Our favorite testimonials from our Vampr community! 🔥
For December we have 5 spotlights of our favorite testimonials! Vampr wants to pay homage to our incredible community by shining spotlights on their experiences. We have so many artists releasing insane music and living their best musical lives – we want to spotlight as many as possible!
We always love hearing about community success and collaborations. This is why we do what we do! We have spotlighted 5 of our faves this month. 👀
Spotlight 1: Heitor Silva
Producing music for metalheads and games. Programming audio or web craziness. Heavy and groovy riffs on the guitar.
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Watch the full video HERE
Instagram: @itshsilva
Spotlight 2: Tiana Podpora
Tiana Podpora is a Ukrainian-born artist and musician. Her style in music very extraordinary. She recorded music and use natural sounds such as birds chirping, crickets, ocean, water, wind, fire, people, and animal voices also she uses her voice for some tracks. Tiana’s music is a mix of electronic, folk, trans, and ambient genres. She released already ambient cosmic album “Inner Space” (Ukraine), experimental dancing and electronic album “Upgrade” (India), little project “Impressions” – electronic music with her poetry and voice, the project “Silent Home Party”, the small album “Saraswati” and “3 calls”
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Watch the full video HERE
Instagram: @thewandergirl
Spotlight 3: Jackson Swaby
Jackson Swaby inhabits the world of art. His Fine Art background cultivated the way he thinks about music, seeing it as “a conversational tool of human energy”. “The medium of house music taught me how to express myself through feel and vibe alone, and it is where I truly began to respond to my existence.” Jackson’s works can be seen on his website www.jacksonswaby.com with the journey shared on his Instagram @jacksonswaby His fashion output can be found through ‘Order Materia’ @ordermateria Major multi-disciplinary projects with his brother ‘Harrison Swaby’ @swabybrothers.
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Watch the full video HERE
Instagram: @jacksonswaby
Spotlight 4: Sarey Savy x VYG
Sarey Savy
Personal experiences led this Cambodian singer-songwriter and producer to write songs that intersect with love and mental health. From Seattle, this singer is known for his versatility, authenticity, and lyrical content – not confining himself by genre. Savy is on the verge of becoming an international breakout star. Having been featured on Spotify’s International editorial playlists from Japan to Australia encompassing lists like “New Music Wednesday“, “元気Booster“, and “Happy Stroll.” His feature on Games (1 million+ streams) with Italian powerhouse Chris River & Pards solidified his abilities not just as a vocalist who is capable of dominating the House genre, but also as a songwriter who can captivate listeners. The multifaceted artist has charted on the “iTunes Top 100 Electronic Charts” in Japan, “iTunes Dance Charts” in numerous countries (including #2 in Hong Kong), Deezer Iceland and Malta (on both the “dance” and “electro” charts in both countries) respectively. Ba Da Da played heavily on rotation on Antenna 5 in Macedonia, ultimately peaking at #3. His music has been supported by m2o, Radio 105, R3HAB, Lost Frequencies, Nicky Romero, Merk & Kremont, Cloudkid, Ultra Music, ChillYourMind, House Nation, and more. His single “You Fake AF” which was also produced by Savy was featured on Fresh Finds R&B. His music creates a niche of its own while bringing an early 2000’s nostalgia of music. Dive in and hear for yourself.
VYG
VYG is a relatively newcomer to the EDM scene. Their energetic sound, powerful basses and fresh synths make you want to dance. With big support on their previous projects VYG is ready to bring you the best tunes of today and tomorrow. United by Music.
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Watch the full video HERE
Instagram: @sareymusic
@vygmusic
Spotlight 5: Irondequoit Dodge
Like all modern relationships, Irondequoit Dodge started when banjo player Rita Bliss swiped right on guitarist Eric Legeer. They were not looking for dates, just new music buddies through the musician finder app Vampr. They put a call out on craigslist for a bass player and Jimmie Scott Calhoun fit the bill perfectly. The trio started playing together in May, 2022 and recorded their first EP in July. #rustfolk
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Watch the full video HERE
Instagram: @irondequoitdodge
Want to read up on more success stories? >> https://www.vampr.me/#stories
Ever wondered what on earth distribution is? I know I have. And furthermore, how does it even work? Don’t worry Vampr crew, we got you!
