{"id":84747,"date":"2021-04-09T19:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-04-09T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/?p=84747"},"modified":"2021-12-07T12:54:01","modified_gmt":"2021-12-07T12:54:01","slug":"a-musicians-guide-to-patreon-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/a-musicians-guide-to-patreon-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"A guide to Patreon for musicians (2021)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Image Credit: Patreon<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is having a Patreon for your music worth it, and how does the platform work? Learn more about how to make money as a musician with our introduction to Patreon for musicians.<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When the pandemic hit last year and restrictions rolled out, musicians and producers<\/a> looked desperately for a way to make up for income lost from live gig cancellations. Membership platform Patreon<\/a> was one service that artists turned to as a way to make money from music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Between mid-March and May 2020,<\/a> over 70,000 new creators launched on Patreon, which included a 150% increase in musicians joining the site. The site exploded in popularity, and the platform has recently been valued at $4 billion.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is Patreon good for artists? If you find it a good fit you could see revenue rolling in on a consistent basis, as if from an online tip jar. But what exactly can musicians offer fans on the platform, and what do artists gain from becoming a Patreon creator? Let\u2019s explore a little deeper into what it takes to be a musician on Patreon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How does Patreon work?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The membership platform lets creators offer exclusive content in exchange for a pledge. It offers a way for artists to make money on a consistent monthly basis, unlike the time-restricted one-hit of a crowdfunder campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creators can have several different price tiers ranging from, say, $1 to $50 a month, exchanged for rewards of varying levels of value. It\u2019s free to set up an account, and Patreon only starts taking a commission once you attract patrons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Patrons pledge money to gain specific perks, with different price tiers available depending on what the artist is offering. Artists such as Orla Gartland<\/a>, Jacob Collier<\/a>, and Amanda Palmer<\/a> have made a success of the platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Think about what you can offer your fans<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The attraction of Patreon is to have exclusive goodies that people can\u2019t get anywhere else, like your patrons are part of a secret club.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Look at what musicians and other creators who are successful on the site offer their patrons, to get inspired for what might work for you. A common offer is free downloads of unreleased demo tracks, or voice memos for a behind-the-scenes peek at your creative progress. Fans can get involved, offering feedback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Merch<\/a> like badges and posters is an easy option or try early access rewards, giving audience access to future projects, so that they are the first to know. Patrons want to feel special for contributing personally to your career.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tutorials are popular with patrons. You could offer lessons of how to cover your songs, or perhaps beatmaking tutorials if you\u2019re an up-and-coming producer.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How to grow your music Patreon account<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The tricky part is turning your fans into paying subscribers. Offering promises, \u201cGoals\u201d, such as an exclusive livestream once a certain number of patrons is achieved, encourages new patrons and keeps your fans engaged. There\u2019s no in-platform promotion tools, so you\u2019re going to have to plug your own Patreon on other social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best thing to do is ask your patrons what content they\u2019d like to see. Start off simple, with 1-3 tiers of core benefits, that you can build on depending on what resonates well with fans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Make it easy on yourself<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Think about what you can offer on your Patreon that doesn\u2019t take up a silly amount of your time. Offering rewards like demos, or releasing supplementary content like old videos of gigs, requires little extra work on your part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consider what comes most naturally to you as an artist. Love sharing your life on socials?<\/a> Create a secret patron-only Instagram<\/a> or TikTok<\/a> to offer behind-the-scenes footage. Do you have other creative skills, like making artwork? Offer exclusive prints. Poet? Start an exclusive blog where you post your lyrics in poetry form. Got lots to say? Start an exclusive podcast, like Orla Gartland’s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n