Quick Response Codes (QR Codes) are limitless when it comes to bridging the gap between offline and online mediums in music. Taylor Swift’s QR Code campaign is one of the latest testaments to this fact—the multitalented singer-songwriter wowed Swifties by using Bitly’s QR Code technology to create hype for her new album, The Tortured Poets Department.
This strategy has helped illuminate the value of QR Codes in the music industry, with more musicians and event organizers embracing the solution for their music and festivals.
QR Codes help organizers streamline event operations like registration and ticketing and improve guest experiences by providing easy access to digital event resources.
Ready to leverage QR Code technology for your next concert or music festival? Read on to learn how.
*Note: All brands and examples discussed below were found during our online research for this article.
Why are QR Codes a good idea for music events?
If you’ve been keeping up with the music scene, you’ve likely seen QR Codes in action numerous times. Apart from Taylor Swift’s campaign, you also have the Bacardi QR Code campaign, where the alcohol brand printed codes on streetwear to give fans a chance to win concert tickets to see some up-and-coming artists. There’s no doubt about the value of QR Codes for marketers in the music industry and beyond.
Still, the question remains: Are QR Codes worthwhile for music events? Definitely! They solve many pain points that organizers and event attendees experience, allowing them to enjoy their experiences fully. Here’s how:
Better event operations
As a music event organizer, you have a lot on your plate—you have to promote your event to encourage attendance, provide a seamless way for potential attendees to register or purchase tickets, and streamline access to your venue on the event day. With so much to think about, it’s easy for some tasks to slip through the cracks that hinder your event’s success.
But not with QR Codes. You can print QR Codes linked to your website or event landing page on posters to boost marketing efforts and streamline event registration. This way, potential guests don’t need to spend time searching for event details.
You might also add them to event tickets to facilitate quick check-in processes—all it takes is a quick scan to confirm attendees’ details. Using these pixelated solutions reduces manual tasks and simplifies processes for event staff, leading to a smoother experience for organizers and attendees alike.
More convenience for attendees
You need to provide high-quality experiences from the moment attendees first interact with you if you want them to attend more in the future. QR Codes can help by offering more convenience for attendees. They can make it easier for them to:
- Get pertinent event information, like concert dates and venues.
- Register for events.
- Purchase tickets.
- Interact with your team.
- Confirm their tickets during your event.
This is because they provide direct access to relevant pages, be it event landing pages or communication channels, eliminating the need for attendees to search for event information and services manually.
Event efficiency and engagement
QR Codes enable streamlined communication and interaction, contributing to a more cohesive and dynamic event atmosphere. Consider linking them to your team’s social media channels to provide regular event updates or a breakdown of scheduled performances to show guests what to expect.
You can even borrow a page from Travis Scott’s QR Code strategy to drive engagement during performances—he used a drone QR Code to direct concert attendees to his Spotify playlist.
If you have photographers at your event, link QR Codes to a landing page via URL that lets attendees view photos taken during the event to increase engagement or create memorable experiences. The possibilities are truly endless!
Popular QR Code use cases for concerts and music festivals
QR Codes have a variety of uses in concerts and music festivals. Here are some popular ones to get your creative juices flowing for your next event:
Digital ticketing or check-in
Research shows it can take as little as a tenth of a second or up to 30 seconds to make a first impression. Yes, you read that right; you have less than a minute to show you’re at the top of your game.
Considering attendees spend their first seconds at the check-in desk, this is one of the places to provide the best experiences, and QR Codes can help.
You can embed these nifty solutions on digital concert tickets, allowing your staff to check in guests at the entrance with simple scans. This is quicker than manually checking registration lists, providing better experiences for guests and your team.
QR Codes for digital ticketing and check-in translate to shorter queues, which improves first impressions for many modern guests.
Contactless payments
Merchandise and food and drink vendors are key parts of any music event. After all, people want tangible things to remember their experiences by, and they also have to eat.
However, handling payments—especially for large groups—can be a hassle and result in long lines. That’s why more vendors are turning to QR Code technology.
QR Codes help facilitate on-site purchases, allowing attendees to buy items via contactless payments. They only need to scan designated QR Codes with their mobile devices. This eliminates the need to handle cash, change, or credit cards.
Unique, interactive fan experiences
There’s no shortage of ways to bring excitement to music concerts. Some organizers arrange scavenger hunts, where winners earn backstage passes; others plan photo contests to engage concert-goers and bring more attention to their events; and others allow guests to participate in singing competitions.
QR codes can help with the interactive experiences you want to offer. Organizers who use gamification in event marketing or during events use them to provide seamless access to their challenges.
