Drake once used his acceptance speech at an award show to acknowledge just how grateful he was to have so many loyal fans. People, as he put it, spend their hard-earned money and hours of their precious free time at his shows. He seemed genuinely grateful, and truly honored to have so many people call themselves his fans. Every music artist needs fans. The more fans, the more successful an artist will be. After all, pop music is called pop because it is popular, easy to digest and catchy. Mainstream music is very different today with the likes of Lady Gaga and Drake than it was 70 years ago, with Frankie Valli and Elvis Presley, but they all have one thing in common–lots and lots of people that consider themselves fans. Enter detailed targeting expansion!
What Is Detailed Targeting Expansion?
Not all fans are created equal though. Some are rabid superfans, always trying to be the first to hear new music, buying every piece of merchandise they can get, and traveling long distances to see their favorite artists perform. What separates one superfan from another, at least in the eyes of an artist and their management, is the fan’s contribution to an artist’s success. This is the kind of power a fan can have, and while it’s always been important, social media and the internet have made this dynamic more relevant and applicable today than ever before.
Fan taking photo of concert at festival
Fans have always been able to create buzz. For instance, if a popular local hero, a quarterback for a state championship team happened to be an outspoken die hard Eagles fan in the mid 1970’s, he would have influenced lots of other kids in that hometown to listen to the Eagles, and that band would likely be considered cool throughout high school. This quarterback would be an influential fan. But in today’s world influencing people is done on such an immense scale that it’s literally become commercialized. A superfan today can either persuade millions of people that a certain artist is cool, or they can do the opposite and discredit their music. They can make or break a band.
Kylie Jenner is widely considered to be the internet’s most desirable influencer. For big companies and brands, she is the dream brand ambassador. What makes her so appealing? Why are smart business people so ready to pay for her positive tweets about their products? Trying to capture what makes Kylie such a strong influencer is like bottling a bolt of lightning. There is no easy formula to create such power of persuasion.
Despite how sweeping her influence in the fashion world may be, winning over music fans is not the same as convincing young people this or that brand of jeans is cool. In the music world, Kylie Jenner is not the personality with the most cache. Just as many if not more people could be turned off by something they learn she listens to, instead of making them want to be a fan. There is no one reason that she isn’t the definer of cool music the way she is of many other things.
How would an artist identify the right people in which to invest time and energy making into fans? On your first tour backed by a record company, who would you want to invite to your performance? Who would get all-access backstage passes if you were on the verge of making it big?
In today’s world the internet is where the most effective far-reaching influence spreads, so targeting social media users with massive amounts of followers is always a good start. The best fans to strive for might be different in various parts of the world. For instance, here in America the captain of your city’s soccer team is not likely to have the same type of fanatical influence that a Spanish League team captain has in Spain. Popular athletes can be valuable fans to cultivate due to their public visibility and the exposure you stand to gain from being in their orbit. They might record a video of your show from the VIP section, or they might play your music in a workout video. Their followers will watch their videos and hear your music, opening a door to new listeners who might never have heard of you otherwise.
Aside from athletes and public figures with massive amounts of followers, who else is an ideal fan? The obvious answer is anyone capable of influencing potential listeners, but is having a great quantity of fans always more important than having a quality of fan who might possess a certain refinement of taste? What is it about the opinion of a more discerning, authoritative listener that makes their influence carry more weight than that of a super-influencer?
This is like asking why Kylie Jenner is such a productive influencer in fashion, that it’s more of a feeling, an instinct that can’t be captured and replicated like a formula. Simply put, the ideal fan is anyone who is cool. And cool is always changing, and never the same today as it was yesterday. Cool has often been described as something that can only be obtained without pursuit. Coolness is what artists hope to project because it attracts other cool people to become fans. In our current crazy cycle of celebrity influence and viral fame, it’s still your “coolest” most discriminating fans who will attract the most passionate listeners to your music. These are the fans who will raise your cultural credibility and continue to champion your sound even as the superficial appeal and fleeting popularity, the “cool” of trendier artists seems to fade away.
