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Post by Ms Scary on Jun 19, 2010 21:23:34 GMT -5
We all know that the internet has put people on the map. Right up there with Reality TV Shows, Youtube has opened the doors to getting your material out there. It's no surprise that any Tom, Bob, or Charlie can publish a video to that site that's how it's gotten most all it's content professional or other wise. But what about social networking sites? What sort of roll do they play in awareness of talent?
Everyone who is anyone and then some have signed up or jumped on the social network train for one reason or another. Perhaps your friends talked you into it as a means to keep in touch after high school, or your mothers cousin's brother's nephew thought it would be great if you'd join some silly application game he plays on one. Maybe you signed up looking for someone you haven't heard from in a long time or maybe just for something to do.
Generally we would never have signed up for anything like that for the purpose of market medium, but times are changing. I'm sure no matter how private you keep your information you like everyone else has found your inbox on these sites spammed with bands and would be artists you've never heard of before. Some exhibit genuine talent you would otherwise support while some just make your ears bleed from the torture of clicking that link to find some garage rat has held a cat to a mic while wrenching on its tail.
Social networking sites do offer established artists, groups, companies, and various businesses a convenient way for new and existing followers to comment, keep up with events, and get general news. But repetitive friend requests for people or groups intending on promoting their stuff can get old real fast.
So the topic up for discussion is: Do you feel that social networking sites are a good way to get your stuff heard, or is band spamming so bad on them that most of what would be a diamond in the rough is passed over and ignored? Are you a band spammer? (If so what is your address so I can send someone to rescue your cat.)
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Post by Metal Dan on Jun 24, 2010 12:20:52 GMT -5
Its a bit of a double edged sword. On one hand it's good because it does give you a cost and time effective way of getting your material out there. On the other hand EVERYONE is flooding the airwaves with their music, most of it subpar AT BEST, that it has become almost impossible to be heard above the din without resorting to some sort of 'spam'. I can't tell you how many times I send invites and reminders out for shows on Myspace to talk to the person later to only discover they had no idea I was playing any shows at all. It has gotten to the point that most people tend to ignore all the incoming messages.
I have since resorted to more old school ways of getting attention, but I still take advantage of the internet when and where I can. I just don't feel it was the holy grail of marketing it once was.
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Post by Ms Scary on Jun 25, 2010 0:09:55 GMT -5
I strongly believe that word of mouth builds reputation and awareness beyond anything else you can get for free.
I have seen situations where you completely unintentionally deleted stuff like gig info by accident when weeding out the invaders.
For me I tend to attempt to give everyone the benefit of the doubt and if the wackos out there send me an invite I have a hard time clicking ignore or decline till I have at least been to their profile. A good 90% of the time I feel my ears have been violated.
I do add some that I like. Not sure that it really gets them anywhere and no way I am going to thank them for adding me... I didn't ask to be added... I also have a few on my friends that I just can't support their music but they happen to be people I know... so don't go through my friends on there listening to all the bands. Haha
All the band spamming though has about got me to the point someone sends me a MySpace link asking me to listen to some band... it's kinda like eeek no thank you ahhhh no way... help...
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Post by deathsguitarist on Jun 25, 2010 12:52:53 GMT -5
I think the internet has hurt things more than helping. It is cool that you can get your music out their for the world to hear with ease, but that also means that my 10 year old kid neighbor can put his "music" out their for the world. And he may not even play an instrument. But he can pick up a guitar crank it and pretend to play like in the game Guitar Hero. And he can record it and post it for free....so why not post shitty stuff? Its fast, easy, and free.
Bands should only be exposed if they have the talent to back it up. Most of the talented people are willing to work as hard as possible to get their music to people. Things should be harder for the 15 year old kids that dont really care. They just do it because it is easy you know?
Just my opinions. But it is definitely a double edge sword. I think the days of albums are coming to a close. Live music is still around and will probably never die but releasing albums is over.
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Post by Metal Dan on Jun 26, 2010 22:27:55 GMT -5
@ Ms. Scary: That's EXACTLY the problem. Back before the onset of affordable home recording set ups and the internet you had a built-in weeding process. People without talent had too many roadblocks in releasing their own material. If you couldn't impress bookers/labels/promoters your shit didnt get played. Period.
I use the internet as my biggest marketing tool... but in the case of sites like Myspace I've stopped trying to add people I don't attempt to make a connection with. I am working on getting airplay and getting the band name out there... so I will let the music speak for itself and they can add ME if they like what they hear.
I have found I made my best connections by going out there and MEETING people. Even if the internet is what introduced that person to me I will go out of my way to establish contacts with people. The internet is cold and lonely; people are social creatures and still prefer that contact, even if the onset of texting and Facebook would say otherwise. People will connect with a band more if you make an attempt at actually being personal with them. It's basic human nature. Those people have also helped me TREMENDOUSLY... way more than a random 'friend' I just spammed on Myspace. (PS I dont spam)
@deaths: I don't entirely agree with the album comment. I think albums will always be released, but I think the days of that release being a PHYSICAL CD are numbered... its all going to be digital very shortly.
