A bit of history
Originally pioneered by German record company Odeon in 1909 with Tchaikovsky’s ‘The Nutcracker’ suite, the album cover became more than just a protective sleeve. By the 1950s, imagery was important in marketing the music within and a whole culture was born, with its own industry and support acts, with photographers, artists and cartoonists all making their mark alongside bands.
The cover became an important part of the culture of music through the 1960s and 1970s, with some album covers becoming collectable in their own right, especially from bands like Pink Floyd, Queen and The Rolling Stones. The 1967 release of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band broke new ground with cut-out inserts, lyrics and a gatefold sleeve even though it was a single album. So iconic has the album become that original pop artist Sir Peter Blake has recreated it, with modern imagery, to celebrate his 80th birthday this year. Criticized again for those he’s included and those he’s omitted, Blake has produced another classic, albeit outside of the album format.
What’s New
Kaiser Chiefs are releasing an album of singles in June and they approached photorealist painter Sarah Graham (www.sarahgraham.info) for the cover.
“I’ve known the band for a while,” says Sarah, whose art already graces the homes of the rich and famous around the world. “They’ve been interested in using my art for about four years and this was finally our chance to work together.”
The seaside rock imagery is typically British. Anyone who’s holidayed on the coast in the UK will have seen the sweets on sale, usually with writing or a pattern running through the middle. For the album, Kaiser Chiefs commissioned Blackpool rock maker Heather Boyce to produce unique sticks of rock that were then photographed and painted by Sarah. She says: “The idea came together really quickly in the end and the painting took just nine days. It’s such an instant visual and I love it. The band used video from the making of the rock for their single ‘On The Run’ and there’s a slide show of me painting the album cover which should be on the Kaiser Chiefs’ website soon.
The role that packaging plays is evolving, with more bands releasing their albums on vinyl as well as CD and online downloads. Most of us like our music to be tangible – something you can hold and cherish – as well as audible and beautiful or controversial artwork should remain a part of that. There’s nothing quite like holding an album cover, with an image on one side and information on the other. For the moment, it doesn’t look as if the digital age is killing that.
Reply
As we all increasingly download our music rather than browsing through the shelves of our local record shop, album artwork is less important. Or is it?
There is evidence to suggest that musicians and audiences are still interested in imagery surrounding music.
“I like a bit of controversy. It tests the nation’s intelligence.”
When photographer and director David Boni came up with the idea of hanging The Stranglers in a kids’ swing park, bass player JJ Burnel, replied “I like a bit of controversy. It tests the nation’s intelligence.” And so, the cover of brand new album ‘Giants’ was born. Currently touring the album – and, inevitably, some of their classic tracks like ‘No More Heroes’, ‘Golden Brown’ and ‘Peaches’ – the band has seen a revival in fortunes across Europe, only tainted by drummer Jet Black’s recent illness.
Ironically, the album music and cover has tested the intelligence of more than just the UK. ‘Giants’ is The Stranglers’ 17th album, almost 35 years since the release of ‘Rattus Norvegicus’, and Europe can’t get enough of it. A successful UK tour was followed by 20 dates around Europe and huge interest from the media, with festival appearances booked through the summer.
David Boni (www.davidboni.com) explains how the shocking imagery came about for the album. “I’m a huge fan of The Stranglers and thought it was time they came up with something shocking again. After all, they’ve been known for decades for being controversial. The band was really receptive to the idea which my colleague Dave Mullen and I came up with. We knew it had to be real and within the grounds of ‘reasonably’ tasteful, but a bit naughty.”
The photo-shoot took place in a closed set at Pinewood and, although Dave isn’t giving the trick away, there’s only a little Photoshop used. “This was all about having fun and being exciting. It’s one of the best pictures I’ve ever worked on. This is the first album that’s been banned from TV before the 9pm watershed and it’s been completely banned from the London underground. It looks great on CD but even better on vinyl – that 12” format really suits great imagery.”
Reply
12 Strategies For Long Term Success As An Indie Artist is a nice set of principles for artists seeking to make it in the indie music game. They actually make an interesting companion piece to Stefan Aronsen’s 10 Tips For Emerging Indie Musicians: Planning For Survival & Success. Despite the similar themes, the difference perspectives offer useful contrasts and complementary ideas for keeping what’s important clear in the midst of industry chaos.