What is distribution?
I know, I know, what the heck is distribution anyways? Well, have you ever wondered how musicians have been getting their music on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, or any of the online streaming platforms for that matter? Unfortunately, it isn’t a case of calling up a friend at Spotify and airdropping your track over to them to get it available for streaming…. if only!
In the music industry, distribution is the lingo that refers to the process of getting music recorded by artists into the hands of listeners through various channels. These channels include streaming platforms, online stores and physical retailers.
How do I distribute?
You might be thinking, I have absolutely no clue! I bet it’s hard…. well, it’s not! There are several ways that musicians can distribute their music, including the following:
Digital distribution
This is the most common way for musicians to distribute their music today. There are several platforms like Ditto, CD Baby, Vampr, Tunecore and many more. These platforms allow musicians to upload their music and make it available to listeners on streaming services and online stores, like Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.
Yes we know, you may be thinking, ‘amazing I’m in!’ But, hold your horses, these platforms can take a percentage of the sales as a fee for their services. Make sure you read carefully what each platform is asking for and what you will give away. The benefit of using these platforms over a label is that they tend to charge you a one-off fee and you retain full rights to your masters. (That means you have full ownership of your master recording copyright. This means you can exploit it as you please!) Labels often take a percentage of the master copyright, so even though you won’t be paying anything upfront immediately, you may be paying later on.
You may be thinking ‘how do I actually distribute though?’ 🤔 Digital distribution is very easy to do. You need to have your final recording that is mixed and mastered as well as your cover art and metadata for your track, EP or album. If you wrote the song with other composers you need to also have the finalized songwriting split so you can enter everyone’s details for payment. Some platforms pay you once you reach a certain amount, others after certain time periods. Either way, check before you submit!
Mechanical Royalties
Mechanical royalties are owed when a copy of the original composition is made. You can see how this relates to distribution but isn’t quite the same.
Mechanical royalties are paid in relation to the composition of a song (rather than the sound recording). So, when someone reproduces and releases your material as a cover version, you’re also owed mechanical royalties.
We have included this as a subheading because mechanical royalties aren’t strictly a distribution method, but it is a form of revenue that can result from other distributions.
You: ‘I am so confused.’ Us: Did we just confuse you? Want to know more about mechanical royalties? Read our Revenue checklist for emerging musicians blog to clear things up.
Physical distribution
You: ‘I know this one! It’s the one where I make all the CDs and vinyl that people buy at my shows!’
Us: Yes! But also, this refers to the distribution of music in physical formats, such as CDs, vinyl records, and even tape if you want to get super vintage! Musicians can sell physical copies of their music through retail stores, or through their own website or merchandise store.
Often if you are signed to a label, there will be an agreement on who handles the merchandise sales. If you are an independent musician, you can handle these things yourself by using platforms like Bandcamp where you can set your own prices! Another option is using a warehouse storage platform like Sound Merch or Merch Bar. These places store your merch and ship them as ordered. Of course, there are costs involved for this so tread carefully!
Sync licensing
Sync licensing refers to the process of licensing music for use in film, television, video games, and other media. Musicians can make money by licensing their music for use in these types of projects.
This is quite a tricky one to obtain but if you manage to get a solid offer, it can be a game changer financially and reputationally. The best way to open yourself up to a sync opportunity is to submit songs to platforms like Vampr Publishing or get signed to a publishing house that will actively look for sync opportunities to pitch you for.
However, it is important that you keep creating music so that there are lots of options to pitch. You cannot release and distribute one album and then go into hiatus for 10 years and expect a sync to come your way. Honing your songwriting skills is just as important as releasing high-quality music regularly.
Want to know more about publishing and copyright? You can learn directly through our Vampr Academy courses… and guess what! We have a 7-day free trial currently available! You are so welcome. 😋
Performance rights
Musicians can also make money through performance rights organizations, such as ASCAP or BMI. These organizations collect royalties on behalf of musicians when their music is performed publicly, such as at concerts or on the radio.
