Fund Your Recording Project

If you have the music and want to make that quality video or CD, but don't have the dough, you will need to fundraise. The good news is, Crowdfunding makes it easier, and you will be surprised at how much you can bring in IF you do it right. This page is here to help you do that.

How to succeed at crowd funding and fundraising for your musical project

Asking people for money to make your music will usually fail. Inviting people to be partners in your musical project has a much greater chance of success. People do not want to give money and be done with it. They want to be a member of the organization, a co-creator of the work, a full partner.

With that mindset, you are ready to launch your funding campaign. There are two sources we will focus on: Crowd funding (sign up for one down below), and private funding. Let's get to work.

Define your fundraising goals. How much money to you need to raise for your recording, video or other musical project?

What will be your main angle for attracting contributions? (Think "partnership").

What premiums will you offer for each level of donation? Again, do not regard this as "selling" gifts for donations. Think more in terms of "If you donate $1000, you get to vote on the cover art." In other words, each gift involves more partnership and membership for your donors.

Level Premium

More levels and premiums:
Any more levels and premiums go here.

What will your introductory text say to invite people to be a part of your project?
Write your appeal here. This will go on the Fundraising main page.

Your video appeal is key. Let's work out this plan in some detail:

Who shall be the best narrator or narrators for the video?

What will the main message be?

How can you make it entertaining, funny, and moving at the same time?

What clips can be included (songs, rehearsal footage, etc..)?

What guest interviews should be included?

Based on the above, write a storyboard for this video. This is done by listing the segments, and approximately how much time each segment will have. An example appears in the box.

25 sec Intro with Cheryl. 10 sec Cheryl and Darryl at the piano. 25 sec Darryl sharing an anecdote 15 sec more piano 5 sec a kid on a skateboard and so forth.

Write your narration script here:

Click submit to view this in a new window. You can save the texts from there.

Sign up for the best Crowd-funding site.

Sign up for a flex funding site: Go Get Funding. You keep what is donated, even if you don't reach your goal. They do not specialize in the arts, but are used for arts as well as business or other projects.
Alternatively, tryKickstarter. It's huge, but is an "all or nothing" site. If you don't raise the entire amount by your deadline, you keep nothing. Best to request a safe amount, and hope you go way over it. The advantage of this is the element of urgency. It helps motivate people to contribute.
A third alternative is Indiegogo also huge, which offers both fixed funding and flexible funding.
Have your closest people jump-start your campaign. No one likes to give to a campaign that seems doomed. Have your family, friends, even yourself, put in at least 5% of the goal. This is very important to induce people you don't know to go ahead and get involved.
Approach private sources outside of the Crowd Funding Campaign. As opposed to crowd funding, the video is less important. Here, you need a personal touch. A visit, or an email/letter followed by a phone call. The message is still one of partnership. List who you can approach, make a personal contact requesting a meeting to discuss funding your project.

If the meeting is granted, you will certainly get something. Come with a dollar figure. Ironically, wealthy people prefer to be asked for more money than less. Asking a millionaire for $25 is a perceived insult! Better ask for the whole $10,000. Also, some donors will stipulate that they will contribute part of the amount if you you can find another donor or donors to match. Be prepared to approach more people with the first one's challenge.

When you're satisfied, click here for the next Music Promotion Action!

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