How To Set Up An Online Release Party

Release parties are a traditional way to promote your band locally. Why not take it online and get a wider audience?
Choosing the platform
There are countless platforms to broadcast live video online. To name but a few:

Youtube live
Facebook live
Twitch
Twitter/Periscope
Instagram: for stories/ephemeral videos (no replay after 24 hours).

Tools as Restream.io can help you stream to several platforms at the same time.If you’re new to video streaming, you may prefer to keep simple and stick to your prefered social media live video.
Preparing for live streaming
Live streaming is hard. Remember those technical problems that TV live show are used to experience?
Pre-Recording
It will make things easier to record your videos and store them on Youtube as private videos. Then add them to a private playlist. During the live, you’ll have to answer the chats with your fans, so prepare everything that can be prepared.
Ideas of content
What makes a good release party? You may arrange the party around a live set. You can record it in a venue, in your rehearsal room or at home.
Maybe you’ll have a music video that you can premiere during the party.
Other ideas of content:

studio report (how you recorded the music you release)
talk about your influences
covers
unplugged versions
present band members, maybe staff members (sound engineer, manager, record label boss…)
interview band members, maybe staff members
present the visual stuff that goes with your release: the record, its booklet, etc.
etc.

Guests
It’s very common to invite guests on stage during a release party. You may want to invite other bands. Why not also have a speaker that will introduce your videos? You may invite influencers to play this role: blogger, playlist curator…
How to monetize
When you have a release party IRL (In Real Life), you set a merch table: fans love them, and they are a great source of incomes. During the only party, you may post links to your “merch table”, your online store. Incentive fans to talk about the items they buy. You may even ask fans post videos of their tshirts etc.
You may use a ticketing system to charge attendees.The platform releaseparty.live specializes in hosting this kind of event, either ticketed or free of charge.
Conclusion
Having an online release party can help you enhance your local release party and reach a wider audience.
If you’re into shoegaze, we’ll be delighted to have you premiere your releases on our Youtube channel.
 

About NugazeDotCom
NugazeDotCom is a Youtube channel dedicated to Nugaze and sibling music genres: shoegaze, ethereal waves, noisetronica. Follow our guides to connect with the shoegaze community and get free exposure.