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Purchasing Fans

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Every artist wants a big number of fans. Looking at those numbers on social media gets everyone excited. The artists feel important and new people to the music, as well as labels and talent agents, see big numbers and think there is something going on with the artists. There are a couple of ways to get these numbers on social media, including purchasing fans. You have to be careful about how you go about getting fans, though. Just make sure you stay connected with the fans who truly like your music.

Paying for Fans:

An easy way that a lot of artists think work is purchasing fans. There are plenty of people out there who will do it for the artists. You will pay a ton of money for them to find people who are willing to follow you for a certain amount of money. There will be some people who do this and will call or email to get you to sign up with them. If you decide to get “fans” this way, make sure to do as much research on the person as you can. There are plenty of them out there that will scam you for money and not actually do anything.

The problem purchasing fans is there’s no connection and most of them, if not all of them, won’t do anything but follow you. You want to make sure there is actual interaction with that many fans. It is true that the first thing people notice when they look at your social media accounts is how many likes and follows you have. But the second thing they will look at is if there’s any kind of interaction with those fans. Are they “liking”  posts, commenting, re-tweeting? If you have thousands of likes and follows, but no interaction, labels and venues will notice. It is hard right now with so many pages out there for anyone to see everything you’re posting, but you want to make sure there are some connections happening.

Free Fans:

Getting fans the old fashion way will take longer and won’t be as easy, but it will be worth it more in the end. It will show how much work you put into your music and fans. There will be more interaction and will catch the eye of the people you want it to. Labels and venues will be more impressed and see all the work you’re putting in. Your page will be filled with genuine fans who will want to share your music with others and want to share what you’re posting. 

There are websites out there that will help you purchase fans and you can get fans on your own. Really think about what you want to do before you decide to “purchase fans”. A lot of people will notice if they are real or fake numbers. There are a lot of scammers out there, as well. Make sure to do a lot of research first. The numbers may look good in the emails, but looking up reviews on them will let you know how they really are. Getting fans without that kind of help won’t be as easy, but will help way more in the end. The fans will be true and genuine and will be helping you gather more fans. 

 

Making Money in the Industry

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Making money doing what you love is never easy. Most have to have at least one other job while they have their passion as a side job or even just as a hobby. There are a few things that you can do to help make money with your music, whether it’s writing for yourself or being a song writer for someone else. It’s always good to keep your mind open when trying to make money. Try something different and exciting that will get peoples’ attentions and make them want to support you. I will be talking about a few things that might help, but always think of new and exciting ways to generate money, especially since it’s very easy to download music for free.

Merchandise:

Selling merchandise is a great way to create money. Everyone wants to show off their support for bands that they love or for bands that they just found out about. They will wear shirts and pins to shows and on the street, which will get others around them interested in checking you out and will mean that they will purchase things as well. It’s very easy to buy and sell merchandise anywhere. You can sell at shows, but you can also sell online in many different ways. There’s always social media you can sell on as long as you have a PayPal account, multiple websites that help you sell online, as well as selling on your own website.

Live Shows:

Live shows are always great to get money at. As noted above, you can sell your merchandise at shows, but you can also make money in other ways. Some venues will pay you for playing there, others will let you set up a tip jar on stage where anyone at the show can donate money while you’re performing. You can also put a tip jar on your merchandise table for anyone who would like to donate more money or still show monetary support if they cannot purchase anything.

Another great form of “live shows” are to do it online. It’s not exactly “live” but you will be live streaming and performing live for fans. Streaming sites, such as StageIt, will let you set a price for a live streaming a concert and your fans can pay to see you perform from all over the world.

Crowdfunding/Pledge Music:

There are multiple forms online to have fans donate money to your music. Things like Kickstarter and IndieGoGo will let people donate money to your cause if they feel connected to it. Sites like Patreon help artists support each other and have fans support them as well. Patreon usually has it where you have something to give to the person who donated the money. Doesn’t need to be anything big, just something small to say thank you. I believe it’s always good to give back to those who help out. If you can do that while they’re donating, it would help so much.

Exclusives:

Having something extra for fans will make them more excited about purchasing things. You can have certain songs be free, but if they want to be able to download a special video from the band or an exclusive song, then they’d have to pay for it. Make it seem special. Having a few songs free for listeners to check out and download before purchasing the album will make them able to listen to you and want more.

