Bring your listeners on a journey with a Discord Bot.

Are you tired of making the same kinds of bonus content for fans? Want to send your listeners on an adventure that goes much deeper than “behind the music?”

Maybe it’s time for a multi-player role-playing game your fans can tackle together on Discord.

Wait, what?

Emma McGann invites her fans into “The Monsterverse.”

This is exactly what celebrated songwriter and Twitch livestreamer Emma McGann did with her newest album The Monsterverse.

She created an immersive experience for her most engaged fans, putting them at the center of the action. The project combines recordings, videos and 3D graphics, plus an RPG that runs via a bot on her Discord server.

The Monsterverse takes “music promo” to a whole new level. It’s fun, creative, impressive, effective, and memorable. Like all great marketing.

But how does it work? Why should musicians spend time on Discord? What even is Discord, and how is the platform related to Twitch, gaming, and fan communities?

In this episode of the DIY Musician Podcast, Emma McGann tells us how and why she constructed a whole world around her music.

During the interview, Emma McGann talks about:

3:49 “Cutting my teeth as an artist… proved to be a struggle”
5:00 The early days of music live-streaming
6:22 Live-streaming’s unique powers for audience growth
7:54 Tips for live-streaming beginners
9:52 “How my live-streaming habits changed over the past 5 years”
12:24 Incorporating other interests into music livestreams
13:36 Twitch basics for musicians
16:52 How Twitch broadcasts are shaped by the viewer
17:38 Discord 101 for musicians
19:36 Discord as a destination for diehard fans
22:00 A glossary of basic Discord terms
23:58 What is the “Monsterverse?”
25:31 Music promotion inspired by multi-player gameplay
27:15 “Choose Your Own Adventure” for music fans
28:42 How the game’s plot runs alongside the music
32:04 Making music videos using 3D modeling
34:59 How much did you spend to make 3D video content?
35:56 Spinning the Monsterverse into shorter social content
40:30 Collaborating with fans to design the final monster
41:35 The “survival kit” merch bundle
42:35 Game testing & troubleshooting the Discord bot
45:27 Empowering your fans to moderate your Discord
46:33 Discord roles & ranking for your online “street team”
47:59 Launching a “Monsterverse” TikTok filter
49:52 A daily voice-activated backstage experience
51:37 The Virtual Tour Pass
54:04 “Is this all a gimmick?”
58:18 Emma’s music plans for 2023