As a music artist who knows their craft, have you been looking for ways to raise money from people for your music production? Do you have what it takes to endear people to donate to your cause? Have you ever heard of the term Crowdfunding? If you have, you might want to know more, if you haven't, then this is the right opportunity for you to sit back, relax and let's get right into it.&nbsp;

Crowdfunding is essentially the practice of funding your venture, in this case, your music endeavors by raising money from fans or a group of investors who buy your idea. For a music artist, starting up a career in music can be challenging. Having to raise enough money for studio time, album and video production, distribution and marketing, promotion of your music, and even growing your awareness with people interested in and a part of the industry could be a daunting task. Crowdfunding platforms for music artists are a great way to raise money and awareness for these creative endeavors.&nbsp;

Crowdfunding is a powerful tool for music artists just like you to assess financial support contributed by your fans to support your cause. Especially if your fans figure it is for a worthy cause and your music resonates deeply with them. <a href="https://www.startups.com/library/expert-advice/history-of-crowdfunding">Crowdfunding</a> did not just start today, it has a long and rich history with roots going back to the 1700s. But modern-day crowdfunding started in 1997 and they have become a powerful alternative for non-traditional practices in recent years which has been aided by the advancement of technology and the growth of social media.

Any artist can benefit from a crowdfunding platform to actualize their potential to the full. With the emergence of crowdfunding, you as a music artist do not have to be at the mercy of any record label executive because you have creative control over the distribution and marketing of your music. You are exposed to a larger market and audience, you are now directly relating with your supporters. All you need to do is reach out to your fans to help fund your creative endeavor which could be an album or video production, promoting and distributing your music, an album launch, touring expenses, etc.

&nbsp;However, in order to capture the attention of your fans and get them to donate money to your cause, your music and style must be outstanding. Let your fans know what your dreams, goals, visions, and daily progress are so they feel like active contributors to your artistic journey. You also need to create a very interesting, well-made video you will use to crowdfund, and an outstanding campaign page that is well-written, easy to read, and visually appealing with videos and pictures of you. Your fans will love to know about the project to be funded, how long the campaign will be for, and how the money realized will be spent, so give them the details they need. This affords your fans the opportunity to trust and support you through out your process.

These crowdfunding platforms are usually now done on the internet and there are so many of them out there for you to make use of.&nbsp; Choose what works for you and suits your needs. I have outlined a few of the top crowdfunding platforms that you can consider.&nbsp;

Top 3 Awesome Crowdfunding Platforms for Music Artists

<a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/">Kickstarter</a> is a very popular crowdfunding platform with over 19 million backers network who are geared towards funding projects for creatives like music artists who want to bring their ideas and projects to life. Kickstarter is just the right place to raise funds for albums and songs rather than for any music equipment you may need.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Kickstarter platform has gotten a huge number of successful crowdfunding music campaigns throughout the years. Some of the most successful music crowdfunding campaigns ever began on Kickstarter.&nbsp; Amanda Palmer’s extremely dedicated fans raised a total of $1,192,793 from her campaign in 2012. The money was raised for her to create her new album and it was a huge success considering she got more than what she bargained for. Kickstarter operates an all-or-nothing structure, therefore meeting the financial goal you set within the specified time is very important or every crowdfunded money will be returned. However, after reaching your target, a 5% service charge and processing fee of 3-5% is deducted by Kickstarter. The music category on Kickstarter (behind only Dance &amp; Comics),&nbsp; is about the third-most successful sector with more than 50% of campaigns reaching their <a href="https://www.crowdcrux.com/how-to-decide-on-your-funding-goal/">funding goal</a>. This means that there is a high chance of your project getting funded if you take your time to do your campaign right.

<b>#2&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Indiegogo</b>

Indiegogo is not as popular as Kickstarter, but it's a great site that helps fund music endeavors, musical instruments, and other creative ideas for music artists. <a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/">Indiegogo </a>is largely considered to be Kickstarter’s greatest competition with a 9 million backer network geared towards supporting music artists and other creatives. Indiegogo’s <a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/explore/music?project_type=campaign&amp;project_timing=all&amp;sort=trending">music category</a> has also undergone measurable growth in recent years just like kickstarter. While funding success rates tend to be lower on Indiegogo compared to Kickstarter the platform allows for <a href="https://www.crowdcrux.com/all-or-nothing-vs-flexible-funding-crowdfunding/">flexible funding</a> — which means that even if you don’t meet your funding goal, you can keep the funds you’ve raised. This is ideal for smaller musicians who might not get the reach they want from their campaign, making it hard to reach their goals. Indiegogo since its inception in 2008, has helped raise over $1 billion for over 650 000 projects. Terra Naomi raised over $50,000 with her exceptionally crafted music campaign. She leveraged social media to challenge people to reach her ambitious goal, the idea worked and she raised a huge amount for her brilliant music endeavor. This shows how you don’t have to be a huge star to get the recognition and funding you deserve, all you need is a good product in this case “your music” and a brilliant marketing campaign.&nbsp;

<b>#3&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Patreon</b>

This is another fantastic crowdfunding platform that allows Music artists, Content creators, and other creatives to build a strong community to fund their idea. Patreon brings you closer to your fans by offering them monthly content if they become&nbsp; patrons. Fans can make monthly or one-off donations, making Patreon the perfect&nbsp; site to get a steady income to put towards your music. Patreon gives you the option of “tiers”, meaning the more your fans give to your cause, the more stuff you offer them in return. This is an ideal way to connect with your fans on a more personal level, allowing them to immerse themselves in your content even more. Leo Moracchioli started a Patreon when he began making music covers on YouTube. He got very popular and his fans wanted to support him so he decided to set up a Patreon Crowdfund! Presently he has 3,894 patrons and makes $5,389 per month from the support.&nbsp; Patreon charges a 5% fee excluding all processing fees.

As a music artist, knowing which crowdfunding site works best for you depends on your personal preference and what exactly you want to achieve with the crowdfunding platform. Be aware of what is expected of you in any platform you choose and adhere to the rules of the site. Invest time in coming up with a brilliant campaign that is compelling and well thought out. Don't forget the reason for crowdfunding which is your music endeavor. Make good music that will resonate deeply with people who will listen to and probably enjoy your work. Who knows, this will create good memories for them and make them not hesitate to donate to your cause.

Know and utilize the top crowdfunding sites to help you grow your career as a music artist.


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