Have
you ever heard your song in the background of a video for a major brand
and you haven’t given the brand permission to use the song? This
situation happened to David Philips where Red Bull used his song without
him knowing it. Fortunately, a fan alerted him about it so now he is
able to do something about it. Check out what lessons he learned from
this incident on Music Think Tank. Has this ever happened to you?
It’s obvious that the music industry has changed. More musicians are seeking exposure while music distribution has changed. As the creator of RRadioMusic, Ken Dardis believes that artists should be paid for airplay if they have attained a level where their music is a drawing card or else they put the station at risk. Check out what his other thoughts are on the music business today on Music Think Tank. Do you agree or disagree?
Have you spammed Facebook by posting a link to your band’s website or other links to your music? According to James Moore, you may be considered a “Facebook band”. Being a Facebook band and posting links to your music in as many places as possible can be a waste of time. So what’s wrong with posting links everywhere? James Moore explains with his recent post on Music Think Tank.
Last week, Jon Ostrow and Ariel Hyatt posted Part 1 of the reasons why your Facebook fans aren’t engaged. Part 1 covered the average lifespan of a Facebook post and average percentage of your total fan base that is willing to engage with a brand page. This week, we have Part 2 which covers setting more realistic goals, putting effective strategies into action, and building stronger fan communities. What strategies have you found to be effective in engaging your Facebook fans?
The web has been abuzz in the past year with news on DIY, YouTube musician Alex Day’s success. Last week, Clyde wrote about how Alex Day released new music on BitTorrent and reached a million downloads in his first week. How did Alex Day become so successful? On Music Think Tank, Chancius Drzewucki posts his thoughts on Alex Day’s success and what he thinks Day’s greatest strength is.
Last week, Jon Ostrow and Ariel Hyatt explained reasons why your Facebook page isn’t growing. This week, they have tips to help you set more realistic goals, come up with effective strategies, and build a stronger fan community. Check out Part 1 of their recommendations on Music Think Tank. What strategies do you use on Facebook?
Musicians especially independent musicians have so many tasks to do and keep up with that it can get overwhelming. From blogging to interacting on social media, musicians are expected to be everywhere online. On Music Think Tank, Brian Hazard gives a list of items that he tackles each week. What list of items do you have to finish on a weekly basis...monthly basis, etc?
Last year, Jamie Leger wrote a post about the dawn of the Musicpreneur. Now, Tommy Darker has put his thoughts on what tasks musicpreneuers have to do. Check out the first part of his list of things that modern DIY artists have to do and his recommendations. As a DIY artist, have you considered the items that Tommy talks about and created a strategy?
Symphonies and orchestras are facing a major crisis. The San Francisco Symphony has been on strike for over two weeks with musicians demanding higher wages while concert attendance has faced significant decreases. Earlier in the season, Chicago had its own strike. According to Musician Wages, “both the musicians and the management of our major orchestras are overpaid” and this is causing many problems. However, he does propose a solution that may help. See what the solution is on Music Think Tank.
In 2012, many musicians used crowdfunding sites to try and create albums or finance other creative projects. With the various sites available, you may wonder what the differences between the crowdfunding services are. On Music Think Tank, IndieAmbassador.com has posted a helpful chart on four major crowdfunding platforms and their advantanges and disadvantages. Which crowdfunding platform have you used and would recommend?
You’ve been on Facebook for a while, but for some reason the page doesn’t seem to be growing. Why? A recent study reported by Mashable (from Napkin Labs), showed that on average only 6% of fans engage with a brand’s Facebook page. Jon Ostrow and Ariel Hyatt explain why this is and other issues that musicians have on Facebook in their latest post on Music Think Tank. What have you done to best the Facebook Algorithm and garner stronger results?
Are you trying to sell your music? To do that, you have to show the value of your music and may have to pair your music with something else. According to Musician Wages, “Being a musician who sells music is like being a restaurant that only serves sauce. Music is most valuable when paired with something else.” To see what he means, check out his post on Music Think Tank. Do you agree?
Now that SXSW is over, people are going back to their normal routines. So what did you learn from going down to Austin? Were you able to attend and see some shows? While attending SXSW, Jon Ostrow of Cyber PR put together a series with advice from music industry professionals. Check out Jon Ostrow’s post for a recap from SXSW and some great music industry advice posted on Music Think Tank.
Do you know who your audience is? As a songwriter, knowing your audience is key to connecting your music with the fans. Try to find and connect with your natural audience by reading Mark Doyon’s post on Music Think Tank.
Many artists use social media, but do not know how to use it well. Social media should not be a megaphone, but instead should be used as a listening tool. On Music Think Tank, Simon Tam explains how musicians can be rockstars at social media. Check out what your band should be doing.
Digital music is transforming the music industry and is rapidly picking up speed. More people are using streaming services and there are rumors that Apple is creating their own service. Jimmy Iovine and Beats By Dr. Dre are developing the Daisy project, a new music streaming subscription service that will “bring an emotional connection back to the act of music discovery.” On Music Think Tank, Bobby Owsinski shares his thoughts on the new era of the music business. What do you think the music industry will be like in the next couple of years?
Social media has had an impact on the music industry. Technology like IoT are helping artists by connecting physical products and the Internet. Using IoT has allowed people to check in and share info about what they are doing by scanning their wristbands. What emerging social media trends will affect the industry this year? On Music Think Tank, Marcus Taylor posted about four emerging trends and how they will impact the industry. Do you have additional trends to add to the list?
There are many musicians that have been preyed upon by businesses. James Moore suggests staying away from one type of service in particular: automated music submission services. He believes that many of the services are misleading and has tested Beatwire. Read his thoughts about the service and other cautions he has for musicians on Music Think Tank.
Many musicians try to play shows at industry festivals like SXSW in order to break into the industry. However, there is no guarantee that this will happen and some musicians may not be ready yet in their careers or may not be mature enough to handle success. On Music Think Tank, Simon Tam posted about the most overrated things in a musician’s career. What do you think of the list? Do you have your priorities straight when it comes to your career?
