Category: Tips

music business · music industry · This & That · Tips

Creative Ways for Musicians to Earn More

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Articel by Courtney Rosenfeld

Courtney started Gig Spark to be a resource and the first step for people who are looking to join the gig economy, either to supplement their income or as a way to fulfill their dreams of becoming an entrepreneur.”

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In the symphony of life, musicians often grapple with the discordant note of financial unpredictability. This song of struggle necessitates an exploration of diverse revenue streams to ensure a harmonious career in music. If you’re a musician looking for ways to earn more money, this guide shared below by The Music2Deal Blog can help.

The Digital Stage

The internet has truly evolved into a global stage, providing musicians with unprecedented opportunities to perform and earn. Platforms like Twitch, Instagram Live, and Facebook Live have revolutionized the way artists monetize their craft. Through methods such as donations, subscriptions, and virtual tip jars, musicians can connect with their audience and cultivate a sustainable income stream. With the power of technology, the possibilities for musicians to thrive in the digital realm are endless.

Wear Your Heart on Your Sleeve

Merchandise is not just about branding; it’s an opportunity to generate an additional revenue stream. From t-shirts to posters, selling merchandise can amplify your brand presence and boost your income. Moreover, it allows you to connect with your audience on a deeper level and foster a sense of community. By offering quality and unique merchandise, you can cultivate loyal fans who proudly represent your brand. So, don’t miss out on the potential of merchandising and explore the endless possibilities it brings to your business.

Be the Video Virtuoso

YouTube is more than just a platform for video sharing; it’s a goldmine of income opportunities. By consistently sharing diverse content, such as covers and original music, you can captivate your audience and unlock various ways to monetize your channel. Whether it’s through brand partnerships, merchandise sales, or ad revenue, YouTube offers a plethora of avenues to turn your passion into profit. So, start creating, engaging, and reaping the rewards of this thriving online community.

Share the Gift of Music

If you have musical skills, why not share your passion and knowledge with others? Teaching online music lessons not only provides a supplementary income but also allows you to connect with students from all around the world. By expanding your reach beyond geographical boundaries, you can inspire and empower aspiring musicians to pursue their dreams. So, why wait? Start spreading the joy of music today!

The Event Maestro

Performing at events like weddings or corporate functions can often be more lucrative than traditional venues. It’s all about networking and showcasing your talent. Additionally, these events provide a unique opportunity to connect with potential clients and build long-lasting relationships. Moreover, the diverse audience at such events allows performers to broaden their fan base and gain exposure to new demographics. Lastly, the positive word-of-mouth generated from successful performances can lead to further bookings.

The Note Weaver

There is a growing demand for distinctive musical arrangements across different genres. If you possess composition skills and can effectively promote your abilities, you can connect with potential clients and generate additional income. By leveraging your creativity and networking with industry professionals, you can establish a strong presence in the music market and seize lucrative opportunities. Embrace the power of technology and online platforms to showcase your unique talent and reach a wider audience.

Entrepreneurial Encore

As a musician, you may possess related skills that could be translated into a profitable side business. From instrument repair and sound engineering to music tutoring, identifying these abilities can pave the way for a successful venture. Additionally, exploring opportunities in music production, event management, or even composing original scores can further expand your potential for success. Don’t underestimate the power of your musical talent and the possibilities it can bring to your entrepreneurial journey.

The Visual Harmony

A strong visual identity can help you stand out in the crowded music industry. Create a consistent and professional brand across all your platforms to enhance your visibility and appeal. Be deliberate in choosing colors, fonts, imagery, and a memorable image that align with your music and resonate with your target audience. Invest in high-quality design assets that reflect your unique style and story. And remember, a cohesive visual identity will not only attract fans but also leave a lasting impression on industry professionals.

Make Sure You Have a Plan

Lastly, having a business plan when starting side gigs as a musician is crucial for establishing a clear vision and roadmap for your musical career. It outlines your goals, target audience, and revenue streams, helping you allocate resources and time effectively. A well-structured plan also enables you to identify potential challenges, such as competition and financial constraints, allowing you to develop contingency plans ahead of time. Moreover, if you decide to seek external funding, partners, or collaborators, a comprehensive business plan can serve as a persuasive tool to show your project’s viability and potential for success.
The modern music industry offers a medley of innovative income streams. By exploring these unique avenues, musicians can orchestrate a sustainable and fulfilling career. However, remember that the keynotes to success are passion, perseverance, and adaptability. Striking the right balance, both musically and financially, can lead to a harmonious career.

Best,

Courtney Rosenfeld

music industry · Tips

Digitizing analogue tapes: why and how

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There are vast amounts of recordings out there that in some cases are musical or historical treasure troves. Labels that go back beyond 30 years or so might have material that is just begging to be either re-mastered for streaming or fully remixed for commercial release. As Ben Schwag, a producer that is currently digitizing work performed by Johnny Guitar Watson, Sly Stone and George Clinton says, “Is the time right for a 90s revival? If so, the recordings are most likely packed away on tape somewhere in a storage room.”

