A good crowdfunding campaign can help you achieve your ultimate goal as a musician. Getting a new album recorded, mixed and mastered, or preparing for a live tour. It is a great way to engage with your fans and offer them something in return.
Below are the basics of a good crowdfunding campaign for musicians, and a list of the top 5 crowdfunding sites for artists.
The best way to setup a great crowdfunding campaign for musicians
In order to maximize the results of a campaign, you need to set a good and reasonable goal, and add a good return on investment for your fans. It is not only for the money!
You will get super results if you already have a group of superfans that want to support you.
If you don’t have a large group of fans yet, you can start building them with a good YouTube Music Promotion strategy.
A good crowdfunding campaign should have the following features:
- A good and valuable goal
What is in it for the fan in the end? Aside from your own goal, the fan should get something cool in return.
So, if your goal is to produce a good and new album, a good return on investment for your fans could be a high quality copy of that album. You could add something special, like a limited edition for all your supporters. - A reasonable deadline
If you set a good deadline, you give yourself the time to achieve the project, and give room for your supporters to support you as much as possible.
If it is too short, it will be difficult to achieve everything in time, and if it is too long, it could lose a bit of value in the process. - Ask for a reasonable price
On some platforms, you can set a minimum price for your pledgers to add. If so, don’t make it too high. Better go with a low price, and let the fan choose their own maximum pledge, than the other way around.
- Have a dynamic campaign
Although it is a good idea to set a fixed goal, don’t worry if you have to switch something up in the process. If the project takes longer, or you find that the reward you offer in return is not the best for your fans, feel free to switch it up.
Remember, it should be a win-win situation for both you, the artist, and your best fan! - Stay in touch with your fan base
On some platforms, you can direct message your fans and pledgers. This is an important part of the crowdfunding campaign, as you show that you are actively working on a good project.
- Share it on all social pages
Don’t be shy and share your crowdfunding campaign on all of your social platforms.
Add it to your social profile message as a link, with a quick overview of the campaign, the goal and the benefit for the fan.
Another good addition to your promotion campaigns is a YouTube video.
You can also use that video in a Google Ads campaign if you want to boost up the process even more.
If you include the topics above, you increase the chances of a successful crowdfunding campaign for your next project.
Now, it is time to choose a good platform.
From the list of Crowdfunding sites below, find the one that matches your goal and project the best, and see if it also offers a good and intuitive fan experience.
The top 5 Crowdfunding Sites for Musicians
- Artistshare
A good funding page with many features. It is free to use, and offers a good integration with your website.
- Patreon
Also, usable to offer more fan services in different tiers, Patreon can be a great way to engage with your fans, and generate income for any upcoming projects. It also offers many ways to interact with your fans.
- Show4Me
A new kid on the block. Not only for crowdfunding, but also a good platform to add a variety of live-shows before your campaign goes live.
It also includes a subscription model for your best fans. - Indiegogo
Not only for musicians and artists, but Indigogo offers a great and solid platform to add your upcoming album or live tour.
- GoGetFunding
Not only for artist, but a great platform nonetheless. Create a good fundraiser and embed it on your website in no time.
Things to note: Although there are more crowdfunding sites out there, not every site is optimized for musicians and artists.
Check all the features on a crowdfunding page to see if it matches your goals and is intuitive to use for your fans.
Also, as a bonus, see if it is easy to embed on your website. This can help if you want to start using a Google Ads campaign later.
Keep making awesome music and share it with the world!
Maurice from Music-Mindset