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Post by Ms Scary on Jul 14, 2010 14:57:33 GMT -5
We have us a perty small discussion group here, but still interesting. My primary inspiration was frustration over Band SPAM. I tried greatly to not voice my view on it, but to bring it up for discussion. I'm not very good at that. I'm opinionated just like everyone else! hehe. Times for sure are changing. Digital tunes are well on the rise, industry cops freakin' over how to manage it. Even radio stations are not radio stations anymore. You'd think that the whole radio station to satellite radio would be an obvious marker for the direction things are going. I guess since I don't have a team of software engineers to help me work on projects, I can just openly share my view. It's coming one way or another. A lot will think due to the MP3/MP4 craze and advances in Solid State Memory (FlashDrives/JumpDrives/MemorySticks) that the future of our music will be in a new form of plug and play. This is not the direction I see things going. Yes these features are around and they are not going to suddenly disappear, but soon there will be subscription services. You think Satellite Radio and TomTom navigation systems are something completely unrelated to albums you buy in the store? I think not. If you think about it not much needs to be changed. You will be able to login to your car radio, decide to listen to a genre network playing whatever, or subscribe to certain albums or artists and create a custom play lists. This technology will not be limited to your car radio, but also your home stereo system, ipod, I believe you'll even be able to login to your friends ipod or home stereo, possibly even elevators someday too! We have to pay subscriptions to tv stations to view their programming, satellite radio, internet services, and navigation systems now. I think it's clear that in the future we will be subscribing to hear our favorite songs and artists too. The only question is, how far off is it? Working on engineering file store software/servers and subscription software from the hosting perspective at present here. Perhaps I'll meet up with or learn how to code iphone gadgets and things to make use of the storage side of things... Hey if any of ya have any skills give me a shout we can work together on it.
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Post by patril0mic on Jul 14, 2010 21:17:59 GMT -5
Me and Jake tried band spamming once for Wisdoms Call - we used a program called FriendBlaster where you go onto a band's page, it copies the friend ID numbers of every profile, and you send a blast of friend requests to those numbers. It lasted for about a week and myspace almost deleted our account.
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Post by Metal Dan on Jul 14, 2010 22:11:03 GMT -5
Hi Pat. I tried something similar called Supreme Adder. Myspace has a magic number. It's around 500. You send out a combined number of messages and friend requests that equal over 500 and you get slammed by the Myspace police. Keep it under 500 and you stay under the radar. I am not at all sure if that is still the number.
The adder program didn't help my band's situation any. I found people ignored you just as easily as if you didn't add them. The whole 'friend' process is a farce.
While the internet has allowed me to connect with people I might have otherwise not had the opportunity to meet, it still takes elbow grease and actual SOCIAL networking to get the band known. I used the internet to find out who the big name promoters and bands were in my area. I went out and meet and supported these people and actually networked with them.
I think it's a fact that people are lazy. They don't want to get out there and do the leg work THE RIGHT WAY to further their career. Instead they find these programs that do the 'work' for them and think if they flood the airwaves enough SOMEONE has to hear them. In reality it has the opposite effect.
Think of the crazy preacher on the street corner, completely convinced that the world is about to end and we will all burn in hell if we don't repent. At first you might listen, but these people are nuts and completely fanatical. Eventually you just stop listening. When approached by someone similar in the future you ignore them without even listening, even acting as if the person is socially diseased by taking the long way around them and ignoring eye contact.
Something similar takes place on these social networking sites. People reach a critical mass with how much of this shit they can be bombarded with and then they just stop paying attention.
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Post by Stefvorcide on Jul 15, 2010 15:55:49 GMT -5
Yeah.. If I don't know the band --> DELETED !! and I don't even bother. if it's good i'll hear it some day, or it will be recommended by my friends or by the guy at the metal store here, he knows my tastes...
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Post by Ms Scary on Sept 20, 2010 21:11:06 GMT -5
MySpace 39 people want to be your friend. I am such the social butterfly to meet 39 new people who want to be my friend.... NOT This stuff is getting above and beyond what I am willing to deal with. My MySpace and Facebook days might be numbered... Ahhhh!
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Post by thenotshredder on Oct 9, 2010 9:32:52 GMT -5
I hate getting random fucking event requests on Facebook. This one guy keeps sending me events even though I live three hours away. Pisses me off muchly.
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Post by Tungus on Oct 19, 2010 15:38:11 GMT -5
I second that.
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Post by Metal Dan on Oct 24, 2010 10:38:56 GMT -5
My band frequents a Spanish metal venue in a city nearby... they love us there... but all the people I friended on Facebook involved with the venue keep sending me event requests that are completely in Spanish... which I dont speak, by the way, lol
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