If you’re an up-and-coming creative soul and entrepreneur, chances are you know the trials of raising money for your projects.Through a premier crowdfunding community, RocketHub has created a project Launchpad specifically tailored to the needs of musicians and independent artists everywhere. Following a trade-not-aid model, RocketHub helps build campaigns that offer personal goods/services in exchange for financial contributions. And it’s all rocket-themed – you can’t get much better than that!
First, let’s get the terminology right:
Crowdfunding, or micro-patronage, is a new way for musicians to engage fans for funds and awareness. RocketHub uses this innovative method to help fuel creative projects, providing artists with the community, infrastructure and credibility necessary to raise awareness, capital and to successfully launch a project.
Creatives launch the RocketHub projects, upload submissions for LaunchPad Opportunities and connect directly with Fuelers.
Fuelers support RocketHub projects and LaunchPad Opportunity submissions by voting, making financial contributions and spreading the word through their networks, and receive cool stuff in exchange.
LaunchPad Opportunities are next-step resources for artists. A kind of talent search hosted by RocketHub, they include opportunities like branded sponsorships, live performances, showcases, placements in film and television. The RocketHub Team identifies and publishes LaunchPad Opportunities and Creatives upload submissions, which their fans can vote for to increase their chances of winning. The RocketHub A&R Team and a panel of expert judges review the submissions, taking into consideration their popularity and talent, and select a winner.
Do you want a piece of this great community? All it takes is 3 easy steps.
With this step-by-step guide, you’ll be joining in on the fun in no time:
Install the RocketHub app on The Marketplace and begin the countdown to your project launch.
You’ll first come across a Sign-Up Page asking you for some basic information, and then be led to a Welcome Page, letting you know you’re where you want to be. Click on “Launch a Project,” fill out some required information and begin the preparations for your launch.
Start by completing the Title and Category section. This is where you name your project, select a category, and my favorite part, where you pick three emotions that best represent the work you’re trying to create: is it courageous? authentic? sexy and spine-tingling? Have a little fun with this one!
Next, you’ll need to elaborate on content. Choose the financial goal, select a time limit (30-60 days are usually the most popular and most successful) and include a detailed description. Keep in mind that this should be more emotional than factual. Fans want to know why you’re motivated, what your personal goals are and more than that, they want to be involved. So forget about business plans and budget breakdowns and focus more on building a connection with your fans.
When you’ve finished tugging at those heartstrings, consider including videos, photos and audio files – directly importable from The Orchard Workstation. Results show that projects with video are twice as likely to be successful, and a proven 3-photo combination is one of the artist, one of the artist with a crowd and one with the band logo.
The next step is to establish your rewards. These should be unique and creative. RocketHub isn’t a typical marketplace where fans purchase a product or merchandise; it’s a community where Fuelers want to connect and interact with the bands they are supporting. And make sure you have something for every price point. While the $20 mark is the most popular, let yourself be surprised by your fans’ dedication and you might see yourself receiving a $1,000 or even $5,000 donation! Some wacky ideas we’ve heard of include a CD with a custom haiku poem or a face on the cover of the album for lower price points and living room shows, front porch gumbo jams or morning pep talks for a little more dough.
After that, you’re pretty much done! Proofread and preview your project and set it free. Your page will typically display the content you entered as well as your support status and the time remaining on your campaign, as well as how many Fuelers you’ve attracted for each reward category.
Before you set off on your journey into space, here are a few more things that set RocketHub apart from other similar crowdfunding services: they accept international donations, projects keep whatever funds they raise (minus fees) even if they don’t meet their goal, and projects that do meet their goal get a discounted rate on their fees.
Check out RocketHub’s Toolkit for more tips on how to lead the best campaign for your artist, and take a look at their demo below for a visual on what a RocketHub campaign looks like, music courtesy of RocketHub Co-Founder and CEO Brian Meece.
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RocketHub is accessible via The Marketplace. Read more about them on their One Sheet.
