What Do I Need To Stream?

When we reach out to artists asking them if they want to try out our new streaming platform one of the questions we get asked is “What equiptment do I need”. While the short answer is usually a computer works best. The main reason is that computers are made to have the most capability in comparison to phones or tablets. However we have tested our platform on desktops, laptops, tablets and phones and it works on all of them.

So today we will be walking you through some of the devices and going over how you can set them up.

Desktop And Laptop

As mentioned in the intro to the article we, above all else, recommend using a laptop or a desktop for your livestream show. From what we have found you have the most capability when it comes to running hardware and software on a laptop or desktop computer. Because of that we have hardcoded the instructions on how to use our platform on either kind of device during the livestream set up.

We even break it down further in the setup process and we ask artists whether they are using an apple device or a windows device. From there we can better recommend programs for your specific operating system that you are using (see below).

And if you need help walking through the whole process we have a video that goes over the whole thing that you can watch HERE. Or you can take a look at all of the help articles that we have about live streaming HERE.

Phone And Tablet

Even though we recommend our artists use a computer for the reasons mentioned above we do realize that not every artist has access to a computer. A phone or a tablet can work fine if you have a simple set up.

We do not have the instructions hardcoded into our site so artists would have to read some of our help articles in order to get the stream setup on their tablet or their phone. It is the same exact process it just has one big difference when it comes to inputing your stream URL and stream key into your device since you would be using a different software. If you are planning to stream with one of these devices you can use this help article HERE.

Since you would be using a program called Larix Broadcaster for the show instead of OBS (which is what is used if you stream on a computer) you would not be able to message your fans during the show. This is not a big deal to most aritsts because they are focusing on performing for the show so they are not messaging anyway. You are able to message before and after the show though.

As we learn of more new devices that are able to be used for our platform we will add them to the list, but for now we think this a great list of devices to start with. Enjoy the show!

Other Resources

Local and Livestream Shows

How to Promote Your Show

The Rules of Seven

The post LiveStream Using Any Device appeared first on Afton.

LiveStream events grew exponentially in 2020 with the pandemic shutting down venues and clubs. Because everything happened so fast, there was a certain amount of fear/hesitancy expressed to us from our artists. For whatever reason some artists just did not want to jump on the live stream band wagon. We are here to tell you, LiveStreams are here to stay and don’t need to be scary to do!

The Differences

We do realize that on the surface just about everything with a Livestream show is different than doing a show at a local venue. The atmosphere and location are different, there is not a crowd there screaming your name, there is a different energy in the room and the list goes on. This in it self stops a lot of artists from doing a livestream show and honestly, we get it. However, they do not have to be treated the same and you can find great things about both.

The Similarities

Now that we got the differences out of the way lets go over some of the things that are the same about the two types of shows. When it comes down to it the reason your fans go to your show are mainly because, they want to hear music, they especially love your music, or they just want to support you. Well guess what? All of those reasons for your fans going to a show can also be achieved during a livestream show.

Your fan is still going to be able to hear some new or old songs from you and they also are still supporting you by attending the livestream. And if you have a fan that likes to partake in having one or even five cocktails at your show they can still do that from home. And lets be honest having a drink at home is a lot cheaper on the wallet. So really when you look at things a little more glass half full there are actually a lot of similarities between the two.

The Pros

Now that we have gone over the differences and the similarities, naturally we have to go over the Pros. And let me tell you there are a LOT of pros that come with a LiveStream show.

1. For a LiveStream show the artist picks the show date instead of being offered a show date.
2. Since it is a livestream show that means fans can only buy online. This makes it a lot easier because then aritsts don’t have to sell physical tickets to fans as they normally would for local shows.
3. You set the price of the ticket. After all, you the artist know your fans the best, so you will be able to come up with the right price for them.
4. Since it is a LiveStream and not at a physical location that means that the show cannot sell out. So you don’t have to worry about selling too many tickets.
5. Since the show is online and fans do not have to be at a location that means fans from across the United States of even the world can tune into the show.
6. You have full control of your stage, which means you can setup the backdrop and any lighting affects that you want to.
7. Since you are hosting the event you don’t have to worry about whether the venue will have the right cords or equiptment to use since you have it all at your house or studio (where you are performing at).
8. You are the headliner for the event which means you can promote it that way if it works better for you.
9. Finally the payout starts at 70% , so the opportunity to make decent money is there!

We could probably come up with a ton more pros to a livestream show, but we think you get the idea. Even though the show is different than an in person show there is no reason to fear it. Your fans are there to support you and they would surely purchase a ticket to your LiveStream show.

If you are interested in setting one up just make sure to login to your account and click on “Create LiveStream Gig”. It will walk you through the rest.

Other Resources

Local and Livestream shows

Best DAWs to use part 1

Best DAWs to use part 2

The post What is Holding You Back From A LiveStream? appeared first on Afton.