12 Guidelines For Long Term Indie Music Success
1) Never stop networking
2) Don’t take yourself too seriously
3) Establish and dominate your brand
4) Be and stay easy to find
5) Choose your team wisely
6) Choose your company wisely
7) Protect yourself legally
8) Manage your money wisely
9) Keep up with the trends that affect you or your fans
10) Treat your career like a business – because it IS!
11) Mind and protect your health
12) Give and give again
Reply
Address the following specific topics in your plan:
•Background/Goals: Give a brief history of the artist, and describe your goals
•Image: Describe/ maintain the artist’s image consistently in all promo materials.
•Radio: What radio format(s) will be targeted? What markets? Which songs? Any station promotions? (On-air concerts?) Hiring any Independent promoters?
•Publicity: Describe your plans to create a “buzz” in the print media. Any press releases to the music industry trades? Update any bios, fact sheets, and electronic press materials.
•Sales: Describe Distribution and Retail plans. Any in-store play/ promotions? Other specific sales opportunities? Mail order, live shows, Internet sales. Any store promotional tie-ins with radio stations?
•Video: Is a video cost effective? What airplay opportunities are there for the video?
•Touring: Describe the time frame for touring, and other promotional events to coordinate while on the road. Consider specific clubs, halls, fairs, festivals, club/venue promotional tie-ins with radio stations
•Social Networking: Mention any Facebook, Twitter or other SN plans
•Misc.: Having a record release party? Novelty items? Any other clever ideas?
Explain each idea in-depth !
Design a 12 week plan for the product and promotional tools.
•Lay out what needs to be accomplished each week to get the record out.
•Consider the: artwork, mastering, credits, sequencing, printing, pressing, booklets, layout/design. And be sure to convert your songs for online downloading!
•Include in the timeline when to start working on your promotional tools
•Design the timeline with deadlines for each element of your project.
Remember that your radio promotion campaign is part of what I refer to as the ‘Four-Fronts of Music Marketing’, and your plan must connect to all the other Fronts in order to be successful.
Always have distribution and sales plans, as well as publicity, advertising and touring plans coordinated carefully with your airplay campaign. The worst thing that can happen to any song on the radio is that someone hears the song, but can’t find a way to buy it. Professional record labels always have distribution and sales connections set up before they secure airplay. You should do the same..
Professional record labels always have distribution and sales connections set up before they secure airplay. You should do the same.
Reply
Important rule about securing ANY airplay: If you have NOT made your music available in stores (either through traditional distributors or distribution into online stores like iTunes or Amazon.com) then FORGET about investing the time and money trying to get airplay. What’s the point? If a station plays your recording and people like your music – but can’t find it in their favorite store online – then they can’t buy your music. So get your distribution in place first!
A more realistic approach for airplay is to consider the options available on the noncommercial side of the FM dial. (88.1 FM to 91.9 FM) With the combination of college radio stations, community stations, and even some of the larger National Public Radio affiliated stations, your chances of getting your record played are much better.
Also, don’t forget those thousands of Internet radio stations that stream millions of songs a day. Google the phrase “Internet radio stations list,” and you will be amazed how many stations on the web play independent music of every imaginable type. Finding the most appropriate online Internet radio stations for your music can be a time-consuming process, but if you start by browsing the radio broadcast directories at Live365.com and Shoutcast.com , you’ll get a quick start. Many of these Internet stations play alternative acts. There are also channels on Satellite radio (XM/Sirius) that you can do some research into. If you own a Blackberry or an iPhone, there are several free apps that will give you access to these web broadcasters.
Below you will find an outline based on how Major and the better Independent record labels plan for their radio promotions. Seeing what they do might help you organize your thoughts for your own radio promotion campaign.
You need to prepare:
•A database of commercial and non-commercial and Internet stations that realistically may play your music.
•The timeline you’ll use to put the promotional material together (setting your deadlines).
Your radio promotion plan may be distributed to any helpers, volunteers or employees you may have for your own label, or any independent promotion people you may hire. This plan will be their introduction to your or your artist, and is the plan they will base their work on
Design a detailed overview of your radio promotion plan.
Consider all marketing and promotional ideas listed below. Propose what you think would work best in each of the areas to help market the record to radio.
Remember to keep cohesiveness between all areas: Give reasons why your music is appropriate to each station you approach. You will need several practical tools/materials to achieve your goals. (Computers, Smartphones, reliable Internet connection, hardware/software, office supplies, etc.)
