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Fan Devotion: 4 Ways To Campaign For Your Favourite Local Artists

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Fan devotion is a rather inherent trait we possess as individuals who are absorbed into the music of our choice, which is a by-product of our incalculable ‘love’ for a particular band or an artist. As fans, we have the power to exercise our fan – devotion in numerous ways that will help build the cultural fabric of something that we call our own: our local music scene!

Showcase your band of the week on social media

Your social media account is a hotspot of individuals engaging with one another; which is a great representation of how we exchange information in this day and age. Talking about your local bands on social media platforms is one such a piece of  “information” that finds itself being exposed directly to a plethora of individuals: the process of doing so is enabling your local musicians to leverage from your reach. So go right ahead, and use your Instagram stories to share your local music! 

Volunteer at local shows 

Volunteering at local shows can go a million miles: not only does volunteering give you a sense of identity, but it also puts you and your scene in a position of unanimity. To top it over, providing a helping hand to your local bands is lifting a colossal amount of weight off their shoulders. Giving something back to your local music community is a great sign of fan devotion. 

Buy their merchandise

Buying local merch is a common practice among fans lately, and why shouldn’t it be! Much like sharing music on social media, the act of sporting your favorite band merchandise is the most subtle way of  “advertising” your love for a band. The “visual aesthetic” creates a sense of familiarity within your social circle which helps generate a great deal of visibility for local talent. 

Give your local artists a pat on the back 

Last but not least, your local heroes always love to hear from you: a word of appreciation gives them a boost of confidence. The next time you are at a show that you have thoroughly enjoyed, be sure to let the band know what you think!

 

Sign up as a Fan today: https://www.youbloom.com/request/

How to Hook the Super-Fan

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Contrary to popular belief, a super-fan is not always a crazed group of followers or a die-hard groupie. All brands have super-fans. They’re a key component in building and sustaining a successful career by enagaging a solid fanbase.

 

The question then becomes: what classifies as a brand and how do you build one that attracts enough super fans.

 

Super-fan
Dreaming of Jupiter at Musikmesse 2018

The term super-fan refers to an    individual who supports a brand and everything that brand produces. Artists depend on super-fans as a bedrock of support. When on tour, a band can trust that their super-fans will show up, buy merch, and be tweeting about the show long after it’s over. When band’s establish a healthy base of super-fans, they are establishing a continuous body of support that can last throughout their careers.

 

From Starbucks to your local coffee shop that plays nothing but bluegrass, all brands attract super-fans. This comes down to the fact that people are drawn to originality. Every brand needs its own niche to attract a  sustaining number of super-fans.

 

Who will your super-fans be?

 

Before a company, artist or individual can successfully attract, engage, and retain super-fans they must have a well-established brand. At the end of the day, there are billions of different people in the world with trillions of different interests; this means every brand who successfully markets a clear and individual niche has a high likelihood of attracting super-fans.

 

Building a brand comes down to three things: intended audience, clarity of product, and quality of service.

 

Whether you’re trying to market your sound or attract a wider demographic of ticket-buyers, your brand begins with your unique offerings and intended audience. Detecting what sets you apart is the quickest way to identify the basis for your brand.

 

After establishing a solid brand with individualized characteristics that will attract super-fans, the task becomes maintaining engagement from those fans. This maintained loyalty is often seen when artists create personal relationships with fans and release a steady flow of their branded product (shows, recorded music, etc.).

 

In addition to establishing these bonds, the branded product must retain its super-fan as the brand grows.

 

Joining a community with inter-industry connections can make a huge difference too. Today, a lot of artists are finding security in artist networks, like youbloomConnect, which help bands grow their fanbase and develop their brand through artist-partnering and co-marketing tactics. Definitely check out our guide to how youbloomConnect works if you want to learn more about our strategy.  

 

Ultimately, developing a brand comes down to originality. Pursuing what sets you apart and working to maintain relations with super-fans as your brand-base expands will ensure your success in the future marketing of your music.

