A while back I wrote about finding your tribe when it comes to the music you’re making. The basic gist is that generally our family and friends aren’t “the tribe” of fans you need to reach. A tribe member is very serious about the music you’re making.
That said, the more I considered the finding your tribe idea the less I think it fits. Whilst there is some overlap, the idea of gathering a community is more accurate.
Why A Community Instead of a Tribe?
As artists, it helps to view your fans as a community to understand and to grow a fanbase in a way that is healthy and sustainable. Whilst it might seem like I’m splitting hairs there are some important differences in taking this perspective when considering things more literally. Why is that important? Because it helps us to align the way we share and distribute the music with the goals of building a healthy and engaged fanbase.
Focus
Community: Shared love for the music and creating a space for connection and engagement.
Tribe: Shared identity, cultural practices, and often survival within a specific geographic location.
Membership
Community: Voluntary – anyone can join based on their interest in the music.
Tribe: Often involuntary – membership is determined by birth or location.
Structure
Community: More flexible and decentralized. Structure can evolve based on fan interaction and online platforms used.
Tribe: Often has a more defined hierarchical structure with leaders and established roles.
Goals
Community: Create a strong and engaged fanbase that supports the musician’s career.
Tribe: Maintain cultural identity, social cohesion, and ensure the survival of the group.
What Does An All-In Community Member Look Like?
Here are some attributes of all-in community members:
- They get excited about every new release and always want to hear it first.
- They comment/reply frequently on your videos, posts, tweets etc. They want to engage with you.
- They talk to other people about your music and want to share it with people.
- They come to your live shows.
- They buy merch.
They are all-in when it comes to being part of your community.
So the question is, how many of these all-in fans do you have?
The 5 Million Artists With Less Than 100 Streams Club
If you answered zero or less than 10, you’re not alone. 5M artists on Spotify have less than 100 total streams across their entire catalogue. This rate of engagement is not a comfortable statistic. But if you’re following this idea of community, I doubt that people with less than 100 total streams aren’t even thinking about building a community around their music.
Practical Advice For Community Building
This post originally started as a “how to” but the more I thought about it and the more I’ve listened to those who have successfully built communities around their music. I realised that this might turn into a couple of posts.
On that note, we’ll stop here and dive into some practical ideas on community building in the next part of this series.
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