When starting out on the music scene, it can be difficult to build a fanbase. Not knowing where to look or how to promote your music. That’s why giving back to people who interact and share your music will show you in the best light. It encourages people to follow your work and also rewards those who do show support.
What is a Content Unlock?
A Content Unlock is a way of rewarding your fans with a secret digital file. This could be a hidden track they can download, a piece of never seen before album artwork, a behind the scenes clip from a gig or even a promo code for discount on your merch. Anything you can think of that you want to give back to your fans, you can add it to a Content Unlock.
The great thing about Content Unlocks is that your fans have to work for it. It’s nothing difficult for them so don’t worry, they won’t be put off the idea. You set the rules, however. In order for them to gain access to this unlock feature, they have to complete the digital tasks you set. This isn’t some hardcore coding exercise that only the elite can achieve. All they have to do is interact with your content and/or socials. It might be that you want them to follow your Instagram account, subscribe to your YouTube and follow your Spotify page. Or perhaps you want them to follow two of your streaming accounts and share your release via a social media platform of their choice.
It’s really up to you how many tasks you set for your fans. It might be a good idea to give many options, of which they only have to pick a couple. This way if your fans don’t have a certain social media account, they can still access your content. You don’t want to limit this to only people who have Apple Music and Instagram for example. Give them a few options and set a minimum of tasks they have to complete.
Why is it beneficial for independent artists?
Being able to give something back to your fans is a great way to encourage them to continue to promote your music. It’s essentially free promotion however, your fans get something in return. Rather than expecting them to share, stream and follow your latest tracks with no incentive. This gives them a chance to earn something back for doing that. It can be difficult finding new fans and reaching new audiences. With a Content Unlock, you’re encouraging interaction across your platforms. Over time, you should then start to see your audience increase.
They’re completely free. This is a huge bonus to any independent artist. You don’t need to pay for extra features or to give something back to your fans. By offering a promo code for your merchandise, it may encourage people to buy more. Perhaps they weren’t able to buy a t-shirt from your latest collection, adding a bit of money off might help them do that. They might even decide to buy an extra t-shirt since they’re saving a bit of money on the first item.
It allows your fans to feel valued. They essentially get a reward for their constant support. Giving back and interacting with your followers makes them feel appreciated for everything they do. Also, imagine your favourite artists. If they gave you a behind the scenes clip from a tour or the production of their latest album, imagine how excited you would be. Why would you want to create that for your own fanbase?
Of course, the overall benefit for any independent artists is exposure. With a Content Unlock, you’re telling people to follow you, but it’s far more likely they actually will. Often people may follow you on one platform but without a need to follow you on others, they simply won’t. This isn’t because they don’t value your work, but in their eyes, what’s the point? They may see it as an extra place to receive the same information they already get elsewhere. We know however, it doesn’t work like this for artists. All independent artists need following across all platforms, not just one.
How can PUSH.fm help you as an independent artist?
At PUSH, we offer a completely free service. No ties, no strings attached, you get exactly what it says on our pricing plan below.
As you can see we offer two different types of accounts. Our Basic Plan is completely free, and you’ll receive the same level of support as you would with our Premium Plan. We don’t believe in paying for customer service. The Premium Plan we offer is just £4.99/mo and allows you to have unlimited access to everything. This price is still really affordable and might be beneficial to you once you have given the free version a try.
The Basic Plan offers 10 Content Unlocks, meaning you can create up to 10 different interaction campaigns for your followers. That could be 10 completely different tracks you’re promoting. Why not give that a try and see how it can help you?
Our Premium Plan offers unlimited access to all the features we have available. Meaning, you can create as many Content Unlocks for your fans as you want to. You can also see in-depth statistics and analytics which are super important for any artist to keep on top of. This is where you will see just how well your campaigns are performing. You’ll gain a deeper understanding of what to change for next time and what works really well for your target audience.
We want to see all artists big and small succeed. That’s why we offer a completely free plan, unlike some of our competitors. All independent artists can use either tier and create Content Unlocks that are personalised to their branding. These Content Unlocks can be shared across all of your social media accounts, and you can even ask your fans to share them too. What’s stopping you?
