Make it or break it : Social Media and Music

Breaking into the music industry has changed, with artists no longer relying on old-school tactics to try and land a record deal. Technology has disrupted the music industry like bands incorporation custom interactivity through google maps in their Music Videos. Social media is just one aspect of technology that can be used to try and make that break into the music industry. It is proving to be a key ingredient in publicity and fan coverage.

MySpace used to be the social networking site of choice for aspiring artists. The once popular site has been attributed to launching the careers of Lily Allen and Soulja Boy, as well as boosting sales of already established artists. But, MySpace dropped 10 million unique visitors at the start of 2011, bringing users down to 63 million compared to Facebook’s 500 million users.

Seeing how Lady Gaga has over 31 million likes on Facebook, yet only 1.5 million “friends” on her MySpace, it is clearly no longer the most appropriate tool for aspiring artists trying to break into the music industry though it won’t necessarily hurt you if you do create a profile.

Depending on your genre of music, you might find that using specialist sites like ReverbNation or Bandcamp that fit the image of your band more than a mainstream Facebook or Twitter approach. But, considering it’s a numbers game and the more track listens or video views you land equates to a perceived popularity, you’d be crazy to ignore Facebook.

BandPage is definitely the must-have Facebook app to use if you want to be taken seriously in the music industry. It’s free, so you don’t have to worry about any costs, although you can upgrade to BandPage Plus for a reasonable $1.99 a month.

BandPage is Facebook Page where artists can add tracks (with the option for fans to listen, download and buy) and add bookings. I've seen a bands website where you had to like them or be a fan of them before you could listen to their tracks. This Using Facebook means that your fans can also share your content with friends, spreading word of mouth about you, and helping to increase your chance of breaking into the music industry.

Lastly Social Media connects bands to fans (and vice versa) from all over the world and for little to no cost. This is especially important for upcoming bands that may not have the budget to hire an agent or publicist. You may just want to make music, but there’s more than just talent required to be successful in the music industry.

Straight from the Cottontail's mouth

This video from WinkSound, features electro-pop musician and Hey Girl Hey's Music & Trends expert, Roxy Cottontail, who describes the use of social media and her success. Deejay and music producer Afrojack made a remix of her track "Bounce Little Kitty", which brought an explosion of popularity to her music after using social media as a platform to promote it. Cottontail explains that social media platforms have allowed her to expand her network and her business. While the song and video may be a bit strange or incongruous, it has become quite the hit in dance clubs around the nation. Take a look at what she has to say...

The New Way To Launch an Album

Rihanna, a pioneer in the new new phenomenon of an album launching through the release of UNLOCKED, an interactive Facebook app that lets fans uncover the album, Talk That Talk, detail by detail. Here's how it works: Users “Like” the page and then go on “missions” to uncover content released by Rihanna’s label, Island Def Jam. When certain “offers” reach a tipping point, the content becomes available. For example, fans were asked to submit a certain amount of fake lyrics to earn the lyric sheet for Rihanna’s album. Other unlocks so far include Rihanna’s new “R” logo, the single “We Found Love,” Rihanna’s new website, album release date and album cover.

Since the app’s launch in late September, UNLOCKED has received some staggering numbers. At time of writing, the project has given Rihanna nearly 1 million new Twitterfollowers and created more than 2.5 million tweets (a 445% increase from before UNLOCKED was launched). The project has also given Rihanna more than 700,000 Facebook fans with an estimated 208 million Facebook impressions.

Rihanna’s huge social presence is probably one of the reasons UNLOCKED has been such a success in the first place. Rihanna had the most fans of any celebrity on Facebook and ranked highly on Twitter as well. UNLOCKED requires a certain amount of built-in loyalty and a threshold of participation to work.

The unlocked content includes standard fare, like new single releases and a website, which would have been released with or without the app. The team behind UNLOCKED realized the real reward was social, rather than physical.

UNLOCKED is also a smart way to engage Rihanna’s fans while she’s on tour or taken up with other press engagements. The app lets users feel like they’re interacting with Rihanna, by unlocking special content and helping promote her album.