More Than a Show!

When it comes to doing a livestream a lot of times artists ask “Why would my fans pay for that?”, so we thought it would be good to write an article about why livestreams are more than just a show! So today we will be going over just that.

The Possibilities

When it comes to a LiveStream show the possibilities are endless in comparison to a show at a venue. Sometimes at a venue you are at the mercy of what the exact equiptment that the venue has. In some cases they might not have a screen/backdrop for you to bring some character to your set. Or they might not have a smoke machine to give your show that extra oomph.

When you do a Livestream that you put on at your house or you studio you are in full control over what is displayed to your fans and what is behind you, or even added to your performance.

Album Release Party

One of the really cool things that we have had artists do for their show is a simple album release party. At a venue you might not want to rent out the whole venue if you are just going to play songs from the album, so in most cases the artist performs as well. Sometimes the issue with that is you literally just released the song and you don’t have it down into a live show yet.

With a Livestream you put up a backdrop with maybe your album art on it and then you could give a little introduction about a particular song and then just play the song. That has been a fun method of artists playing their new, album, EP or even just a new song to fans. And fans feel special because they are the first ones to hear it since it might not even be on streaming sites yet.

A Q/A Show

Another cool option that we have had some aritsts do recently is a Q/A (question and answer) or even a AMA (ask me anything) type of show for their fans. This gives fans a great opportunity to ask those sometimes off the wall questions that they may otherwise have not had the chance to ask the artist yet.

This type of show is a perfect format for a LiveStream since fans can message you the questions and if the questions are too outlandish you can always skip over them. Where as at a venue show it might seem like you are ignoring them if you skip over it. Some aritsts have even sprinkled in a song or two at the end of their Q/A. So the possibilities are endless with this one.

A Full Experience

Some aritsts take their shows even a step further and make the livestream a full experience for their fans. They do this by having pre recorded videos made for their show. That way when the show goes live then can start with a short video to get the fans in the right mindset and then afterwards they go into their performance.

You can get pretty creative with this method since you can also play multiple videos through out your show or end the event with a really cool video. It could even be a special treat for fans where at the end of the LiveStream you play a new music video that you have been working on.

As you can see with LiveStreams the possibilities are truly endless and you can customize them as much as you want to for your fans!

Other Resources

Local or LiveStream Show

Affectively Promote Your Show

Live Streaming and Live Dreaming

The post LiveStreams are More Than Just a Show! appeared first on Afton.

Prepare For Your Show

One of the most common responses we get from artists when they are offered a livestream is “I don’t have experience with Live streaming”. Or even, “I wouldn’t know where to begin with that”. It’s EASY and we are here to help! In this article, we will be going over how to prepare for your LiveStream show.

Pick The Date

For a LiveStream, the artist is always in charge of setting the date and time – so there is a ton of flexibility on scheduling your event.

Your Show is Confirmed

All you have to do is login to your MyAfton account, click on ‘Create LiveStream Gig‘ and then you choose all the info around your show. It only takes about 2-3 minutes to setup your show. Once you have it confirmed, you can simply wait to post about it until you are familiar and confident with our platform and ready to start your promotion.

Tech Rider

Once you have your show created, we recommend going through the tech rider right away. This gives you insight into what is required for a stellar performance and walks you through everything you need. It includes questions about the device being used, software recommendations, and provides help articles that walk you through any steps that are confusing. This is why it is crucial to get the Tech Rider done first thing.

Test Connection

Once you have finished the tech rider you will then have all the needed programs/software to do a sound check and then eventually go live for your show. When the tech rider is complete, you will see a new section in your account that says ‘Test LiveStream Connection”. This is where you go live and test your sound and connection to make sure everything is setup correctly before fans are actually watching the stream.

This is where a lot of artists find that they need to redo their audio, download a different DAW software for their backtracks or even just simply adjust the sound levels. We also have a built in internet speed test within our site that we recommend artists use so they can make sure they have fast enough internet speed. Right next to your results from the test we even have a reccomended speed that you can compare your results with.

After The Sound Test

Now the hard part is over for your show. You have worked out all the potential issues that could arise for your sound and you are ready to promote it. We have also found (from artist feedback) that their promotion is actually more successful after doing this. The main reason being is because the artist is more confident about their show and really just about going live that they are able to talk up the show more than they would otherwise.

You of course will still need to work hard at promoting your show to your fans, but lets be honest with social media being such a great tool promotion has become a lot easier over the years. We also wrote a great article about promoting your show on social media that you can check out HERE.

You Are Ready!

Now that you have gotten everything setup in your Afton account and started promoting your show you are ready to go live on the date of the livestream. One final tip for the show is to make use of our Green Room feature. This makes it so artists can sign into their show early and test out their show right before they go live.