Indie Artists: Be Your Own Booking Agent

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Time to Drop the Booking Agent, Here’s How to Book Your Own Shows

No one knows better than an indie artist how frustrating and stressful it can be to book shows, tour, and perform. The struggle, when it comes to getting in touch with venues, managers and bookers, is quite real. Hiring a booking agent may seem like the easy answer, but if the royalties aren’t exactly flowing in yet, you might not be in the financial position to do this. What to do, then? Let’s not forget that we are the DIY generation, we do it ourselves. Here’s how to book your own shows.

Photo Courtesy of The Magnettes
Photo Courtesy of The Magnettes

Perhaps you’ve made a list of all the venues that would fit your music, sound, and style, and yet it’s nearly impossible to get them to give you a decent time slot. You will most likely get an 11pm weeknight spot or a 3pm Sunday afternoon one, and we all know that no one is going to miss brunch to catch your new band at what promises to be an empty, desolated venue.

When you ask for a better, higher profile slot, the booking agent usually says: “Well, how many people can you draw?”. If the answer is more than 20, then you’ve got yourself a Friday night show. However, if your response is anything less, you’ll have to wait patiently in line until your following is bigger.

Which brings us to our next point.

 

Book Others, to Book Yourself.

How is a band supposed to grow a fan base if the only shows they can play occur when people are watching Netflix or in a yoga class? Good question indeed. Those who manage to bring a good crowd are those who are either already established or have a lot of friends in town. Venues are not going to bet on a new indie artist nor are they looking for the next big act to feature before they blow up. Venues want to break even. They want to see the money they spend on a typical Friday night come back in full, and if possible make a little profit.

Be your own booking agent. Look for an equally unknown band that shares your ambitions, ethos, and sound and put a show together. Perhaps, pick a less reputable venue in your town; smaller and more intimate is ideal. Make sure you market the show as a party; a night to have some fun and enjoy some live music. Startups like Sofar Sounds have built a brand around this exact experience and platforms like youbloomConnect match local indie artists with one another, making it easy for bands to come together and book. 

Each band will bring their friends, and if you advertised the event properly, their friends will bring other friends looking for a fun night.

Play the show, distribute some t-shirts, have a beer and repeat.

One of two things will happen. You will either get a call from the bigger venues looking to book your band or you won’t need them anymore because your fan base has been growing without their help.

You should hope for the latter.

Photo Courtesy of The Magnettes
Photo Courtesy of The Magnettes

About the Blogger

Luca a freelance writer, blogger, musician and songwriter. Born and
raised in Italy, his passion for Rock n Roll made him move to London where he
lived for one year and gained a certificate in Songwriting from ICMP.
Luca relocated in NYC in 2014 to pursue jazz music and liberal arts at the
The New School from which he graduated in December 2017. Luca currently
resides in Nashville, TN

Ask the Speakers – Introducing youbloomDublin Panel Speakers 2018

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Every year in June, artists, fans, and pioneers of the music industry unite for a weekend of live shows, guest speakers, and unforgettable experiences. This year, youbloom will be presenting a wide range of musicians, entrepreneurs, DJs, and producers to speak at the youbloom Summit held on Saturday June 2nd, held at the IMRO – Copyright House.

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youbloomDublin 2017 Summit

Figure heads will come together to discuss the turning tides of the industry while artists and audience will have the opportunity to dialogue with the speakers (and network) directly. We asked a few of these movers and shakers of the industry some questions we thought important to the indie artists of the world. Read on to see what they had to say. And make sure to check out our full lineup speakers as tickets to the Summit are still available. 

