This corona time is not easy for artists. Working from home and making money is hardly possible. What are you going to do without income and how are you going to cope with this? Yet there are not only negative consequences. Read the tips below that you can do without having sitting still.
The problem
Artists have many questions about their own careers. No performances can be given and there is hardly any income. Corona also has a lot of effect on the creative process of making new music. The future prospects for many artists do not look very bright. Unfortunately, we cannot predict what the future will look like and if new measures will be added or reduced. But there are a number of things you can do as an artist to keep hope and faith.
"Be creative from home and share this creativity with the whole world"
PRO artiest Martijn Buijnsters during a performance
Entrepreneurship
Of course it is annoying to sit at home without any bookings. At the same time, it also offers time to think about the future. There is no better time to take advantage of this time to create new music, new promotional material and show yourself to your trusted fans. You can really start reflecting on yourself as an artist and start doing things that can help you succeed in the long run. There are numerous possibilities to strengthen your musical network and artist branding such as making your music available digitally in this (online) time. Here are some useful tips to make good use of coronatime as an artist.
1. Put your music on Spotify
You finally have time to put your music on Spotify. How much fun is that? Make your music public and see what options you have to get into a playlist with a big audience. For example the 'New Music Friday' playlist or our own Spotify playlists. This way you reach more potential fans and attract them more towards you, creating a lot more publicity around your music. And that's what you need right now.
2. Refine your artist branding
This is also the right time for you to work elaborately on your artist branding. Create an artist logo, work on your corporate identity, complete your website and update your biography and act presentation. Be innovative and unique!
3. Teach music online
Have you ever thought about giving music lessons or singing lessons and would you like to pick that up again? Then this is the moment! Now that everyone is sitting at home and discovering new hobbies, the market for music and singing lessons is bigger than ever. You can also give music lessons online just from your living room.
4. Write songs
Now that you've been sitting at home for a long time, there's plenty of time to write songs and record them digitally. You can start looking for music to inspire your new album. For example, make a Spotify list of songs with inspiring lyrics or interesting topics to come up with new ideas. Pick a day when you're full of inspiration and write it all off, often the most beautiful lyrics arise at these moments.
5. Keep creating for the future
Be creative from home and share this creativity with the whole world. Make more use of social media and stream live to create a personal connection with your fans. Think of new acts for future performances and let your (new) music be heard.
6. Get in touch with other artists
You learn a lot more together than alone, so get in touch with other artists or people in the work field. Talk to each other about this situation and you will soon find that you can help each other and that you are not alone in this situation.
Take a look at this Gigstarter PRO artist Raoul & the Wisemen who have been at various festivals in the Netherlands and Slovenia, write their own songs and have their music online on Spotify and other streaming services.
7. Give an online Gig
Offer a digital live experience and get booked trough Gigstarter. Use Teams, Skype or Zoom to give an Online Gig. With the upcoming holidays, this can be the ideal and unique gift for your fans. So show that you can also be booked for an online gig!
“Keep your distance, trust and believe that it will be okay”.
Positive view
No matter how annoying Corona is, artists can also get something positive out of it. Now there is plenty of time to reflect on what you have achieved so far and what you would like to achieve in the future. Make plans to actually accomplish these goals and put yourself well on the chart as an artist. In a nutshell, try to take a positive look at your next steps and be creative with the resources you have. Keep your distance, trust and believe that it all will work out.
PRO artist Leonie Prater - Metamorphosis LivesessionDo you also want to give a positive spin to this difficult time? By signing up at Gigstarter you increase your chances to be booked for (online) gigs.
