QR codes for musicians and artists: gig poster, merch stand and exhibition

Bands and artists live from moments: someone hears a song on the street, sees a poster or stands in front of a painting. In that moment the next step should be easy, such as listening to the album, buying a ticket or following you. A QR code on a poster, record sleeve or wall text turns this into a scan. And because destinations change all the time for musicians, a dynamic code is especially worthwhile.

What musicians use QR codes for

• Gig poster: first to the pre-sale, after the gig to photos or recordings
• Vinyl, CD or cassette: to the album on your streaming service or on Bandcamp
• Merch stand: shop, size chart and payment
• Busking: to your payment link for a digital tip
• Newsletter: sign-up at the end of the gig, shown on the screen
• Press kit: to photos, texts and technical rider for download

A code that moves with the release

A poster for a new single often stays up for weeks. With two destination changes, which is what the free plan includes per QR code, it is easy to plan: first the code leads to the pre-save, on release day to the single, afterwards to the tour dates. If you change more often, point the code to your own link page and change the entries there.

Visual art: artwork information in the exhibition

In an exhibition, a QR code next to the work can show how it was made, the material, the price or an audio recording. With 30 works, 20 codes are not enough for each one. Two solutions: one code per room that leads to an overview page with all works, or codes only for the works that really have a story to tell. Afterwards the scans show you which works interested people most.

How many scans a band needs

A club gig with 200 guests brings a few dozen scans, a poster around town maybe a few hundred a month. The 1,000 scans a month that apply to the whole account on the free plan are enough for most independent musicians. If a tour with many posters is running, calculate that month more carefully.

Free, without a trial period

At Same-QR, 20 dynamic QR codes are permanently free. There is no trial period that runs out between printing the poster and playing the gig, no credit card and no ads when scanning. Your own colours and a band logo in the code come with the paid plans. On posters and record sleeves a clear black and white code often looks better anyway.

Conclusion

For musicians and artists, a QR code is the bridge from the moment to the next step. Give every poster, every record and every stand its own code, plan the destination changes along the release and look at the scans after the gig.

Frequently asked questions