Cover Shows:

A lot of bands don’t care for doing cover shows and would rather play their own music, but most (if not all) bands who do cover gigs will get paid. Most places would like to hire performers that sound or can at least perform popular songs. It gets the crowd excited and want to people to show up. It may not be the best o most popular around performers to do, but it is a good way to get some money and sometimes even be heard by someone in the industry.

YouTube:

YouTube is a great way to get money and to be heard. A lot of venues and even labels go to YouTube to see what you’re about. It shows how many people are listening to you, what you can creatively do with the music in terms of writing and music videos if you have any, and they will be able to see your music persona and how people react to it. YouTube also has ads that will generate money overtime someone watches one of your videos. You can decide which video you’d like the ads to be on and will generate more income. Yes, the ads are annoying, but it’s not going to stop anyone from listening to you. Performers all over have gotten signed thanks to YouTube and many that haven’t been signed yet are getting paid through the ads.

Sponsorship:

Having someone sponsor you is a great way to have money. Whoever is sponsoring you will donate money to whatever you need, whether it be to go on tour, buy new merchandise, help with recording, or getting instruments. You may not always be able to use the money as you want, but it will help pay for the important “business” things so that when you do make money from sales or anything, that will be your money and you won’t have to worry about business expenses. Sponsors also make it easier to get booked at shows and at festivals. You both can help each other out and booking agents will notice.

There are plenty of ways to make money doing what you love. You just have to keep an open mind and be creative. These were a few ideas that may help, but should only be a starting point for trying to make money with your music. Some are not as popular as others and some are very easy to do. You just have to find out what works best for you and your music, as well as for you fans.

The Benefits of Touring

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Touring can be one of the best or one of the worse things to happen to an artist. It will either make or break you. Bands can get noticed while touring, or they will break up. There are many things bands need to know before touring. The biggest one is to make sure you are going on tour with people you can deal with and who can deal with you. You will be stuck with them for weeks and even months in a small van, or even a tour bus.

 

 

Networking while Touring

When on tour, you can find plenty of people to work with who will help you out. You’ve just got to be nice to them and treat them with respect. Even if they aren’t the greatest to you, still try to be kind and respectful and it might turn them around. They will definitely remember that when they have to work with you again and will help your shows be better.

Becoming friends with bands on tour will help out a lot. They can help you get shows in their towns and in return, you can help them get shows. Trade offs are always great to do. Local bands already have fans going to their shows and becoming friends with the ones you’ll be playing with will help you have people willing to see you when in town. Become friends with them before asking for favors, though. You actually want to have a friendship and bond with these people. Talk to them on FaceBook or Twitter before going on tour to get to know them.

Everyone you work with on tour is important for how it will go. Get to know the promoters, sound guys, and anyone working the venues. Learn their names and remember for the next time you play there. They will be impressed and more willing to help you for future events. They will also talk you up to other venues and promoters and help you get more shows in the area, and possibly in other cities as well.

 

 

Details of Touring

Everyone always skips over the details because they just want to get out there and start doing things. The details are always what screws people. You want to know about everything you can before you get on tour so that nothing is a surprise. Always get together before going out to figure out personal things and business things.

Some venues give out contracts before booking and band, and some of those have very specific details you need to know. It tells you if and how you’re getting paid, the equipment they have there and what you need to bring, guest lists, etc. There’s one thing that most artists don’t look at before booking multiple shows at once and that’s if a venue has a distance limit for shows. Some venues don’t want you to book another show near them for a week that’s about 10 miles away. That’s just an example, but it could be more time and a wider radius. You always want to know if the venue expects you to sell a certain amount of tickets, otherwise they will most likely charge you for the left over tickets you couldn’t sell. I’ve noticed a lot of venues in bigger cities tend to do that and aren’t always upfront about that.

Before going on tour, you want to have a meeting with everyone in the band to figure out things. You want to make sure everyone agrees on a budget and what that money will be used on. You might not always get the money you’re expecting at shows, so you really shouldn’t rely on it. Everyone should be able to split it evenly and help out with things. Have an itinerary showing when everyone needs to be at the venue, when loading is, when you’re playing, etc.. It should also have the contact numbers of everyone (band members, promoters, venues, driver if you have one) and emails for the venue. You all want to also are on a set of ground rules. Everyone may think that they know each other well, but someone will have some pet peeve that will get to them too much and might make things tense among the group.