Reply
The commercial radio industry couldn’t be less friendly to the independent musician. However, that doesn’t mean there isn’t some significant radio airplay available to you if you know what you’re doing. Outlined below is a plan to consider if you have the three important ingredients necessary for working your record to radio.
•The money to fund the campaign
•The time to spend working all the stations consistently
•A product that is ready for national airpla
Forget About Commercial Radio Airplay
When it comes to commercial radio, the chances of getting significant national airplay for your independent record are next to none. We live in an era when a small group of powerful media conglomerates own and control the most important radio stations in the land. Unless you are connected to a major label, or are independently wealthy, the costs of promoting your songs nationally to commercial radio have spiraled out of sight.
There are, however, lots of mix shows and specialty shows on commercial stations that may offer limited airplay, and at least will get you some awareness in the markets across the country. There will be a lot of work involved in finding these stations yourself, city by city, and music format by music format. I suggest you subscribe to or get a copy of the annual CMJ Directory.
If you have money to invest in radio promotion it’s possible to hire an independent promoter who may be able to open some doors to these shows for you. Be prepared to spend several hundred dollars a week for their services.
Reply
1) Form a small, strong, determined committee who want to see local music get the attention and respect it deserves.
2) Become a non-profit.
3) Organize small fund raisers leading up to the big day.
4) Create some buzz.
5) Organize regular events at local music venues.
6) Organize a Kickstarter campaign.
7) Ask a local music retailer to donate back line drums and amps for use during the festival in exchange for a prime sponsorship of the festival.
8) Keep the production costs low.
9) Ask musicians and performers to play for free to help get the festival off the ground.
10) Find an outdoor space that you can utilize for free.
11) Seek sponsor dollars from local restaurants, cafes, retailers, education outlets, etc.
12) Do strategic, inexpensive marketing.
13) Keep it free.
14) Have food available on-site for sale.
15) Document the event.
Reply
Gyroskope – Monetizing Video Streaming
Gyroskope is an ad-free service designed to monetize video. It’s not exclusive to music but that is one of the areas on which they’re focusing.
The basic concept is that artists pay a monthly fee, set their own prices and upload videos and previews. Gyroskope handles the rest including payments. It appears you can also offer video viewing for free though that’s not emphasized.
Pricing starts at $19 a month for hosting 5 videos. In addition, there’s a 2.08% plus .35 charge for payment processing. It’s unclear how much bandwidth you get but, at a certain point, you either upgrade your account or start paying $30 per 100 GB.
Viewers pay per video and can watch them at anytime via the Web including free use of Gyroskope iPhone and Android apps. However, they aren’t initially purchasing the videos but rather the right for relatively unlimited streaming. Once they hit 500 views of an individual video, viewers are then asked to download the video.
There’s clearly some math to be done here to figure out what you should charge based on bandwidth usage and account costs but the bigger question will be whether or not you’re able to entice fans to pay for a viewing experience of media that they can’t initially download. Given that videos have such a long history of being used as promotional tools, Gyroskope may require the creation of special content to entice music lovers.
Janet Morrissey, writing for Fortune, shares a bit more about the company including some comments from founder Todd Smith. She also rounds up some questions raised by livestreaming video company reps who are future competitors since Gyroskope is planning on adding such capabilities in the future.
To see who’s using the service, you can browse or search Gyroskope’s current inventory.
Reply
Both Evinar and Gyroskope are services that musicians can use to monetize streaming video. Evinar focuses on livestreaming via Facebook while Gyroskope features videos for which customers pay to stream as often as they like. Neither service is exclusive to musicians but both seem potentially useful to musicians attempting to diversity their revenue streams.
Please let us know what you think about these options in the comments. And please consider answering this question, what are you looking for as a musician seeking to monetize video on the web?
Evinar – Monetize Live Concerts on Facebook
Evinar offers the ability to sell tickets and livestream concerts via Facebook. Evinar takes a 40% cut of ticket sales but you can also offer concerts for free.
The process seems pretty simple from setting a date and ticket prices to using their dashboard to invite your friends and fans via social media. Viewers can buy tickets ahead of time via the Evinar Facebook tab which will display a stage image with a live countdown.
In addition to broadcasting live via your webcam, you can also upload images and videos as part of the show and text chat with viewers during the event. The chat feature includes moderation so, if fans get out of hand, you can moderate what gets posted. You can also appoint additional moderators to help with the event.
