Crowdbuilder is a free, multilingual tool to help live music event organisers develop their audiences and strengthen their communities. It is the result of years of joint work with 17 European venues, driven by a shared desire to put their audiences centre stage. More than just a tool, Crowdbuilder reaffirms the social, cultural and artistic nature of live music venues. It encourages organisers to engage in two-way communication with their crowds to increase their vitality, diversity, and social impact.
Meet crowdbuilder
Crowdbuilder is a new collaborative tool for venues that are looking to actively develop new ways of connecting with their communities. Or, in other words, to make their audience their headliner!
This free and playful tool guides you and your team through the process of designing an audience development strategy. It helps you reflect on your current practices, imagine new perspectives, and develop innovative concepts tailored to your context. Whether you want to reach new audiences, deepen existing relationships, or spark new ideas, Crowdbuilder is here to help.
A tool by the scene, for the scene
Crowdbuilder was created by live music professionals, for live music professionals. It builds on collective work led by Live DMA and 17 European music venues, who joined forces to dive deep into the challenges and opportunities of nurturing audiences in small and medium-sized venues.
Driven by a shared desire to reflect on their practices, learn from each other, and contribute to something bigger than themselves, these venues collaborated on a project grounded in care, creativity, and community. Crowdbuilder is the fruit of that collective journey. A tailor-made tool born out of the insights, needs and feedback of live music organisers.
Supporting the cultural and social value of live music venues
Crowdbuilder is a practical tool designed to support the cultural, social and artistic value of live music scene. It places the audience at the heart of the live music experience, reminding us that live music is, first and foremost, about people.
It is part of Live DMA’s long-term commitment to strengthen the cultural, social, and artistic value of live music venues. Since 2017, the network has brought together music professionals from across Europe to reflect on audience dialogue and diversity through a series of workshops and working groups.
These exchanges first led to the launch of the Try-Angle project in 2021 and now continue with Crowdbuilder. This tool is yet another step forward in providing European venues with effective tools to build stronger communities and reaffirm their social role.
How does it work?
Crowdbuilder was designed to be accessible and does not require prior knowledge or specific skills. To make it easier for teams across Europe to use, the tool is available in English, French, Spanish, Dutch and Norwegian, with more translations also on their way.
1. Gather your team
More than just a tool, Crowdbuilder is an invitation to collaborate, explore and share insights. It’s not about having the right answers – it’s about sparking conversations, shifting perspectives, and building a shared vision with your team.
To get the most out of it, we recommend using Crowdbuilder during a team seminar. You can even turn it into a role-playing exercise, where each team member takes on the role of a colleague.
2. Fill in the gaps
You will work with a “fill-in the gaps” text covering six key topics essential for building their audience and community. The tool provides guiding questions and explanations along the way.
You are expected to discuss with your team, write down your insights and come up with a collective answer for each step. Take your time if needed – you can save your progress and come back later.
3. Discover your strategy
At the end of the exercise, you’ll get to discover your personalised strategy. Save it, share it and keep building from there – it’s as simple as that!