We hope that this blog was helpful to you and that it eases your fears around doing a Livestream performance. And just remember if any questions do come up we are here to help and we also have a TON of help articles to read through that can be found HERE.

Other Resources

Local And LiveStream Shows

The Rules of Seven

The post How To Prep For Your LiveStream Show appeared first on Afton.

LiveStream Ticket Price

Every month we have more and more artists sign up for LiveStream shows on our new platform. And they often wonder what is the right price to have for tickets? This is a common questions because, lets face it, most of us are still getting use to this new format of performing shows now that COVID is here.

So in this article we will be walking you through things to think about when it comes to coming up with the correct price for your tickets.

The Experience

The first thing to take into account is the fans experience. What are they use to paying for when it comes to your local shows? Some artists say right off the bat “oh I have to make it cheap because it is not an in person show”. Well we don’t think that is the case for a lot of artists. We have had a ton of artists that spend a lot of time creating an amazing show experience for their fans and when that is the case sometimes you can make the tickets more expensive or at least the same amount as they were for local shows.

A lot of artists will setup multiple cameras for their show, a really cool backdrop and some cool lighting features. A lot of times for fans this does not go unnoticed. So you can usually factor that into your ticket price by making it higher, but at the same time you do not want to go overboard with it.

The Show Length

Next, you want to make sure to take your show length into account. If fans are use to seeing you for a 15-20 minute set because you are performing with some other artist on the show, and you are planning the same amount of time then the price could be similar. However since you are doing your own show and want to perform a whole album that is much more of a full show for your fans and your ticket price can reflect that.

Another option when it comes to this is if the artist has a couple label members that they are performing with. Maybe one artist does 2-3 songs then another artist or two comes in for 2-3 songs of their own. That would make for a longer set and you would be giving fans a few artists to see. In that case you could make the price a little higher than you would normally. Especially when you take into account that you would most likely be splitting up the artist payment between a few artists.

The Lack Of Live Shows

Lets face it in a lot of cities around the U.S. there are just not many live (in person) shows happening. This can mean a few things.

1. Artists cannot go to live shows so there is nothing to compare them to.
2. Fans know that if the artist is not doing live shows they are financially not making as much.
3. Fans are dying to see some live music.

These are all huge factors that can also be taken in to account. If an fan does not have any other options for shows they would most likely be willing to pay more for a live show (especially because they are not able to spend money on things they normally could have before shutdowns). Also, fans are your fans for a reason, if they know that you are financially not able to perform like normal and make a living they might be eager to help support you! Fans might also know that if you are not making as much money then that means you will not be putting out as much new music.

Putting It All together

So the price of your show ticket really comes down what you are putting into your show. As of now we have changed our ticketing policy so you are able to have a ticket priced as cheap as $2.99 and upwards of about $14.99. If it is your first show or you are just doing an on the fly show with little notice I would price it around the $2.99 mark. However if you let fans know about your show 2+ weeks or even a month in advance and you are planning to make it a show to remember that take that into account and price it closer to $14.99.

At the end of the day you know your fans best so you will have a good idea of what they will want to spend and what is fair to them. Just keep in mind that fans can always send tips during the show. That means that you can always make the ticket price on the cheaper side and then fans that do want to tip more within the show can do just that.

We hope that this article was helpful to you when it comes to choosing a ticket price for your next LiveStream! And if you are reading this and are not yet setup for a LiveStream show you can always sign up HERE

Other Resources

Local And LiveStream Shows

Giveaways and Promotion For Your Show!

The Rule of 7

The post The ‘Right’ Ticket Price For Your LiveStream appeared first on Afton.

Independent artists ask me every day, “Are my live streams and virtual concerts something my fans should pay for? Or should I give away my live stream shows for free?” I talk to thousands of independent bands, rappers, and musicians each week who are members of our MyAfton booking and live stream platform. So I think about this question a lot.

Should You Charge Fans for Your Live Streams?

Do you live stream on Facebook Live or Twitch for free? Or, are you missing out on huge revenue potential, in-stream tips, and in-stream merch sales by not charging $5.00 or $7.00 to watch your official live stream performance?

When I was asked to be a guest on The Business Side of Music Podcast, I was stoked for the chance to talk about this topic. I’m a big fan of this podcast that Bob Bender brings to musicians each week. So when he asked me to join him to talk about virtual concerts and live streaming I said – “hell yes Bob.”

As a musician myself, I experienced firsthand that the Music Industry as a whole just doesn’t give a ton of support to the unsigned indie musician. There doesn’t seem to be many resources for artists to learn how to better market, propel their career, or how to overcome obstacles and roadblocks that they’re facing. Trying to “make it” in our Industry is not just hard to do, but sometimes it’s hard to know where to even start!

What Was the Key Takeaway?

Bob and I talk on the podcast about many aspects to live streaming. But the key takeaway from our conversation was this:

Your music and content for your live stream virtual shows is not necessarily something you should give away for free.

