social network for musicians

[myelectronica]

Hi

for a musician wishing to promote his music and make money with it, what would you expect from a web platform? Selling music (directly or indirectly)? Access to marketing tools? other features/offers?

Open discussion, so all comments (constructive) are welcome

Cheers

P

[an-electric-heart]

Are you building one? Good idea! Just make it be bigger than facebook and it should be a hit.

[SpaceTraffic]

MySpace 2004 05 06 was kinda dope...

Nowadays bandcamp does the job, best part about bandcamp, no PM, no social shish... Just beats speaking for themselves... That's the true definition of music social media!

Peace

[harryupbabble]

MySpace 2004 05 06 was kinda dope...

Nowadays bandcamp does the job, best part about bandcamp, no PM, no social shish... Just beats speaking for themselves... That's the true definition of music social media!

Peace

You don't like musicians to talk? You don't like music consumers to talk? What about Bob Dylan and the Sex Pistols and punk bands and rap bands? Their lyrics do the talking. You are only into "beats"? Do you not like music that has lyrics? I'm sort of doing an informal, lazy study on "pop music".

[myelectronica]

MySpace 2004 05 06 was kinda dope...

Nowadays bandcamp does the job, best part about bandcamp, no PM, no social shish... Just beats speaking for themselves... That's the true definition of music social media!

Peace

I do agree with the job done by bandcamp. Are you earning money with it then? I dont agree on PM and social shish... how do you get feedback from the fans? why dont you want them to contact? If you earn money from them, then you are a product, and customer feedback is crucial. Agree or not? again, open discussion.. nothing else.

By the way, nice tunes there

Cheers

P

[AsPeeXXXVIII]

how do you get feedback from the fans? why dont you want them to contact?

There's a contact form on all Bandcamp pages by default through which fans can send messages to artists.

[4damind]

There is only one platform which comes close IMO and this is "Reverbnation". They providing marketing stuff for musicians, they hosting songs, they having a subscription for fans, a chart for similar artists which can help to reach more fans etc.

The other platforms like Bandcamp are IMO more track hosting and selling platforms and they making not much sense without a already existing fanbase. You will not sell something only while uploading songs to Bandcamp you must point your fans to this platforms and maybe they buy something

The best usage is already to combine all this stuff. Use social networks for marketing and to reach more people (=fans), use some of this "track hosting platforms" (Bandcamp, Soundcloud, Hearthis, Reverbnation...) to share music with others or to use them to embed music in other social networks (Facebook, Twitter) or the own website. Publish tracks on a label (which hopefully helps a bit with marketing) and have them available in the well known online stores. I have 85% of my sales on iTunes... no idea why but it seems that most people prefer iTunes to buy music... Beatport Pro is also ok but for me far behind iTunes. Bandcamp... Zero

I would not expect too much from social networks (and also from networks more focused to musicians) if it comes to sell music.

[myelectronica]

There is only one platform which comes close IMO and this is "Reverbnation". They providing marketing stuff for musicians, they hosting songs, they having a subscription for fans, a chart for similar artists which can help to reach more fans etc.

The other platforms like Bandcamp are IMO more track hosting and selling platforms and they making not much sense without a already existing fanbase. You will not sell something only while uploading songs to Bandcamp you must point your fans to this platforms and maybe they buy something

The best usage is already to combine all this stuff. Use social networks for marketing and to reach more people (=fans), use some of this "track hosting platforms" (Bandcamp, Soundcloud, Hearthis, Reverbnation...) to share music with others or to use them to embed music in other social networks (Facebook, Twitter) or the own website. Publish tracks on a label (which hopefully helps a bit with marketing) and have them available in the well known online stores. I have 85% of my sales on iTunes... no idea why but it seems that most people prefer iTunes to buy music... Beatport Pro is also ok but for me far behind iTunes. Bandcamp... Zero

I would not expect too much from social networks (and also from networks more focused to musicians) if it comes to sell music.

Interesting post. Lot's of stuff in there.
I agree with combining all of them. I wonder on selling: Bandcamp claim to have paid $100M to artists which seems to be a valid model. Beatport seems to be a $8M business, so, even if it's a niche one, it seems to work. Regarding itunes, good to have your stuff there, but you cant directly have your stuff there, and when you have it, you are in the middle of millions of tracks, so before someone finds you, it can take a while...
i have the impression that selling music doesnt make an artist live, you need to do more (events, goodies, etc..). I also wonder about services to put in contact artist among themselves.

The tricky things is, in case of such a global Social platform: who would be the source of revenue? Artits or fans?

Again, open question.

P

[4damind]

Interesting post. Lot's of stuff in there.
I agree with combining all of them. I wonder on selling: Bandcamp claim to have paid $100M to artists which seems to be a valid model. Beatport seems to be a $8M business, so, even if it's a niche one, it seems to work. Regarding itunes, good to have your stuff there, but you cant directly have your stuff there, and when you have it, you are in the middle of millions of tracks, so before someone finds you, it can take a while...
i have the impression that selling music doesnt make an artist live, you need to do more (events, goodies, etc..). I also wonder about services to put in contact artist among themselves.

The tricky things is, in case of such a global Social platform: who would be the source of revenue? Artits or fans?

Again, open question.

P

I only know that Beatport sold about $6 Mio samplepack/stems and such stuff no idea about the overall sales. But it's a respected platform for DJ/EDM/Electronica. Anyway, most distributors will deliver the tracks to different stores and not only to Beatport... so the released tracks are available in dozens of other stores too.
But without going to the public and tell the world about the great new artist and the great music.. you will sell nothing. Make great music and build a loyal fanbase for your music is #1 after this you can think about selling your music. Social networks are more important this days to connect to people with a similar musical taste and attract new fans.