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The Artist's Blueprint: Building a Meaningful Live Music Brand in the Realm of Virtual Reality
- unitedrhythmssl
- Dec 23, 2025
- 7 min read
I am far from an experienced "manager;" I just play my husband's manager in Second Life. Either way we were diving in together just like everything else we do. Despite being fired several times and quitting once, I couldn't stay away from making friends and connections in the music world. Looking back I knew very little about what it took to get to that magical moment on stage the one everyone is waiting for. That magic doesn't quite make itself. So much goes into preparation and promotion of a show. I'll admit I was lost.
There were also many pieces of the musical puzzle it was hard to know where to even start. From managers who did not manage anything in particular to venues with strange rules it was enough to make anyone's head spin. It felt daunting to post notices in dozens of groups and just pray that people might show up. Particularly for a musician who is just trying to play music. Most musicians will tell you it is much more fun to play music to an audience, but is getting there worth the stress of all the background tasks? How does one build an organic audience in a virtual world?
THE FOUNDATION
I think the first step is obvious, but many people hardly think about it. As a musician start with your values and picture the community you want to build. While it is easy to get caught up in the drama, the limelight, and the frantic pace of the music scene, developing a firm sense of self and purpose to navigate life authentically is crucial. Without strong values it is easy to become swayed, manipulated, and lost in external pressures. Understanding who you are as an artist will differentiate you from everyone else without you even having to try. All you have to do is follow your inner compass in the direction of integrity. This is an opportunity to ask yourself the bigger questions: why do I do this? Who do I do this for? What is my goal? This then becomes the foundation of your brand from which everything is built.
Your audience is a community that is drawn to you and your music. Therefore, building an audience is the same process as building a community; when I mentioned in my last post that the music community was the place to go to "find your tribe and feed your vibe" I meant that literally. In a world full of "faux-reality" people want to feel connected to something bona-fide. The nice part is there is room for everyone! The diversity and inclusivity of our music community is one of the reasons I cherish it. Bottom line is even though you are playing music in virtual reality people still want to connect with the real you.
THE SCAFFOLDING
As we build our foundation, there are many promotional tools that are non-negotiables. The first is a good brief bio. Yes, I know that many musicians find it really hard to describe themselves and their work- welcome to the club. Many people struggle to talk about themselves, but a bio essentially sums up your brand. Your bio gives your fans an inside glimpse of your influences, career highlights, and personality. Your greatest tool as an artist will always be your authenticity- your bio is just putting that on paper. Your audience doesn't just want to connect to your music, they want to connect to YOU. Bonus point for putting your bio into your Second Life profile.
The second is a Google Calendar. This one might seem basic, but an easy to access schedule of where you are playing is something an audiences expect. As this is relatively simple and straightforward, there are some hacks to help your Calendar work for you. The title of your events should start with your full name followed by the event name/venue name. This makes it simple for someone to directly copy it to their own calendar and remember who it is when that date comes around. Also adding the SLURL to the location spot on your calendar makes it convenient for fans to be able to find you in-world with a simple click. Again, I'll award you bonus points if you put it in you profile.
Lastly, professional headshots. High-quality images make an artist look professional and stand out in a crowded digital world. These photographs help to build your brand and tell the visual story of your music. Having promotional pictures to go with your bio ensures that you have a cohesive structure for your electronic press kit (EPK). Consider your EPK to be equivalent to a professional digital resume. The idea of an EPK is to make it easier for agents, managers, and venues to easily grasp an artists brand, hear their music, and book them for shows. This cuts through a lot of noise and shows serious intent in a competitive industry.
THE FACADE
Once you have the basics it's time to build your social media wisely. Only choose a couple of social media outlets that you know you will be active on. It is disappointing when you click on a musicians Facebook to see that the last active post was 3 years ago or you go to an artists Twitch channel to find they don't even live stream. Pick one or two places where you can dedicate to posting something once or twice a week. If it's a streaming or video channel make an effort to post regularly on it so when people go to your Youtube they actually find your work there. The same goes for audio streaming platforms like Soundcloud. Delete inactive or unused socials.
If people are constantly clicking your links to find an inactive page they are less likely to interact with your community. If you find you are not getting the traffic you once did on older social media sites consider trying a new one like Discord, Bluesky, or Tiktok. Just remember that your social media is only as good as the effort you put into it. Like your EPK, your social media creates a billboard for your musical brand and you need to use it to make a good first impression.
If you have original music there are a ton of sites where you can post it: Spotify, Apple Music, etc. are full of indie artist originals. There is a secret weapon for reaching your Second Life audience: IndieSpectrum Radio which promotes original works of music. "IndieSpectrum Radio's sole purpose is to expose more people to the amazing talent of the musicians in Second Life, and to promote their efforts as independent musicians by playing their original works" according to their website. With over 2600 original songs and 32000 listening hours a month it highlights the vibrant singer/songwriter community in Second Life. For more information on IndieSpectrum please reach out to Jade Jannings.
THE MODERN TOOLS
If you primarily play music in Second Life then there are two brand new resources for you to check out. These are FREE assets for musicians connecting them to broader audiences in the virtual world. The first one is ShowBuzz, an in-world HUD and website designed to show when live musicians, DJ's, and venues begin in-world events. This project has been a labor of love for Gabriel DeSilva, a veteran Second Life musician himself, who has worked tirelessly since its launch in November to update and add features. Not only can you use it as a musician, but as a host and a venue! The HUD is super easy to navigate, just click the button, answer a couple of simple questions, and BAM you are live. Since its launch the site has been visited over 16,000 times which means the buzz is definitely working. I have to say as a fan of live music the simplicity of this website makes it easy to see what's happening right now across the grid. The in-world HUD is also easy to navigate from the perspective of the musician, host, and venue.
The other new resource is SecondLife.Music . According to founder Ninja Antwoord, "SecondLife.music is more than just a website—it’s a living universe where sound, connection, and discovery meet." In collaboration with IndieSpectrum Radio, it has professionally designed listings for musicians and venues in an easy to navigate directory. Soon to launch its new events page it will certainly put the Second Life events page to shame! Not only can you not list your own events online unless you are the owner of the land the event takes place at, but there is little room for creativity in our promotions. Where Music Lives Online you will be able to put in graphics to promote your events and the best part about it is you can put in recurring events! It is innovations like this, that are made by people who truly care about the future of SL music, that are ultimately going to help take Second Life music to another level. At the end of the day most of those I know in the music industry of Second Life want to build a thriving community.
So there you have it—from the quiet clarity of your foundation, to the sturdy scaffolding of your tools, to the vibrant facade of your public presence. Building your audience in a virtual world isn't about frantic posting into the void; it’s the deliberate work of building a home for your art, brick by digital brick. It begins with the bedrock question of why you play, and extends through every bio, calendar invite, and social post that says, "This is who I am. This is the space we share."
The path from that daunting, empty stage to a crowd gathering at Boogeyman’s or cheering at Empire Omerta is now paved with more than hope—it’s supported by a community that wants you to succeed and modern tools designed to amplify your signal. With your foundation set, your tools sharpened, and your spirit authentic, you’re no longer just praying people will show up. You’re inviting them into a world you’ve built, note by note, connection by genuine connection. Now, go turn on your stage lights. Your audience is waiting, and they already know where to find you.
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