There is a time and place for doing the free Facebook Live session for your fans. But don’t give away all of your streaming content for free. Your fans LOVE you and want to support you, after all, they are YOUR fans. So don’t underestimate their willingness to support you.

But is There Any Money in Live Streaming?

We’ve seen smaller indie artists using our MyAfton LiveStream platform who are making $130+ per live stream, and they’re only selling 10 tickets. Most of their income comes from in-stream tips from fans and fans tipping during ticket checkout. Artists that market their stream a bit better are seeing $250 to $500 per stream with just 30 tickets sold. More established artists selling 200 tickets per live stream are walking away with $5,000 per stream.

So don’t miss out on learning how to produce fun live streams and how to market them well – especially now during the COVID-19 pandemic and the live events ban. Fans are dying for that live music connection.

Listen to the Full Podcast Episode

Bob and I covered a lot of ground during our episode, and I believe it can help a lot of artists out there who have the capability and drive to succeed with live streams but may not know where to start.

So plug-in those headphones, go for a run, walk the dog, or just chill out on the couch and take a listen to some of the ideas we came up with. I hope this helps you as much as it’s helped the other artists I’ve talked to that have listened. They’re already putting these tips to use to make their next live stream concert the highest payout yet. You can do the same.

LISTEN NOW: EP #137 – In the Virtual World, You’re Worth Watching & Getting Paid For It

Leave a comment below!

The post In the Virtual World, You’re Worth Watching & Getting Paid For It. appeared first on Afton.

World Wide Booking

The MyAfton booking platform and MyAfton Live Stream platform now supports bands, rappers, and musicians worldwide. No matter which country you live in, you can now utilize all of our virtual concert live stream features. You still get all of the same great support, a Booking Rep for 1-on-1 help, and full use of all of our features.

Since 2004, MyAfton has helped book over 200,000 musicians on real-world shows at music venues and clubs. It’s easy to see just how big of a positive impact we’ve made on our artists, take a look. Until now, our musician platform has only been open to musicians living in the United States and Canada. But as of Nov 2^nd 2020, we can now help support every musician on the planet. MyAfton is still free to sign up, with no membership fees, and no up-front costs.

“Our goal has always been to help independent musicians succeed in the music industry,” explains co-founder Ryan Kintz. “Now with our virtual concert live stream platform we can help indie acts make money and connect to fans even during the COVID-19 live events shutdown.”

You can take a look at some past live stream concert footage from various MyAfton artists here, and some footage from this virtual showcase at Afton Studios in Miami.

We believe that helping and supporting unsigned artists is the key to cultivating the next generation of major artists. After all, every major artist started out as a local artist. Not everyone in the Music Industry is quick to help independent musicians. The focus tends to lean towards major acts, signed acts, and established touring artists. But the reality is, the next big artist to break out is most likely an independent musician who is right now grinding it out to try and make a name for themselves. That’s where we come in, to give that extra support that you need.

We can’t wait to broaden our reach globally. If you’re a musician and would like to find out more about MyAfton and our live stream platform, click here to get started.

If you’re a musician looking for strategies, promo tips, and help with marketing checkout our Blog.

Other Resources

Local And LiveStream Shows

Different Kinds Of LiveStream Shows

The post MyAfton Live Stream now supports artists from every country. appeared first on Afton.

This is the definitive guide to selling live stream tickets and maximizing your virtual show’s viewership, payout, and fan tips.

Not sure where to start? Are you having a hard time figuring out the best promo plan for your live stream show? Today I’m going to show you exactly what to do.

As the founder of MyAfton LiveStream, I’ve talked to hundreds of rappers, bands, and independent musicians that have booked a virtual live stream gig with us this past month. Some artists are killing it and selling a lot of tickets, but some artists are struggling. I’ve identified what promo steps those struggling artists are forgetting to do – and they are such simple steps.

Here’s some good news: Selling live stream tickets is much easier than selling tickets for a real-world show. Here’s why:

• Live stream tickets are cheaper than real-world shows.
• Fans can buy a live stream ticket no matter where they live! Sell tickets nationwide and worldwide!
• Facebook ads are much more effective for live stream tickets.
• All the promotion is digital: social media, email, texting, etc.
• Fans watch from home – perfect during COVID-19.
• Fans don’t need to hire a babysitter, find a ride to the venue, get stuck in traffic, or spend $100 at the bar!
• It’s easy for fans to buy online instead of meeting up with you to buy physical cash tickets.

BUT IS IT REALLY WORTH THE EFFORT?

You tell me. We just had an artist sell a small number of tickets (23 tickets), and they walked away with over $280 between payout and artist tips. Another act sold 33 tickets at $5.00 each, and walked away with over $380 including payout and fan tips! Even smaller artists than that are moving just 10 tickets and making $120+ between tips and payout. Larger acts are selling 500-1,000 tickets and making $5,000 to $10,000 per live stream plus fan tips.