Now that we’ve covered how important detailed targeting expansion is, join Vampr today to see how we can make your musical dreams come true!
There were days when the primary way you’d find band members was through printed homemade fliers you’d tape all over town on poles or bulletin boards. With the little hand-cut fringe of your phone number repeated along the bottom for people to tear off, as many of our successful members remember. Or maybe you’d put an ad in your local free paper or the indie music zines that collected in piles at the entrance of record stores or cafes. What if fliers and ads could magically appear only on the porch of just the precise person you’re looking for? Vampr is now your one stop shop for audio production services!
This is what happens when you find a tool that allows you to connect and collaborate with music peers and nurture these relationships, no matter where you live, how old you are or what kind of music you are into. You can find people. You can find your voice. You can fill in the gaps, enrich your knowledge and build your own production team. This is what happens when you put yourself and your music out there on Vampr.
Forget about blind dates on Vampr
There are websites where a music person could seek other similarly “tuned” music people, and sometimes those manage to work out, but often you’re sifting through an unknown quantity. These sites aren’t fully customized for the practical needs of a will-be or an already established music professional looking to collaborate and grow. You need better matches, better opportunities to find yourself and richer ground so you can grow.
There are no blind dates on Vampr. Your tastes, your aspirations, your talent and the skilled people you’re looking for are all methodically curated and laid out for you to swipe left or right on, much as you would using a dating app. Doesn’t a crucial match in the music world sound better than another potentially lame latte liaison that could leave you six bucks poorer and wanting that hour of your life back?
Whether you’ve been working at your craft for some time or just starting out, you can get serious about enhancing your talent and skills and building your own musical production team. You’ve made room to expand and cleared the way for those distant creative phantoms to come in and introduce themselves so you can get down to it. You don’t have to run around like a maniac as your fore-artists did before you, going out constantly to every sweaty crowded show, every club night, trying to make themselves heard over the deafening throb of the sound system and always having to be “on” in case this or that person turns out to be Important or Someone. That’s been a tougher proposition than ever considering the pandemic.
Find Talented Band Members Anywhere
You don’t have to live in a big expensive city with a famous music scene either. You don’t have to be in London or Tokyo or New York. You can work with other artists, learn from professionals in every role and make vital industry connections on Vampr without leaving anywhere you call home. Save your sweat for rehearsal, your tinnitus for after the gig that pays, and learn how to marshal your energies to manifest the sound you need to bring.
Your first step is to further your education, by immersing yourself in learning the industry. There are formal schools of coursework you could enroll in if you have that kind of cash. Or you could design your own education through reading and listening to everything you can in every area of performance and recording that interests you. You could be interacting right now with creative, talented specialists in every musical and production discipline and letting their experience and know-how inspire and guide you. A free Vampr account would be a strategic point of departure and your guide to audio production services.
Access Music Business Insiders
The music business can seem like an elaborate maze with too many directions, a swarming mosh pit of characters you can’t quite make out for the lights and the smoke machine and the mirror ball spots whirling around. Artists at every level can easily be overwhelmed or feel locked out, daunted by concerns over money or location, or a lack of relevant connections. This is the obstacle course Vampr was created to help you rise above.
You’re going to need some new people in your life, some very specific ones at that. Where else can you find a composer, a musician, a music arranger, a manager, a recording engineer, a remixer, or even a bona fide mentor, all without leaving the laptop on your coffee table? Where can you stay in one spot and reap solid recommendations and knowledge uniquely tailored to you in things like getting the right equipment, the computer or audio software you’ll need and how to configure your home recording studio? This is where professional audio production services come in!
Curate Your Community Digitally
The more you populate your Vampr account with your taste, talent, sound and vision, the more you engage with your virtual creative team, the closer you come to the music world you’ve hungered for. The more you “audition” other creators (easy as a swipe to the left or right), and let them audition you, the more individualized your environment and your experience becomes. The connections add up, as do the fans, and conceivably the gigs and recording contracts. With the right collaborations, the right industry contacts and the right people supporting you, your passion and your career could become one and the same.
