Guide: Increase Your Music Income With A Paid Community

Why building a paid community is essential for independent artists

In the ever-evolving landscape that is the music industry, independent artists all over the world are constantly looking for ways to diversify their income streams. While traditional revenue sources like streaming, merchandise sales, and live performances remain important, launching a paid community can provide a substantial and reliable source of income for artists.

This guide will walk you through the steps of creating a paid community to generate a consistent and stable income as a musician while rewarding your most loyal supporters.

Understanding the power of a paid community

What is a paid community?

A paid community is a group of fans who subscribe to your exclusive content and experiences. By paying a monthly or annual fee, your most loyal supporters can gain access to unique perks such as unreleased songs, early demos, exclusive music, behind-the-scenes content, livestreams, and other special benefits.

Unlike streaming royalties and one-time purchases (i.e. merchandise sales, touring etc.), a paid community offers a steady, predictable, and recurring income that can support your music career over the long term.

Paid communities are not just about revenue; they’re about building a deeper connection with your fans. It’s a space where your supporters feel more connected to you and your music. This stronger connection leads to increase loyalty and engagement, which results in increased revenue as you tap into this key demographic of your most dedicated fans, which are the first people to buy your merch, tickets, albums, and anything else you release.

Benefits of a paid community

Building a paid community offers several key benefits:

• Steady income: Unlike irregular income from gigs or streaming, a paid community provides consistent and recurring monthly revenue, allowing you to better manage your finances and plan your career.
• Direct fan engagement: A paid community allows you to interact directly with your most passionate fans, creating a more personal and meaningful relationship, and lets you get direct feedback and support from your top fans who support you the most.
• Creative freedom: With financial support from your community, you have the freedom to pursue creative projects without the pressure of record labels, contracts, commercial success, or hitting certain streaming number targets.
• Break free from algorithms: You’re not reliant on streaming platform algorithms to get streams or reach, giving you more control over your income.

Setting up your paid community

Choosing the right platform

The first step in creating a paid community is selecting the right platform. We built Backstaged to be the community platform of choice for musicians, designed from scratch with a built-in music player, community chat room, custom personalization features, dedicated support team, and a thoroughly optimized platform for a high-conversion rate, it’s the ultimate all-in-one membership platform tailored specifically for artists.

Patreon is also an option, but since it’s not tailored for artists it lacks many features musicians need, and because it targets a much broader audience, the experience feels generic and impersonal. Many artists also find Patreon’s brand doesn’t resonate well with them due to the negative stigmas and connotations associated with the Patreon brand. In contrast, Backstaged offers a more exclusive and rewarding experience, and has been carefully designed in a way that makes membership feel like a geneuine and personal relationship, rather than a purely transactional one.

Other platforms like Ko-fi and Buy Me a Coffee also allow for small, occasional donations, but these websites are not designed for those serious about making a living from their music. As their names suggest, they might help you earn enough to buy a coffee here and there, but Backstaged’s comprehensive features—and being specifically designed and built for musicians—make it the only viable option for artists who are serious about their craft and want to generate a consistent and meaningful income.

To summarize, Backstaged gives you the platform and tools you need to turn your passion into a thriving, sustainable career by building your very own community for your top fans. Create a Backstaged community for free in just a few minutes and start receiving recurring payments today.

Getting started with Backstaged

Setting up a Backstaged community is extremely easy:

1. Create an account: Simply create an account and confirm your email. After logging in, you can configure and upload content to your community.
2. Upload content: Add some exclusive content such as unreleased songs, old demos, or some unseen behind-the-scenes footage. This will provide value to your initial subscribers and keep them excited about the future of their membership.
3. Set subscription prices: Most artists charge between $8 to $10 per month and offer a discount if you subscribe annually, typically charging between $80 to $100 per year (usually around a 15%–20% discount).