Remember, MyAfton LiveStream payout is 70% to 90% of ticket face value, with the higher tiers easily reachable for indie artists because selling just 20-50 tickets gets you in the 75% to 85% payout range. Indie acts that move 75-100 tickets for live streams get upgraded to our major artist live stream platform for 100% ticket face value payout and a dedicated account manager.

So the question is: How much promo effort are you willing to put in? To make $200, $300, or even $500 to $1,000 per stream?

If you put this live stream promotion guide fully into effect, you’ll quickly be selling 50-100 tickets and earning anywhere from $500 – $1500 including fan tips PER SHOW.

LIVE STREAM PROMO ACTION STEPS… LET’S GO!

We wrote another article about the RULE OF 7 HERE. Basically, studies have found that, on average, a fan needs to see your Live Stream promotion at least 7 times before they take action and buy a ticket. So FOLLOWING UP with fans and constant reminders are the key. You can’t just post the “buy tickets here” on your Facebook page 2 times or blast your email list 1 time.

STEP 1: PRIME THE SOCIAL MDIEA ENGINE!

You’d be surprised how many artists DO NOT fully utilize all of the promo mechanisms on social media. Do this for every single show:

• Create a FACEBOOK EVENT.
  • Then invite EVERY friend of your personal Facebook page and all followers of your band/musician Facebook profile.
• Post regularly about the show with the Buy Tickets link clearly listed in each post:
  • Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Linked In, Reverb Nation, Twitter.
• I highly recommend you run Facebook Ads and also do paid boosts to your posts. Facebook is pay to play, meaning they only show your posts organically to about 3% to 5% of your followers unless you pay them to BOOST your post.
  • See How to Boost Facebook Posts Here.
  • Learn How to Run Facebook Ads Here.
• Mix up the content for your show promo posting. The best results come from VIDEOS. Create a video of you talking about how cool your live stream is going to be and why it’s important. Post a video of you performing 1 minute of one of your songs as a teaser and at the end talk about how to buy tickets. Be creative!
• CONTESTS! Create some contests and incentives so your fans SHARE your posts on Facebook and leave comments to organically boost your post.

STEP 2: DIRECT MESSAGE EACH FAN 1-ON-1.

If all you’re doing is posting on social media about your shows and you’re NOT directly messaging every single fan and person that you know – then you basically cut down your ticket sales for the show by about 70%.

Have you ever posted about your upcoming shows like crazy on Facebook, but nobody bought a ticket? Then you see your friend at a party and ask them to buy a ticket to the show, and they buy one right away? Even though they have seen your Facebook post multiple times already and never bought a ticket until now?

You need that 1-on-1 interaction with fans – or else they won’t buy. Posting is a good “reminder tool,” but 1-on-1 direct messaging to each fan is the key to actual ticket sales.

YOU MAY NOT REALIZE IT, BUT YOU KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE.

Look at how many Facebook friends and Instagram followers you have. The average musician has 304 friends/followers in their social network. Multiply that by the 4 rap members or band members in your act – that’s over 1,200 people. Utilize that huge existing network of people who already know you.

During COVID-19, we can’t see friends face to face as easily as we used to before the pandemic. But you can STILL initiate 1-on-1 conversations with each fan and person you know through direct messages on Facebook, text messages to their phone, and emails.

Make a list of everyone that you personally know. This is well worth it because you will use this list anytime you are promoting future shows!

• Fan email list and your personal email contacts list.
• Friends from your personal Facebook account.
• Followers from your band/musician Facebook page.
  • Don’t have one? What are you waiting for? Create one now, and invite all of your friends to like the page.
  • You can’t run Facebook Ads without a band/musician Facebook page!
• Linked in profile followers.

Next, send a direct 1-on-1 message to every person on your list:

• Email
• Direct Message on Facebook
• SMS Texting their phone works so well.
• Use every messaging mechanism you have.

If you’re not directly messaging EACH person in your social and personal network then you’re ticket sales will be 70% lower than they could be. This isn’t just about making money, it’s also about sharing your music and growing your fan base.

STEP 3: DON’T FORGET TO FOLLOW UP!

But wait, you say, I posted on social media just like you told me to, I made a list of everyone I know, and I sent 1 direct message to all of them. Am I done?

Not quite yet. You are now off to a great start. In fact, statistically speaking, if you did everything I’ve talked about for your show you probably have done MORE promo than 85% of indie artists do for their shows.

However, if doing the above promo tactics have gotten 70 fans to “promise” they’ll buy a ticket for the show – probably less than 1/3 of them actually will buy a ticket.

FOLLOW UP IS THE KEY. If you forget this last step – you are going to drastically hinder your ticket sales for this show.

