We know that asking for money from your fans may feel uncomfortable. But we see it in a similar way to fans paying to watch you play live or DJ a set. Therefore, we encourage you to promote your content in a similar way.
The tipping feature on Mixcloud is a flexible and cost-effective way for fans to show their appreciation and for creators to generate income without asking their followers to subscribe monthly. And it’s important you direct your fans towards the tipping feature – not just for yourself, but also to help normalize the act of paying for the music we consume. It’s all part of building a sustainable music ecosystem for all creators. Learn how to enable tips on your Mixcloud channel in our FAQ article here.
In this article we run down a few different ways you can let your fans know they can tip you during your next Mixcloud live stream, using some of our in-built Pro member tools and social ideas to get the word out.
Pre-stream
- Publish a Mixcloud Post – Announce your upcoming stream and direct your fans to the tipping feature. Remember, posts are also sent as email notifications. Use this opportunity to share an update on your work.
- Get social – Announce your upcoming stream on socials and let your community know they can now support you on Mixcloud using the tipping feature.
- Make use of your profile & stream descriptions – Mention in your description that tips are a great way to show love, and that any amount is appreciated. Remember to keep a light, positive tone!
- Use visual overlays – Before going live, make sure to decorate your stream with buttons or “calls to action.” It can be a little dollar sign or a text box to encourage listeners to engage with this feature! For more advice on how to decorate your stream, visit this tutorial.
During stream
- Introduce the tipping feature – as you welcome your viewers, make sure to mention the tipping feature either on the mic or through the chat.
- Keep active in the chat – throughout the stream, send gentle reminders mid-way and towards the end of your stream for any new viewers coming in.
- Engage with/shout out fans – If it’s mentioned in that chat someone tipped you, shout them out during your stream via your mic. You can also @tag them in the chat.
Post-stream
- Archive the show – Save the audio from your live stream to your profile as a new show for anyone who missed it. Learn how to save your audio here.
- Write a thank you post – It’s important to tell your fans you appreciate them for supporting you. This is also a chance to promote your live recording so they can listen back. And Remind your fans they can still tip you via your profile if they loved it!
- Repeat on your social – Repeat you’re thank you on your socials. Share your archived live recording of the stream on your socials with a shout-out to those who tipped you.
Finally
Of all the tips we can give you, the most crucial is to be consistent. That means, be consistent with your streams, uploads, and the promotion on your social channels to support it. Do the best you can and try to set a realistic schedule. With all this said, feel free to find your own style and combination of these tips and tricks.