If you want to find more fans for your band (or yourself if you are a solo artist), Twitch is a good way to find people passionate about your music. Many bands have grown in popularity and have earned extra income from their favorite hobby. A few have even been able to replace their incomes elsewhere.
If you are interested in what it takes to stream as a band, this post will give you an overview and techniques that other channels use to grow their brands.
Set Up a Room Where You Can Play Together
Find a place where you can set up your equipment close enough together where you can all be seen on camera. Hook up your instruments and mics through a mixer so that your audio will sound right as it goes through Twitch to your audience.
Decorate the room so that it is visually appealing to potential Twitch viewers. Use appropriate stream lighting to set the mood. You can also set up cameras in several different angles and have someone control them through your streaming software. You can also sync up these scene changes from an Elgato Stream Deck so that one of you can quickly make the changes on the fly.
Set up a stream schedule and ensure that you steam at the same times each week so that your community knows when they can show up and watch you stream. Over time, you will find an audience who will enthusiastically look forward to each show.
How to Stream Gigs as a Band
When it comes to streaming gigs, you will need a system that is portable and won’t have a lot of lag. Find someone you can trust to manage your chat’s messages and how the set appears on steam.
As you won’t have any guarantee that the internet at the venue will be able to handle what you normally stream as a band, you will want to go with a simplified, browser-based streaming system, such as the MelonApp by Streamlabs.
Melon allows you to easily set up a branded stream that you can broadcast to several different platforms. You even have the option to multi-stream to several at once, allowing you to reach a greater audience. The program is more intuitive than most streaming software and can be set up in a matter of minutes.
Choose Your Platform
The first thing you will need to do is determine which live-streaming website to which you will want to broadcast your music to:
- Facebook – if you already have a Facebook page for your band, streaming live makes it easy to reach all of your viewers at once.
- YouTube – if you want to release music videos or covers in addition to your live-streams, streaming on YouTube will help you grow a larger following.
- Twitch – originally created for gamers, Twitch has expanded its categories to include fitness, art, music, and more. While organic growth can be difficult on the platform, the patrons can be enthusiastic and generous.
Tips to Grow Your Brand on Twitch or YouTube
Several musicians and bands have found ways to grow on Twitch using one (or several) of the following tips:
- Promotion – When performing in your area, leave business cards of your band’s name and your Twitch channel so that those who love your music can frequently tune in while you stream. You should also promote your Twitch channel from your band’s social media accounts.
- Request List – Have a list of all the songs that you and your band are comfortable performing. Link to it in your Twitch bio and let your viewers choose from the list to generate engagement.
- Live Learns – consider learning a requested song on the spot. Several musicians have been able to turn this into another means of monetization by charging a set amount to try a song of the viewer’s choice.
- Sub Song – write a song to dedicate to your subs when they support your channel financially. Have a place where you can insert their name and keep it short enough that they can clip it if they wish.
Conclusion
Streaming as a band can increase your audience and make it easier for you to sell your original music down the line. Many viewers will want to tip you through donations or sub to your channel to support you as well. Just keep things fun and entertaining and you will continue to grow and find new fans over time.