How To Use Last.fm As An Artist

1. Create your free account on Last.fm.

Your account name can be whatever you want as it is your personal account. You will be using this to create an Artist profile, so the name does not matter.

2. Make sure that all of your song files are properly tagged.

Last.fm pulls the ID3 tag information off of your MP3s to use on the site. So you need to make sure that your files are tagged correctly. Click here to learn how to tag MP3s so your fans will always find you.

3. Search for your band in the music search bar.

If your name comes up and it is for your band, that means someone has added you to Last.fm's song database already and you must claim the songs as yours. You may skip down to step 5. If there are no results for your band, you need to add and claim your own songs.

4. Download the Last.fm Scrobbler program.

This program takes the music you play on the media player programs on your computer and adds them to your Last.fm profile. Click here to go directly to the download page.

5. Play one of your songs in a media player while the Scrobbler is open.

This will add the song to Last.fm's database or bring up current information about the song if it has already been played in the past. You can add and edit a description and tags for the song too.

6. Head back to your Last.fm profile and scroll to the bottom then click the link that asks if you are an Artist or Label.

If you have more than one band, chose the label entry.

7. Perform a search for your band name and then click the link to Claim This Artist.

Since you have played one of your songs, your band name should appear now in a search. Claim your music as yours and continue.

8. Select the option to claim royalties.

When your songs are played you are entitled to royalties, so click the box that lets you claim royalties. Remember now that you must only upload songs that are totally yours for which you hold the copyright. You will then be asked to add your contact information.

9. Upload all of your albums and songs.

There is no limit to the amount of songs or albums you can put on your page, but they must be MP3 files. Add album art to each album if possible. Select the options for how listeners can use your music. You can allow previews, full length plays, and free downloads. It's your call on how available you want your music to be.

10. Add and edit the information on your profile, including your blog feed.

You should now be the manager of your artist page. Add a band photo or avatar and a band biography. If someone has already added information on your band and it is incorrect, you can click a link on the right hand side of the page to submit a correction. Under the "Manage" tab you will find "Buy Links" which allows you to link to your online music store so listeners can buy your songs easily. To the right you will see a link about adding your latest news; click this and it will ask you for the address of your blog feed. Head over to your blog page and click the orange RSS symbol in your browser's address bar. Then click on the option to subscribe to the blog feed, it will take you to your feed's page. Copy that address and paste it onto the Last.fm page.

11. Check out the Statistics page to learn more about your listeners.

Find out who your top listeners are and where they are located. This can help you plan future tours, see what is most popular, and create personal dialogues with your fans. Check out the tags that your fans use and add applicable ones to your songs and profile. Join Last.fm groups, where fans discuss their favorite music, to connect with even more people and share your songs.