Real fans not fake metrics
I'm not here to get you Spotify numbers. I'm here to build you an audience that shows up – to gigs, to your store, to your next release.
ScrollI'm not here to get you Spotify numbers. I'm here to build you an audience that shows up – to gigs, to your store, to your next release.
Scroll
Everything I offer clients, I've tested first with my own band and my own budget. Paid campaigns, organic social, email list, merch store, gig promotion – all DIY through Cosmic Thing. Chevy Impala was released in 2019 – I'm still making TikToks for it. And now it's our most popular song. That's the approach.
500 email subscribers who open your emails beat 10,000 Spotify followers who don't know your name. Plan the release for 12 months, not 3 weeks. Build the audience before, during, and long after release day.
In practice → Email platform setup (Mailchimp, MailerLite, whatever fits your needs), templates, automations, signup forms on your website. Release timeline and rollout plan. Newsletter strategy that keeps fans engaged between releases.
Organic content that keeps your audience alive between releases. Not a content calendar for the sake of posting – actual community building across Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. Engagement that translates to real life.
In practice → Social media strategy tailored to your band. Content planning and ideas. Or hands-on help with daily posting if you need it. I'll work with what you've got – not everyone needs to be on every platform.
Your own platform that you control. WordPress sites built for music – fast, mobile-first, with proper tracking. Electronic press kits that get you booked and covered. Your home base, not a rented profile on someone else's platform.
In practice → WordPress site with your own domain. EPK page with bio, photos, music, videos, and technical rider. Tracking pixels installed so your paid campaigns actually work. Hosting and maintenance guidance.
AI is flooding streaming platforms. The money is shifting back to vinyl, CDs, and merch sold direct to fans. WooCommerce stores with no middleman fees. Your shop, your margins, your customer relationships.
In practice → WooCommerce store setup on your website. Product pages, payment integration, shipping setup. Pre-order and pre-launch campaigns. You own the shop and the customer data – not Bandcamp, not anyone else.
Campaigns are not for getting streaming numbers – they're for building fanbase. TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube ads that drive people to your email list, your gigs, your store. Real targeting, real tracking, honest reporting on what the money actually did.
In practice → Campaign setup, audience targeting, tracking pixels, ad creatives. Event and gig promotion. Ongoing optimization and transparent reporting. I tell you what worked and what didn't – no vanity dashboards.
Labels handle A&R, distribution, and industry relationships. They typically don't handle pixels, paid ads, and direct-to-fan infrastructure. That's where I come in. Marketing support for indie labels who know they need it.
In practice → Any of the above for your roster. Campaign management across multiple releases. Label website and artist pages. I become your marketing arm – without the full-time hire.
You spend a year or two writing and recording an album. You release it. You promote it for two, maybe four weeks. Nothing happens. You blame the algorithm, the label, the market. Then you start writing the next one and repeat the whole cycle.
Meanwhile, the industry is chasing metrics that don't matter. If an artist has 500 monthly listeners but one song has 200,000 streams and all the related artists are unknown local bands – you can do the math. Fake streams don't fill venues.
I'm Ilkka. I play in Saa kiljua – we release DIY and Stupido handles our gigs. I've spent 20+ years building websites and running digital campaigns. Everything I sell to clients, I've tested first with my own music and my own money.
Background from digital and branding agencies before starting my own company. I've managed over €100,000 in ad spend across Meta and TikTok – some of it my own money, which tends to make you learn faster. I've built websites and run campaigns for companies doing seven figures in annual revenue. I know how tracking pixels, custom audiences, and retargeting actually work – not from a course, from doing it.
AI music is flooding streaming platforms. The artists who survive are the ones who own their audience – email lists, ecommerce, real humans who care. That's what I help build.
Fair warning: If your marketing budget is under €500, this isn't for you. If you want quick wins in three weeks, this isn't for you. If you're not willing to invest as much in marketing as you invested in recording – we're not a good fit. But if you're ready to treat your music career like it actually matters, let's talk.
Success is something we define together – and it has to be measurable. Not "I want to grow" or "I want to be popular." Concrete goals: email subscribers, ticket sales, merch revenue, newsletter open rates. Numbers that mean something in the real world.
Ilkka Immonen
ilkka@cosmicthing.fiOr leave a message
Cosmic Thing Oy · Oulu, Finland · Y-tunnus 3144692-9
