Social media, fan relations and the music industry: a coalition of unsigned artists and record labels

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Social media, fan relations and the music industry: a coalition of Social media, fan relations and the music industry: a coalition of

unsigned artists and record labels unsigned artists and record labels

Heather Aponte

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SOCIAL MEDIA, FAN RELATIONS AND THE MUSIC INDUSTRY: A

COALITION OF UNSIGNED ARTISTS AND RECORD LABELS

Heather Aponte

A Thesis

Submitted to the

Department of Public Relations

College of Communication

In partial fulfillment of the requirement

For the degree of

Masters of Arts in Public Relations

Rowan University

May 11, 2011

Thesis Chair: Suzanne FitzGerald, Ph.D.

Dedication

I would like to dedicate this manuscript to my mother, Cindy R. Aponte, my father, David

Aponte, and the following bands:

Catch Me If You Can

Idlehurst

Locked Together In Hatred

Neighborhoods

Seeking the Seeker

Acknowledgments

I would like to express my appreciation to Dr. Suzanne FitzGerald for her guidance and

help throughout this research.

Abstract

Heather Aponte

SOCIAL MEDIA, FAN RELATIONS AND THE MUSIC INDUSTRY: A COALITION

OF UNSIGNED ARTISTS AND RECORD LABELS

2010/11

Suzanne FitzGerald, Ph.D.

Master of the Arts in Public Relations

The purposes of this investigation were to (a) provide the music industry with the

research it seems to lack in order to understand (b) how social media will change its field

and (c) how it can utilize it. To provide the knowledge necessary to adapt to the shift in

musical power, the author will conduct both qualitative and quantitative research. This

research includes a preliminary content analysis of comment tone on social media

profiles and in-depth interviews. The researcher aims to further the understanding of

social media networks and the independent musicians who use them. This will provide

the music industry, whether record labels, musicians or fans, with knowledge that will aid

in using these websites to their fullest extent. Research revealed that social media

provides a platform to expand fan bases and interest existing fans. Despite its prominent

use by independent musicians for promotion, record labels are still necessary to reach

wider audiences, gain financial backing and extend advertising efforts.

Table of Contents

Abstract

List of Tables

Chapter 1: Introduction 1

1.1 Statement of the Problem

1.3 Purpose of the Study

Chapter 2: Literature Review

Chapter 3: Methodology

3.1 Context of the Study

3.2 Instrumentation

Chapter 4: Findings

Chapter 5: Summary, Conclusions and

Recommendation

5.1 Interpretation

5.2 Conclusions

References Cited

Appendix A: Content Analysis

Appendix B: Interviews

vii

List of Tables

Table

Table 1: Keyword Analysis for Band

#1’s Myspace

Table 2: Keyword Analysis for Band

#2’s Myspace

Table 3: Keyword Analysis for Band

#3’s Myspace

Table 4: Keyword Analysis for Band

#1’s Facebook

Table 5: Keyword Analysis for Band

#2’s Facebook

Table 6: Keyword Analysis for Band

#3’s Facebook

Page

Chapter 1

Importance of the Problem

“The convergence of music production, creation, distribution, exhibition and

presentation enabled by the new communications technology has swept through and

shaken the music industry as never before,” (Sen, 2010, pp. 2). The music industry began

its steady decline after 1999, a year when music sales peaked. The basis of this slump lies

within a shift of media consumption among younger audiences and their primary methods

of music access.

Before the evolution of Music 2.0, the music industry was able to decide the fate

of musicians. It incorporated a number of intermediaries who charged significant fees,

which kept profits high and record labels in control. With limited access to any other

channels, upcoming artists were unable to market themselves. “They either end up

joining a label or remaining small in a niche market. This allowed music companies to

walk away with the lion’s share of the profit. In general, labels collected about 85 to 90

percent of the profit from music sales,” (Sen, 2010, pp. 6).