With this platform’s rich array of online resources, you can plug into every aspect of music creation, refine your sound, record and be discovered. Profiles, samples, videos, articles, conversations, all for you to absorb and evaluate. The more you participate, the better you draw your map and develop your process. Lose that lack of experience. Gain exposure and support, networking and collaboration. Audition co-creators to help you make your music in real time, from anywhere. Listen and be heard. Find encouragement. Give your music the fuel to progress and the edge it needs to succeed. Meet outstanding creators and collaborators to help you polish your sound.
Wherever you are, Vampr can be your music academy, your talent agency, your sweaty crowded club of fans and your final stop in audio production services!
Are you ready to get ready to take center stage?
Today this all changes.
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What makes your sound unique? Is it the instruments you are using, the processors you are applying or the way you arrange your songs? Whether you are in a traditional rock band or you make EDM, there are various ways to distinguish your sound from the rest of the pack.
Every band is full of unique individuals and instead of trying to polish your sound to fit into a box, think of how you can bring your own distinct talent together to make something one-of-a-kind.
Read on for some advice on how to break away from the pack while knowing how to make unique music and create a unique sound!
Listen to Lots of Types of Music
Lemmy from Motorhead loved The Beatles. Madonna loves Abba. Listening to your favorite bands can inspire you when you play your own music.
Listening to a wide range of music can help you understand what is possible. Maybe your rock song needs a jazz time signature or a folk song can take some inspiration from a dance track.
Open your mind, and listen to lots of music so that when you pick up your instrument, the world of possibility is available to you.
Tap into your Personal Experiences
The best writing comes when you write about something you know about. Tapping everyday experiences can be the best way to speak honestly and write a great song. There is a lot of originality when you tell your own story. Often it’s these personal yet universal songs that connect to a wider audience.
Explore Plugins
Whether you are looking for a lo-fi retro analog sound or you want to add orchestral layers to a simple pop song, plugins are a great way to push the barriers of your sound. Explore plugin options and play around with them. Experimentation is key to seeing what is possible.
Be Yourself
One mistake that bands sometimes make is trying to write songs that they think will work within a genre. While it can be a fun challenge to write a love song or a pop anthem, be sure to bring your own personality and sound to that format. It’s ok to mimic those that inspire you as a starting point, but take that approach and run with it.
Get Inspired Through Other Artforms
Going to the movies or an art gallery can help your music. Taking in the storylines and colors and textures of a film or a painting may inspire creativity in your own work.
Whether you are inspired by the technique or the emotion that you experience in the other work, art forms are symbiotic and can be a great starting point to write a song. Ballad Of The Absent Mare by Leonard Cohen, 16 Shades of Blue by Tori Amos and An Architect’s Dream by Kate Bush were all inspired by different forms of art.
Look for inspiration and different ideas in different media to help you know how to make unique music while creating a unique sound that breaks away from the pack.
Creative tension has its moments but forging cohesive relationships with band mates is the best way to get creative work done. Amid the constant pressures of trying to build an audience, and attract A&R teams, bands can sometimes fall out of sync with band members turning on each other. The more you do to establish a strong relationship with your collaborators, the better poised you will be to work through the roadblocks and big wins and stay true to your creative essence. Whether you just formed your band or you’ve been playing together for years, these tips will help you establish strong relationships with your band mates that will lead to a more healthy and productive working relationship. Building better relationships with Your Band will lead to longevity and true happiness despite the unbelievably tough times that every band experiences while touring on the road!
Set Goals
“A goal without a plan is just a wish” – Antoine de Saint-Exupery
When it comes to your music career, your goals need to be realistic and specific. You should be able to quantifiably measure their success. For them to be achievable for you as an artist, you need to be able to give it a set time period for it to be accomplished by and follow the necessary steps to keep the trajectory going. Always write down your goals. Once they’re written down, you can look back at them whenever you start to feel lost and get right back on track. For some people it can be hard to come up with clear and concise goals as a group. One good way to simplify the task of setting goals as a group is to stick to the S.M.A.R.T method. Created in 1981 by George T. Doran, S.M.A.R.T is an acronym that helps you create specific criteria for your goals to help improve the chances of their success.
