Marketing music and the role of Myspace?

[Rad]

Some time ago I read Al Schmit saying (somewhat indignantly) in an interview that the home recording boom has resulted in more people recording bad music than ever, which brings another issue... more people marketing music than ever!

I took a look at Myspace Music recently and I have to say, after the fifteenth band profile I saw, I was already unable to tell if their music is good, bad or just mediocre. There's just too much stuff going on there. Everybody is trying to portray themselves as a future major label artist (which they are not), everybody lists some awards and what not... I mean it's really hard to pick even a very good artist with huge potential out of that sea of junk which dominates 50% of Myspace music: houswives with an interest in a capella, grandfathers recording cello pieces they learned 45 years ago, and just plain old jerks trying to advertise themselves for unknown reasons.

After this, I'm starting to feel like Myspace Music is starting to have very limited value as a marketing tool, major artists excluded. I'm wondering if there's any musicians here who can share their experience? My band will likely be releasing some stuff soon and we want to make sure we pick the right marketing strategy; if Myspace doesn't work, perhaps we should use other channels.

Peace,

Rad

[Smithcok]

I've come to realize (in my opinion of course) that a good looking Myspace is necessary (or, at least expected). But, its not necessarily a mission critical part of the process of publicizing your music.

I'm working with/forming side-projects with a number of bands right now, a few of whom who are now signed/being signed onto medium indie labels (big enough to relocate the bands for promo/shows, but obviously nowhere near major).

The most important aspect with them has been a great live show with a large and growing fan base. This, coupled with the ability to write many great songs, has been their catalyst.

But, at the same time, everyone will take a look at your myspace and expect a good looking, functioning, and sounding page. Having your music accessible in a number of digital outlets is a great idea obviously, but there's a lot more to the story.

[Audioholic]

myspace and good sounding does not go well together, their compression sucks :banana:

[Justin]

I think a lot of people don't understand how to use "social networking" sites.

A bad band with a Myspace page is still a bad band.

A good local band with a small loyal fanbase can turn Myspace into a useful self marketing tool. It's an easy way for their fans to share their favorite band with others, for the band to notify the fans of shows, websites, cd releases...

We live in an age where just as many people are making bad music, art, writing, whatever as before...but thanks to the internet for the first time it's all searchable and available at your fingertips.

[Melbguy]

I think the great thing about myspace. Is the fact whether your pro or not. Is getting your ideas out there. Esp if you are locked in yr own room for a while creating something, and only you hear it. Myspace enables you to "expose" yourself. I guess it cant hurt.
But doing that you gotta accept all feedback which, if its crap its crap, or if its good its good. People will judge and say their own veiws, and you have to accept it.
I just like doing it just to see or hear other peoples opinions on it.

But yeah the mp3/myspace compression sucks the life out of it. But hey, thats the way it is...

But myspace in a promotion sense is good and quick, but still no garantees. But in the end as we say downunder. "Give it a go!" - what really have you got to loose, pride perhaps, pfft. Hey its free:)

[Rad]

I agree it's agreat thing for testing ideas, but marketing is a whole different story than testing new ground.
It seems that most posters agree that Myspace works as means for outreach for bands that already have their own small fan base. It doesn't CREATE that many new fans, as pointed out by Smitcok - live shows do.
That's what I was trying to figure out, among other things. Great discussion!

[Smithcok]

Yeah, I guess perhaps the simplified conclusion we've come to is something like Myspace is a great tool to develop the fanbase you've already achieved through other means (such as live shows).

Obviously you will get new fans through Myspace as well.

[brianbfw]

someone brought up earlier about "bad music". there's also alot of good musicians who don't know how to record, so that can translate into good business for us with recording studios.

alot of bands, especially younger go and get a Mbox, which is great, but they don't know the first thing about recording, and end up disppointed with there're results.

so i see a huge market emerging for that. i've gotten many projects just hanging out at the local music store in sat when i hear "i thought we do it ourselves, but it doesn't sound good, etc, etc".

every bands wants to have a myspace, and they need people like us to record and mix them.

it may be bad if your an artist trying to market yourself, but if you've got a home studio and you know what your doing, i see it as a goldmine of opportunity.

[DAS]

someone brought up earlier about "bad music". there's also alot of good musicians who don't know how to record, so that can translate into good business for us with recording studios.

alot of bands, especially younger go and get a Mbox, which is great, but they don't know the first thing about recording, and end up disppointed with there're results.

so i see a huge market emerging for that. i've gotten many projects just hanging out at the local music store in sat when i hear "i thought we do it ourselves, but it doesn't sound good, etc, etc".

every bands wants to have a myspace, and they need people like us to record and mix them.

it may be bad if your an artist trying to market yourself, but if you've got a home studio and you know what your doing, i see it as a goldmine of opportunity.

Now, here is a man who is thinking and seizing an opportunity. Right on Brian.

