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The Effect of Social Media and the Digital Age on New and Independent Musicians ay sh0J02424 Social Media and Music: The Effect of Social Media and the Digital Age on New and Independent Artists Traditionally, artists have had to beat down the doors of big name record companies to get their records heard in the hopes of getting a recording contract. Social media pervades all aspects of youth culture functioning as a one-stop shop for popular culture. At any time the trending topics on Twitter range from the latest news or a character from a popular television show.
With the growing popularity of social Edie, artists are well equipped for success In a digital age using non-traditional methods. Sites like Youth, Twitter, Faceable, Spottily and tunes, make music accessible to anyone with an Internet connection. Social Media has had a positive effect on the music Industry and has created opportunities for artists to generate revenue from sources other than record sales. Artists can share their music for little to no cost and can be very successful independently, temporarily cutting the record label out of the equation.
New and independent artists can earn a good portion of heir money from tours, advertising, and merchandise sales. Social media serves as an effective platform for Increasing Internet presence, branding, building a loyal fan base, as well as sharing and selling music. 20 years ago, artists signed with a big label, put out a hit record and went on tour. The hardest part of becoming famous was getting discovered. Now, there are so many different ways within the industry to make money and It Is unclear how to track all the revenue from the wealth of ways to consume music.
Subscription services, Tunes, Youth/Vivo, Internet Radio and CD ales generate different revenue for the host, the record company, the artist and the songwriter. Artists can make more money as independent artists without middlemen. Tincture Is an online distributor that enables musicians to place their music with online retailers like Tunes and Amazon. Artists can share their music for little to no cost and can be very successful independent artists, cutting the record label out of the equation entirely. New and independent artists can also share their music on sites like Faceable and Twitter at no charge.
This is a great way to build a buzz as a ewe artist. As shown In Steve Nippers article In Rolling Stone, “The New Economics of the Music Industry, sometimes the breakdown of royalties between the artist and the songwriter is very little, and the record label to be much greater. Though signing with a major label has its advantages, most artists make more money from touring than record sales. Generally, an artist retains anywhere from 12-20% of their album sales. Compared to the percentage that the label gets, which Is about 60%, an artist can potentially make more money from touring and merchandise sales.
In 2010, Songbooks concert data revealed that each year since 2007, the number of bands playing live shows Increased. Artists can use social media to Increase their show attendance by sharing their music with fans. Almost 30 years ago, cable television reinvented consumer’s access to music with the music video. Recently, celebrities 1 OFF started to invest in music channels on cable television. Sean “Tidy’ Combs has expressed interest in using social networks like Twitter on the network. The presence of social media on television has increased recently.
In the future, integrating social Edie into these music channels on cable television can potentially change the face of the music industry. Social media provides artists with an opportunity to build their brand and build a relationship with their target demographic. Twitter for example, is often used as a platform for artists, independent and mainstream, to share their tour dates, scheduled appearances, and day-to-day experiences with their followers. Social media is a great avenue for advertising merchandise or promoting tour dates.
Online contests, tour promotions and giveaways attract fans and creates a connection that keeps them interested in the artist. The way that artists communicate on social networks like Twitter can reinforce their brand and the image that artist wants to project. Social media also gives new and upcoming artists a greater chance of being discovered. Youth, Twitter, Bandanna and Concluded are really effective tools for new artists to share their music and to build a fan base. Lusting Briber’s career is a great example of the influence of social media. Briber started with a few videos on Youth and was noticed by producer Scooter Braun.
At the peak of Youth’s popularity, Bibber posted several videos and before long, had ever 10 million views and was signed by Usher and Island Deft Jam. Currently, Justine Bibber is the top trending topic on Twitter. Bibber still uses Twitter to interact with his fans, announcing appearances and tour dates. Artists will get the most out of social networks by taking advantage of the services they offer and still pursue some routes artists traditionally take. The present state of the industry promotes competition within the industry because there is so much music out there and so much of it is available for free.