Booking hotels and finding places ahead of time is always great. Once you have the shows set, you know when and where you’ll need a place to stay. You can ask fans or friends/family in the area, but if they don’t get back within a week or two, move on. You don’t want to get stuck last minute trying to find a place. I went on a small tour with a band once and they kept telling me that they had people who were going to let us stay there. The day we get the city, they tell me they haven’t heard back from anyone and that we might have to find a hotel. Well, every place was having some kind of conventions going on and only had expensive rooms left. We ended up finding a hotel last minute, but you don’t want to get stuck in the kind of mess.

Map route before leaving. It helps you figure out how much time it takes to get from one place to another and will be easier to plan things around travel time. It also helps to keep you from getting lost if you can’t get internet on your phone for google maps.

 

 

Going on tour can be a great thing. Get everything done ahead of time, talk with the rest of the members and take care of yourself. You don’t want any surprises and you want to be able to fix anything if something goes wrong. Don’t rely on others with everything and make sure you and the rest of your group can take charge if need be. Always know where everyone and everything is and how your equipment is being taken care of. The tour should go well if you at least do those things.

 

This is a gust post by youbloom contributor Michele Enouch

Michele Enoch is a music business graduate from Musicians Institute who has managed and promoted bands for years. She is now working on her photography and helping performers advance in their career. Her passion has always been music and she is exploring all aspects of the industry. Michele appreciates all kinds of music and seeing music in all kinds of environments. She enjoys crocheting hats and toys, reading and writing mystery and horror stories, taking pictures of everything she can, food from around the world, and adorable animals. She is always on the look out for anything new and exciting.

How to Keep Your Child Interested in Musical Study

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Want to know How to Keep Your Child Interested in Musical Study? Today, we’ll teach you simple steps involved in keeping your child’s attention in their music books.

Most parents want their child/children to learn something unique or significant during their early childhood age. This is because retainment and deep appreciation for new musical studies are best when taken at a young age.

For instance, parents who want their children to take up ballet lessons start at the very early age of three years old. This is because the earlier you start, the more flexible you are and the easier your bones can adapt to the training.

 

One of the most common paths is Musical Study. In music, kids who start to learn instruments at a young age tend to improve their motor skills more such as finger and hand coordination movements. Thus, giving them more accuracy and precision when playing an instrument (Concordia University and the Montreal Neurological Institute).

On The Side Note

However, do note that kids have their unique skills and interests. While a piano might work for one, for another the guitar might be more suitable. Taking into consideration their personal interests would help them discover their talents.

Forcing your child into playing a particular musical instrument might only cause them to experience “toxic stress.” This is due to an increased cortisol production. Cortisol is a stress hormone which can negatively affect a child’s brain development.

Today, we will be giving you basic tips on how to keep your child interested in the musical study.

What To Consider When Choosing An Instrument to Learn

#1 Your child’s capabilities and preferences.

Personally, I think this is the most important factor to consider when your child will be choosing his/her instrument for the first time. Taking things by his pace, capabilities, and interests will help keep him/her in that field.

Your child’s abilities and innate skills will partly help him/her decide which instrument to learn. At an early age, I decided to learn the piano because I realized that my hands couldn’t keep up with the guitar or drums.

Nothing beats a natural passion and appreciation for music. This will fuel your child’s determination to learn more about music and his/her particular instrument. Unless you want to play tough love with your child, then you can try imposing a musical instrument to him/her.

However, beware that this might get you into several fights and tantrums.

#2 Your budget for your child’s music study.

Now, the musical education isn’t just all about preferences. Your child might be hell bent set on learning a particular instrument, but is your wallet ready? If you want your child to be committed to an instrument, be prepared for its possible expenses. Such as music lessons, instrument maintenance and buying the device itself.

Save up as early as you can.

On the other hand, this is not related to budgeting at all. However, it’s also an important factor to consider. Is space readily available at home? If your child decides to play the drums or a piano, is it going to be fit at home?

#3 Do you like the instrument yourself?

Can you stand listening to that instrument all day long as your child practices? If you think you’re not fond of that particular instrument, then at least try to develop an appreciation for it or your child’s efforts to learn it.

He/she will need emotional support and encouragement from you in learning that instrument. So it is important that you show attentiveness to him/her.

Tips On How To Keep Your Child Interested in Music

You might’ve already read about the many benefits of learning music, especially at an early age. Here are a few tips on how to keep your child interested in music.

#1 Pay attention to your child.

