Interview with Brian Meece, Co-Founder and CEO of Rockethub.com

We know that money is a key factor in making your work a reality, so SongCast sat down with Brian Meece, Co-Founder and CEO of crowdfunding website Rockethub.com to get the inside scoop straight from the source. Read on to find out what advise he gives to indie artists looking to raise funds for their next project:

SongCast: What is the most important thing musicians should know before embarking on a crowdfunding campaign?

Brian Meece: The most important thing to have is a “campaign mindset”.

Crowdfunding is an online event that harnesses a community for funding, awareness and feedback. This event has a beginning, a middle and end to it. It’s very different from the standard ecommerce play where you open up a store and sell stuff online. And it’s different from a donation play where there’s an online tip jar. Crowdfunding is very much an event that galvanizes communities to participate within a very specific amount of time. The name of the game is to galvanize current supporters and gain new ones by promoting your project like mad.

Q: How should they choose what platform to use and what makes Rockethub stand out?

A: There a quite a few platforms out there these days. Go with a reputable company that’s responsive to your emails and gives feedback on your campaign as needed. Worth noting that with RocketHub you don’t have to reach the full funding amount in order to unlock your funds like you do on some of our competitors’ platforms. So, if a musician sets a goal of $15,000 and raises $9,000 or $10,000, they’ll be able to walk away with their hard-earned funds. We also run “LaunchPads” on RocketHub – which are opportunities for artists to get sponsorships, special gigs, or unique services to move their career forward. Submitting to a LaunchPad is completely free for artists that raise funds on our site.

Q: How important is video content to the success of a campaign?

A: Videos are important. Artists really are “selling the experience” with a RocketHub campaign. This funding model is about the relationship that these funders – we call them “fuelers” on RocketHub – have with the artist/person spearheading the project. It’s about the relationship that those fuelers have with this creative person and that they have with each other – their ability to connect and communicate. It’s really about how fans participate with the funding, how they connect with the artist and the other funders – and what they get back in exchange for the financial contribution. It’s a very different phenomenon from just going to the store or downloading something. It’s very impactful when done correctly. A video helps personalize the entire process.

Q: What is a realistic fundraising goal?

A: Most music projects raise between $2,000 to $20,000 on RocketHub depending on their fanbase. The average is about $5,000 – which is often enough to make a record, music video, or support a small tour.

Q: Any other tips you’d like to add?

A: I ran my own campaign. And I can tell you, it takes a bit of commitment and a little bit of gusto to get it together and put a project out to the world. While it can be intimidating, what I really enjoyed about it was that it gave me an excuse to reach out to people that I hadn’t talked to or seen in a while. I said, “Here’s what I’m up to, just FYI. Here’s what I’m doing and how I’m doing it. If you’re interested in this – and I hope you are – here’s how you can become a part of it. If you’re intrigued, come join the tribe.” And that communication really worked well with my audience. I have a hunch it would also work well with a lot of other artists’ audiences.

For more information about Rockethub, visit www.RocketHub.com