Since last year there has been a lot of talk about Clubhouse, the social network of the moment. The app is coming up on its one year anniversary and it has more than 10 million active users. Clubhouse utilises chat rooms where you can only exchange audio messages. It may sound strange, but this is the platform’s great differential. With download only allowed for the IOS system (not yet available for Android) and the exclusivity of invite-only-access, or through a waiting list, many people have not yet understood the purpose of the social network.
But, there has been a lot of talk about how the social platform can become a revolutionary way to interact and connect with people. More specifically, about how it can be used by artists and professionals in the music market. In this article we have detailed some important information about Clubhouse, its main purpose, and its use focused on music.
Like Clubhouse, Groover (click here to subscribe and send your music) connects your musical project with influencers and professionals in the music market.
A. What is the purpose of Clubhouse and how does it work?
B. How to use the Clubhouse as an artist or music professional?
1. Seek an invitation to be part of Clubhouse
2. Complete your bio
3. Narrow down your interests
4. Increase your contacts network
5. Follow people you find interesting
6. Present your music live
7. Monetize your music by creating content on Clubhouse
A. What is the purpose of Clubhouse and how does it work?
Basically, Clubhouse serves to connect people with professionals, celebrities and experts from different sectors. Everything from business, music and even love and relationships but also, it is used to create themed chat rooms with your friends. When you choose to join a room, you will see that there is a person who speaks and a moderator. People are invited to speak, ask questions if they wish and or just listen to the conversation.
In this way, people like us, who seek knowledge about the music industry, the creative process, and new tools for music promotion, can join different conversations and listen to professionals talk about different topics. Topics such as how to plan a release, how to get more audience engagement, or how people have been creating and producing music during this global pandemic. The interesting thing about this is that you can observe or take part in these discussions in a more relaxed and informal atmosphere, as if it were a conference in your own home.
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B. How to use the Clubhouse as an artist or music professional?
Not much is said about how Clubhouse can become revolutionary in the music industry. Being in close contact with big names in the industry in such a simple way is truly a privilege. Often, to be close to great professionals, you have to pay copious amounts of money to attend a conference whether it be online or in person. This social network aims to break through this bubble and change the rules of the game.
But what is the best way for you as an artist or artist representative to be aware of what is going on in the music industry? Listen to music? Exchange tips? Talk about creative processes? Keep up with the news? How can the app be really useful for artists?
1. Seek an invitation to be part of Clubhouse
As mentioned above, you need to be invited by an existing user in order to be part of the platform; however, there are a few ways to get an invitation. You can go after friends who have invitations and ask them, or even unknown users. You can also sign up for the waiting list, which may take a while but your turn to be accepted will come. There are also some youtubers and influencers on Instagram who talk about Clubhouse and often just ask for a like or follow and they will then send you the link. Stay tuned and that way, you can get access to the platform as soon as possible.
But don’t worry if you can’t, the platform has already announced that the goal is to open up its services to Android users and that it will be completely open without the need for an invitation. Upon joining the platform, users usually get two invitations. And the more you participate and interact in the rooms, the more you will earn invitations. Don’t forget to invite that friend who is starting his or her career and is looking for professional knowledge about the music business.
2. Complete your bio
Your Clubhouse bio doesn’t have to be full of details. But there are some key points that cannot be missing in order for you to gain more recognition when participating in conversations.
Put in evidence:
- where you are from (country, city)
- what you do (musician, producer, music journalist, booker)
- what you are looking for (new technologies for music, creative process, gigs)
- your interests (make it clear what your main interests are)
- insert the link to your social networks (this way, as soon as people see you in the conversation, they will be able to follow you on your different social accounts without having to leave the platform)
There are several tools you can use to create your bio and see how it will look, such as the Clubhouse Bio Creator (click here), which can help you out a lot before you start your activity on the app. Another advantage that can be taken from Clubhouse is its recognition among professionals. The more you participate in the rooms, the more your profile will be valued and the more people will know who you are and what you do.
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3. Narrow down your interests
Like any social network, it is very likely that you will fall into many groups that are useless to you or that discuss topics outside your universe. Without filtering, the app will show you the most popular rooms of the moment and that may be of the most diverse topics. Therefore, complete your bio as specified in the first point and try to accurately filter according to what you are looking for. When you create your profile, the social network already provides the option to select your interests. You may like animals, travel, and music. But if you are just looking for information about music, don’t select animals and travel. You might get lost in thousands of groups and ultimately not absorb the knowledge you are looking for.
4. Increase your contacts network
The more you use the app specifically geared towards music, the more you will get closer to rooms and people who are part of the music market. You can, for example, be in rooms with Anitta, Preta Gil, Di Ferrero and even Drake. In addition, you can be in rooms with the record labels, producers and festival curators of your interest.
Making connections and finding interesting tables will increase your reputation on Clubhouse and if people like your work, you will gain visibility on both your socials and your work. To interact, ask direct questions to experts and great artists. Often they will also mention important current references, such as names of important people and emerging artists. When you raise your hand in conversation, and you are accepted to speak, remember to introduce yourself concisely before anything else. This will let the people in the room know who you are and why you are in the room.
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5. Follow people you find interesting
Look for artists with more established careers. Music professionals who are talking about the changing industry, for example. You can access the person’s social networks while still listening to the conversation.
You will also meet important people discussing copyrights, music distribution, music festivals, and new ways to promote your music. Follow these people to continue understanding and following how these professionals have analyzed the current situation of the music market. There are many people discussing the emergence of the new generation of artists who are more and more connected to new technologies. Perhaps with such an approach, you will be able to contact them more easily, ask questions, exchange knowledge or even send them a demo.
6. Present your music live
It is not unusual that there are rooms on Clubhouse where you can present a demo or play your hit. However, you can create a room yourself to play a song for your friends before presenting it to professionals. Very often rooms with radio curators, music labels, and festivals open up space for small performances. Don’t worry, the level on Clubhouse is not high. So make this contact an opportunity to stand out. There are many tips from Youtube channels on how to use IRig2 to have good sound quality when playing at the Clubhouse, this will make all the difference.
7. Monetize your music by creating content on Clubhouse
The social network has just implemented a no-fee payment system for content creators on the platform, Clubhouse Payments (more details here). However, not all creators can receive payments. The tool is still new and it is important that you gain followers and participate intensively on the platform until you build your community. This way, the social network will allow your listeners to send you as much money as they want. In other words, if you really integrate and are interested in participating actively in the rooms, you can get a financial return from your activity on Clubhouse.
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Conclusion
The first impression most people have about Clubhouse is that it is a limited platform. However, it has been successful and people have used the audio format creatively to connect and exchange knowledge and experience.
Clubhouse is a tool to build and develop your music career step by step. Each social platform has its own specifications for music promotion and this one is very interesting because it’s new! It’s a good way to learn and promote your music, and there will probably still be many new features to come. We will closely watch its evolution!
The competition for this format of interaction is very strong, other social networks are already providing similar tools: Telegram (audio chat rooms), Twitter Spaces (in testing phase), Discord (Stage Channels), Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, LinkedIn and Slack have already announced they are developing similar tools, so keep an eye out!
– Translated by Betty Gonzalez Gray –