Charging people for livestreaming events comes down to whether or not your audience wants that. My only concern would be with how comfortable your fans would be making a purchase on Facebook given a recent AP-CNBC poll finding that 54% of respondents “wouldn’t feel safe using the platform for financial transactions such as purchasing goods or services.”
Reply
13 Step Guide To Building A Cult Of Superfans
While reading a recent set of tips for turning your fans into superfans, I was struck by how the list and related explanations made it sound like they were describing how to build a cult. If that sounds a bit too sinister, perhaps thinking of turning your fans into superfans by treating them like insiders will make these tips work for you.
Unified Manufacturing recently dicussed how to Transform Fans into Super Fans in a post that's well worth reading. And it does suggest an approach to fanbase building focused on turning fans into superfans by treating them as insiders. A recent Hypebot post on FanCulture: Building A Fanbase As A Lifetime Relationship shares some related perspectives as does the Orchestra Of the Age of Enlightenment's attempt to put fans center stage.
But a joking remark in the post, "You want to create a semi-cult, right?", got me thinking about the aspects of fanbase building that are similar to building a cult and I realized there's a lot of crossover with the following points from Unified Manufacturing. And that starts with giving your fans a name so they "feel like they’re part of an exclusive organization."
Building A Cult Of Superfans:
1. Give Your Fans a Name
2. Tag Fans in Your Panoramic Concert Photos
3. Give Approaching Fans Your Undivided Attention
4. Always Have [Cheap] Merch Handy [For Free Giveaway]
5. Share Dark Secrets on Your Blog
6. Send Special E-mails
7. Develop Shared Symbols
8. Use Loyalty-based Apps to Connect to Your Fans
9. Play in Smaller Venues
10. Stay on Your Merch Table
11. Conduct Live Webcast
12. Showcase Them In Your Music Video
13. Post [Photos of] Their Gifts on Your Website and Social Networks
So the core idea seems to be that you name your fans, give them your attention and share secrets, develop shared symbols, and build a shrine to their offerings. I guess I was a little nutty thinking of this as a way to build a cult, right?
Reply
GLAM SZN-GLAMOURBOI DEVON MALIK SCOTT-THE GLAM GAWD-LORD DEVONIOUS / Blog
The Importance of Album Art cont
A bit of history Originally pioneered by German record company Odeon in 1909 with Tchaikovsky’s ‘The Nutcracker’ suite, the album cover became more than just a protective sleeve. By the 1950s, imagery was important in marketing the music within and a whole culture was born, with its own industry and support acts, with photographers, artists and cartoonists all making their mark alongside bands. The cover became an important part of the culture of music through the 1960s and 1970s, with some album covers becoming collectable in their own right, especially from bands like Pink Floyd, Queen and The Rolling Stones. The 1967 release of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band broke new ground with cut-out inserts, lyrics and a gatefold sleeve even though it was a single album. So iconic has the album become that original pop artist Sir Peter Blake has recreated it, with modern imagery, to celebrate his 80th birthday this year. Criticized again for those he’s included and those he’s omitted, Blake has produced another classic, albeit outside of the album format. What’s New Kaiser Chiefs are releasing an album of singles in June and they approached photorealist painter Sarah Graham (www.sarahgraham.info) for the cover. “I’ve known the band for a while,” says Sarah, whose art already graces the homes of the rich and famous around the world. “They’ve been interested in using my art for about four years and this was finally our chance to work together.” The seaside rock imagery is typically British. Anyone who’s holidayed on the coast in the UK will have seen the sweets on sale, usually with writing or a pattern running through the middle. For the album, Kaiser Chiefs commissioned Blackpool rock maker Heather Boyce to produce unique sticks of rock that were then photographed and painted by Sarah. She says: “The idea came together really quickly in the end and the painting took just nine days. It’s such an instant visual and I love it. The band used video from the making of the rock for their single ‘On The Run’ and there’s a slide show of me painting the album cover which should be on the Kaiser Chiefs’ website soon. The role that packaging plays is evolving, with more bands releasing their albums on vinyl as well as CD and online downloads. Most of us like our music to be tangible – something you can hold and cherish – as well as audible and beautiful or controversial artwork should remain a part of that. There’s nothing quite like holding an album cover, with an image on one side and information on the other. For the moment, it doesn’t look as if the digital age is killing that.