If you hold a scavenger hunt, for example, hide QR Codes in different parts of your venue so players can scan them each time they solve clues—this is fun and makes it easier to determine winners. For contests like singing competitions, create a QR Code that lets concert-goers vote for their favorite acts. This is sure to add some excitement to your event.
Event feedback and surveys
You can link QR Codes to a feedback collection or survey database, allowing concert-goers to give their opinions on what you did well and could do better. Because of their ease of use (all it takes is a single scan to access linked information) they can encourage many more responses than, say, filling out a physical survey and mailing or emailing it to you.
Provide these surveys on-site for real-time insights—this could be beneficial if you want feedback on things to change during the event, such as lighting and sound quality adjustments.
You could also embed them on guests’ packages or exit signage if you want feedback on what to change in future events. This may be helpful if you want opinions on venue selection or choice of performers since these can’t be changed during the event.
Social media integration
QR Codes drive social media interaction by linking directly to event-specific hashtags, contests, or live streams. This is a great way to engage attendees and bring more attention to your event online.
You can follow Taylor Swift’s example and link QR Codes to content on social media platforms to build anticipation for your event. You can also link them to contest management pages, where concert-goers vote for their favorite artists, fan performances, or event experiences to engage them even after your festival.
How to use Bitly’s QR Code generator to create QR Codes for concerts or festivals
Now that you have ideas for using QR Code solutions for music events, the next step is to create and leverage them. With Bitly, the process is easy.
We provide reliable Dynamic QR Codes, which can easily cater to the needs of small and large events. Here’s how to use Bitly’s free QR Code generator:
1. Create a QR Code with Bitly
Whether you’re a marketer wondering how to use QR Codes for media brands, an event organizer with no coding experience, or your team’s software developer, rest assured you’ll have an easy time creating codes for your event. Bitly is a user-friendly tool designed for everyone, regardless of their technical expertise and experience. To create your QR Codes, simply:
- Log in to your Bitly account.
- Go to Create new and select QR Code.
- Enter your destination URL.
- Select Design your code.
- Depending on your plan, customize the code to align with your event’s image and aesthetic vision (more on this next).
- Select Create your code.
- Download the code.
Then, add it to printed materials like posters, billboards, and business cards to bridge the gap between physical promotional materials and digital event resources.
2. Customize the QR Code for the music event
Who said you should settle for the standard black-and-white QR Code for your music festival? Certainly not us!
With Bitly, you can customize your code to align with your event’s branding and aesthetic. Use your event’s theme colors or brand colors on the code, include your logo or chosen event mascot, add a frame with a CTA, and select unique patterns and corners to make your QR Code stand out.
Customization allows you to maintain consistency in all aspects of your branding, which helps create a more professional and trustworthy experience. It can also promote recognition from your target audience, increasing their likelihood of scanning the code when they encounter it.
You can even customize the link embedded in your code. Add your custom domain in the link to replace the “bit.ly” domain and customize your back half to give scanners a little more context. Instead of your link looking something like “www.bit.ly.9t6titr”, you can customize it to “www.yourbrand.com/musicfestival.”
3. Manage and track your QR Code performance
As with any event, there’s always room for improvement in managing music events and festivals. Beyond asking for feedback, you can leverage Bitly’s QR Code tracking to identify what resonates most with your target audience.
Do audiences scan registration codes more when you use video teasers? Are codes printed on posters more effective than those shared via social media platforms? Do customized QR Codes get more scans than standard codes? Are there specific days when your target audience is the most active? These are all questions you can get answers to with Bitly Analytics.
You’ll get analytics on the total number of scans each unique QR Code receives, scans by country/city, scans by day, and scans by browser and operating system. To view scan data on Bitly:
- Log in to your account.
- Select QR Codes.
- Find the specific QR Code you want data on.
- Select View details.
- Filter by date to view a specific period’s scan data.
Beyond tracking QR Code performance, regularly monitor your codes to make sure they direct audiences to intended destinations. Bitly has built-in security measures, such as encrypting linked URLs with HTTPS, to ensure QR Codes are reliable and secure, even in high-traffic event environments.
For this to remain the case, monitor QR Code destinations, including websites and landing pages, to confirm they are active throughout your event.
Unlock the full potential of QR Codes for music events with Bitly
QR Codes streamline event management by promoting seamless registration, check-in, and feedback collection. They also improve fan experiences by providing easy access to event details and interactive content. If you’re looking for ways to elevate your music events, these nifty pixelated squares are it!
With Bitly, you can create custom Dynamic QR Codes for your music festival in minutes. We give you full control over how your codes and linked URLs look, allowing you to align them with your event’s aesthetic and provide the most relevant event details. Further, with scan tracking, you get real-time analytics to help improve future engagement.
Sign up for Bitly today to take your music events to the next level with custom QR Codes!