Welcome to the Country Music Factory. Whether you play honky-tonk, alt-country or straight-down-the-line Nashville sound, CMF gives you one place to put your music in front of fans, climb the charts and get in front of the people who book live shows. The good news: getting set up takes about half an hour, and you can do every bit of it yourself. Here’s the order we’d do it in.
1. First things first — your account
Sign up and choose Artist as your account type (there are separate options for fans and industry, so make sure you pick the microphone). Confirm your email using the banner at the top of your dashboard, and you’re in. New profiles start out pending approval — our team gives every artist page a quick once-over before it appears in the public directory. That review happens in the background, so don’t wait on it: you can build your entire profile while it’s pending.
2. Build a profile worth following
Your Overview page keeps a running Profile Completion score out of 100, with the highest-impact tasks listed under “Recommended Next Steps.” Work down that list. Add a profile photo and a cover image so people can put a face to the name, write a bio that tells your story, and tag your genres so fans can find you by sound. Don’t skip performance formats — letting bookers know whether you play solo, as a duo or with a full band is exactly the kind of detail that turns a profile view into a gig. Finally, link your social and streaming accounts to pull in the audience you already have.
Your Overview tracks a completion score and points you at the next best step.
A complete profile gets found more often — and builds trust with the fans and bookers who land on it.
3. Get your music on the chart
Head to Releases → Add Release. Add your artwork, title and release date, then paste in your Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube links — and a “Buy” link if fans can purchase the track directly. Every release you add is eligible for the CMF Top 40, the weekly chart fans vote on. Here’s the part worth remembering: voting resets every Monday, so it’s steady, week-in week-out support that keeps you climbing, not a single big push.
Add a release, link the streaming services, and you’re in the running for the CMF Top 40.
Good to know: likes, favourites and streaming clicks all feed your stats too — so share your release link far and wide. Every tap counts toward how you’re doing.
4. Show them the show
A profile with photos and video simply gets more attention. Use Photos for gallery shots — behind-the-scenes moments, live snaps — and Videos for performances and music videos (just paste a YouTube link). Views on your videos feed the CMF TV Top 20, a separate video chart, and CMF Pro artists get their own CMF TV channel that gathers everything in one place.
Photos and videos live under Manage Profile — add as many as your plan allows.
5. Fill the room — list your gigs
Go to My Events → Add Event to promote your live shows. Add the date, venue and town and we’ll map it automatically so fans nearby can find you; add ticket details and an event type while you’re there. Past dates drop off on their own, so your listing always looks current. Looking for a support slot, a band member or a co-write? Post those under Opportunities.
Events are mapped automatically so they show up for fans in the area.
6. Flip the switch — going live
One thing that trips up new artists: profiles start offline by design, so you can get everything just right before anyone sees it. When you’re happy, preview with View Profile from your Quick Actions, then flip the Publish switch. Releases and events have their own switches too, so you’re always in control of exactly what’s public. Once you’re approved and published, you’ll show up in the artist directory and in search.
Flip Publish when you’re ready — and switch back to offline any time.
7. Watch it grow
Now the satisfying part. Your Overview turns all that activity into numbers you can watch climb — profile views, followers, votes, plays and your current chart position. And keep an eye on your Booking Enquiries inbox: that’s where venues and promoters reach out, and where a lot of paid work begins.
Everything you do adds up on your Overview — including new booking enquiries.
When you’re ready for more: CMF Pro
Everything above works on a free account. Upgrade when you want to take the ceiling off — from £7.99/month or £79/year. CMF Pro unlocks:
- Unlimited releases, videos, gallery and events
- Priority placement in search results
- Homepage and Featured Artist eligibility
- Your own CMF TV Artist Channel
- A cover image and a direct booking button
That’s the whole tour: set up, share, go live, and let the fans find you. Stuck on anything along the way? Every part of your dashboard has a short article here in the Support Centre — and if you’re still stuck, contact our team. Now go make some noise.
