4 Types Of Content Musicians Can Video Stream (Other Than Music)

In light of the current situation, artists, as well as others in the industry, have flocked to weekly live video streams, much to the delight of fans. However, video streaming is an opportunity for more than just music, as we examine in the following article.

Guest post from the ReverbNation Blog

For the past few weeks, we have seen many weekly live video streams by different musicians, producers, and record labels. However, video streaming should not just be about live music. It offers many other opportunities artists can utilize! So, in this blog post, I would like to highlight four ways musicians can use video streaming services:

1. Teach a workshop

Teach your fans some tricks of your trade. This includes showcasing your instrument techniques, talking about how you wrote a song, or screen sharing some music production sessions. You get to create an exclusive atmosphere by teaching a workshop to your fans. All in all, teaching a workshop is a very effective way to create an engaged and meaningful conversation with your fans. 

A great workshop idea is to break down one of your songs and discuss the composition, arrangement, and recording phases. You could even charge fans for this event, and this could help you generate some extra revenue. 

2. Showcase the studio

Another exciting content idea is to show what’s behind the scenes during the recording in the studio. Show your fans your favorite microphones, guitars, pianos or amps, and walk them through the studio! The more people will be exposed into the creative process of a song in the making, the more they will be connected to you and your music. 

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If recording sessions are more of a private process for you, you can also showcase a mixing or mastering session. A mixing session could especially be interesting as you can provide a sneak peek to a brand new song. This way, you can highlight some behind the scenes action while also create anticipation with a new song teaser. 

3. Stream the rehearsal and jam session

Another great idea is to stream your band rehearsals in real-time. Depending on how the rehearsal goes, this might even end up feeling like a little show, but in a really raw way. The point is to be as sincere and authentic as possible. So this could work really well as engaging content. 

Also, you can have guest musicians sit in during a rehearsal, or better yet, set up a whole jam session. This way, you can drive the audiences of the guest musicians to your stream, which could mean more engagement, and potentially more fans. 

Maybe it’s knowing that some mistakes could be made or witnessing a new song in the making, but there is something really exciting about broadcasting your rehearsals in real-time to the fans. Regardless, for a band to share a rehearsal with their fans is a pretty powerful way to make them feel like they’re in the same room. 

4. Do a Q&A session

Q&A sessions are excellent as they literally drive the conversation with your fans. Q&A sessions are usually open-format in terms of question content, so you get to show who you are as a person to the fans, share stories, and really create an intimate atmosphere with them. You might also talk about the meaning behind a song lyric, the story behind recording an album, or your experiences during the making of a project. 

You can also charge for your Q&A sessions, rather than making it available to the general public. Charging fans a small amount and taking questions from them personally is totally a fair exchange that many artists participate in. 

Final Words

Video streaming is a great opportunity for many musicians these days to engage with their fans and make some extra revenue. It’s best to keep the general tone of the video streams ‘light’ and not polished. It should not feel like a production, or rehearsed. In fact, the more real and sincere the content is, the more engagement and responses it receives. 

What other ways are you using video streaming to engage with your fans?