When I promote my band’s shows, I typically follow up with each fan 1x per week. The key is following up with a clear CALL TO ACTION. You want them to REPLY BACK so you know what their plan is.

If they don’t want to buy a ticket? That’s good to know, now you can stop following up with them.

If they are busy during your live stream performance date/time? That’s good to know, so you can cross them off of your list!

If they say they’re going to buy soon – ask them if they can do you a favor and buy a ticket now real quick so you know they’re good to go and can spend your promo time getting other fans to show up.

By taking this kind of confident, result-oriented action with your follow up – you’re fans are going to see that you take your music VERY SERIOUSLY and they will respect that. If you don’t show your friends and fans that your show is IMPORTANT TO YOU – then they are not going to spend their time and money to support you.

HOW TO TRACK FOLLOW UPS.

If you set up a great promotion strategy now, it will pay off for every future show you play. I track my fan follow-ups on a google docs excel spreadsheet. I copy/paste over all my email contacts, phone numbers from my phone, Facebook friends’ page URL’s, etc. so that I have a MASTER LIST of every fan and every person I know on social media.

This helps me easily direct message them on Facebook or shoot them an email or text.

But more importantly, it helps me create a duplicate of my master fan list for each show and when they buy a ticket, say maybe, or say they can’t go I mark that off on this spreadsheet.

This helps me see WHO I need to followup with again.

TURN THE “NO’S” INTO TICKET SALES.

Don’t be sad when a fan says they don’t want to attend or are busy that night. Thank them and tell them how much you appreciate their support and that you hope to see them at the next show!

But then, ASK THEM if they’re willing to do you a small favor to help your music career. Ask if they’re willing to SHARE your Facebook post about the show, and text or email any of their friends who they think would enjoy your music.

I can’t tell you how many times I had a friend or fan say they can’t go to my show – and after I ask them for this small favor they end up connecting me with 4 of their friends that I had no connection to, and those 4 friends bought a ticket to my show.

Every fan counts. Every ticket sale counts. Every action you take in your promotion efforts count.

TIME TO GET STARTED!

If you haven’t already booked a live stream gig then head over to MyAfton LiveStream, sign up for free, and create your first live stream to put these action steps into a huge payday.

If you already have an upcoming live stream, it’s not too late to implement these strategies RIGHT NOW!

It might “seem” like it’s a lot of work. But it’s not. Most artists can do everything I went over in this guide in about 2-3 hours or less. I know, I know, some musicians don’t want to “work hard” and they just want to make music and get famous.

But if putting 2-3 hours into this promotion guide for your live stream is the difference between you selling 2 tickets for your show and making a very small payout, OR making $200, $300, or $500 for selling 20, 30, or 50 tickets including fan tips – isn’t that well worth it?

There are thousands of new fans waiting for you on social media. But they’ll never become fans if you don’t put in the work. At least now you see how easy it is to attain your goals. Each month, thousands of artists are using our promo strategies to sell more tickets, grow their fan base, and to achieve that next level of success.

OTHER RESOURCES:
HOW TO SELL MORE TICKETS FOR YOUR LIVE STREAM
MAKE YOUR LIVE STREAM SO UNIQUE THAT FANS PAY FOR IT

WHAT PROMO STRATEGIES WORK BEST FOR YOU? POST BELOW!

The post The Definitive Guide to Selling Live Stream Tickets appeared first on Afton.

Artists ask me all the time, “How do I get my Fans to keep coming back for more Live Stream performances?”

The first mistake most artists make is, they see Live Stream performances as a novelty. So they do one, and then move on and never Live Stream again. Think of Live Stream gigs as a new part of your live show offering. You want to create unique Live Streams so that the same fans tune in and pay to watch your new shows on a consistent basis.

By doing that, you can make Live Streams a source of continuous extra income. Plus, you build more and more engagement with Fans every time they buy a Live Stream, which creates “super Fans” and grows your reach even more.

You also don’t want to sell pay-per-view tickets to your Fans for your Live Stream gigs and have them only watch 1 of your Live Streams. The goal is to build up fan loyalty, and get the majority of your Fans to buy tickets every time you Live Stream.

It’s All About Being Consistent

Create an ongoing Live Stream series! Every month, every 2 weeks. Whatever you can successfully pull off. This allows you to build traction and snowball your viewership. Fans will tell their friends about you and more and more tickets will be sold each and every show. That is the ultimate goal.

By looking at it like this, an ongoing Live Stream series, it also allows you to invest the time and energy to get really good at this. It lets you create unique shows with different set lists and themes so your Live Streams never get stale.

Most artists will try to Live Stream and sell 11 tickets and quit. But if they had KEPT GOING, they could have grown to 20 tickets, 30 tickets, 50 tickets, by the 3rd or 4th show.

