Bands on the road to success will need to promote music through a variety of gatekeepers in order to gain exposure. The biggest influences on new music used to be the radio and reputable MP3 blogs may hold more worth.
The constantly evolving social networking age has increased media coverage for new music. Through web sites such as twitter, we not only know when a band is recording in the studio, but we also know when our favorite band is going to the movies. With content craving consumers, it is important for bands to constantly provide their fans with ever changing material. I recently came across an article commenting on the marketing a new album before it hits stores.
The often addressed issue of stolen music hurting record sales sets some context to the discussion. With a set release date for a new album, a band needs to create hype and then maintain the buzz. In order to do that, there must be a sneak peak of what is to come. Typically, a band will choose one single to release to radio stations and use that as promotion for what is to come. The emerging trend is to take this track and create an entire online marketing campaign around it.
Not only will record labels be sending the track to big gatekeeper radio stations, but to MP3 bloggers to review and post for consumer download – free. The concept involves getting the music directly into the hands of the consumer, rather than timing and opportunity exposure through the radio. The conversation hits on two aspects of music marketing.
First of all, if labels are offering incentives for music bloggers to post about a specific band, does that impact the credibility of music blogs and the reputations of indie bloggers? Secondly, what is the best way to offer music to the consumer that will maximize reach and exposure?
I leave the first question for debate and tackle the second. Something to consider when marketing your music is live performance. If you can record quality music, live, and provide that to bloggers as mp3 and video recordings free for the consumer to download, you will be providing content to fans while keeping them salivating for the clear crisp sound of digital studio recording.
This is an interesting discussion that can stimulate some debate and creative marketing ideas. Check it out at Hypebot.com and the author’s web site below.
