Making Money As A Indie Musician With Subscriptions For Fans?

Equally outdated industry models and dodgy record label dealings are finally seeing their eventual demise, membership subscription platforms like Patreon are bubbling their mode to the surface. Equally a way to aid cut out the middleman, Patreon is geared towards musicians and creatives who want to connect more directly & earn money from their fans, via the commutation of things like backstage photos, alive streams, unreleased songs or other sectional content.

Since its humble beginnings in 2013, Patreon has blossomed into a globally-used and recognised platform with over half-dozen million active patrons, making an estimated 2 billion dollars worth of commonage revenue in payments to creators. As a tonne of new creators flock to the platform, it's no surprise that Patreon has go another corking source of income for independent artists via loyal fan support.

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Patreon for Musicians: How does information technology work?

The overall premise ofPatreon is a relatively uncomplicated one: fans (or patrons) support their favourite creators by making direct payments to them for their creations.

Seems pretty simple, right?

In well-nigh cases,fans will pay a monthly subscription fee in exchange for access to a preset list of benefits. For musicians, the benefit options are countless - from sectional music content to merch, fan input and much more than.

So why Patreon?

Well, different other types of crowdfunding platforms like GoFundMe and IndieGoGo,the overall goal of Patreon is to strengthen the relationship between creators and fans through a less transactional business model that benefits both creators AND fans.

So while creators generate money to help support their career, patrons benefit by getting more content from their favourite artists all while knowing that they're direct contributing to the creator'southward ability to make that ongoing content.

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Is Patreon right for me?

Whilst Patreon is a great platform for independent artists who desire to tap into anothermusic acquirement stream, information technology's not necessarily the platform for everyone.

At that place's a few things artists should considerbefore deciding whether or not to get started with Patreon, such equally…

<p fashion="padding: 20px; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; border: 5px solid #000000; text-align: left;">- Exercise you lot have a unique selling point to offer patrons on Patreon<br><br>- Take y'all already got a substantial number of fans who would be willing to subscribe & back up yous via a monthly subscription on the platform?<br><br>- Do you have the patience and commitment to build your following on a new, more upcoming platform?</p>

The general consensus is that the more established an creative person already is online, the easier information technology will be to grow on Patreon. This is because you'll need to funnel your fans to your Patreon folio from elsewhere, i.e you social media accounts or streaming platforms. So artists with an already sizable online post-obit stand up a better chance of getting the almost out of the platform.

The matter to remember with Patreon is -information technology's a membership platform, not a discovery platform.

Think of information technology less in terms of platforms like Instagram & TikTok, and more of a hub where all your already established, current fans tin can huddle together to unlock exclusive perks & content from a musician they already listen to and love.

But - hold upwards.

That'southward not to say you can't start a Patreon platform if your follower count is relatively low!

Followers don't = engagement.

It'due south arguably much better to have a defended 100 subscribers on a dollar-per-month subscriber programme than having thousands of unknown 'followers' who tin't even brand the fourth dimension to watch your latest Instagram Story.

Patreon is nonetheless a great way to connect with their most engaged fans, whatever your follower count. It simply means you'll have to put in a bit more than hard work & perseverance to reap the max potential rewards.

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eight tips for using Patreon equally an indie artist

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ane. Strip information technology dorsum (waay back)

When it comes to starting out on Patreon, the quickest manner to start earning money is to become moving!

Don't worry nigh fleshing out your membership folio too early, most fans will just be happy to start supporting y'all directly away. And the less time yous waste trying to make your page & perks perfect correct from the beginning, the more time you'll have to implement a cross-media promotional strategy to actually get the fans over to your Patreon in the first place.

Be clear & curtailed about what yous're trying to reach via your Patreon.Fans will respond amend to a articulate message than getting confused with too many details about the why, what when & who.

When y'all create your page, start off with implementing Patreon's one - three tiers option, which offers all the core benefits yous'll need to get started.