The transition from the music industry’s reign over artists and fans to its slow

demise began with the founding of Music 2.0. The term spawned from the idea of Web

2.0, which “has since been used to describe everything from programming tools such as

AJAX or Google page rank systems to popular websites that rely on tagging and

recommendations, such as Flickr, Reddit and Digg,” (Collins & Young, 2010, pp. 340).

Web 2.0 is seen as a participatory culture with relies on the interaction and elected work

of users.

Within Music 2.0, the participatory nature still thrives. The concept started with

the use of mp3s rather than CDs. These music files can be accessed through legal, pay-

per-download services, but are predominately accessed through peer-to-peer file sharing.

This process has been deemed illegal and is punishable under law. Despite the legal

ramifications, audiences continued to download because this process presented a

convenience factor. Fans could access songs without a trip to a music store or paying for

services such as Apple’s iTunes.

Music 2.0 continued its evolution with the development of streaming music. This

bypassed the legal issues presented by peer-to-peer file sharing by providing constant

access to free music on websites. Streamed music became a staple component of band

websites and social media profiles.

A study by IDC looked at digital music habits of listeners in 2008, reported that

most preferred sources for music listeners were paid online music services

(34.5%) and P2P downloaded services (28.1%). But streaming audio from social

networks (26.6%) and artists’ music websites (21.2%) were catching up in

popularity (Sen, 2010, pp. 15).

Social media networks have become an important way for musicians to reach

audiences not only nationally, but also on a global scale. Websites such as Purevolume,

Myspace and ReverbNation have become commonplace for artists and provide fans with

a number of ways to interact. Fans can stream music, access live show schedules and

comment on any component of the webpage. This creates two-way communication

between musicians and fans by enabling feedback.

Emerging technologies, such as streaming music and peer-to-peer file sharing,

have created competition for major record labels. In the past, these music moguls were

the only intermediaries for musicians to use to reach their fans. Now, musicians are able

to remain completely independent and still obtain a large following. Marketing

themselves has become increasingly simple through the use of social media networks.

Record labels have been in a constant battle for control since the beginning of the

peer-to-peer file sharing revolution. After working their way through this issue, social

media networks have become the new threat. Creativity is left in the hands on the

musicians and they are able to create their own fame through self-promotion.

Without a way to harness this Internet power, record labels face the end of their

reign. “As critics point out, piracy first gouged out the profits and now streaming music

available ‘on demand’ over the Internet – free and legal – could be the knock-out punch

that could seal the deal,” (Sen, 2010, pp. 8). If music industry executives, along with

music marketing and public relations experts, are unable to find a way to create profit

through social media, independent musicians will be able to dismantle them and provide

a truly democratized musical experience.

Problem Statement

The music industry faces the dismantling of music as a business. Since 1999, the

record industry has been on a steadily decline and all attempts to reverse the problem

have failed. The root of the issue first began with the evolution of peer-to-peer file

sharing and has continued with streaming music through social media.

The Internet has become the biggest competition for the music industry and this

technological giant’s aim is to democratize music for free consumption. In order to

prevent this, one must understand how these websites are being utilized, both in

interacting with the existing fan base and creating a new fan base. However, there is little

research done on the subject.

The main question is, “how has social media revolutionized the music industry?”

To find a solution to the problem, many areas of the independent musician’s mind must

be probed. Their knowledge through experience will begin the process of understanding

the social media phenomena and can eventually lead to, with extensive research, the

music industry’s capitalization of free music to provide better fan relations and create a

different source of profit to keep the music business afloat.

Delimitations

The author will not conduct research on peer-to-peer file sharing or legal file

downloading services.

The author will not interview musicians that are represented by a record label,

whether small or large.

The author will not interview musicians outside of New Jersey, thus hindering

generalization to other states in the United States.

The author will not focus on social media Web sites other than Myspace,

Purevolume and ReverbNation in the content analysis.

Purpose

The use of social media is an upcoming tool within a number of fields. Other

fields, such as consumer products, have presented a vast amount of research on the topic

and have been working diligently to harness its power.

