Smart Formats: ETRNL, KiTbetter, and Serenade

As someone who's spent years navigating the evolving music landscape, I’ve seen firsthand the struggles indie artists face when funding projects, booking gigs, and promoting their releases. But in today’s digital world, there are more opportunities than ever to overcome these challenges creatively.

Funding Your Music Projects Without Breaking the Bank

Financing a music project—an album, music video, or promotional campaign—is a significant challenge for indie artists. While crowdfunding is popular, an emerging alternative is pre-releasing music in a smart or hybrid physical format before it’s available on streaming platforms.

Pre-Release Your Music on Smart Physical Formats
Using these formats is an excellent way to generate revenue while building anticipation for your release. Unlike traditional CDs or vinyl, some platforms offer a digital component that can be continuously updated, allowing you to create an interactive and evolving connection with your fans before the music reaches streaming platforms.

Here’s how it works: Announce to your fans that your album will be available in a smart physical/digital hybrid format months before its streaming release. Fans who purchase this format will gain access to exclusive content like behind-the-scenes videos, demo versions, and artwork updates as your project evolves. As you release singles and content leading up to the full album, the smart format updates in real time, creating a dynamic, interactive experience. This approach provides early funding while offering your most dedicated fans a unique and engaging journey.

The key is to offer exclusive content fans can’t find elsewhere—building excitement and creating a sense of belonging. Fans love feeling involved in the process, and offering behind-the-scenes access or limited-edition items makes the experience far more valuable than a standard streaming release. By pre-releasing music this way, you fund your projects and strengthen your connection with your fanbase, fostering a community that will support you for the long term.

If you want to explore innovative ways to fund your next project and engage your fans, check out companies like ETRNL, KiTbetter, and Serenade. These platforms offer creative solutions to take your music releases to the next level.

ETRNL

ETRNL’s smart products offer affordable costs and allow for continuous updates of its digital content, keeping fans engaged beyond the initial purchase. Their app provides access to easily and securely upload and share your digital content, view analytics, and place orders. ETRNL offers a range of encrypted NFC-enabled formats, including mini CDs, mini vinyl and smart clothing tags, giving artists flexible and creative ways to connect with fans through physical and digital channels.

KiTbetter

KiTbetter’s KiTalbum offers a cost-effective solution with no upfront costs, allowing artists to create and customize their albums easily through the KiTstudio platform. Artists can include collectible physical items like photo cards. KiTbetter’s patented U-NFC technology (compatible with more devices than traditional NFC) lets fans access exclusive digital content—such as music, videos, and behind-the-scenes material—via the KiTplayer app. The user-friendly platform makes it simple for artists to create compelling, interactive experiences for their fans.

Serenade

Serenade provides a wide range of smart physical formats that unlock chart-eligible music —stickers, wristbands, smart vinyl, pin badges, keychains, mini cassettes, lanyards, patches, and more. What sets Serenade apart is the use of sustainable materials for its products and the ability to stream or download music directly from the platform. This provides a more accessible, user-friendly experience while still offering the benefits of a smart digital product​.

Having supported over 200 global artists such as Liam and Noel Gallagher, Muse, Sum 41, Twenty One Pilots, and Thirty Seconds to Mars, Serenade has established commercial partnerships with over 100 record labels. Following its acquisition by Vinyl Group, this move will integrate Serenade's digital and physical collectibles into Vinyl.com and accelerate the platform's expansion into the UK and European markets.

With Serenade joining Vinyl Group, the company will continue to expand its tech offerings and enhance its mission to serve music fans globally. This acquisition positions Serenade alongside Vinyl.com, allowing the company to realize its full potential under new leadership.

Independent artists now have more control over their careers than ever before. The key is to be resourceful, leverage your network, and think outside the box. At Silver Gun Records, we’ve seen these strategies succeed repeatedly. Keep hustling, stay creative, and take charge of your future in music.