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Afterwards down the line you can always add together more tiers and play effectually with other rewards to starting time enticing in new members, but for now - make certain all the key elements of your page are complete, such as the 'Near' section, 'Introduction Video' & your page's overall branding.

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2. Make a program (and stick to it!)

A well structured plan and arroyo to your Patreon account volition save you a lot of agro in the long run, especially when your patrons wait you to meet the promises and offerings that y'all've already said y'all're going to evangelize on.

This might mean taking a couple of months out Earlier creating your page, to programme and create all the content that yous want to make available to your fans as soon as you launch.

Go along in heed that your Patreon page won't exist your simply focus - you'll still need to continue on height of all the other things you're already doing to make it with your music, so that'south making anddistributing new music,playing live shows & promoting your make across multiple digital platforms.

Not simply will planning ahead prevent y'all from coming nether fourth dimension and pressure constraints, but it'll as well give you more than time to build some fizz and anticipation amid your fans in the lead upwards to the official launch.

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3. Tap into the available resources

One of the best parts most using Patreon is that it'south specifically designed with creators and musicians in mind.

This means the platform offers a range of benefits which are catered towards creating an amazing user experience for artists and their fans.

To give you a sense of what we mean, here's a list of top 5 virtually popular features amid musicians who're using Patreon…

<p style="padding-correct: 50px; padding-left: 50px; padding-top: 20px; padding-bottom: 20px; color: #5934E8; font-size: 18px; font-weight: 400; background-color: #FFFFFF; edge: 3px solid #5934E8; border-radius:25px; text-align: left;">- Gated content: Allows you lot to requite fans sectional admission to your unreleased music libraries and/or early access to new albums<br><br>- Direct fan date: Interact with fans directly using the in-platform messaging tools available to members<br><br>- Sharing of digital content and files: Patreon facilitates the sharing and swapping of downloadable digital content between creators and fans<br><br>- Sharing of concrete products:Giving out some free or personalised merch to your subscribers but got a whole lot easier<br><br>- Audience insights:Notice out what your fans are responding to best & what they want more of via the platform's chat and polling facilities</p>

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4. Get inspired by other Patreon musicians

Have a dive into some of the peak performing musician's pages on Patreon to try and telescopic out what it is that they're doing so right.

Compare and dissimilarity what sort of benefits they accept on offering, including which tier they opt to offer their fans.

For case, artists like Ben Folds offer simply i tier of benefits…

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While other artists like The Gift Of Gab offer a wide range of means for their fans to back up him…

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You can besides compare and contrast what types of benefits they're making available to their subscribers.

For example, Mike Doughty keeps his fans engaged by offering exclusive music to his community members who pay $5 or more as a patron.

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While Nataly Dawn , another music creator, keeps most of her videos locked unless y'all're a member of her community.

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If y'all're really interested to scope out the competition,Graphtreon is a bully tool that's available to locate other musicians on Patreon, so you can come across & learn from how they constructiontheircreator pages.

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5. Find out what your fans desire

… and give it to them!

Choosing the benefits which brand sense foryour fans is the key to beingness successful on Patreon.

And as a musician who's probably already putting out new music and promotional campaigns, extra, exclusive content will already be at your fingertips - whether that'sextra photos from an anthology cover photoshoot, outtakes from a music video shoot, videos from your recent prove, or any other kind of audio visual media that doubles up equally a valuable slice of content for your audience.

If you're stuck for ideas, think most how you lot tin create some valuable content, from the content or involvements yous already have access to. If yous're going on tour or playing multiple alive gigs,record ane of the shows that your fans can download and view the next 24-hour interval.

Other Patreon musicians have offeredsee and greetswith patrons at live shows, conductedcollaborationswith other artists on the platform or offered rewards from fans that fans won't find anywhere else, such equally a weeklydownloadable podcast or something widely unlike likevisual art.

Here's some of the height performing rewards musicians tin offer their patrons (as verified byPatreon)...