Another huge advantage of an ongoing Live Stream series is that you now have a reason to invest more money into Facebook & Instagram ads! Because every ad you run is growing your ongoing series following. It may not be worth putting $300 in ad spend to 1 Live Stream gig… But if you do 1 Live Stream every month it is definitely worth putting $300 in ad budget towards social media ads over 3, 4, or 5 months.

This also lets you capitalize on SUPER FANS. Even if you only have 12 super fans, if they are all buying tickets to EVERY Live Stream you do, that really pays off over time. As you continue to grow your fan base overall, the number of super fans will also increase until eventually you have a constant revenue stream of virtual ticket sales and fan tips from your die hard fan base.

Don’t Treat Live Streams Like Normal Club Shows

As musicians, sometimes for real-world shows in music venues we tend to do the “same show” every time we play. The same songs, the same setlist, etc.

But for Live Streams, we need to mix it up completely. If you want fans to buy a Live Stream ticket every 2-4 weeks and watch all of your streams, you’ll have to make sure each and every show is different, special, and unique.

Here are some great ideas on how to accomplish that, and how to make your Live Streams something that fans are happy to pay for over and over again.

Other Resources

Local Shows

The post How to Keep Fans Coming Back for More Live Stream Performances appeared first on Afton.

Unique Livestream Performance

Here’s a quick guide to making your Live Stream gigs the most profitable shows you’ve ever played.

So many major artists right now are doing Live Stream performances for free. It’s been kind of weird, and kind of cool, to see major artists essentially “busking” online for tips.

So this leaves many independent musicians, rappers, and bands wondering “how the hell am I going to get my small fan base to pay to watch my Live Stream performance?”

We expect that major artists will soon stop live streaming for free and start charging fans to watch with a pay-per-view ticket. With no real end to Covid-19 in sight, musicians will need to start bringing in significant revenue.

Luckily, music fans are getting use to watching and paying for virtual Live Stream performances – and this can have a huge positive financial impact on unsigned, independent musicians.

So the question is, will any of your fans be willing to pay $5.99 or $9.99 to watch your virtual Live Stream gig? MyAfton LiveStream has found that there are key strategies artists can use on live streaming that can mean the difference between selling 2 virtual tickets, or selling 50 virtual tickets. They are so easy to implement.

1. Planning is Everything!

First, you need to think about what your fans and friends want to see. Right now during COVID-19 they can’t go see a live show. But, you want to start honing your Live Stream skills so that even once live shows come back – you can make your LiveStream gigs a normal part of your show offering.

You want to create a Live Show experience that is so much more meaningful than the $5.99 or $9.99 you ask your fans to pay, that they beg you for more and more Live Streams on a continual basis.

You want your Live Stream shows to be more than just “you performing at home.” Think outside the box, be creative, and look at your Live Stream shows as an interactive experience – not just a camera pointing at you while you perform.

Create your Live Stream show plan, almost like you do with your set list. We’ll show you how.

2. Content is King.

You have to not only offer great songs and a great performance to fans in your LiveStream – but you also must deliver a meaningful, fun, unique, and interactive experience.

When you Live Stream you can do so much more than you normally can at a music venue. The stage is yours. You can tell stories, show your new music videos, talk about song lyrics that are meaningful, answer questions from the audience – if your platform has Fan Live Chat like MyAfton LiveStream does, run contests, play cover songs, and show who you really are.

You can let your personality shine.

So when you sit down to create your set list for the stream, spend an equal amount of time planning out what you are going to say and do in between songs. Are you going to perform each song in a different room of your house? Are you going to have several quick wardrobe changes? Are you going to perform your stream out on your deck during sunset? Will you have a drink in hand or show off your favorite glass bubbler?

Try to plan out what you’re going to say and what kind of content you want to deliver to your fans. Maybe you want to setup your LiveStream in a “tonight show” format and have guests – it’s all up to you. We also recommend using content that is relevant to what is happening right now – so pay attention to the news in your city and use that to increase engagement.

3. It Must Be a Unique Experience

Fans can already see tons of live footage on YouTube. They probably have already seen you perform live in a music venue. So it really comes down to, “What are you offering in your Live Stream experience that is worth me spending $5.99 or $9.99 to watch from home?”

Brainstorm with any and all ideas, no matter how wacky they sound. Ask your fans what they want to see you do during your Live Stream. Ask them what songs they want you to play. Ask them for any and all requests, maybe they want to see you shotgun a beer, or perform next to a bonfire, or play a song with a carrot instead of a guitar pick, or perform while standing in your bathtub?

Whether you choose some type of gimmick or just doing some in depth Q&A sessions or guest features – the point is you control your entire show from start to finish. SO, MAKE IT SPECIAL, AND MAKE IT YOUR OWN!

4. Make it Interactive!

At a music venue you don’t get to chat with fans in between songs. In fact, with the lighting from the stage you usually can’t even see past the first row of fans.

