by Francesca | Feb 21, 2024 | Social Media
Instagram Reels is the perfect place to post creative video content and engage with your audience on Instagram at the same time. If you don’t have a lot of time to dedicate to Reels or have a whole team to do it for you, there are a lot of ways you can still create them with existing content you already have. From behind-the-scenes clips to easy memes, here are some easy ideas you have to try…
Easy Instagram Reels Ideas for Independent Musicians
Share UGC (User-Generated Content)
User-generated content is genuine interactions from your fans, authentically created on their own by their own merit. What’s better than that? Plus, you can use this content in your own content strategy by creating Reels from them. Whenever you play a show, there are tons of people with their phones out recording the moment. Those people are most likely going to post those moments online to document the experience. While onstage, remind everyone to tag you in their posts! You can even tell them you’ll be reposting some of them to encourage them to do so.
One thing to keep in mind, however, is to always ask permission to do so and give credit where credit is due. Don’t just assume everyone is down to be shared without asking.
Clips From Shows/ Touring
On tour, you’re already taking so many videos of the experience why not use some for Reels? Whether it’s backstage sneak peaks, meeting fans, a look into how you prep or during the show itself, these are all great pieces of content to make Reels out of. Not to mention you can repurpose these into TikTok’s, grid posts on Instagram or even on all your other platforms for months to come.
Music Video Previews
While you’re working on that new music video, take behind-the-scenes clips during the process. Even better, you can tease final cuts of the video by posting them as a Reel before the launch date. You can do this by using captions like, “Coming Soon… 👀” with the launch date worked in. You can even link to Spotify for presaves, YouTube premieres, or wherever else they can find your music once it comes out.
Static Photos to a Trending Audio
If you don’t have a video to post, don’t worry! You can create a Reel with static images and add your music over top for an aesthetic recap from your last show, meet-up, or whatever you want to share.
If you don’t see your song available and want to get your music on Instagram, our partnership with Facebook (which covers Instagram and other services) makes it easy. If you’re a Symphonic client, we upload your content into Facebook’s systems in order to scan for anyone using that same content. Then, your music is available for use on Instagram and Lip Sync Live, Instagram Stories and the like.
Answer Questions
One of the best parts about social media as an artist is having a direct line to engage with your community online, and authenticity is a pivotal driver in keeping that community healthy and thriving. Reels is a great way to respond to commonly asked questions from your fans that goes a bit deeper than a comment under a post. With this, you can ask on your Story what questions your fans have and make a Reel responding to each of them. This is also a great time to work in some personal stories from your life or insights into what you’re working on right now. The more genuine the better.
Memes
Now, who doesn’t love a good meme? If you’ve got a funny bone, show it off with a Reel. This goes hand in hand with the idea above about sharing more about yourself. Humor is a great way to connect with others, and it makes pushing out content more fun, for you and the fans. The best way to do these is to keep track of things you find funny and take notes as you see them. Then, curate versions of those memes to your own experience. Easy peasy.
Collaborate with Other Artists
One of the best ways to create more content is to divide and conquer. If you have any features on your latest album, consider making a Reel with them. Whether it’s a funny skit together or an acoustic version of your track, you have tons of options for what you can create as a team. It also gives both of you the chance to tag each other and reach their audience as well as yours.
We did a version of this when we collaborated with artists going to #SXSW this year. With these, we asked them fun questions, got to know them better and created interview style Reels for our own audience. Of course, we tagged them as well for them to share on their own feed. We had a great time working with them and they loved creating something new for their fans!
Turn Existing IG Stories Into A Reel
Reels have been proven time and time again to improve reach and engagement. If you already post stories on Instagram, you can use those as Reels as well. If you don’t have a lot of time to create something brand new, this is a great option.
Create a Lyric Video or Graphic
If you’re a great lyricist, consider creating Reels that show off your favorite lyrics. Whether it’s a video with text playing over top or a static image with the lyrics written out and your music playing in the background, this is another super easy way to make a Reel that’s bound to be shared.
In Conclusion…
Just because you don’t have a lot of time doesn’t mean you can’t still create great content! If you’ve been on the hunt for easy Instagram Reels ideas, we hope this got the creative juices flowing.
Good luck!
by Francesca | Jan 25, 2024 | Sync Licensing
We’ve talked about sync licensing and royalties many times on this blog. One thing we haven’t talked about is micro-sync. In this post, we’ll dive into what it is and why it’s important. Here’s everything you need to know.
What is Micro-Sync Licensing?
Let’s break it down…
Sync licensing refers to the synchronization of a song with any form of visual media. Any time your song is featured in a TV show, movie, commercial, etc., that’s called a “sync placement”. That being said, sync and micro-sync are essentially the same thing, but with one major difference.
Scale.
Sync vs. Micro-Sync Licensing
Just as an artist would be paid licensing fees and royalties for a placement in a TV show or film, they would also be owed “micro-sync” fees and royalties for smaller features.
Some examples of the types of common micro sync licensing placements include:
- User generated content, i.e. YouTube
- Social media posts
- Internal company videos
- Video presentations at events and conferences
- Professional wedding videos
- Podcasts
- Video Fitness Classes
- Twitch Livestreams
- Apps
- Mobile Games
Typically, sync licenses are negotiated between the production and content owners for thousands of dollars per license. However, this process can be very time consuming and requires a lot of paperwork.
