The Changing Demographics of Social Media

Flowtown created this nice infographic yesterday illustrating how the average age for social media users is increasing. For example, the average Facebook user is now 38 years old, and 64% of all Twitter users are now over the age of 35. Does this shift change social media strategies for artists, labels and online music services? Probably, but it would be useful to know what sociological factors are driving the increase, how are these age groups using social media, which countries and cities represent the greatest increases, etc.

Music Industry Marketing and Millennials

Are you marketing your music, service or music technology to millennials? If yes, than you may want to study this infographic below, created by Flowtown last Friday.

Write a Feature Article on IMT

If you would like to write a guest article on Indie Music Tech (IMT) and have it featured for about 24 hours promoting your new music tech startup, app/service/features, or discussing a music tech topic, just send me an email or submit your news via the tabs above. As Greg Rollett of Gen-Y Rock Stars suggests, writing guest posts on blogs is great way to build your brand, and if your content fits, I'll post it.

IMT reaches thousands of music industry professionals, artists, companies and media each month in almost 100 countries.

Accept Credit Cards for your Merch via your iPhone or Android

Square is now available for both the iPhone and Android, and it's poised to revolutionize the credit card payments industry, especially for small businesses, and that's a good thing. So what can it do for artists? By creating an account, downloading the app, and connecting the tiny hardware to your mobile phone, you will be able to easily sell your merch from wherever you are, without any need for a computer or wireless connection - all you need is your iPhone or Android. No more sending in transaction slips, or turning away customers because they only have a credit card. It's simple, eloquent and efficient, not surprising coming from one of the co-founders of Twitter - just take a look at some of Square's features:

• accept credit cards on any device with an audio input jack, including your mobile phone
• no merchant account required
• no contracts, monthly fees, or hidden costs
• receipts are sent instantly to your email or mobile phone
• instantly see how much you’ve made for the day, broken out by tips, tax, and payment method
• meets and exceeds all industry standard security practices and compliance requirements
• simple and transparent credit card fees

Here's a quick video about Square; notice how the transaction works at the very beginning of the video:

Tweet My Song

Is TweetMySong the future of music promotion on Twitter, or a tool for music spam?

Share Your News, Thoughts and Advice on Indie Music Tech

If you'd like to be a guest writer/contributor on Indie Music tech - sharing your thoughts, advice, promotion, news about your company, etc. to over 1,700 international subscribers - just submit it above. If you have any questions, please comment in this post.

Insight into Retaining your Fans

Brian Mansfield of USATODAY wrote a great piece in Friday's edition about different ways artists are retaining their fans through interaction. Here's a snippet: "As CD sales decline, advances from record labels dwindle and audience demographics break up into smaller niches, more and more artists from all levels of popularity are seeking to retain fans by including them in the creative process."

The article may give you some ideas, and the comment thread is interesting as well.

SoundCloud on Indie Music Tech

For several months now I've been meaning to add a SoundCloud DropBox for artists to share their music with the IMT community. Well, tonight I had some time, so if you'd like to have the opportunity to have your music highlighted on IMT, all you have to do is send one track to my DropBox in the right sidebar. About once a month, I'll pick a track and highlight it here on IMT. It won't be reviewed; rather, I'll just share it with the IMT community.

I'll start with a track called Damn Love by the Dirt Drifters, a song I mentioned on Twitter a few months ago. This band is doing a great job sharing their demos on SoundCloud. Check it out, you may get some ideas.

BTW, I think SoundCloud is one of the top music tech companies out there; not to mention Alex is a great guy!

Submit Your News

For your convenience, you can now submit your news directly onto IMT. Just fill out the form and I'll review. To increase your chances of getting it posted, please make sure it's music tech related and newsworthy.

ArtistDish Releases Podcast #5

The ArtistDish released its 5th podcast today about some of the shifts and trends in print and digital media, gatekeepers, fandom, the gaming industry and more. It's our longest episode to date (1 full hour), and we are joined by music industry veteran, Barney Kilpatrick of Rattlesby Records, and one of our advisors, who provides a great deal of insight and sage advice, so if you’re an artist, you definitely want to listen to this episode.