But now you can literally ask fans anything you want, and they can do the same. You can have them vote on the next song you do, you can ask them to rate how well you’re playing, or make a drinking game out of every time you say a certain word. You can do some trivia where fans guess things about you. You can offer rewards and incentives for the top 3 tippers during the show. You can write a special song just for your live stream. You can share your political views, you can talk about Black Lives Matter and the protests that been happening, it’s your platform to speak out against injustice.

The point is, when fans are watching from home sitting on their couch and you’re on their flat screen TV, or if fans are watching from their laptop or on the bus from their iPhone – let them take part in your performance and engage them. You just can’t get that kind of interaction at a normal concert.

5. Lighting & Backdrop

Make sure there is ENOUGH LIGHT so fans can see you! This is crucial. If the lighting is bad, or half of your face is in complete shadow – you’re going to look like an amateur and fans won’t buy tickets to your future Live Streams.

You can invest very cheaply in some good lighting. Our friend over at Primal Video has a great video on types of lighting you can buy.

When you are doing your testing for the Live Stream do the video test in the exact place you plan to perform. If you are going to perform at night, don’t test your video in broad daylight. You want to match the conditions of the lighting in the room that will be experienced when you stream.

For video, you usually need more lighting than you would think. But this also gives you a chance to be creative. Once you have enough white light can you add in some disco lights or colored lighting to make it more interesting? I have 2 of these at my house for parties, my kids love them, and they’re like $13.99 – Disco Ball Lights on Amazon.

For a backdrop… What do you want your fans to see behind you during your Live Stream? Do you want a huge Bob Marley poster with hanging tye dye sheets? Do you want to do some kind of theme? Are there any PROPS you want to use? Be funny, be cool, show what you care about. What if you spent a couple hours painting a cool Black Lives Matter poster or sheet to hang behind you?

Get a couple fog machines, light up some incense. I have a handmade wooden pipe like the one Gandalf smokes in Lord of the Rings – I’d definitely incorporate that into my Live Stream. Do you have any cool beer mugs, Growlers, pipes, bongs, or shot glasses to incorporate? Are you going to sip on your favorite cocktail or premium liqueur? Don’t overdo it… But be yourself. Don’t overly censor yourself, let loose and have fun.

It kind of reminds me of being a little kid when a friend would come over to my house for the first time. I was so proud to show off my cool bedroom and all the things I decorated my room with. It was “my domain.” Well, you’re inviting your fans to watch you perform at your house and you can do the same. Create a COOL space and a fun atmosphere to watch you perform in. You should be excited to let your fans into “your space” so they can see who you are and connect on a deeper level!

PRO TIP: We recommend looking at your Live Stream shows as a continued part of your performance offering to fans – even once shows come back after COVID-19. Don’t look at this as a one-off show. Plan to make this a monthly or bi-monthly series. This makes it even more worth it for you to invest a little into good lighting and fun backdrops to make what your fans see a higher quality and more fun experience.

6. Choose the Right Ticket Price

Ok, so you’re stoked now. Your mind is already racing with 1,000 awesome ideas to make your Live Stream MORE than just a “performance on camera.” Because you are a creative. This is in your blood. You write lyrics, you create music, you make beats, all of the things we’re talking here is just using your creativity to enhance your Live Stream performance.

But, what ticket price do you charge?

Let me just say this, please don’t undervalue yourself or your music. Your show is worth more than 99 cents!

Your fans already buy things (many times “stupid” unnecessary things) that cost way more than a concert. I once saw a popular fart machine phone app that is $3.99 and brings in $10k a day (sad, I know). Fans spend $10 or more just for the privilege of entering a nightclub downtown. One cocktail at the bar is going to run you $5-$10. So a local artist asking fans to pay $5.99 to $9.99 for a special Live Stream experience is completely fair.

We believe local artists can price their virtual tickets at $5.99 to $7.99 very easily.

If you charge anything less than that, you don’t really make enough money to make it worth putting the time and energy to make it an awesome experience (i.e. selling 20 tickets at $1.99 each, what’s the point?) But, for local artists that are drawing 20-50 fans at real-world shows you may be able to get fans with $7.99 to $9.99 pretty easily.

Signed artists with larger fan bases should be able to charge 50% to 75% of what their normal real-world concert price is without issue.

Wait, Won’t I Make More Money by Streaming for TIPS ONLY?

This is a big myth. There are actually big disadvantages to an artist for doing full live stream shows for free, and it actually hurts their maximum earning potential. This article below talks more about this myth, and shows how to use free live streams to PROMOTE the ticket sales of your upcoming pay-per-view Live Streams and why that strategy pays off in the long run:

CLICK HERE TO SEE WHY LIVE STREAMING FOR FREE COULD BE HURTING YOU.

The post How to Make Your LiveStream so Unique that Fans Pay for it appeared first on Afton.