Reply
The Importance of Album Art
As we all increasingly download our music rather than browsing through the shelves of our local record shop, album artwork is less important. Or is it? There is evidence to suggest that musicians and audiences are still interested in imagery surrounding music. “I like a bit of controversy. It tests the nation’s intelligence.” When photographer and director David Boni came up with the idea of hanging The Stranglers in a kids’ swing park, bass player JJ Burnel, replied “I like a bit of controversy. It tests the nation’s intelligence.” And so, the cover of brand new album ‘Giants’ was born. Currently touring the album – and, inevitably, some of their classic tracks like ‘No More Heroes’, ‘Golden Brown’ and ‘Peaches’ – the band has seen a revival in fortunes across Europe, only tainted by drummer Jet Black’s recent illness. Ironically, the album music and cover has tested the intelligence of more than just the UK. ‘Giants’ is The Stranglers’ 17th album, almost 35 years since the release of ‘Rattus Norvegicus’, and Europe can’t get enough of it. A successful UK tour was followed by 20 dates around Europe and huge interest from the media, with festival appearances booked through the summer. David Boni (www.davidboni.com) explains how the shocking imagery came about for the album. “I’m a huge fan of The Stranglers and thought it was time they came up with something shocking again. After all, they’ve been known for decades for being controversial. The band was really receptive to the idea which my colleague Dave Mullen and I came up with. We knew it had to be real and within the grounds of ‘reasonably’ tasteful, but a bit naughty.” The photo-shoot took place in a closed set at Pinewood and, although Dave isn’t giving the trick away, there’s only a little Photoshop used. “This was all about having fun and being exciting. It’s one of the best pictures I’ve ever worked on. This is the first album that’s been banned from TV before the 9pm watershed and it’s been completely banned from the London underground. It looks great on CD but even better on vinyl – that 12” format really suits great imagery.”
Reply
12 Guidelines For Long Term Indie Music Success
12 Strategies For Long Term Success As An Indie Artist is a nice set of principles for artists seeking to make it in the indie music game. They actually make an interesting companion piece to Stefan Aronsen’s 10 Tips For Emerging Indie Musicians: Planning For Survival & Success. Despite the similar themes, the difference perspectives offer useful contrasts and complementary ideas for keeping what’s important clear in the midst of industry chaos. 12 Guidelines For Long Term Indie Music Success 1) Never stop networking 2) Don’t take yourself too seriously 3) Establish and dominate your brand 4) Be and stay easy to find 5) Choose your team wisely 6) Choose your company wisely 7) Protect yourself legally 8) Manage your money wisely 9) Keep up with the trends that affect you or your fans 10) Treat your career like a business – because it IS! 11) Mind and protect your health 12) Give and give again
Reply
Planning Your Radio Promotion Campaign cont cont
Address the following specific topics in your plan: •Background/Goals: Give a brief history of the artist, and describe your goals •Image: Describe/ maintain the artist’s image consistently in all promo materials. •Radio: What radio format(s) will be targeted? What markets? Which songs? Any station promotions? (On-air concerts?) Hiring any Independent promoters? •Publicity: Describe your plans to create a “buzz” in the print media. Any press releases to the music industry trades? Update any bios, fact sheets, and electronic press materials. •Sales: Describe Distribution and Retail plans. Any in-store play/ promotions? Other specific sales opportunities? Mail order, live shows, Internet sales. Any store promotional tie-ins with radio stations? •Video: Is a video cost effective? What airplay opportunities are there for the video? •Touring: Describe the time frame for touring, and other promotional events to coordinate while on the road. Consider specific clubs, halls, fairs, festivals, club/venue promotional tie-ins with radio stations •Social Networking: Mention any Facebook, Twitter or other SN plans •Misc.: Having a record release party? Novelty items? Any other clever ideas? Explain each idea in-depth ! Design a 12 week plan for the product and promotional tools. •Lay out what needs to be accomplished each week to get the record out. •Consider the: artwork, mastering, credits, sequencing, printing, pressing, booklets, layout/design. And be sure to convert your songs for online downloading! •Include in the timeline when to start working on your promotional tools •Design the timeline with deadlines for each element of your project. Remember that your radio promotion campaign is part of what I refer to as the ‘Four-Fronts of Music Marketing’, and your plan must connect to all the other Fronts in order to be successful. Always have distribution and sales plans, as well as publicity, advertising and touring plans coordinated carefully with your airplay campaign. The worst thing that can happen to any song on the radio is that someone hears the song, but can’t find a way to buy it. Professional record labels always have distribution and sales connections set up before they secure airplay. You should do the same.. Professional record labels always have distribution and sales connections set up before they secure airplay. You should do the same.