<p fashion="padding: 20px; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; border: 5px solid #000000; text-align: left;">- Bonus content:such as premium packages, exclusive access to future music videos, behind the scenes footage & more<br><br>Physical merch: a concert poster, ticket stub, t-shirts and other branded appurtenances<br><br>- Alive streaming: live streams of concerts and solo performances.<br><br>- Early on access benefits: ensure your fans are the first to know about new & upcoming projects<br><br>- Q&A sessions and 1X1 lessons:Communicate and become to know your fans on a more personal level or offer one-to-one lessons & tutorials to assist them hone in on their own musical skill gear up.</p>

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half dozen. Be realistic

Party pooper in the edifice - but this ane'south important.

Before you've even decided on the type of benefits you lot'll offer your fans, you demand to be really honest and realistic abouttwothings;

1. If y'all're physically able to make the content you want to offer; and

2. The corporeality of time you'll be able to set bated for making this content & growing your Patreon

Simply put, although your fans might answer amazingly to exclusive merch that's branded specifically for Patreon subscribers but (I'thousand talking limited edition stuff), is this a feasible benefit for y'all to offer? Exercise you have the money to create these items? Practise you have the facilities to create, distribute and design them? Do y'all have a direct line of communication with your fans to accurately personalise each item?

Secondly, what's your current schedule like? The bigger the rewards you offer, the more than time and effort you'll need to exist able to commit to creating them and building your following. You lot don't desire to stress yourself out to the bespeak that yous're overloading yourself and taking too much fourth dimension abroad from the about important matter - making your music.

Experience free to get your fans' opinions via things like social media and email newsletters. Enquire them whether or not they would be willing to become a patron and the types of content they would like to see from you lot. Doing this volition give you both the reassurance and the knowledge that a Patreon page will really yield the results for your fan community that you want it to.

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7. Create a pre-launch promotion strategy

While Patreon is not a discovery platform and therefore doesn't take any inbuilt app promotion, yous tin use your presence on other digital platforms to create a fizz and sensation almost your Patreon folio & drive your followers over to information technology.

Social media teasersare a great way to drop hints nigh it in the weeks prior to your launch. Tell your followers that you're getting prepare to announce some BIG news & that they'll demand to continue their eyes peeled, in society to create anticipation before the large launch.

1 week or at least a few days before publishing your folio, you'll then desire to follow up with anofficial announcementcommunicating with fanswell-nigh your new Patreon page, letting fans know about all the amazing new benefits they can expect from you if they decide to become a patron.

Don't forget to take all the links set up to include in your promotional posts and in your social media bios. Brand easy and clear access routes for followers who may exist less familiar with Patreon and what information technology's all virtually.

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8. Listen to feedback and make adjustments

With Patreon, audience feedback goes a long manner. And while you may have successfully launched your ain Patreon folio, don't overlook the value ofstanding to refine and alter your benefit organisation equally yous grow on the platform & build your subscriber base.

Feedback from your fans plays a disquisitional part in making adjustments to your benefits, rewards & tier organization.

In the same manner that you'll select which tracks will characteristic on your next album or EP in response to how well they went downwardly with fans, so besides can you utilise this thinking to your Patreon content schedule.

Learn what aspects of your creativity your fans love most and where the no-get zones are. Patreon allows yous to easily create and manage subscriber tiers and clearly categorise your content. Past adapting the platform to fit your own artistic output, you'll actually get to know the wants & needs of your fan base over time.

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And so - Patreon for musicians, what's the verdict?

If you lot recollect Patreon is something you tin encounter yourself getting involved with so in that location'due south no time similar at present to go started - arts and crafts your approach, recollect almost what you want to achieve and start making that Patreon dream a reality for you lot & your fans!

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Source: https://dittomusic.com/en/blog/how-to-make-more-money-with-patreon-for-musicians/

Posted by: smithweriatere.blogspot.com

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