It seems like everyday there’s a new singing sensation, rap artist or
one-of-a-kind producer on the rise. In an over-saturated market where
everyone has a MySpace page and is claiming to be the next big thing in
music, independent artists and respective management have to stay ahead
of the virtual curve to ensure that they’re taking advantage of the
leveraging opportunities that the internet has to offer.
With the web providing music-related platforms and social
networking sites such as Imeem, MySpace, Facebook, Vimeo, Reverbnation,
YouTube, Unsigned, Tryxo, and iLike, artists and managers have their
pick of the latest technologies to position themselves directly in
front of consumers and fans. With so much variety they may not have to
choose just one outlet, but can instead be creative in using the sites
in conjunction with each other.
“We use an array of different websites as they all have their own
effectiveness,” says Aimee Flint, director of operations at Nicolay
Music. “The best way to take advantage of these technologies is to work
them all together and keep giving fans and consumers a reason to come
back.”
Though Flint is an advocate of belonging to multiple music
communities and using a variety of different sites, she expresses her
avid support of Reverbnation, a full-service site for artists, fans,
managers, labels and venues.
“I’m a super huge fan!” admits Flint, who works directly with indie
alternative soul group, The Foreign Exchange. “If I have two cents for
any indie artist [it would be to] get a Reverbnation page and spend
some time [exploring] all the possibilities you have with that site
alone where you can also link your MySpace, Facebook, YouTube as well
as all kinds of cool widgets.”
Even when artists are using a combination of proven online
platforms and social networking sites to promote their music, it’s
still difficult to stand out in a sea of many.
“It now takes longer to pick the needle out the haystack, if at all,”
says Fadia Kader, manager of Atlanta-based hip-hop duo, Proton.
Internet phenom Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em knew exactly how to stand out in
the crowd. The Southern rapper established popular pages on YouTube and
MySpace debuting original songs and videos including his 2007 hit,
“Crank That” which caught the attention of multi-platinum producer, Mr.
Collipark, who initiated Soulja Boy’s Interscope deal.
Similar to Soulja Boy, eclectic newcomer Charles Hamilton also
capitalized off of internet promotion. The Sonic the Hedgehog-loving
lyricist built an extensive catalog of MySpace fans and consistently
blogged to captivate hip-hop fans across the net. Not only did this
buzz eventually lead him to a deal with Interscope, but it also earned
Hamilton his own imprint, Demevolist Music Group.
“I think using the internet as a catalyst for your career is an
awesome way to put yourself out there,” says Flint. “[But] I still
think it’s about the whole package, creating a brand and learning how
to expand within that brand.”
Flint executed this method on The Foreign Exchange’s new album, Leave
It All Behind, initially releasing the full album on iTunes, then
dropping the CD a week later as a double disc followed by a vinyl with
two bonus tracks. “Bottom line– keep giving them a reason to come
back.” ~sheena neal
