You’re reading a story from Sidelines 100, a project showcasing a century of student storytelling at Middle Tennessee State University. Sidelines 100 plans to highlight 100 stories from the newspaper archives this fall and spring.
This story originally ran in the Feb. 27, 2013, edition of Sidelines. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay on top of all things Sidelines 100.
Although the Internet has presented issues on the economic standing , of the music industry, the rippling effect of social media has changed how musicians get their start.
Whether it be to interact with fans, spread the word about upcoming shows or simply to find their name, success is all the more difficult without social media.
The university’s recording industry program is one of the most present and competitive majors on campus, and professors have the opportunity to help shape the future of music industry professionals. To help change the industry, new courses, such as cyber PR, are now being taught by professor Charles Dahan.
“I think right now it’s incredibly important and any marketing plan or career development plan without a social media strategy, I think, is incredibly risky,” Dahan said, regarding the significance of social media in the music industry.
Some bands are paving the way for the future of the music industry, doing everything from self-promoting to self-producing. Alternative rock band Circa Survive is one of these pioneers.
Although Circa Survive has used professional record labels to release albums in the past they chose to produce and distribute their latest album Violent Waves themselves.
Because they funded the Aug. 28 release out-of-pocket, the band took to their Facebook page to advertise. They directed fans to their website where they sold the CD for $5. All the profits went directly to the band – their fans financially supported them and their new music. And they aren’t the only musicians who have decided to go a step further and use social media for monetary gain.
Amanda Palmer, formerly of The Dresden Dolls, found her solo career to be successful with the help of a little site called Kickstarter. After she split with her record label, Palmer decided to put out her own record. She recruited a backup band she dubbed The Grand Theft Orchestra and recorded songs for a September 2012 album.
However, she needed money to promote, mix, produce and tour. Because she was notoriously good at using Twitter, and her personal blog, to communicate with her fans, Palmer decided to create a Kickstarter project to raise the money. “Backers” supported her through donations ranging from $1 to $10,000, receiving various packages depending on how much they give, which are essentially pre-orders of the album plus extras:
Palmer posted a cute video of herself on the site that explained her situation and asked fans for help. She also posted a personalized letter with photos and information on the site. Her packages included everything from her new album, to homemade art to a day spent with Palmer and her band. As of May 31, 2012, Palmer was backed by 24,883 people and raised $1,192,793 in one month, exceeding her initial goal of $100,000.
Although not every artist who knows how to use social media is hugely successful, people like Palmer prove that talent, hard . work and personal relationships with fans goes a long way toward success.
Some musicians choose to take a different route, going straight to social media to gain recognition and followers.
After she was rejected from American Idol twice, pop artist Colbie Caillat took to MySpace – which, as of 2011, Justin Timberlake became part-owner of- posting a video of herself singing her original song “Bubbly.” This video was played 22 million times, resulting in Caillat’s record deal.
Likewise, British pop musician Lily Allen posted some of her songs on MySpace that led to play time on BBC Radio One, followed by a record deal. We all remember her catchy single “Smile.”
YouTube has also brought forth artists such as Justin Bieber and pop duo Karmin, simply through their various covers posted online. Lady Gaga rose to superstardom overnight, but not without putting forth the effort. In addition to hard work and a good voice, Gaga has a huge media presence, specifically on Twitter. She uses it as an outlet to connect with her fans regularly by tweeting about her tour life and intimate life. She even dubbbed her followers “little monsters.”
“I think once someone expresses an interest in you and then you have the ability to communicate with them on more than just a consumer-provider relationship, then . you’re developing a much longer-term fan,” Dahan said.
That’s exactly what Gaga and others have done. The beauty of the future is that it’s -unpredictable, but the thought can be unnerving for music industry wannabes. One thing is for certain, without some form of social media knowledge and experience, you’ll be less of an asset without it. “All indications are that it’ll be here for a while,” Dahan said.
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