Special thanks to Montana Skies for providing the intro music with their song, Gringo Flamenco.

Guest Bloggers Welcome

If you'd like to be a guest writer on IMT like Greg did yesterday, just send me an email with your proposal. It's a great way for you to promote your music, company, blog, etc., while sharing your thoughts with a larger community as well.

Guest Post: Do Bands and Musicians Understand What is Happening Online Right Now?

The guest post below was written by my friend, Greg Rollett of Endagon Innovations. Greg writes regularly on Gen-Y Rock Stars, a Social Music Marketing Blog and Resource for indie musicians. To get a free copy of his Social Media Sites for Musicians and the Rock Star Tool Kit, go here. If you'd like to reach Greg directly, please send him an email (rollettmarketing [at] gmail [dot] com).

(confused music photo by Adam Schilling)

Do Bands and Musicians Understand What is Happening Online Right Now?
I ask myself this question everyday when I see all of the small companies, corporations, brands and innovators taking advantage of tools, resources and conversations that are happening every second of every day online. I get scared when I see musicians still parking their homepage on Myspace, blasting out self promotions with no regards to getting real fans to have conversations with and not accepting feedback from that promotion.

We can start with Twitter, since everyone from the president to late night newbie Jimmy Fallon to, even, Facebook is taking notice of what is happening on this platform. Every second, there are thousands of links being shared, videos being passed, questions being asked and answered and music being streamed directly because of Twitter. In the music world there has been uproar of music related services and platforms devoted to heighten the music experience of Twitter. Roll call please:

Twisten
TinySong
Blip.fm
Tweettj
Song.ly
playTwitter
Twiturm
TwittyTunes (FireFox Plugin)

Then there are the Music Marketing people providing resources for how musicians can leverage twitter:

• Bob Baker’s Music Twitter Resources
• Ariel’s Publicity Twitter Roadmap

And don’t forget the ridiculously long crowd-sourced list of musicians on Twitter

• Musicians On Twitter – (Google spreadsheet)

But did you know that? Do bands see what is going on here?
Technology shrank physical sales and transformed us into a digital world. If you are willing to accept that fact, and embrace the tools, tactics and hard work that it takes to make these things work, there is a great chance that your music can be in more iPods, more YouTube channels, more blogs, more playlists, more countries, more options that ever before.

The key to getting the word out to musicians is to prove that this stuff we are preaching actually works. The reason Myspace friend adders/blasters/spammers were extremely popular and ultimately helped to ruin the site was because they worked. It was a numbers game, reach enough people and a few become fans.

The reality is that numbers were inflated, play counts skyrocketed and bands felt like the king of the mountain. Then you booked a show off your Myspace stats, invited the local music industry players who were also impressed, and you played an unrehearsed live show to the bartenders, wait staff and your frat buddies.

The reality is that developing fan relationships is the key to all the tools and websites out there today. The name of the game has become, how many people can I connect with, on a personal level?

• Can you broadcast your show via UStream and connect with fans that may never get to see you live?
• Can you throw a Meebo widget on your blog and talk to fans every Monday night for an hour about life, music, hobbies and pet peeves?
• Can you take photos at your shows with real fans, post them on Flickr, Facebook and Myspace, tag them and get the fans excited to tell their friends about the night? Can you do it the next morning and not wait 3 weeks to get around to it?
• Can you write a blog post so inspiring that 20 of your fans retweet it, their friends see it and pass it on and all of a sudden you get new traffic from new fans?
• Can you remember to send your monthly newsletter out every month? Can you use Champion Sound or FanBridge to collect emails on your websites and at your shows to grow your fan base?
• Can you look at your band's analytics to see how popular your music is, with whom, in what social networks, gauge where your fans are coming from, etc.?
• Can you create products on demand? Special shirts for special shows? Audiolife can do this for you, instantly. What about a lyrics book or a tour journal? Can you publish that as an eBook or physical book that someone can print on demand (think Lulu)?

The idea that musicians can now create content, have their fans talk about it directly to the band, and then have the band comment back while measuring the process and results is something that is so inspiring, it’s hard to find a reason to argue against it. Yes, it takes time, it might take some money, but this is your life, your business and your future.