Schwag notes a number of reasons that people ask to digitize and/or restore magnetic tapes:

  • To make your music assets available in a digital format (Spotify, advertising etc)
  • The need to be able to mix or otherwise re-use them (if a revival happens, it’s important to be able to act quickly)
  • The need to properly archive them
  • The need to preserve the recordings in a format that is less fragile than magnetic tape.

But before starting, here are some important steps you need to plan.

Digitizing magnetic tapes: the quick guide for better results

Loading a tape on a 3M 24-track recorder
Loading tapes on a 24-track recorder

1. Assess the Tape Condition: Before starting the digitization process, take a good look at each tape. Look for physical damage. Mould, dirt, or sticky residues can affect playback and sound quality. Additionally, check for any signs of degradation, such as oxide shedding.

2. Clean the Tapes: Use a specialized cleaning solution and a lint-free cloth to gently wipe the tape surface. Ensure that you don’t damage the tape or erase any data when you do this.

3. Prepare the tapes: Older tapes more often than not suffer from some degree of “sticky shed syndrome”, when the recorded surface risks being scraped off the tape when you play it. “Baking” is a technique used to address this. The tapes are placed in a temperature-controlled oven, the heat stabilizes the tape’s binder, temporarily allowing proper playback and transfer of the data on the tape surface.

4. Digital Transfer: To fully restore magnetic tapes, we recommend that you transfer the audio content to a digital format. Connect the tape deck to a high-quality audio interface or converter and use professional-grade software to capture the audio in a lossless format such as WAV or FLAC. Ensure proper calibration and adjustment to achieve accurate reproduction. Proceed with care, as some tapes can only be played once.

5. Noise Reduction: One common issue with older magnetic tapes is the presence of background noise, hiss, or hum. Use noise reduction tools, such as spectral editing or adaptive filtering, to minimize unwanted noise while preserving the original audio quality.

6. Equalization and Dynamic Range Control: During digitization, equalization can help correct any frequency imbalances or tonal inconsistencies in the source audio. Use parametric equalizers to adjust frequencies selectively and enhance the overall tonal balance.

7. Deal with Dropouts and Errors: Magnetic tapes sometimes suffer from dropouts or errors that result in gaps or glitches in the audio. Use specialized software to repair these through interpolation or error concealment.

8. Metadata and Documentation: As part of the digitization, don’t forget to document all the relevant metadata associated with the tapes. This includes information about the recording, such as artist, date, and location, as well as details about any restoration techniques applied.

9. Storage and Preservation: Once the restoration is complete, make sure that the tapes go back into proper storage and preservation. You might also want to make backups of the restored audio files to prevent loss due to hardware failure or accidental damage.

Producer Ben Schwag addressing a conference audience.
Producer Ben Schwag

3 Hats Music runs a studio based in Brussels that features an extensive range of language formats and equipment. The team includes people that have worked with artists as varied as Curtis Mayfield, Johnny Guitar Watson and 2 Unlimited.

Full details about tape digitization can be found on the digitization page of 3 Hats. For more information call Ben Schwag directly on +32 488 41 7272

music business · Music Business Event · Tips

How to set up the Online Event

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Written by our partner Show4Me

The emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic created the apparent need to remain indoors. The world of music was no exception as a lot of artists struggled to reach their fans visually. However, from releasing video snippets to TikTok dances and online events such as Instagram live sessions as well as virtual concerts, the world has largely evolved from the need to converge in the same space, to enjoy a thrilling virtual experience.

The virtual world has a wide audience. Creating an online show will not only help grow your fanbase while keeping your fans entertained, but also provide a means of making a profit as though it were a live show. Do you want to create a memorable virtual experience for your fans? Here are some tips to help.

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Select a Creative Topic

Just as a title for anything is important, so is a suitable topic for a functional online event. This is because it could be someone’s first contact with your brand, thus acting as your window to the world. It should be simple, short, straight to the point so that it is easy to remember. Your topic will depend on the theme of your event as it will be reflective of it. It could be a one-word statement or even an acronym such that it can be printed on merch. The idea is to create a picture in the mind of your audience to help set the tone of the event. The goal is to make your topic as creative and captivating as possible to reach a cross-cultural audience.

The Platform

Picking the right platform for your event is as important as choosing the right physical location for a physical event. This is because whatever platform you select becomes your window to the world. There are several available options to stream events, from Facebook to YouTube, Instagram, and online event platforms such as Show4Me. Why should you select the right online platform?

  • To give your fans the best virtual performance

The expectation from your fans should not be dampened by a poor performance due to your choice of the streaming platform. Help them have the best experience and look forward to another by selecting the right platform like Show4me.

  • Quality streaming service

Just because it’s happening online does not mean a lot of technicalities can be ignored. You should select the right online platform that provides a quality streaming service to enhance the audio-visual quality of your performance and relay the right vibe to your fans.

  • Proper ticketing service

Your music can also be appreciated with money, not excluding word of mouth and emojis. The right ticketing service will help you place things in perspective. Your fans can buy different tickets according to their preferences and watch you perform wherever they are.

