Music

Music Social Networks for Fans and Musicians

by david in 25.01.2009 23:19

All of you accomplished musicians out there probably know what it's like to relinquish control of what you created, not knowing whether it will succeed or not. After all is said and done, the music industry is like an assembly line--the bits and pieces are put together by many different people, resulting in a single product that must be marked up far beyond its value in order to accommodate the overhead. What this means is that you, the fan, has to pay more for the album because of everything from production to packaging, while the musician only sees, oh, about 2% of the profits per album. And that's assuming they even sell any.

This is where a music social network site can serve as an advantage. Imagine, a venue where you, the musician, have control over the price of your music, and the methods by which it is sold. If you only want to sell your album in its entirety, then you can do just that. Otherwise, if you think it would be to both you and your fans' benefit to sell individual tracks, then that option is certainly available to you. Having those kinds of choices as a musician is not the most common scenario, so be sure to take advantage of it.

What are some ways you can benefit as a musician from a music social networking site? Well, for starters, music social networks are wonderful forums through which bands can connect with other bands. If you're looking for a way to network with other musicians, either for collaboration purposes or for booking shows together, why not start by putting up a profile on a music social network site? If you find music that you like, support your fellow artists and purchase a track or two. Heck, buy the whole album if you feel like it. When you support other musicians, they will probably support you right back. You can do your favorite fellow artists a favor by sending potential fans their way, and they'll do the same thing for you.

Another great thing about using music social networks to interact with musicians and fans is that you can make real-time announcements any time you want--maybe you want to announce some tour dates, the release of your album, and any other news regarding the band. In fact, you can involve your fans in the process by offering them insider extras--like exclusive ticket pre-sales, VIP passes, merchandise, and more. Interacting on a music social networking site is truly a great way to interface with your fanbase as well as your community, whether you do it by posting photos, keeping a blog, or somehow engaging them in a dialogue that ultimately serves as a highly effective marketing device.

By now you probably know of all the ups and downs that up-and-coming musicians face, and most of it has to do with getting enough exposure to generate enough revenue to keep everyone involved paid and happy. When there are fewer people to pay, there is more money for everyone else--not to mention the fact that the fans benefit from buying directly from the artist because the music is cheaper. These are the kinds of ways that music social networks can work in your favor, no matter your role--fan or musician.

Written by Melanie River. http://www.r4rmedia.biz on the internet at http://www.r4rmedia.biz

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