Those days are gone forever. Independent artists are using the internet, particularly social network sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace, to gain exposure. A dominant online presence is important to establish a fan base, significantly rising a groups profile for recognition by major record labels. Many groups can also achieve financial success selling their product and booking shows.
The Trifecta of Social Networking
While there are other social networking sites that artists may use, Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace are without a doubt the three most heavily trafficked sites today. Each has its own unique way of attracting fans and industry professionals alike.
Myspace is probably regarded as the most important social network for any musician to have a page. For starters the majority of Myspace users are in the age bracket of 18 – 34, the people who purchase and support the most music. Myspace also allows bands and singers to create specialized pages for musicians only. These pages come with a great upload feature and a great music player. Finally it must be noted that on Myspace is it okay to offer friends requests to people that you do not actually know. There is nothing wrong with a band searching for like minded people that can be potential fans in the future.
Facebook users take a different approach to adding friends to their page. People there tend to except requests from associates they already know. This can still work for independent artist; because it allows them to create a fan base from the folks they have known their entire lives. Facebook also lets organizations create ?fan? pages, where they can place information for all to see. It is okay to request fans that the band may not know, but it is best to start with people who are aware of one's music and search for mutual friends at that point.
Twitter is the newest and fast growing social network on the scene. Unlike Facebook and Myspace, Twitter only allows users to create status updates with only 140 characters. Known as micro blogging, this limited amount of space is being used by people all over the world; to speak what's on their mind, or to just let others know what they are up too. This function allows artists to constantly update fans on their latest news at a real-time pace. The key to an artist's success on Twitter is interaction with others on the site. Rather than post about their music 24/7, it is wise to converse with people on a variety of topics. This allows them to feel that they are interacting with real people and will help draw interest in the bands music.
Profiles on Twitter are very basic and do not allow for much more than a profile pic and a general statement. To make up for this many external sites have been created to make Twitter a full interactive experience. A great site for musicians is tweetmysong, which is a simple to use site for uploading and distributing music on Twitter. All an artist has to do is upload a song then tweet the link. At this time over 12,000 songs have been uploaded to the site and it keeps growing. Tweetmysong is a free service and therefore one of the best ways for an artist to promote their music. It is a quick and efficient way to get music out there to millions of people.
It takes more than Social Networking
Artists should not rely on Social Networking sites alone. Every musician and band should have their own website and blog. A website with its own personalized URL lets people know that an artist is serious about exposure. It is also a great place to keep up to date information about the band's music and whereabouts. A blog is helpful because it allows the musician a place to express thoughts and ideas. It is also somewhere that fans can communicate with the artist through comments and replies.
Regardless if it's Hip Hop, Pop, Rock, or Jazz, the internet makes it possible for musicians to promote themselves to fans and the music industry alike.