Reply
Planning Your Radio Promotion Campaign cont
Important rule about securing ANY airplay: If you have NOT made your music available in stores (either through traditional distributors or distribution into online stores like iTunes or Amazon.com) then FORGET about investing the time and money trying to get airplay. What’s the point? If a station plays your recording and people like your music – but can’t find it in their favorite store online – then they can’t buy your music. So get your distribution in place first! A more realistic approach for airplay is to consider the options available on the noncommercial side of the FM dial. (88.1 FM to 91.9 FM) With the combination of college radio stations, community stations, and even some of the larger National Public Radio affiliated stations, your chances of getting your record played are much better. Also, don’t forget those thousands of Internet radio stations that stream millions of songs a day. Google the phrase “Internet radio stations list,” and you will be amazed how many stations on the web play independent music of every imaginable type. Finding the most appropriate online Internet radio stations for your music can be a time-consuming process, but if you start by browsing the radio broadcast directories at Live365.com and Shoutcast.com , you’ll get a quick start. Many of these Internet stations play alternative acts. There are also channels on Satellite radio (XM/Sirius) that you can do some research into. If you own a Blackberry or an iPhone, there are several free apps that will give you access to these web broadcasters. Below you will find an outline based on how Major and the better Independent record labels plan for their radio promotions. Seeing what they do might help you organize your thoughts for your own radio promotion campaign. You need to prepare: •A database of commercial and non-commercial and Internet stations that realistically may play your music. •The timeline you’ll use to put the promotional material together (setting your deadlines). Your radio promotion plan may be distributed to any helpers, volunteers or employees you may have for your own label, or any independent promotion people you may hire. This plan will be their introduction to your or your artist, and is the plan they will base their work on Design a detailed overview of your radio promotion plan. Consider all marketing and promotional ideas listed below. Propose what you think would work best in each of the areas to help market the record to radio. Remember to keep cohesiveness between all areas: Give reasons why your music is appropriate to each station you approach. You will need several practical tools/materials to achieve your goals. (Computers, Smartphones, reliable Internet connection, hardware/software, office supplies, etc.)
Reply
Planning Your Radio Promotion Campaign
The commercial radio industry couldn’t be less friendly to the independent musician. However, that doesn’t mean there isn’t some significant radio airplay available to you if you know what you’re doing. Outlined below is a plan to consider if you have the three important ingredients necessary for working your record to radio. •The money to fund the campaign •The time to spend working all the stations consistently •A product that is ready for national airpla Forget About Commercial Radio Airplay When it comes to commercial radio, the chances of getting significant national airplay for your independent record are next to none. We live in an era when a small group of powerful media conglomerates own and control the most important radio stations in the land. Unless you are connected to a major label, or are independently wealthy, the costs of promoting your songs nationally to commercial radio have spiraled out of sight. There are, however, lots of mix shows and specialty shows on commercial stations that may offer limited airplay, and at least will get you some awareness in the markets across the country. There will be a lot of work involved in finding these stations yourself, city by city, and music format by music format. I suggest you subscribe to or get a copy of the annual CMJ Directory. If you have money to invest in radio promotion it’s possible to hire an independent promoter who may be able to open some doors to these shows for you. Be prepared to spend several hundred dollars a week for their services.
Reply
15 Step Guide To Starting A Local Music Festival
1) Form a small, strong, determined committee who want to see local music get the attention and respect it deserves. 2) Become a non-profit. 3) Organize small fund raisers leading up to the big day. 4) Create some buzz. 5) Organize regular events at local music venues. 6) Organize a Kickstarter campaign. 7) Ask a local music retailer to donate back line drums and amps for use during the festival in exchange for a prime sponsorship of the festival. 8) Keep the production costs low. 9) Ask musicians and performers to play for free to help get the festival off the ground. 10) Find an outdoor space that you can utilize for free. 11) Seek sponsor dollars from local restaurants, cafes, retailers, education outlets, etc. 12) Do strategic, inexpensive marketing. 13) Keep it free. 14) Have food available on-site for sale. 15) Document the event.
