Why You Should Create An Online Festival [KOSHA DILLZ]
Indie hip hop artist Kosha Dillz did an online festival last week. Here is what he learned.
We decided to make it on Sunday after I created an online streaming group with tons of artists. We made a Facebook group called Seder Stream because Passover is a big holiday for us, and it grew to over 1100 members in a week.
By Wednesday we had the festival announced in Billboard Magazine with a playlist, and it landed us in Jewish Journal, the J Weekly, and also Culture Collide.
1. You could raise awareness and $$$ for a good cause. Whether you are helping 10-20 artists raise money for themselves (virtual tip jar) or foundations like Jazz foundation of America or ipadstohospitals, you are working on the good. Let us all be upfront and say doing good things makes you feel good, That works hand in hand with getting thru the coronavirus together.
2. You are helping other artists get out of their head and into their pockets
People are looking to be part of things and all of us are wondering what we are gonna do with money. Some of us lost $5k. Some of us lost $20k. Some of lost $60k. But in the end, we can all agree we have lost. We are in our heads so much that our favorite Cranberries song is all too real. Think of it as a “mental health day.” It helps to make some money and keep our dreams alive. People are currently coming out of the woodwork to check in on people they followed 5 years ago. Let’s find those people and bring them back to become our die-hard new supporters during Covid times.
3. Free content. Extra! Extra!
The content game is crazy. I booked 20 some artists and now have footage and created a highlight real. Brands already want to be involved because they saw what we do and bring attention to something so quickly. We are re-creating an idea that attention is still valuable in a time when the billion-dollar live music world has stopped. Recap videos. Live stream videos. You’ll be surprised who you meet on a live stream. We have been gifted some real gems every day!
4. Building something genuinely not about you.
I am here making sure everyone is grasping this. As artists, we are all self-seeking. We want to pursue the best for …our careers. This is the time in shifting where we can’t be like that. We have to be a supportive community and be for others (more than last year.) This is a great time to collaborate.
5. Increase in online attention
I can’t imagine that my followers have been jumping through the roof and meeting so many new opportunities as I have, but my Instagram profile views have gone up 6000 ever since the festival, and I also have been contacted by other artists and made their fans followers of me for being helpful to their friends and collaborators. Use this time to bring it all in. The festival. The press. The Bandsintown and Facebook events. The Spotify playlist of all the artists.
6. Create a festival that brings the world together
You might not be able to afford to do a festival IRL that is even a small production of regional bands. Now you can bring international bands to your audience from all over the world. We’ve had acts like Ran Nir in Berlin and Vala Nirenberg from Uruguay perform at our Seder Stream festival, as well as rational reggae stalwarts from Ballyhoo! to Roots of Creation. Virtually, You can go on an Australian tour now. You can do. European Tour. You can do a Canadian tour. Now is the time to reach out and create connections with everyone, You can do this all from the comfort of your home!! Isn’t that crazy???
Now that you read through this, take a second to think about who you have on your friend list on Facebook. Think about joining an organization like Stage it for live streams or getting a subscription to Streamyard for personal branding. Ask some people who will want to get involved. Put up a post on all of your social platforms from Twitter to LinkedIn and Instagram and throw in some of your favorite artists to a DM. Once you get a couple involved, arrange with a charity org some plans for social and contact Culture Collide or Billboard and other cool sites like Vulture to include your live streams.
Kosha Dillz is a rapper that is based in TLV and Israel. He was supposed to go on tour with RDGLDGRN x Little Stranger this month, but Covid19 canceled 25 dates of awesomeness. Make sure you check out his Patreon and his Bandsintown for more virtual concerts. When you get a moment, listen to his new song with Matisyahu here and his new song w/ EDM star Kaskade. Reach out to him at rapperfriends(at)gmail dot com.