Content strategies for a paid community

To keep your subscribers engaged and willing to pay each month, you need to offer content that they value:

• Exclusive music: Share unreleased songs, early demos, or acoustic versions that are only available to your Backstaged members.
• Behind-the-scenes content: Give your community a glimpse into your life and creative process with vlogs, songwriting sessions, or daily life updates.
• Livestreams and Q&A sessions: Host regular livestreams where you perform, answer questions, or discuss your latest projects.
• Engage consistently: The more you engage with your community, the more loyal and supportive they’ll be. Regular interaction, updates, and new content will keep your subscribers invested in your journey.

For a more exhaustive list of content ideas, take a look at our Content Guide. The key is to provide content that feels personal and exclusive to make your supporters feel like they’re a part of your inner circle.

Promoting and scaling your paid community

Using social media to drive sign-ups

Social media is a powerful tool for promoting your paid community. Here’s how you can leverage it effectively:

• Tease exclusive content: Share snippets or previews of the exclusive content available in your Backstaged community to entice your followers to subscribe.
• Engage with your audience: Regularly interact with your followers on platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and direct them to your Backstaged community.
• Highlight member testimonials: Share quotes or testimonials from your current fans to show potential members the value of joining your community.

Cross-promoting on other platforms

Don’t limit your promotion to social media. Here’s how you can spread the word across different platforms:

• YouTube: Mention your Backstaged community in your video descriptions, or create a dedicated video explaining the benefits of joining your community.
• Email newsletters: Use your email list to promote your Backstaged. Offer exclusive deals or content to subscribers who join.
• Live performances: Whether virtual or in-person, use your live performances to promote your Backstaged community. Mention it during the show and provide easy ways for fans to sign up.

Common challenges and how to overcome them

Retaining subscribers

One of the biggest challenges in running a paid community is retaining subscribers. Here’s how you can keep your members engaged:

• Deliver consistent value: Ensure your subscribers feel their investment is worthwhile by regularly providing high-quality, exclusive content and experiences. Meeting and exceeding their expectations keeps them engaged and loyal.
• Personalize your engagement: Make your subscribers feel valued by addressing them by name, responding to their comments, and considering their feedback. This personalized interaction strengthens your connection and enhances their overall experience, as they can’t usually get this elsewhere.
• Offer surprise perks: Occasionally surprise your members with unexpected bonuses like exclusive content drops or discount codes for merchandise. These surprises add excitement and show appreciation, boosting satisfaction and loyalty.

Managing time and content production

Balancing content creation for your paid community with other aspects of your music career can be challenging. However, it’s often manageable with just a few strategic approaches.

Spending just 1-2 hours per month can be enough to keep your members happy and engaged. Since your subscribers are looking for a raw, authentic, and unfiltered experience, simple content like handheld phone recordings and selfie videos are more than enough. Unlike other platforms that are more suited for polished and edited videos, this straightforward and unedited approach is what your fans want.

Some good tips to manage your time effectively are:

• Plan ahead: Use a content calendar to plan your posts and updates in advance. This will help you stay organized and ensure that you’re consistently delivering value to your subscribers.
• Create content in batch: Create multiple pieces of content in one sitting and schedule them to be released over time. This can help you stay ahead and reduce the pressure of constant content production.

Conclusion

The importance of diversifying your income

In today’s music industry, relying on traditional sources of income such as royalties, touring, and merchandise sales is risky and inconsistent. Building a paid community not only provides a steady recurring revenue stream but also deepens your connection with your fans, which increases fan loyalty.

By diversifying your income with a Backstaged community, you gain financial stability and creative freedom, allowing you to focus on what you do best—making music.

Take control of your career

Creating a paid community gives you control over your music career. With a supportive fan base funding your projects, you can take creative risks and explore new opportunities without the pressure of commercial success. The security of a stable and consistent income empowers you to make music on your own terms.

The potential for independent artists to generate a sustainable income has never been greater. By leveraging Backstaged and building a paid community, you can turn your passion into a profitable and sustainable career. Start small, stay consistent, and watch your community—and your income—grow.

Build your paid community today

Don’t wait to start creating a sustainable income for your music career. Create your Backstaged community today and begin building your paid community and take your music career to the next level—your fans are ready to support you.