Reply
Monetizing Music Videos & Live Shows With Evinar & Gyroskope
Gyroskope – Monetizing Video Streaming Gyroskope is an ad-free service designed to monetize video. It’s not exclusive to music but that is one of the areas on which they’re focusing. The basic concept is that artists pay a monthly fee, set their own prices and upload videos and previews. Gyroskope handles the rest including payments. It appears you can also offer video viewing for free though that’s not emphasized. Pricing starts at $19 a month for hosting 5 videos. In addition, there’s a 2.08% plus .35 charge for payment processing. It’s unclear how much bandwidth you get but, at a certain point, you either upgrade your account or start paying $30 per 100 GB. Viewers pay per video and can watch them at anytime via the Web including free use of Gyroskope iPhone and Android apps. However, they aren’t initially purchasing the videos but rather the right for relatively unlimited streaming. Once they hit 500 views of an individual video, viewers are then asked to download the video. There’s clearly some math to be done here to figure out what you should charge based on bandwidth usage and account costs but the bigger question will be whether or not you’re able to entice fans to pay for a viewing experience of media that they can’t initially download. Given that videos have such a long history of being used as promotional tools, Gyroskope may require the creation of special content to entice music lovers. Janet Morrissey, writing for Fortune, shares a bit more about the company including some comments from founder Todd Smith. She also rounds up some questions raised by livestreaming video company reps who are future competitors since Gyroskope is planning on adding such capabilities in the future. To see who’s using the service, you can browse or search Gyroskope’s current inventory.
Reply
Monetizing Music Videos & Live Shows
Both Evinar and Gyroskope are services that musicians can use to monetize streaming video. Evinar focuses on livestreaming via Facebook while Gyroskope features videos for which customers pay to stream as often as they like. Neither service is exclusive to musicians but both seem potentially useful to musicians attempting to diversity their revenue streams. Please let us know what you think about these options in the comments. And please consider answering this question, what are you looking for as a musician seeking to monetize video on the web? Evinar – Monetize Live Concerts on Facebook Evinar offers the ability to sell tickets and livestream concerts via Facebook. Evinar takes a 40% cut of ticket sales but you can also offer concerts for free. The process seems pretty simple from setting a date and ticket prices to using their dashboard to invite your friends and fans via social media. Viewers can buy tickets ahead of time via the Evinar Facebook tab which will display a stage image with a live countdown. In addition to broadcasting live via your webcam, you can also upload images and videos as part of the show and text chat with viewers during the event. The chat feature includes moderation so, if fans get out of hand, you can moderate what gets posted. You can also appoint additional moderators to help with the event. Charging people for livestreaming events comes down to whether or not your audience wants that. My only concern would be with how comfortable your fans would be making a purchase on Facebook given a recent AP-CNBC poll finding that 54% of respondents “wouldn’t feel safe using the platform for financial transactions such as purchasing goods or services.”
Reply
13 Step Guide To Building A Cult Of Superfans
13 Step Guide To Building A Cult Of Superfans While reading a recent set of tips for turning your fans into superfans, I was struck by how the list and related explanations made it sound like they were describing how to build a cult. If that sounds a bit too sinister, perhaps thinking of turning your fans into superfans by treating them like insiders will make these tips work for you. Unified Manufacturing recently dicussed how to Transform Fans into Super Fans in a post that's well worth reading. And it does suggest an approach to fanbase building focused on turning fans into superfans by treating them as insiders. A recent Hypebot post on FanCulture: Building A Fanbase As A Lifetime Relationship shares some related perspectives as does the Orchestra Of the Age of Enlightenment's attempt to put fans center stage. But a joking remark in the post, "You want to create a semi-cult, right?", got me thinking about the aspects of fanbase building that are similar to building a cult and I realized there's a lot of crossover with the following points from Unified Manufacturing. And that starts with giving your fans a name so they "feel like they’re part of an exclusive organization." Building A Cult Of Superfans: 1. Give Your Fans a Name 2. Tag Fans in Your Panoramic Concert Photos 3. Give Approaching Fans Your Undivided Attention 4. Always Have [Cheap] Merch Handy [For Free Giveaway] 5. Share Dark Secrets on Your Blog 6. Send Special E-mails 7. Develop Shared Symbols 8. Use Loyalty-based Apps to Connect to Your Fans 9. Play in Smaller Venues 10. Stay on Your Merch Table 11. Conduct Live Webcast 12. Showcase Them In Your Music Video 13. Post [Photos of] Their Gifts on Your Website and Social Networks So the core idea seems to be that you name your fans, give them your attention and share secrets, develop shared symbols, and build a shrine to their offerings. I guess I was a little nutty thinking of this as a way to build a cult, right?
Reply