In certain countries, you can collect performance royalties for every public performance that you complete. Make sure that you identify the overarching body in your country, for example in Australia and New Zealand it is called APRA AAMCOS and you can submit your set lists to collect a sum quarterly. In the UK, this body is called PRS and similarly, you must claim these royalties.
Ready to distribute right now with no lock-in contracts? Head to Vampr Distribution to submit your tracks >> https://vampr.me/deep-link/distribution
Want to know some easy-to-do social media hacks that will enhance your posting performance? How many do you already do without knowing? 👀
1. Use the same handle across all platforms
Why should you use the same handle across all platforms? So that it is as easy as possible for your audience to find and follow you! If you have different and complex handles across each platform, someone may try to find you and then give up because it’s too hard. For example, Vampr uses @vamprapp across all social platforms. @erykahbadu has the same handle across Instagram and Facebook. You only get so much attention from people, if you make it hard for them to figure out if this account is in fact you, then you may lose a potential new super fan!
2. Use the same or similar profile pictures across platforms
Just like the previous social media hack, consistency in profile pictures also offers some assurance that when someone searches you up, it is in fact you. Maybe you have just released a single and you have a few shots you like. That’s fine, if they have a very similar color scheme, it will still look cohesive with your branding and allow you to still be recognizable.
3. Use keywords in your Instagram profile and posts
Keywords, keywords, keywords! These are important for search engine optimization or as it is often referred to, SEO. Keywords are the words that someone is most likely to search for when they are looking for you or your music! To make it easier for them to find you, using consistent keywords in your name, Instagram bio and handle is helpful! Mention your location as well if this is a key identifier for you.
Keywords are also helpful in your post captions and in hashtags. For example, in our Vampr posts, we may mention the name Vampr in the caption and use a #Vampr as well. This functions as a keyword that the algorithm can pick up on and direct people to us when they search!
If you read ‘How to make your performances more accessible and inclusive’ a few blogs back, you will know that alt-text is a way to make visual content accessible for anyone who is blind or has low vision. Alt-text serves to describe what can be seen. Screen readers will pick up on alt-text and read it aloud. This is why accurate descriptions are so important. In addition to this being good accessible practice, it also allows Instagram to fully understand what your content is about and so it will serve it to people in relevant searches. Double benefits!
4. Share shorter and sharper content
Why should you be sharing shorter and more bite-sized pieces of content? Unfortunately, our attention spans are not great! A goldfish may even have a longer attention span on average than humans currently… yikes!
Source: Muck Ruck
How do we work with this? Shorter, sharper, and more eye-catching content. Get to the point and get there fast!
5. Regularity matters
Most algorithms require regularity in order to push your content further. Those who have a schedule and post in a predictable way are more optimized for social media. If you post once in a blue moon and wonder why your engagement is so low, try getting into a rhythm of posting several times a week. This is one of the easier social media hacks that just requires some time management and organisation!
6. Tag pages properly and don’t reshare automatically from Instagram to Facebook!
If you are one of those people who share their Instagram posts directly to Facebook, give yourself a little flick! You probably thought this was one of the most convenient social media hacks BUT this actually means that any tags you had are now inactive. No one was notified that you tagged them and that is most likely an opportunity for reach wasted. In addition, Facebook doesn’t need as many hashtags as Instagram does, so this looks very obvious when it is reshared. Plus, once again Facebook allows live links where Instagram doesn’t and by sharing through Instagram you have lost the opportunity for an easy link from a call to action. You have created more work for your audiences, and they don’t usually like that!
Tagging other larger accounts and giving them the chance to reshare your content also allows you to leverage their audiences. You may see new follows come your way once another account reshares your post. This means the rest of your profile needs to be enticing for when they click through to see who you are.
