalize on momentum.
And most importantly—define your version of success.