 

Ted-Cohen-960Ted Cohen (Keynote Speaker) A Sea of Gray Hats – How to use the system to change the system

Ted Cohen is Managing Partner of TAG Strategic. TAG is a digital entertainment consulting firm focused on creating strategic relationships, identifying market opportunities, growing brands and defining best practices for the entertainment, tech & mobile industries. Cohen was instrumental in crafting the licensing agreements upon which Rhapsody and the iTunes Store were built and has received the 2013 NARM Presidential Award, previously awarded to Ahmet Ertegun, & Dick Clark, among others.

What are the two most important things independent artists need to know, if they want to ‘make it’?

“We are no longer in a distribution economy, where getting your music available in a record store or played on the local radio station. We are firmly in the Attention Economy, where there is no barrier to getting your music out there. Your main objective now is to make your current and potential fans aware that your music is there and needs to be heard.”

“When using social media, you want to be a trusted resource/curator, not just a digital megaphone for your career advancement. Talk about the movies you like, books you’d recommend, and, yes, even praise other independent artists that are noteworthy. “

What do you think is the most valuable part of platforms/festivals like youbloom, for indie artists? 

“Ideally, everyone is constantly sharing with each other new ideas, new ways to grow their audience. When this happens, fans and artists are all enriched. “

 

Steve-Lindsay-youbloom-speakerSteve Lindsey – How To Write A Hit – Inspiration or Perspiration

Steve entered the world of music publishing in 1985 as Professional Manager with Chappell Music in London (later Warner Chappell) and was appointed General Manager of Go! Discs Music in 1988. Steve Lindsey is managing director of Elevate Music, a Dublin based music publishing company. Elevate currently represents works by writers such as Cathy Davey, Aslan, Westlife, The Henry Girls, The Flaws and IFTA Award winning score composer Niall Byrne. Steve also sits on the boards of IMRO and MCPS Ireland.

What are the two most important things independent artists need to know, if they want to ‘make it’? 

“A) A deep understanding of social media and how to use it effectively. B) That nothing will come to you – you have to put yourself out there.”

What do you think is the most valuable part of platforms/festivals like youbloom, for indie artists?

“The knowledge and experience of the speakers is valuable but also is the interaction and sharing of knowledge with other developing artists.”

 

Peter-AstedtPeter Astedt – How to get the most out of Spotify

Peter has worked in the music industry for over 25 years. He started his own record label Dead Frog Records of the age of fifteen 1990. In 2008 he started the company Musichelp Sweden AB which is a service company for people/artists in the music industry. Over the years over 8000 artists has gone through his systems. Today Peter is a board member of SOM (Swedish independent music producers, the equality of AIM (UK) and A2IM (USA) and is a board member of Mbin (Music business independent network).

What are the two most important things independent artists need to know, if they want to ‘make it’? 

“To understand that you can’t do it yourself. You need a team. The good part you can choose your team members.”

What do you think is the most valuable part of platforms/festivals like youbloom, for indie artists?

“The opportunity to network and find people to fit your team. On top of that have the chance on the same day to show your product if you also play.”

 

Pete-Holidai-photoPete Holidai – Managing your career in the 21st century music industry

Pete was a founder member of The Radiators from space whose original line-up produced two albums for London based label Chiswick Records 1977’s TV Tube Heart and 1979s Ghostown which was produced by Tony Visconti. 

For many years Pete produced radio sessions for RTE 2fm’s Dave Fanning show, while also producing many emerging Irish artists which lead to a Smithwicks/HotPress award for production in 1991. Currently Pete is playing withTrouble Pilgrims along with original Radiators member Steve Rapid and long term member Johnny Bonnie along with bassist Bren Lynott and rhythm guitarist Tony St Ledger.

What are the two most important things independent artists need to know, if they want to ‘make it’? 

“Gathering knowledge and insight of current and future trends can help artist devise a critical pathway to establish a foothold in the industry and recognize the importance of networking and development of key partnerships.”

 

myla-hardie-960Myla Hardie – Live Touring & Production

Moving to New York City at an early age of 17, Myla formed her first band of original compositions, “The Myla Hardie Band.” Their album, “Waiting for Perfection” got them on the ballot for the Grammy nomination.