7. Post when your audiences are active
How do you know when your audiences are active? Social media insights! On every big platform, if you have a business account, you will be given free access to your insights. This means you can access specific information about your target audience such as gender split, location by city and country, languages spoken, age groups and most active times. This is one of the most amazing social media hacks as it offers specific information that we never used to have access to and yet, people often don’t even glance at these insights. Such a waste!
Be clever and look at your data and post during the times when your audiences are online and active! No point in posting when they are all working and sleeping. Use the information to your advantage to recapture their attention each time you post.
8. Actively engage with your audiences
Think of social media as though it is a person. You wouldn’t expect a person to keep engaging you in conversation if you never responded or engaged back would you? It is important that when people engage with your account in any form, that you genuinely reciprocate. That may look like responding to a comment or liking a post of theirs, DMing them and asking a question etc.
The more you interact with others, the more likely they are to interact with you. So don’t be shy, be yourself and get socializing on your socials!
9. Utilize user-generated content
Running out of ideas of what to post? There is this beautiful thing called user-generated content. That is content made by other users. Re posting other people’s content can be flattering for them and conveient for you. It is a time saving way of generating content and if it aligns with your branding, all the more better to connect with a like-minded account and give them a bit of a shout out. Just remember to tag and credit them properly!
You can be really strategic about it and pull content from accounts that have a larger following than you to leverage some extra reach and follows. Or, you might pick an account that you see as a potential future sponsor and you want to strike up first contact. Be creative and think outside the box!
10. Post content that your audiences want to see
This one seems obvious, but have a good think about what you are posting. Is it what you would want to see if you were following an account like yours? A good way to get a gauge on what your audiences like is to go into your insights and look at the posts that recieved the highest reach and engagement. Analyze why this might be the case and aim to replicate similar content to hit the same spots!
Look back on those similar posts after you post them and see how they performed. If the answer is not so well, then go back and have another think about why your top posts are the highest performing. Once again, try a new strategy to tend to those same sweet spots. While you do this, always be yourself. People can tell when you are being fake or superficial and they are likely to unfollow you if they sense this.
How many of these hacks are you already across? How many are news to you? Let us know in the comments below!
The business side of being a musician is arguably just as important as the creative side given the industry and landscape we find ourselves in today.
Visibility
Talent is only half the battle in the digital world we live in. Being a musician requires more than just studious practice, rehearsals, hit songs, a strong work ethic, and a confident stage presence amongst other things. It now requires you to be both the creative and the business mind behind the operation. In some ways, there is more expected of musicians than ever before for the same or less financial stability.
Once you have your hit song you need to find a way to make it visible to your target audience. There was a time when bedroom artists like Tash Saltana and Troye Sivan were discovered with no more than a few YouTube videos. However, with the rise of technology and the ease of live streaming, posting, and social media, it is a struggle to rise above the noise and be spotted in the massive crowd that is the online space.
This probably seems like an endless and uphill battle… well, it is! But what can you do to combat it? The answer my friends is upskilling.
Upskilling
What is upskilling? It is quite literally upping your levels of competency when it comes to different skills. Everyone has things that they are better at as well as some weaker spots. Instead of shying away from those areas, take a course, ask a friend, find a mentor, read an article, or do anything that will proactively help you get closer to understanding what you didn’t before. Vampr Academy is a great example of a place to go to upskill. Make sure that where you go for advice or extra learning is credible and reputable.
Attention
Attention is the hardest thing to come by lately. Our attention spans are spread so thin throughout the day. Think about how much time you spend on your phone. If you dare… look up your screen time. Notice that you have only so many waking hours during the day and often most of it is spent scrolling or liking posts. It is the mission of apps to capture your attention and hold it for as long as possible. Whilst the musician side of you should be thinking about the quality of the song, the business side of you should be thinking about the moments where you can capture attention to talk about your music and how to do this effectively.
Self Promotion for Businesses
We have all been in groups or at performances where the artists or organizers do some shameless self-promotion. Some even begin the sentence with “and now for some classic gig plugging”. Whilst it is easy to stand back and internally cringe at this, the fact of the matter is, if you have a captive audience, it is the perfect time for self-promotion. Don’t waste it!