On the other hand, micro sync licensing is on a much smaller scale, so the business model is quite different. Content owners looking to get into micro sync need to operate in a marketplace that facilitates quick and easy licensing so they can achieve a high volume of small placements. This adds up!
How does this benefit you?
It would be nearly impossible for you to find thousands of people who are willing to pay you a few bucks each to use your music in their video project. However, the demand is out there. If you play your cards right, you could have steady income coming in from all over the world.
- The best way to achieve this is to work with a platform like Musicbed, Songtradr, or Artlist. These prominent platforms aggregate music, attract content creators, and make the licensing process a much simpler, streamlined experience.
In Conclusion…
Micro-sync opens up a lot of opportunities for small content creators to harness the music of real artists. With micro-sync platforms, artists have a whole new way to spread the love and collaborate with ease.
Good luck!
by Francesca | Jan 4, 2024 | Music Marketing
Your fans are everything. Without them, you likely wouldn’t be where you are today! (Or where you are hoping to be.) Fans are a community, and in order to strengthen it, you need to treat it as such. Below are a few ways to make your community of fans stronger than ever.
Here are five simple, but unique, ways to strengthen your fan base.
Create a name
Try to think of a large artist off the top of your head. Then, think of their fans. They likely have their own name right? For example, Ariana Grande has “Arianators.” Selena Gomez has “Selenators.” Lady Gaga has “Little Monsters.” The list goes on. The point is: recognize that your fans are an entity of their own, and they’re bound to grow.
Start a Facebook group
Once you create a name for your fans, it’s time to take it to the next level. Create a private Facebook group for you and your fans to interact on a personal level. Offer exclusive giveaways, information about upcoming releases, Q+As and more. Start by inviting friends and family and then reach out to your general fans. As long as you stay active, it should grow.
Stream on Twitch
Streaming on Twitch is a fun way to interact with your fans and make them feel more involved. You could stream live DJ sets, studio sessions, behind-the-scenes or even go into a realm like gaming. Make sure to promote your streams and shout out fans, so they know they are recognized.
Do meet-and-greets
Meet and greets are one of the best ways to interact with your fans. These in-person hangouts can be done before (or after) shows. You can have these backstage, at a pizza spot near the venue, or just in the crowd. Talking to your fans in person is one of the best ways to get to know them!
Offer giveaways
Giveaways are the best way to give back to your fans. Thank them for their appreciation and support by offering merch giveaways, free downloads and more. The possibilities are endless!
There are a ton of ways to strengthen your fan base, but we hope one of these works for you! Make sure to show as much love to your fans as they show to you!
by Francesca | Jan 4, 2024 | Social Media
If you’re an active social media user, then you don’t need to be told how important accurate image sizing is on socials. Social platforms change their preferred image sizing and formatting every year, so make sure to update yours accordingly! To help you out, here are the updated requirements for 2024…
Social Media Image Sizes for 2024
TikTok
- TikTok Profile Photo Size: 20 x 20 pixels (minimum)
- TikTok Video Size: 1080 x 1920
✨ PRO TIP: The ideal aspect ratio for TikTok videos is 1:1 or 9:16.
Facebook
- Profile Photo: 170 x 170 pixels
- Stories: 1080 x 1920 pixels
- Cover Photo: 851 x 315 pixels
- Posts & Timeline Photos: 1200 x 630 (minimum 600 x 315)
- Facebook Event Cover Photo: 1200 x 628 pixels (recommended)
✨ PRO TIP: To avoid any compression or distortion, upload a JPG or PNG file.
X (Twitter)
- Header Photo: 1,500 x 500 pixels
- Profile Photo: 400 x 400 pixels
- Twitter In-Stream Photos: 1600 x 900 pixels
✨ Find more information on in-stream photos, visit the Twitter Help Center.
Instagram
- Profile Photo: 320 x 320 pixels
- Photo Thumbnails: 161 x 161 pixels
- Instagram Stories: 1080 x 1920 pixels
- Photo Size: 1080 x 1080 pixels (square); 1080 x 1350 pixels (portrait)
✨PRO TIP: When you share an Instagram image that is sized over 1080 pixels, Instagram will size it down to 1080 pixels for you.
Instagram Reels
- 1080 x 1920 pixels (This is an aspect ratio of 9:16.)
- Cover photo: 1080 x 1920 pixels
- Keep in mind that Reels are cropped to a 1:1 image in your profile feed and a 4:5 image in the home feed.
LinkedIn
- Recommended Profile Photo: 400 x 400 pixels
- Profile Cover Photo: 1584 x 396 pixels
- Blog Post Link Images: 1200 x 627 pixels
- Company Logo: 300 x 300 pixels
- Company logo size for ads: 100 x 100 pixels
YouTube
- Profile Photo: 800 x 800 pixels
- Banners: 2048 x 1152 pixels
- Thumbnail: 1280 x 720
- Video: 1280 x 720
✨ PRO TIPS:
- Make sure the focus of your photo is centered for best results.
- Files should be JPEG, GIF, BMP or PNG. Animated GIFs won’t work.
- Photos will render at 98 x 98 pixels.
YouTube Shorts
- Aspect Ratio: 9:16
- Max Length: 60 seconds
- Supported Video File Types: .MOV, .MPEG4, MP4, .AVI, .WMV, .MPEGPS, .FLV, 3GPP, and WebM.
