Across the industry, the effects of the Coronavirus have been immense. Shows and tours have been and are still being cancelled left and right. The most iconic conferences and festivals we wait patiently for every year are being shut down. To say the least, musicians and their music industry counterparts are feeling the pressure. Here’s how you can support your fellow independent musicians during these difficult and frustrating times.
How to Support your Fellow Independent Musicians During the Coronavirus Impact
Live Stream Together
For now, in-person shows and festivals are out of the picture. Because of this, artists are turning to live streaming to keep spirits high and spread positivity in these stressful times. Because of this, consider setting up a live stream with you and a couple other independent artists to create a virtual show for all the fans stuck at home. Live-streaming can be as easy as turning on Instagram Live or starting up a Twitch stream.
Have you had a collab in the back of your mind with someone you’ve been meaning to work with for a while now? Now’s the time! Your fans are sitting at home wishing and hoping for something to take their minds off all the chaos. An upbeat live-stream with a long-awaited collaboration is exactly what they need.
Not sure which platform to use? With Stageit, you can choose a price and sell tickets just like a regular show. Meanwhile, Twitch lets your fans tip you during the stream.
Check out, “Virtual Platforms to Use for Your Next Live Stream” to find out the best live-streaming platforms available to you.
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Buy Merch
One of the easiest things you can do to support your fellow artists is to go to their merch store, buy something and encourage others to do the same. With so many shows and events cancelled, artists are feeling the pressure to keep earning revenue. Promote each other’s merch by posting pictures of you wearing it on Instagram or by creating a hashtag to go along with it.
Do your part to help others and they’ll be sure to return the favor.
Re-Mix It Up
Artists who are heavily on SoundCloud have the advantage of being able to remix other artist’s tracks and collaborate with ease among a huge community of like-minded artists. In times like these where events and planned releases are up in the air, consider dropping some exclusive remixes, compilations and collaborations.
If you’re a hip-hop or electronic music focused artist, you already know this is SoundCloud’s bread and butter. DM other artists to see if they’re down to let you remix their track or collaborate on something together to get more exposure for the both of you.
Collaborate and Create New Content
While tough for many, it is a great time to create new content. Reach out to artists on Bandcamp, Soundcloud, or leverage Facebook groups where you may find other folks who you can collaborate with. Most content creators are able to produce and create music without having to leave their home anyway, so this is a great time to network. We always recommend looking outside your community and exploring the other territories and genres making waves in the industry. Music is very cross-collaborative and wildly expansive. It’s not about a specific genre anymore, so consider stretching yourself creatively.
If you are in the Electronic genre, consider creating Sample Packs or “Native Instrument STEM” versions of your songs. Even “STEM/Multi-Track” organization, in general, is great for future possibilities in the world of sync and such.
Create Collaborative Playlists
Since everyone is stuck at home, you already know music lovers are actively looking for the perfect quarantine playlist to get them through it. This is the perfect opportunity to create collaborative playlists with other artists to showcase songs you might’ve played at that show that got cancelled.
There are two great streaming services that offer this collaborative playlist feature, Spotify and Apple Music. Both of them are the same concept and super easy to use, so be sure to use whichever platform your fans frequent more to ensure optimal engagement.
Not sure how to get started? Check out, “How to Make Collaborative Playlists on Spotify and Apple Music” to learn how.
Those of us who bought those coveted festival tickets months in advance and were waiting on the edge of our seats for the day to come are all disappointed by these cancelations. Consider creating a playlist of songs YOU were excited to see at one of the festivals that got cancelled. It’s comforting to know we’re all going through this together. Your fans will appreciate getting a taste of the personal tracks you missed out on, too.
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Want to learn more?
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In Conclusion…
This industry is about fostering connections and supporting other artists who’re hustling day in and day out to support their dreams. In times like these, it’s important to honor that. Now more than ever, we’re in this together. 🤝