Business Strategy
Talk to any business-minded person and you will notice more often than not, they will have a business plan. From that plan, comes strategies that they then will implement. You should think about yourself as a business. What is your overall plan for your career? Where do you want to be in 5 years? How much money do you want to be making? Is there a particular band you want to go on tour with? Once you identify what your goals are, then you can start strategizing how you will achieve them.
*Hint: try and pick measurable goals! It is easier to strategize toward something that can be measured and analyzed as you go.
Perhaps your first goal is to release a single and get 2,000 streams on Spotify. Ask yourself, how will I do this? Write out a list of steps. They may look something like this:
- Write a melody.
- Write lyrics.
- Find musicians on Vampr to collaborate with and finalize the song.
- Have a rehearsal and perfect the song.
- Search for a producer and sound engineer in Vampr.
- Book a recording session.
- Find someone to mix and master the track in Vampr.
- Design the single artwork – look for a designer in Vampr.
- Get headshots taken.
- Decide on which online distributor you will use for digital distribution. (Ditto, CD Baby, Vampr, etc.)
- Upload the song for release.
- Create a Spotify profile and upload your headshot, bio, and similar artists.
- Apply for Spotify playlists.
- Ask people to pre-save your track.
- Build hype around socials of your incoming single.
- Contact radio stations for some interviews and air time.
- Contact blogs, magazines, and articles for media coverage.
- Share your song link on socials once it is released.
Notice how even though each step might be obvious, each step requires thought, time, and execution. All of these steps are in order to achieve just one goal and many of these steps are business related, not just creative. Always make time for the strategy side of things. Don’t rush to release music without thinking ahead to all of these tasks. You do your music a disservice by rushing to get it out quickly without building some hype around it.
Building a Team
You may have just read all of that and thought, oh damn, how on earth will I make the time for all of that, let alone the brain space! Enter managers, publishers, record labels, publicists, social media managers etc. Yes, this is a lot of work and you don’t necessarily need to do all of it yourself until the end of time. However, you should have a good understanding of what each business are is, its purpose, how it can benefit you, its value and how much time and money needs to be committed to it. The best way to do that is to start doing it yourself. This also means you can always hold someone accountable and check in with them when you eventually hand it over.
In fact, this is a beautiful segway to mention our Building Your Team Academy course. Know what you need and how to get it!
And the winners are……. 👀
We held a special Halloween Happy Hour last month with cash prizes + more for spooky Vamp creation and engagement. See the winners below!
WINNER OF BEST VAMP 🥇
Our favourite Vamp winner is Ahleya Alexis and they have won $100 cash! In addition, we will be reposting our favourite Vamp across all of our social channels.
Check it out for yourself below:
WINNER OF BEST COMMENT 🥇
We also had a prize that users could win by simply engaging! The prize for the best comment was 1 month free of Vampr Academy + Pro! 🎓🏆
This comment made us stop and notice. Congratulations to Pixi Lotus!
HONORABLE MENTIONS 🏅
It was a really tight competition and there were so many great Vamps to choose from. It was so tough, that we decided to award several honorable mentions as well! 🏅
Congratulations to:
Natalia Skrzypiec
Aaron Youd
Futuretunes
Anoushka Naik
We loved what everyone came up with and can’t wait to see more incredible content from our creative community. 🤘
Introducing Vampr Marketing, a new way to advertise
We are super excited to be launching Vampr Marketing today in partnership with Found.ee.
In a nutshell Vampr Marketing is a brand new tool for artists to promote and build hype around all your latest releases and grow your career. Powered by found.ee’s machine learning technology, our new marketing service will do all the hard work for you to promote your releases on premium websites such as Billboard, Forbes, GQ and Rolling Stone!
We have a self service option where you can build and manage your own campaigns, or, if you want, you can go for the managed ads program, or MAP for short, where our experts will do all the hard work for you. It’s really simple to set up. Just head to the Marketing page at the top of our website and follow the steps.
If you have any trouble, hit up our team as always at support@vampr.me
Let’s get it 
