Industry news & advice blog

As you may have already spotted on our blog, we teamed up with Rocket Fuel at the start of this year. Rocket Fuel are an innovative new crowd-funding platform that allows artists and bands to recruit ongoing financial support from their fans. Last month, we looked at how their service has progressed the careers of several artists and in this latest blog contribution from them, they tell us what funding an artist can mean to the fans. Without further ado, let’s hand it over to Rocket Fuel…

For any business, a key question has to be how do they get, keep and grow their customers. Many artists win the attention of audiences for a moment but how can you engage them beyond the excitement of a gig or the buzz of a new release?

Here’s what some fans have said about why they’re funding artists through Rocket Fuel:

“Any unsigned artist working independently needs the support of their fans. The exclusives and one off items you get through Rocket Fuel are very attractive - it’s not just signed stuff at extortionate prices, it’s creative things that fans are interested in! Seeing how the products change month-by-month keeps the interest there, and helps you follow how the artist is growing and evolving over time.”
Steve Rosier, Daughters of Davis supporter

"Philippa, her music and lyrics have been a huge blessing to me during a tough year and I want to do what I can to help Philippa to continue creating her music so she can keep touching hearts and changing lives…and Rocket Fuel has allowed me to do that. In return I have received gifts and free music, accompanied by video messages from Philippa sharing the stories behind her songs, as well as monthly video updates telling me what Philippa’s been doing and what’s coming up, which keep me connected to the journey Philippa is on.  I would support Philippa without any of these, but they are a great addition!”
Anna, Philippa Hanna supporter

Rocket Fuel utilises 2 key ideas: 

1. Fans want to support their favourite emerging artists 
Whilst a minority of artists fear being labelled as beggars, a growing number of artists are finding that fans genuinely want them to succeed and have a deep seated desire to contribute to the thing they believe in. You don’t need a degree in Popular Music to understand the challenges that an independent artist faces and fans relish the opportunity to support artists. During Philippa Hanna’s first Goal on Rocket Fuel, over 360 transactions came from 200 supporters which highlight the speed at which artists can attain returning custom.  

2. It’s all about relationships 
Fans want an ongoing relationship with the artists they support. A hit-and-run give-us-your-money approach doesn’t work year after year so Rocket Fuel’s gives artists the opportunity to issue supporters with ongoing, recurring rewards. The opportunity for personal connection and involvement strike a chord with the heart of enthusiasts with many super-fans paying for days in the studio and exclusive opportunities. The relational focus serves as a timely reminder to artists of who they’re making their music for. Without keeping fans at the heart, producing and promoting music can be a lonely, self-indulgent and fruitless activity. 

Find out more about Rocket Fuel and how it can help you here.