Whatever platform you select should help create an exciting experience for your fans and you as well. Therefore, you may want to look out for factors such as:

  • Streaming quality and speed
  • Video monetization policies
  • Audience viewing experience
  • Data security /privacy control
  • Social media integration via multiple channels
  • Artiste support /Tech support
  • Live chat or comment section

 

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With a platform like Show4me, your fans get to have a premium experience. Its cross-cultural audience and artiste base has hosted several shows of different artists such as Ric Flo and Roni Bar Hadas. The platform offers various types of tickets according to preference and allows fans to stream your event. Other available options include sales of your music and even fan subscriptions. Your fans can stream your event from any device in any part of the world as there are no geographical barriers.

Your Physical Setting

Though the event is taking place online, your physical setting is equally important. It sets the ambiance for your event. The background also contributes to the audio-visual experience of your fans and helps them connect better. A relaxed, cozy environment will be a better backdrop to set that exciting mood. Whether it is a corner in your home to add that personal touch, a studio, your driver’s seat in your car, a lounge, or even the beach, the aim is to help your fans connect with your music and your environment. Serenity is key. Have good costumes and dress for the show. Set up all your technical and musical gadgets and instruments correctly with proper positioning. For instance, your cameras and mics must be placed at acceptable positions for good musical feedbacks and sound quality. The technical team at Show4Me has prepared this guide for you in setting up your physical stage for an online event.

Publicizing and Promoting your Event

Your fans won’t get to know if you don’t tell them. Publicizing your event is as important as the event itself. It’s one major way the world gets to come in contact with and connect to your amazing talent. Online event promotion requires a lot of strategic planning, right from the day you decide up until the day of the event. At Show4Me, we do not promote events or help with your promotional activities. However, we have a proven team of professionals who can guide you and give you the needed concepts and ideas as to which you can successfully promote your online events. The following tips will help provide a guide on how to promote your show.

  • Engage your fanbase on social media

It all starts and stays with your fans. You want to help them connect with your music and everything surrounding it. As an artist, having an engaged fanbase is important. They not only love your music but you as well. One way to do this is via social media. Announcing your event on social media will give them something to look forward to. This will promote your music and can increase your streaming numbers as they can even trend the hashtags you create. The best way to promote your music is to bring it to people who love and appreciate your sound. You can also engage them in a Q&A session. It will help create awareness and expectations for the event.

  • Email marketing

This is another outstanding way of promoting your online event. Since it takes about 2-3 weeks in promoting an online event, you can spend less by leveraging the use of email marketing in promoting your show. Once your fans sign up to your page or subscribe to your mailing list, you can generate their email addresses and send them promotional emails. These emails will contain attractive information and contents about your show, ticketing information and price, date and time, etc. You can go as far as enlisting them to an online calendar like Google Calendar which can be used in sending them regular reminders and notifications.

The Use of Influencers and Spoken Words

Promoting and campaigning an event to attract audiences and fans can be so easy when the audience can trust the promoters. To promote your event, using a league of influencers in the music industry or entertainment industry can be a very good step. These individuals have developed a broad range of fans and followers with trust and quality. Once you locate and work with individuals, they will help you in sourcing fans for your event. The Influencers can also be seen as an organization or a group of individuals. Confidently talking about your program and inviting people to it is another way to promote your event. This strategy will create a sense of passion and motivation for those that will listen.

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Sponsorship/Funding

Getting sponsors for your online events will save you the stress and cost of operations. Sponsors and funding might come in any funding either tangibly or intangibly. Your sponsors may provide you with the funds needed for your show, they could help by lending or giving you equipment for your events, they could help in promoting your show, etc. Relying on personal funds and online ticketing alone might not work out well, leveraging the assistance of a sponsor will go a long way. On Show4me, we offer a dedicated section of each concert page, be it an online event or a hybrid or in-person show, for the show’s sponsors. You can add one or several sponsors depending on the show. The functionality allows you to not just list a sponsor but include their logo, link to their website, and even create a sponsor description.

Rehearsal

Once your ticketing, concepts, campaigns, and funding are available, the last thing to do to be ready for an excellent online event is rehearsal. Forfeiting rehearsals and regular test runs is one major mistake that most artists make today. No matter how good or professional you might, you must carry out 1-2 rehearsals before your main events. You can’t just set up everything on the D-Day without prior tests and practice. Anything can just go wrong. Thus, you must check the sound and video feedbacks and quality, record your song and watch it to pick up any error or irregularity. Figure out how to make your sound and video as good as possible, if you are using Show4me, do a run-through with your artist success manager and hear the feedback from them, and be ready to bring the energy to your web event just like you do with your live shows.

Final Thoughts

With the current pandemic and adherence to Covid-19 guidelines, an online concert or event is so important for music professionals today. An event that is not properly planned will be executed wrongly. Thus, we trust that you will use the guides you have gotten from this article in setting up your event. Furthermore, Show4Me is the right platform for you to carry out your event as it has all the technical and professional supports you’ll be needing for your event. Start planning your online event with us now.