Do you understand what is happening? Bands, do you get it?

The Atlanta Braves are Looking for Bands

Have you wanted to play at Turner Field in front of thousands of music fans like a few bands did in last year's competition, but you didn't know how to apply, or you missed the application process? Then go to www.braves.com/bravesbands and submit your information, as The Atlanta Braves are looking for a few bands to energize and entertain fans at Turner Field before some home games in 2009.  All genres are welcome to apply, but they seem to be focused on country, rock, pop, cover, and/or original indie bands. If selected, it's a great opportunity for exposure to a large audience, and who knows, maybe you'll get some airtime when they cut to/from a commercial break - good luck!

Rumblefish Agreement with YouTube is Most Significant Music Tech Deal of 2008

This afternoon I reflected a little bit on the last 12 months of news from the music tech industry, and I would submit that the Rumblefish Agreement with YouTube is the most significant music tech deal of 2008. A bold claim? Maybe, but hundreds of millions of people are watching billions of videos each month when you consider the entire global Internet population. That's a ton of potential revenue for artists and labels working with Rumblefish, and the deal will surely bring thousands of new artists to Rumblefish.

Another way to look at this deal is to conduct a simple search for videos on YouTube. It seems there are are currently about 360 million videos on YouTube. Even if you cut that number in half to account for duplicates, vlogs, channels, removed videos, erroneous search results etc., you're still talking about 120 million plus videos, and growing every minute, a trajectory that seems to be in line with Kansas State University's YouTube statistics from January through March of 2008.

It's easy to see that these numbers represent substantial revenue opportunities for the music industry, and I'm excited for artists, as this agreement will become an easy way for individuals to incorporate legal music into their videos.

So hats off to Rumblefish!

ArtistDish Looking for Music and Topics

If you're looking to get some exposure for your music, than contact ArtistDish as they're looking for music for the intro and outro of their shows. A new artist will be highlighted each show with a clip of their music (about 40 seconds total). The next ArtistDish broadcast is in about two weeks so you'll need to contact them by July 25. ArtistDish is also looking for suggestions for future shows. If your topic is selected, you'll receive props during the show.

MoFuse: Wicked Powerful Mobilization Tools for Musicians

Yesterday Hypebot announced you can now receive their feed to your mobile device via MoFuse. Curious about this startup which launched last fall, I set-up an account and was immediately impressed with their features and ease-of-use. Not to mention, it's Free!  For indie artists, this means you could use MoFuse as a Free tool to connect with your fans anytime, anywhere by allowing them to receive your blog feed on their iPhone, or via SMS to many types of mobile devices. All you have to do is register for a free account and provide your fans your mobile address (mine is http://m.mofuse.com/indiemusictech). Your fans will then receive links to your band's latest news (e.g. show updates). It will look similar to this on your iPhone:

 

You may also want to notify your fan community that you're now providing a mobile feed, as well as add a badge to your mobile landing page (mine is to the right of this post), which will display either a standard web enabled interface like this one or an iPhone interface. MoFuse has several additional tools like automatic mobile redirect, click 2 call and a tool to test your mobile display. I see lots of artist uses for this app, especially when you start combining it with other services like GrandCentral. What are you ideas for MoFuse as a tool to build your fan community?

Second Life, More than a Promotional Tool for Artists: Interview with Grace Buford (A.K.A. Cylindrian)

For several months I've wanted to interview an artist or band successfully using Second Life. A couple of weeks ago, Timothy Moenk sent me a link about a podcast that Rusty Tanton and Amber Rhea recently created on the Georgia Podcast Network with Grace Buford, an Atlanta based singer/songwriter. During this artist interview, Grace, A.K.A. Cylindrian, talks about her experience as a musician using Second Life to market her music. Her insight on how Second Life is helping her connect with new fans and promote her music is helpful, and so, I edited the original podcast and distilled it down to 10 minutes of her comments about Second Life, which you can  listen to here.