Now with 25 years of professional music experience on stage and off, Myla divides her time administering her family-owned, independent record label, Worldhaus Music, through which she represents four international artists and continues to perform in Brazil, Argentina, Europe and North America. 

What are the two most important things independent artists need to know, if they want to ‘make it’? 

1) “Never let the business get in the way of your music.” Meaning you should not make an album or write a song thinking of your business plan or how to market it first. The art should always come first and then the business that is meant to be your own will follow. Remember that the industry needs your unique voice to exist and prosper.”

2) “‘Stay in it to win it!’ Persistence and perseverance are the keys to success in the music business. There is no magic formula, it really is just hard work, dedication, having fun, personal relationships and staying around long enough to see your own network grow.”

What do you think is the most valuable part of platforms/festivals like youbloom, for indie artists?

“A couple of things, but the most obvious is that you have to show up. Being present and in people’s faces is the only way to make the personal relationships that you need to get anywhere outside of your own network of contacts. The exchange of experiences and just knowing that you are not the only one trying to do this, otherwise, pretty lonely venture has more value than any ticket price.

Also, the perspective shift that each may experience from a certain piece of information could change the way you see your direction at this moment or in your future in the music business. Then finally, just building a community of like-minded individuals together makes everyone stronger and the platform as a whole gain clout.”

 

Purchase Tickets to youbloomDublin 2019 Music festival & Summit

 

Oliver Cole
Oliver Cole at youblooDublin 2017

 

Crowdsourcing: Will it Really Shape Your Music Career?

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What is Crowdsourcing?                    

“Crowdsourcing” can be defined as a sourcing model which enables individuals to gain a particular good or service through an exchange. Today, crowdsourcing is quite prominent between artists of all disciplines. Musicians, sculptors and designers connect through crowdsourcing sites where they can gain exposure as well as promotional opportunities. Naturally, there are hundreds of platforms out there where an artist can get connected but the trick is finding the two or three platforms that are actually good.

 

What about Crowdfunding? 

So, now you understand crowdsourcing, hopefully you’re familiar with crowdsurfing – I’ve got one more for you: crowdfunding. Crowdfunding is often a group of people coming together to fund some business venture through small financial intakes. This could be a musician whose revenue for a show comes from ticket sales sold through a crowdsourcing platform. This brings us right back to the quintessential issue of how to choose the right connection agency to help you crowdsource.  

 

It all comes down to what you are looking for.

Crowdsourcing conference at youbloomDublin Music Festival & Summit
Crowdsourcing conference at youbloomDublin Music Festival & Summit

Though crowdsourcing and crowdfunding originate in the same place, focusing on one can help artists when narrowing down their options. There are organizations that have been around for years, such as Kickstarter, which are strictly for crowdfunding inquiries. This means that musicians can connect with a community of like-minded creators and build funds around their passions. Similar sites include Pledgemusic  and Patreon.

 

On the other hand, crowdsourcing platforms, which cater more towards a direct exchange of goods or services, can be equally effective to the artist. These connection agencies include youbloomConnect and Songkick. Rather than simply giving artists a platform, companies like youbloom play a central role in providing artists exposure and fans. Youbloom is unique as it pairs artists together, connecting the two fan bases, and broadening an artists fanbase beyond the band’s origin. Contrarily, a regular complaint among Songkick users is its lack of connection and community between artists.

 

At the end of the day, it’s hard to go entirely wrong with any of these hardworking crowdsourcing platforms; it all comes down to whether your art needs support or more clearly laid-out instructions and opportunities.

 

Josey is a content writer for youbloom as well as a member of the marketing team. She is music obsessed and a diehard Tom Petty fan. Josey currently lives outside of Los Angeles where she enjoys excessively sunny days, train adventures and organic chai (yes, Josey is high-maintenance about her chai).

 

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