For musicians, Patreon changes the way you make an income. You joined (or are in the process of joining) Patreon, because in an industry of unpredictable income, having a sustainable salary is key to making, releasing, and performing new music.

So right now, you’ve got a bunch of fans that have already signed up to be your patrons. You see your patron count tick up pretty steadily (along with the earnings, of course).

You’ve been promoting mostly online by sharing links to your free content, making annotations at the end of your YouTube videos, and adding your Patreon link everywhere you can.

Not yet on Patreon? Learn more here about how Patreon helps musicians get an ongoing sustainable income. 

Musicians are in a unique position to gather patrons offline, in the real world.

As a musician, songwriter, or performer, you are on stage in front of real, live, breathing people! This is an excellent opportunity to make your audience aware of your presence on Patreon. So, how do you do it?

Say it out loud at the end of your set

The most simple way to make people aware of your Patreon page is to tell them. At the end of the the night, when you’re saying your goodbyes from the stage and thanking the room for listening, mention something like, “If you want to hear new music, I put all my most recent work and teasers to coming work on my Patreon page.”

From there, you can choose to give a little elevator pitch on Patreon and how it works, or simply direct them to meet you at the merch table to hear how they can get your newest music and rewards.

Include your URL in your banners and signage

Place your Patreon link on all signage at your shows. That could be a big vinyl banner on the stage behind you, the chalkboard wall at the venue, the sandwich board out front, and the signs around your merch table. The more signage you can put your url on, the better.

After the show, place one of your signs in a spot where you can take photos with your fans in front of it. Make sure the url is clear and you don’t block it with your body. Fans will not only have an awesome picture with you to commemorate the night, but they’ll also have your URL and will likely share that out on their socials as well! #marketing

Giving away freebies? Put your URL on those, too!

Postcards, stickers, and other paper freebies are great resources to give away at shows. Pop your ol’ Patreon url on those paper goodies and hand them out like candy! Make it rain with that $free.99 goodness!

Pro-tip: Set your Patreon URL to be the same as all your other social media accounts. Consistency is your bff!

When you gather email addresses, shout out your Patreon page in the Welcome automation

Never underestimate the power of the email list.

Ok, so technically this is a digital tip, but it starts at your live shows. After the show, you’ll be gathering emails at your merch table – for every purchase, and for those who just want to sign up to stay recent on what you’re doing.

When you get home, create an automation sequence for your new signups (Mailchimp is awesome at this) that mentions your Patreon page in the first or second email.This way, your newest fans will be directed to your Patreon page just after the show, when your jams are still fresh in their mind.

 

For maximum exposure: do it all!

Do all of this at your shows and your fans will have heard about Patreon from the stage, will see it over and over again in your signage, will walk away with a sticker or freebie, gotten photos with you in front of your signage, and will get a Welcome email with a link the next day.

Live shows are such amazing experiences. The night itself is going to be memorable for your audience. But if you can take a little bit of that magic and harness it to direct your fans to your Patreon page, you’re likely going to make some new patrons who want to be a contributing part of your career.

---

Want more posts like this, delivered directly to your inbox? We share tons of creator resources, inspiration and industry news on our blog!
SUBSCRIBE