It’s imperative that you pay attention to your child’s passion for music. Be his/her number one fan. Be involved and be interested. Keep track of their learning, but not in a prying way. Show unconditional love and support, so they know you care about their passion.

Who knows? Maybe your child could be the next Mozart or Beethoven?

#2 Enrol your child in a private lesson.

This might be a little pricey, but if it can help your child focus more, then this might be worth it. Private lessons can have a lot of benefits.Children tend to shy away from experimenting and asking questions when they are integrated with other kids.

They might even be scared of making mistakes in front of other kids which can affect their confidence and self-esteem.

#3 Make practicing fun.

Even without his/her tutor, you can still motivate your child to continue practicing by making it more fun. You can start by watching him/her practice. Or if you know how to play the instrument, personally guide him/her.

Doing some sort of game or quiz bee-ish practice with rewards or incentives after might also do the trick.

#4 Engage your child in music education as early as possible.

We already listed down reasons how starting young can make significant changes in your child’s learning capability. Starting young will help them develop deeper love and appreciation for music.

But then again, this doesn’t mean that you should force your child. A gentle nudge will do.

At the end of the day

Some kids do not need any encouragement at all as they find themselves attracted to music at an early age on their own. It’s still up to your child which branch of the arts he/she will commit to. What’s important is your support for their passion. Remember that that’s what makes a future prodigy in music.

 

How to Keep Your Child Interested in Musical Study is a guest post by Mark Harrison.

Mark Harrison is a professional guitarist from MusicalStudy.com. His blog is an online resource center dedicated to providing knowledge about music and musical instruments, focuses specifically on guitars. And Mark loves to share his knowledge with everyone.

 

Top 5 Email Marketing Tips for Musicians

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Email Marketing for Bands – Social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, has been the primary marketing tool of musicians to grow their network and promote their name. These platforms are taking off but as an up-and-coming independent artist, you also have to take advantage of other marketing strategies that could do great for the success of your career. One of which, is the commonly neglected, e-mail marketing.

Why is Email Marketing for Bands Important?

Facebook and other social media networks can give you access to millions or billions of fans but only e-mail marketing can provide you with the control over your connections. Therefore, build your e-mail list and begin promoting your music.

Grow Your Email List and Promote Your Music

  1. Design Your Website with an E-mail Sign Up Box

Email marketing for bands start with your website. Your music website should not only have your artist’s details but it should contain information that will help you convert visitors into fans. Therefore, design your website with a sign up box to collect your visitor’s e-mail addresses.

Place it in a prominent area on your page or design it as a pop out so your visitors will immediately see it once they visit your site.

  1.  Generate an Effective Call-to-Action

Your e-mail sign box should be accompanied with an effective call-to-action. This short introductory phrase should invite and persuade people to submit their e-mail addresses to your list.

It is also ideal that you introduce the benefits of their subscription like getting regular music updates, concert dates, news, and other exclusive surprises.

  1. Send Gifts to Subscribers

Aside from generating call-to-actions that convert, surprise your visitors with free and exclusive gifts in exchange of their e-mails. You can send them personalized items like posters, Bluetooth speakers, or wristband; or electronic files like a short video of your behind-the-scene rehearsals, a downloadable file of your music, and so on.

Through this, you are giving your fans a fresh and insider look of your life and activities as a musician.

  1. Advertise at your Merch Booth

Do not only use your merch booth to sell your items but utilize it to gather more e-mail subscribers from fans and people who attended the event. Place a signage in a noticeable area of your booth and invite them to sign up.

Or announce it on-stage after your performance. It’s also a good idea to assign someone from your team to go around and collect e-mail addresses from the crowd.

  1. Write a Compelling Blog post

An engaging and informative content can help you grow your e-mail list. The more compelling your story is, the more your readers become interested to reading your succeeding posts. Therefore, add an e-mail sign up box in your blog post area to turn your readers into loyal fans.

And once you have gained more e-mail sign ups, make your promise to send them informative, entertaining, and fresh news about your music. And never try to spam them with promotions and non-sense agenda. Or else, they will hit the unsubscribe button.

 

Top 5 Email Marketing Tips for Musicians is a guest post by April Alen.

April Alen is a content and social media Manager of the popular SpeakStick brand. SpeakStick creates innovative waterproof bluetooth speakers to aid the burning desire of music lovers and enthusiasts to listen to music whenever wherever. With this goal in mind, we invite you to be a part of our community of music lovers and to Set Your Music Free.

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