The Good “New” Days! Crowdfunding Part 3 – Advice From The Experts
With so many options, the process of launching the right crowdfunding program can seem overwhelming to an artist considering shifting to this model for the first time. Each of our experts had some different bits of advice to offer anyone considering taking the patronage plunge.
If you have not yet read PART ONE or PART TWO we strongly encourage you to read those first. You might also want to listen to our specially curated Spotify Playlist that includes tracks by each of these artists and several others that were created via crowdfunding.
Part 3: Advice for Artists Considering The Patronage Plunge
For Christa Wells the work starts long before you get to the Patreon site. “You have to put in the time outside of crowd funding first, so that when you launch you have a much greater likelihood of people supporting you. Practice your craft and be active in real life and on social media. Grow your community and show them you care about them and are going to follow through before asking them to give you their hard-earned dollars.”
“Do your research,” is Bradford Loomis’ first bit of advice. “Have a plan and a back-up plan. Pool lots of quality strategic content together and launch the crowd-funding campaign first, then when that’s done, launch the subscription. There are so many ways to lay out what you are going to offer. Develop what you are offering based on what you need to be doing anyways and make it able to scale. Don’t offer something that will only be worth it to you if 100 people sign up. It has to be sustainable at a small level and a larger one.”
Tyler Somers’ advice depends greatly on the type of artist he is addressing. “To prolific writers or creators, I’d say do Patreon (for ongoing support) and consider Kickstarting your albums. To artists who struggle to produce lots of content (whether it be covers or originals or videos or commentaries or something else), I’d say go with Kickstarter.”
Terry Taylor agrees. “Each artist is unique in regard to their particular creative rhythms,” he offers. “I happen to be blessed with a strong work ethic and equipped with the ability to be prolific when it comes to song writing. This isn’t a brag; it’s just how I’m wired. Of course neither of these “attributes” are necessarily indicative of whether or not one is a good songwriter. You can work day and night writing a bunch of crappy songs. My point is that if you are considering becoming a Patreon artist, (and you should) be very deliberate in assessing the relative depth of the commitment you are about to make, and once you have made it, keep it. If you tend to work at a slower, more deliberate pace, you may want to play it conservatively, avoiding a commitment that could potentially leave you in over your head. On the other hand, moderately challenging yourself isn’t a bad thing. There are a lot of ways to go on Patreon…. multiple options. You may choose not to take the “per song per month” path that I took, but instead opt to go the Kickstarter-style, single project route. Either way, what have you got to lose by checking it out? Patreon may turn out to be the perfect fit for you.”
The Good NEW Days?
Garret Godfrey, of Crowdfunding Christian Music, sees the whole thing, from project-based crowd-funding to the ongoing support that patronage systems offer, as superior in almost every way to the old model.
“It reminds fans,” he says, “in a very real way, that how they choose to spend their money can have a big impact on the creation of the art they love. Without funds to record great music, a number of projects may not get made, or may not get made with the excellence and attention that could take it from being a good album to being an incredible album. As a fan, when I hold the CD or record that I helped fund, I feel like I was a part of that project. I never feel that way when I simply buy the CD at the store, or stream the song online. But when I helped fund it, I’m already, literally, invested in the project.
“I also think it extends the amount of time I’m excited about a project. I’m excited when the campaign is running – telling my friends and talking them into supporting it. Then I’m excited when I’m getting updates about the progress and hearing early versions and seeing preliminary artwork. I’m excited when I get the early download and get to hear the whole project, often weeks before the rest of the public. Finally, I’m excited when I’m holding the record or CD in my hands and know I helped bring it to life.
Christa Wells has noticed the process having an impact on the actual music, too. “It has freed me up to develop songs that are less likely to be smash hits. Because I have a place to share what I’m creating monthly without massive production costs, I feel able to experiment with voice and form and mood. I love doing full production albums, but you do have to make so many choices and select songs thoughtfully and strategically. Patreon gives me a playground, and it’s so gratifying as an artist to have people willing to listen to the ‘smaller’ songs that may or may not ever fit on a studio project.”
Godfrey also sees the value in artists being directly connected to the source of their sustenance, instead of being removed from it through proxies like record labels. “I feel like the artists can see the names of the backers, or the names of their Patreon supporters, and know that all these people personally believe in them and what they’re doing. My name on that list can help them in times of self-doubt or uncertainty. My name on that list can help act as a form of accountability to help them press on in their art. My name on that list lets them know that they have a street-team that will help them spread the word about their work. I feel that there’s a greater sense of connection between the artist and the fan under both of these newer models, and I think that’s a really good thing.”
Thanks to our panel for taking the time to respond to these questions. Please make sure to check out their campaigns and their music.
Musical pioneer Randy Stonehill recently invited us in to hear some of his upcoming album, which is completely funded by Patreon backers as well. We’ll have more on that story soon, but you can get in on his campaign HERE.
We hope to continue to make the new True Tunes a place for both inspiration and functional information for artists looking to cut through the noise. Make sure to subscribe to our new email list so you never miss a post! We will also have a special feature with Christa Wells on the upcoming True Tunes podcast!
