By: Gemma Mastroianni
We are collectively living in some of the toughest of times. Thankfully, many of our favourite artists, both big and small, have been hosting digital concert's on a variety of different user platforms such as Zoom, Instagram Live, Facebook Live, Twitch, and more.
Are you thinking of hosting a digital show for your band? Or better yet, have you been hosting some throughout these times, and wondering how you can up the ante? I have some recommendations that I can share with you.
Partner with a media outlet
A variety of indie and funded media outlets have been hosting shows on their platforms, including The Soundtrack, for the first few months of quarantine. Not only is this an exciting announcement for your audience, however, an opportunity to be exposed to a new one. Take this opportunity and gain some media coverage which will add value to your band portfolio. Begin with networking by sending a friendly DM or e-mail with your band's bio and press kit.
Invite special guests
Do you have other friends who are artists, or are you familiar with some others who would be a good fit to collaborate? Invite them to be a guest on your live stream! This is a win-win opportunity as you can both introduce each other to your respective audiences. This will also add a nice break and some flare into the show.
Choose a platform that makes sense for your audience/what you are trying to accomplish
Why do you want to do a live stream? Are you trying to make it something exclusive, or reach as many people as possible? Decide what your goals are, and act accordingly. If you want this to be exclusive, consider holding a private live stream in a zoom chat room, and only give out the code to a certain number of people. If you want to reach as many people as possible, it is probably best to stream on the platform where you have the most followers.
Proper Lighting
Ensure you are in a well-lit area and that there are no beaming lights coming from behind you. This will make it much more enjoyable for your audience, and also add a sense of professionalism. Consider buying a ring-light as well as we are going to be stuck inside for the next little while. If you are planning on doing plenty of content creation/live streaming, it's a great investment! You can get them for as low as $20.00.
Tease a special announcement that you will be saying on your show
Worried about how many people will show up? If you have an announcement to share, this is a great way to get people on your stream. Advertise your concert and communicate that during the show, you will be making a very special announcement- people may want to be the first ones to hear! Additionally, you may get some people posting on social media about it after the fact.
Visuals
Make your space interesting. I know it can be challenging as we are all stuck at home, but consider adding some props or hanging up a cool table cloth in the background. So many people are live streaming and it is so easy to tune out. Make your space look as visually appealing as possible to keep those views. Consider playing with Instagram filters, or using a projector for your background if you own one.
The second part of this recommendation is making a promo show poster! You can use Canva for free to do this, and there are plenty of templates you can use for inspiration. Share this on social media and get people hyped.
Audio quality
Unfortunately, I'm not an expert on this one but definitely do your research. I've seen some live streams with some poor delay issues, or everything sounded fuzzy because it was too loud. Do a test-stream with a friend to ensure that everything will go as planned.
Don't overdo it
Lastly but certainly not least, do not host one too often if you want a good turnout. If you are hosting one every night of the week, it simply is not as exciting and your audience will not show up for every single one of those. Space them out, and make it more exclusive!