In the dynamic world of music, connecting with fans is as vital as the music itself. Here is 6 ways I have experimented with involving my audience and building connections through my project SCENES

This guide delves into creating deeper connections with listeners through co-creation, community building, and world-building.

Co-create: this is really about making people feel a part of what you do, and there are many ways to do it.. But making stuff together is one of the best. It doesn't have to be making music, it can just be starting a conversation and letting people see themselves in what you do. A simple idea is co-creating or crowdsourcing art work and content ideas.

Build your minimum viable community: it can be 3 people, just start. No number is too small. It can be instagram dms, Whatsapp, Discord, Telegram, Zoom.. If someone dms you about your music, invite them into your world. Share the things that inspire you, and your process.. But importantly, invite them to share and connect with each other, that's when it becomes a community, and not a broadcast channel. People live most of their lives in dms so lean into that, that way you don't need to rely on the algorithm to reach the people that care the most.

World Building: People want to be a part of something, I like to think of everything as world building, so embed your identity and your concepts into more than just the music. Who you are should flow through everything you do around your music, and that includes content, how you speak, what you care about, and even how you promote and distribute your music. People care about people, and want to connect. Your music is central to your identity, but there is more to you than just that, so embrace your story and people will care about your music more.

Make your process part of your social media output: There isn't going to be a magical moment where you are suddenly good at socials. Just start doing, and the best way is often bringing people into your process early as possible, why?  because it doesn't take time away from creation, it helps people connect with you before you even release a song, and they become a part of the creative journey, so when the song is released it means even more to them.

Sell your process: Yea that's right i said it! This is the next step from the previous point; There are some amazing platforms where the shackles are off in terms of file formats; check Zora, withfam and Metalabel for great examples. I sell artefacts of my work and my journey: session notes, videos, demos, drafts. They are all interesting ways for people to own a little piece of what you do. All the things you put into your music have value beyond the audio file, and while streaming has killed the value of audio, why not explore capturing the value in other places. Selling digital artifacts costs you next to nothing so go explore.

Build a scene or form a collective: too often we are rolling the dice individually when we should be cross pollinating, sharing audiences and supporting each other. We need to join the dots between the people who love what we do, and connect them with each other. Thinking collectively and releasing collectively is a great way to do this, and it creates a healthier career with people around you to ride the ups and downs with.  The mentality we need is: “If one of us releases, we all release”.