De Novo was founded by Elliot Tousley, a touring artist turned growth strategist. After years on the road, Elliot built a successful marketing agency, helped businesses and artists alike, sold that company in 2024 — and came back to where it all started: music.
Today, De Novo exists to give artists a real shot at growing online with professional, data-driven ad campaigns — built by a team who speaks your language.
Elliot’s Path: A Timeline of Music + Marketing
2010- 2018
Touring New England, writing, recording, and promoting music
2017
Founded De Novo Agency — started helping fellow musicians on the side
2019 - 2023
De Novo grows rapidly, working with artists and music companies
2021
Launched a second agency focused on traditional businesses
2024
Successfully exited (sold agency to a larger firm)
2024 - 2025
Returned full-time to De Novo — combining performance marketing expertise with deep music industry roots
We don’t promise shortcuts. We don’t chase algorithms. We build real systems around your content — ad infrastructure that works, audience strategies that scale, and campaign support from people who get it.
We help musicians grow their audience and build a real fanbase through strategic ad campaigns on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.
At De Novo, we don’t just manage ads — we build the full foundation for growth. Every campaign we run is custom-built around your goals, your content, and your audience. Whether you want to learn how to run ads on your own or stay hands-off and focused on your music, we’ll help you create a system that works.
Grow Your Fanbase on These Platforms
FAQs
We’re a boutique agency — not a churn-and-burn operation. We don’t sell hype or push courses. We work directly with artists to build custom strategies, set up ad campaigns, and provide hands-on management where needed. You’re not just another number here. Our goal is long-term partnership, not quick cash.
We work with artists at all levels, but we’re best suited for musicians who take their music career seriously and know they need to invest in paid ads — they just don’t know how to get started. Whether you want to learn to run your own ads or hand things off to us, we’ll meet you where you are.
No — this is not a course or mentorship program. We’re a real digital marketing agency that builds, manages, and optimizes your ad campaigns for you. We’ll teach you what we’re doing if you want to take over later, but everything we do is action-oriented and performance-driven.
Many of our clients come to us for help getting things set up the right way — then take over and manage their campaigns internally. We’re happy to guide you through the process, show you how it works, and leave you with a clean system you understand. And if you’d rather stay focused on your music? We’ll keep managing your ads as your long-term partner.
To keep working with artists who are passionate, talented, and looking for clarity in how to grow. We’ve been earning musicians’ trust since 2017 — and we’ll still be here 10 years from now, doing what we do best: giving honest advice, building smart ad systems, and helping artists succeed online without the BS.
Musicians use paid ads to reach new listeners, retarget engaged fans, and promote music videos, releases, or merch across platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube. With the right strategy, ads help you cut through the noise and drive real action — not just views.
Not at all. You can start running ads on Meta or TikTok with any account. What matters is having good content, a clear goal, and a proper ad setup — which is exactly what we help you build.
Get in Contact
De Novo was built by musicians, for musicians — so we know how overwhelming it can be to figure out marketing while still making music.
If you’re looking for a real team to support your growth, give honest advice, and help you connect with the right audience through paid ads, we’d love to hear from you.
Reach out and let’s see if we’re a fit — no pressure, no hard pitch. Just a real conversation.