Independent bands and mainstream artists alike are coming to rely on the power of social media to draw fans and listeners to their music. Though not often touted, the QR code is a unique way for artists to interact with their fans on a broad level, and share music, news and band info in a fun and creative way.



One of Supernova's artists, Jamie from The Writers' Society, recently showed us some of the ways that his band is making use of the QR code for self promotion. He first saw these codes used in magazines, and recognized the potential. Thinking that a lot of bands could benefit from the advice, we decided to pick Jamie's brain for some A+ ideas on how to make the QR code work for music.

So Jamie... for those who might not know, what is a QR code?

A QR code is basically a square barcode you scan with a smartphone. It can show a message in plain text, open a link to a website, have a phone number, or someone’s contact details. Generally, if it’s under 250 characters, you can make it into a QR Code. The technology has been used more and more, and is a cost-effective, simple way of getting your band out there.

And what tools are needed to work with these QR codes?

Many websites offer QR Code generators, but the most customizable is QRhacker. It has all the same functions as other QR Code generator websites, but it takes things a step further. (see end of article, for Jamie's quick tutorial on how to get the best out of this website.) After you have created and customized your QR Code, print [them] onto the sticker paper, on posters promoting your band, the back of your EP, business cards etc. It’s also a good idea to post them on your Facebook wall so your friends can scan them - the possibilities are endless, and because almost everyone and their mother has a smartphone these days.

Do you think this technology gives ‘independent bands’ an edge?

I really think it does. It is an extremely cheap, effective way of advertising your band. When people see a QR code in a strange place, such as the side of a bench or in the corner of a window on a bus, they are naturally going to be curious and scan it to find out what it’s about.

How would you like to see Supernova utilize QR codes for bands?

It would be cool if Supernova could make them for each band page, so bands could download them and use them on posters, promotional material etc. It would also be a good idea if each event page had one as well.


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Has your band made creative us of QR codes or some other 'social' technology? We want to hear about it! Send us an email telling us about your unique band or music promotion.The Writers' Society for sharing his story above... see below for more tips on custom QR Codes and be sure to catch The Writers' Society live at the Toronto HYSTERIA Finals!


Jamie's tips to get the best out of QRhacker.com:

After you have created your basic QR Code, you have a few options as far as customization goes. At the bottom, you will see a bar that says “Customization Maximum”. As you edit the QR code, you will see the bar fill up. There is a limit to how much you can customize your QR code, but it’s a pretty high limit so you shouldn’t have any problems with it.

First of all, you can make the actual pixels in the code rounder. This is totally a style thing, and won’t affect the Customization bar. The next feature you can customize is the background of the QR Code. You can upload an image file, or just make it a solid colour. Be careful though. If there is a lot going on in the image, it may affect the functionality of your QR Code.

Now we start to get into the meat of the customization features. You can change the colour of all the pixels at once, or you can edit it pixel by pixel. You can also add or remove pixels from the code, but pay attention to the bar at the bottom!

This next feature is by far the coolest of them all. Since it is still in beta, the “Photo” option seems to be a bit glitchy, so I just use the “Add my logo/photo” option. Basically what you do is upload a photo, for example, your band’s logo, and you can add it to your QR Code. Generally what I like to do is erase all the pixels in the immediate area around it so it looks a bit cleaner. You can also edit the image with options such as “Contrast”, “Hue” and “Pixelate”.

Finally, when you’re ready, hit “Save QR” and the image will save to your computer. It adds a logo at the bottom, promoting their website. You can choose to keep it, or chop it of in Paint or Photoshop. When you’re formatting them for printing, make sure that there is a border of at least half an inch around the code. Before printing them onto the sticker paper, print them onto a sheet of regular paper and test them out. If they work, you’re ready to start sticking them around your city! Happy QR-ing!
- Jamie (The drummer for The Writers’ Society)