Apps, social media and the Internet have changed the face of the music industry forever. At one time, a musician needed someone from the music industry or an agent to get their music heard by the masses. Today, any musician needs only to turn to the Internet and self-promotion to put their music out for the world.
The Fan Connection
Social media sites such as Youtube, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Reverb Nation, SoundCloud and others have changed the entire music industry. Musicians can post music and videos for little to no cost. They can connect with fans easily. Fans help to spread the word of musicians they like, thus giving the musician free advertising. Fan connections also make fans feel more bonded with the musician causing them to follow their favorites closer.
Some musicians are even going as far as including fans in song and video productions. They post clips of new works, asking for feedback or ask fans what they would like to hear next from them. By having fan involvement, the fans are encouraged to feel pride in the new songs because they had input in the making of them.
One slight disadvantage of this easy connection is that if for any reason the fans turn on a musician for bad behavior or just don’t like the music, they will spread the work quickly.
Cuts the Red Tape
New musicians can find it easier to break into the music world because they are no longer hampered by the red tape the music industry used for deciding who was allowed in and who wasn’t. It’s now as simple as just loading up tracks to the social media site of choice and putting the word out.
Many producers and promoters have taken to watching social media pages in the search for new talent, which is another great reason why any musician serious about his or her music should be using social media for promotion. They never know who is listening or ready to give the next big break.
Offers Freedom
Social media promotion also gives musicians the freedom to pick and choose if they want to be part of a music label or corporation or if they want to go different route. New music business models are emerging as well as revenue stream structures. Where once, many musicians were only getting pennies a track or even album and merchandise from their labels, they are now being able to acquire most of the money. This does have the downfall of having to find investors to help with the costs or the costs come out of pocket from the start.
Cost Benefits
Most social media sites are free to setup and use, having paid options available. For the musician not making much money, this can be a huge benefit. The cost of promotion is the time spent doing it rather than having to shell out cash. Of course this can also be a disadvantage because it does take a great deal of time to self-promote but for those who are willing to do it, can be very rewarding.
Many musicians are signing up their projects to social sites such as KickStarter to find funding for producing a new album or other music based products and projects. Musicians upload the project they want to work on with the associated costs and people contribute to projects they feel are worthy.
Music has always been a social output and connection for people to bond over. Social media sites and the Internet just have made that bonding easier than ever before. While the rules of using social media for promotion are still emerging, every musician should be jumping on board as a way to connect with fans. After all, the fans who make any musician a success.
About Today's Guest Writer:
Joseph Sedillo is a music blogger who shares his thoughts and playlists with anyone that will listen. He's a big fan of Gibson guitars from Music Junkie.
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