What does it stand for?
S – Specific
M – Measurable
A – Achievable
R – Realistic
T – Timed
Following this method can help create realistic goals within a quantifiable timeline while identifying where all members can contribute to the effort. For further tips and techniques of goal setting related directly to bands, this article from CyberprMusic has some great pointers.
Define a Workflow that Works for Everyone
Creativity should not equate to or create chaos. A well-organized plan of execution is paramount to any creative project, as well as allowing oneself the freedom to brainstorm openly. But often, when trying to create a project as a team or band, it’s easy to get stuck on insignificant, trivial details along the way, only to watch the initial inspiration dwindle in the hands of frustration. Workflow describes the efficiency of that process and can help you stay focused on the goals. Optimal workflow would essentially mean that the team is able to get songs done within a set time, stay inspired and motivated throughout the process and also keep frustrations and setbacks to a minimum. Some people know how to find the workflow groove and avoid distractions, and others may struggle to define what their most effective workflow is and how to strengthen it. Some band members may be naturally stronger in the workflow production facet. If that’s the case, it may be helpful to check in with other band mates that might struggle with staying on task. If that sounds familiar be sure to read this great article from Band Barracks that’s full of practical and simple methods to increase workflow productivity.
Set Clear and Healthy Boundaries
Creating healthy boundaries is empowering and necessary. Unhealthy boundaries, or a lack of boundaries, can lead to an unbalanced relationship which could lead to resentment and unnecessary challenges. On the contrary, having boundaries that are too rigid can lead to isolation, like living in a locked-up castle surrounded by a mote. No one can get in, and you can’t get out. It’s important to learn how to set and also respect others’ boundaries. One way to begin the process of identifying and setting boundaries in the context of being a band member is to identify what it means to you to be a good band member. Once you can carve out some of those values, naming and setting your boundaries (and respecting others boundaries), will come more fluidly. As an example of what makes a good band mate, check out these 14 Rules for Being a Good Bandmate by SonicBirds and see where you agree. Learning to set boundaries can be tricky when you first start, but learning to do so can be beneficial in all relationships in your life. A good place to start learning about how to set boundaries is How To Set Healthy Boundaries In All Areas Of Your Life via Life Goals Co.
Hold Band Meetings to Discuss External Opportunities and Challenges
You’ve heard it before, “it’s called the music business for a reason,” and one business practice that will help you meet your music career goals is holding effective band meetings. If you’ve seen Metallica’s documentary, Some Kind of Monster you’ve seen one of the many examples of the deterioration of a band’s inner-workings when meetings aren’t effective and inspired. You might jam with the band every week, or even be best mates, so it makes sense that you assume you can discuss any topic every time you’re together. But it’s easy to get sidetracked, misunderstand peoples opinions or forget crucial points that you’ve discussed. One great place to start a meeting could be discussing the topics outlined within this article. Are the band’s goals clearly written down, are boundaries set, is there a balanced workflow happening? More great advice about how to create and engage in effective meetings is right here in How to Run Effective Meetings, and Thrive by Atlassian.
Spend Time Together
Just like any important relationship in one’s life, spending quality time with people in our lives can lead to better connections and understanding. Crafting a piece of music between a group of artists with different tastes and perspectives is complicated enough as it is. So of course, keeping your relationship with your bandmates positive is an important element of a band’s success. Bandmates don’t always have to be best friends, that’s unrealistic in some cases. However, if you put in some effort to nurture your relationships on a social level, the band will reap the rewards in the form of better cohesion. Whether you go out for drinks, check out other bands together, or go for a hike, spending time with your bandmates will strengthen your bond and ultimately benefit your music quality. For further insight on the importance of connection in creative relationships, a great place to start is by reading Relationship advice for creative duos, via Digiday.