Not only is Second Life providing a global, real-time platform for showcasing her music, but Grace is also building a world-wide virtual following. This virtual audience interaction is also convenient and profitable, as Grace can perform on-line as much or as little as she wants, and when she wants, without travel expenses like food, lodging and gas.

Grace is primarily using Second Life as a way to build her brand, get new gigs and for broadcasting, like her IRL live shows and rehearsals. When Grace mentioned this, it occurred to me that Second Life is a great way to publish content to a potential fan community, as well as engage in one-to-one relationships with your existing fans, deepening your fans' loyalty to you. It's also a great way to get feedback on your new songs before you even release them. Who knows, one of your fans may just give you some feedback that's the difference between your song being average, and becoming a hit.

Second Life could also be a good avenue for artists to connect with one another in different parts of the country, helping each other with gigs in geographic areas where they have not yet played. You could also use Second Life to tap into fans that have never heard of your band by visiting the existing virtual communities in Second Life where people gather to listen, see and chat about other artists in your genre.

Towards the end of  this interview, Grace raises a great question... If Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Second Life, etc. are not increasing an artist's fan base or revenue, is it worth it to spend the time managing these promotional tactics? My response is that good music always finds a way to rise to the top, and if one is spending a ton of time marketing their music with little return, than it might be time to pursue another career, because if people don't like your music than marketing it is not going to help you sell it.

If you're an artist and have Second Life successes you would like to share on this blog, please contact me as I would like to post your experiences.

indieSOLO: get your band showcased

I just got an email from Johnny Ioannou, the founder of indieSOLO, a web site aimed at finding the best independent bands and musicians, and then showcasing them one artist at a time, each day. To have your band showcased, you must apply. If they like what they hear, then your band and music will be featured without any other bands for 24 hours, including your band's promo pic, a couple of songs and a brief bio. The site seems to be another tool to market your music, as on MySpace they say "it’s a destination for industry professionals, a place where they can uncover, book, and sign new talent." I don't know what their traffic numbers are nor who their audience is, or where their viewers are coming from, so it's hard to gauge how much value they can bring to your music. But the idea of presenting one band per day has promotional opportunities for you because it allows your music to be marketed without any other artists.

Broadcast your music in real time with Synchronicity Live

Looking for a way to broadcast your live shows in real time to your fans for free? Synchronicity Live can help you do just that and then some...  Synchronicity Live is a new music startup (about 9 weeks old) based out of Jacksonville Beach, Florida that is providing a way for bands and musicians to stream their live performances for free to anyone, anywhere, anytime. Here's how it works:

1) create a free account with Synchronicity Live
2) schedule your live performance and select on demand viewing
3) set-up your own video camera at your show's location and connect it to a computer with a high speed connection (at least a 300Kbps upstream) - it will also need to have the Flash Media Encoder installed with a few adjustments that allow it to communicate with Synchronicity Live
4) make sure your computer's internal clock and time zone are set to the location from which you are broadcasting from and
5) a few minutes before you take the stage activate your stream via the FME and your show will immediately be broadcast in real time on Synchronicity Live for anyone to watch.

Once the show is over you can archive it on Synchronicity Live for free, allowing your fans and lurkers who missed the show to view it when they can. Here's an example of an archived show from Sovus Radio.

I caught up with the founder of Synchronicity Live, Aric Berquist at the Atlantis Music Conference last week and he said that they make their money from forthcoming content distribution deals as well as advertising, but the ads are not intrusive and are barely noticeable. Right now there are about 3,000 people that have registered for a free account with Synchronicity Live, about 1,000 more than last week so the excitement is spreading.

Synchronicity Live is a very cool service.  Not to mention there are lots of ways you could use it beyond just broadcasting your live shows. For example, you could broadcast your studio sessions. This kind of real time streaming video will help you connect with your existing fans and tap into other music enthusiasts that may have never heard your music before.... what are you waiting for?

As always, I welcome your comments.

Peace

100 Places to Promote Your Music Online

I was just reading the Secret Music Life of Kat and stumbled upon this article, Marketing for Musicians: 100 Places to Promote Your Music Online by Laura Milligan on the Bootstrapper. It is just too good not to share so here it is.

Peace.