As for the site in general, it is the social networking aspect of it that's crucial to keep in mind. Bands who get traction are already known for other reasons, or they are compelling enough in some capacity that new of them spread virally, among other members communicating with each other.

So yes, it's a potentially important PART of an overall marketing strategy, but usually MySpace alone isn't going to BE a marketing strategy.

[brianbfw]

thanks, DAS, but it's true.

the technology we have today i was dreaming of in collge (i'm dating myself), but i started recording with an SSL and 2" during my freshman year of college.

today, i can show up to a session, with a laptop, track the whole session, and mix. i worked on the real SSL, so to have it as a plug in on my labtop, amazing.

now add in hi speed internet. i can't imagine having to send a reel of tape though the mail, align it up, etc. i can download a project file in under 5 minutes, and have it back out the same day.

i've never been more excited then now. the opportunities are endless, if you just know where to look for them. i think it's going to just get better and better.

[Rad]

Nobody's arguing, the technology is better! :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:
I guess the twist to my point was a bit different and spurred by things unrelated to this forum, but I'll mention them if I started talking about it anyway - the thing is that as of late, the role of the critic in the music (as well as other arts) has all but disappeared. The issue is more serious than limited just to the music world, to the extent that even modern sociologists and philosophers are starting to notice it. Think hard: when was the last time you read an openly negative review about ANY movie in the press? And think again: how likely is it that all movies made this year were all terrific, without exception?
This is the thing. Truth is revealed in argument, but in this society there is no more cultural debate any more. Anyone is great (and the more money they pay their PR agent, the greater they are). Incredibly good artists (let's just mention Britain's Katie Melua with over 9 million albums sold) are utterly, comprehensively and totally unknown here. This is what I'm trying to point out: it's okay to like or not to like any particular artist, and there's the right to debate. This latter part is exactly what we're missing: an active, vibrant cultural debate over what's good in the cultural domain. The debate seems to have been eradicated by what's commercial. These two things are not the same.

[Melbguy]

I just think with technology and things like myspace makes more chances for people to sell their product. To market themselves alot more and alot quicker than of yesterday. Years ago you had to have a lot of cash to even consider a studio, let alone being accepted by the studios to record there.

Nowadays their are not just the odd chances for a selected few. There are chances for millions. 1, because the ability to get your hands on the technology is cheaper, and 2 you can wack up a myspace page in one afternoon. Bang, you can expose your work to the world in hours. Now more and more people's work are getting heard. Not just a select few.

But l think the real challenge here will be longevity. Will they be around in 10 years? I think a very small percentage will be, if any. Plus you can't fool the public, they like and demand good stuff.

If anything with the amount of work out there. I think the good ones will stick out like sore thumbs and the bad ones will be very obvious.

i mean look at were music for games is going. The public wants cool, epic stuff. Not some 8 bit track that some guy did trying to impress his friends.

[Tarktones]

MySpace is a great resource, I'll give it that. Though for marketing you've still gotta pay to get the most.

Not only can you create a web page and expose your music at no cost, but think of the management resources a MySpace provides. THIS is where I think MySpace is essential to newer bands. Never before have bands had the same kind of easy, electronic venue to interact with fans, venues and promoters.

Do you know how difficult it is to get fans to sign up and be active on a web forum? I have friends in bands that I love and even I'm not motivated enough to visit regularly. Or even to get them to visit your website again? You have to get a website, pay for hosting and the bandwidth for streaming your music, host a forum, manage a mailing list, etc...

MySpace lets you keep in touch with fans by allowing you to push your news to their personal homepages, lets them not only listen to some music at no charge but to also put your music on their page for their friends to hear.

Look, I can go to a public place and pass out flyers quicker than you can send friend requests on MySpace. That's true. But anyone who has been handed a band flyer knows that it's the equivalent of someone saying "Hey, could you throw this out for me?" Because let's face it, they've got to keep a hold of the flyer, get home, look you up, take a listen, and even if they like you there's only a slim chance they'll bother to keep up on when your next show is.

Whereas on MySpace they can satisfy their need for instant gratification by seeing you (hopefully at your best), listening to your music and seeing your gigs all layed out so that they can even add them to their own calendar and get a reminder sent to them (not to mention that you can invite them as well through MySpace). I'm sorry, but in the absence of social networking sites, these interaction and management tools would be a pretty monumental task.

The only marketing value is to have a place where you can LOOK professional, sound profession, put a link to a web-store and show how many friends you have. The same as an old-fashioned website with a user forum except you now have a large pool of potential fans you can reach out to with little difficulty.

The best marketing though comes from paying for ads on MySpace. My friends in WeAreThey have an ad up on PureVolume.com. It took them from unknown to being listed in the top 10 most popular unsigned bands, and they stayed in the top 30 for over a month getting hundreds of new visits and listens each day.

IMO MySpace is a great tool, but for management and fan interaction. When it comes to marketing, it'll still cost you.