Sometimes knowing what not to do in a band is just as important as knowing what to do when it comes to building better relationships with Your Band!
Getting on stage is one of the best ways to introduce your music to new audiences and cement the love of your loyal fans.
No matter how large or small the performance, a lot goes into getting it right when you prepare for Live Performances. The sound, the lights, and the stage set-up all play a part in making the performance great.
Whether you prefer to play stripped-down and raw sets in black box theaters and coffeehouses, or your act contains fireworks and a custom light show, every band needs to plan ahead and know how to prepare for a live performance.
We’ve compiled some tips and stage performance techniques to help you prepare for the big event and put on the best show possible.
Practice Makes Perfect
This probably goes without saying, but the single most important factor for nailing your live show is practicing your set. The more you practice, the better.
Make sure you know your part, your cues (like how many times you’ll play through the progression before the song ends, or how long that instrumental break lasts after the second chorus), and make sure you get plenty of chances to practice with anyone else you’re playing with.
And don’t practice mistakes! If you commonly make a mistake in a certain part of a song, work on that section until playing it correctly becomes second nature. Repeating the mistake without addressing it could cause you to repeat it on stage.
Lots of practice will leave you feeling prepared to take the stage and help calm any pre-show anxiety you might be feeling.
Scope Out the Venue
If you can, it’s a great idea to check out the venue you’ll be playing ahead of time. Familiarize yourself with the stage setup, figure out where you’ll be loading your equipment in and out of, and find out about the sound system.
Scoping the venue out ahead of time will also give you a sense of what equipment you’ll need to bring and what you can leave behind. Many venues will supply mics and stands, but don’t take it for granted! If you can’t go in person, a phone call with someone from the venue is a great backup plan.
Once you know what the venue has, put together a checklist of everything you need to bring to the show. Check it as you load up your gear, check it again once you’re packed, and one last time after the show to make sure you didn’t leave anything behind.
Sound Check
Many venues, though not all, will give you a chance to get on stage and hear how you sound in the space before your actual performance. When you set up the show make sure to find out if the sound check is going to be an option, and if so, what time it will happen.
Make sure you and your bandmates are there and loaded into the venue before sound check to take full advantage of your time. This will be the first time you’re hearing yourself on the venue’s mics and PA system, and it’s a great opportunity to figure out how much volume you’ll need in the monitors, and how your instruments and equipment are sounding in the space.
In some cases, the sound check will happen right before your set, with audience members already in the venue. In these cases, many bands will have a song or a riff they can all play together to make sure everything sounds good without actually playing songs from the set before the performance begins—this is a great thing to add to your band’s repertoire for sound checking on the fly.
Bring More Cables
You can’t have too many cables. This is something like a golden rule for musicians, especially ones who play with electric instruments and use modulators and pedals. Although the venue will likely have patches and mic cables, DO NOT assume they will have as many as you need.
As a rule of thumb, act as though the venue will supply mic cables into their PA system only, and you’ll need to patch everything else as though you were at your rehearsal space (hint: see tip #2 for how you can confirm this ahead of time).
Even if you know the venue has extra cables, bring your own. How many times have you had to interrupt practice to tape a faulty patch cable or run to the music shop to replace it altogether? Stuff like this happens even at the biggest venues, so bring extra cables. It costs nothing and it could potentially save your show.
Go With the Flow
Put simply, shit happens. This is true all the time, and it’s especially true during the jittery moments leading up to a show. Maybe your bassist is running late and their phone died. Maybe you locked the keys in the van before you finished loading out and you’re supposed to be on in fifteen minutes. If you’re prepared and you’re ready to embrace a go-with-the-flow attitude, you’ll find a workaround for anything that comes up.
Keep in mind: if it seems like a disaster at the time, it’s a good story later. Once you’ve mastered this step, nothing can stop you from killing it when you hit the stage.
Which one of these techniques do you think will help you the most and what do you plan on implementing into your gigs?