On the other hand, the music industry seems to lack the research it needs to

understand how social media will change its field and how it can utilize it. To provide the

knowledge necessary to adapt to the shift in musical power, the author will conduct both

qualitative and quantitative research. The researcher aims to further the understanding of

social media networks and the independent musicians who use them. This will provide

the music industry, whether record labels, musicians or fans, with knowledge that will aid

in using these websites to their fullest extent.

H1 – It is expected that musicians see social media as a new way to influence their

existing fan base.

“[Fans] spread and endorse the music in places and ways that the artists and labels

cannot. As fans mention, discuss or disseminate music they like across the many

platforms on which they maintain their own Internet presences and in their local

communities, they serve as publicists and filters, steering other audience members

towards (or away from) bands and labels,” (Baym & Burnett, 2009, pp. 436).

“To say that fans provide word of mouth is to oversimplify the range of practices

through which they accomplish this and the effort it takes to produce it. Spreading word

about new music is enacted along a spectrum that ranges from very low to very intense

investment, Together these fans create an international presence far beyond what labels

or bands could attain on their own,” (Baym & Burnett, 2009, pp. 437).

H2 – It is expected that if musicians engage directly with their audience, they will

cause them to grow a new fan base.

“Myspace offers bands capital in the form of exposure and referral. For some

musicians this can be translated into income through music sales or stimulating ticket

sales, but for most unsigned and amateur musicians the opportunity to be heard is of

premium value,” (Collins & Young, 2010, pp. 351).

H3 – It is expected that record labels will no longer be needed as an intermediary

between musicians and fans.

“Music 2.0 offers self-determination – putting musicians in control of their

creativity and careers – a break from the model employed by the industry,” (Collins &

Young, 2010, pp. 348).

“The extreme version of Music 2.0 suggests a world without major record labels,

one in which individual musicians are able independently to build a fan base and publish

their music using new digital distribution tools,” (Collins & Young, 2010, pp. 349).

• The author assumes that interviewees are musicians who reside in New Jersey and

are not represented by a record label.

• The author assumes that terms used for coding the social media Web site content

analysis represent the areas within major music social media websites and

comments presents on these Web sites.

• The author assumes that it is possible to harness the power of social media to

reverse the decline of the music industry and record labels.

• The author assumes that Myspace, Purevolume and ReverbNation are considered

major music social media Web sites, especially in New Jersey.

Procedure

To determine the components of music-directed social media Web sites and

catalog their use by fans, the author will conduct a content analysis of Myspace and

Facebook. The analysis will categorize comments submitted by fans as positive, negative

and neutral as they apply to keywords. The author will conduct the analysis on three

bands’ profiles on each of these Web sites in order to better understand the differences,

similarities and primary uses of each.

To gauge the viewpoints and common applications of social media Web sites in

music distribution, the author will conduct five in-depth interviews with independent

musicians from New Jersey. The author will aim to provide a representation of a wide

variety of music genres. The interviews will focus on how social media Web sites are

utilized to ascertain fans, which social media Web sites are predominant in New Jersey

and how interviewees view record labels after being given the chance to remain

independent.

Since the late 1990s, the music industry has faced a dismantling of its business

model by the introduction of Music 2.0. In the past few years, a main component of this

Internet music transition has been the evolution of music-directed social media. Despite

its prominence with independent musicians, the record industry has yet to effectively

merge the ideas behind social media networks into a new business model. Without

change, the music industry as a whole will face its demise in the years to come.

Comparing the results of these two undertakings will allow the author to

determine how social media Web sites will affect the music industry in the future and if

record labels will become obsolete in accessing fan bases.

To ascertain the most recent body of knowledge on the subject of fan relations

and social media Web sites, the author will conduct a literature review of peer-reviewed

journal articles, trade publications and other content on the music industry, music 2.0,

social media, fan relations and the narrowed topic in Chapter two.

Definition of Terms

Music 2.0 – The flattening of what was a distinct divide between the creator and the

audience. It has created the ability for musician to interact directly with audiences

through the Internet and to distribute their music directly to fans through vehicles such as

peer-to-peer file sharing and streaming music.

Social media - A group of Internet-based applications that build on the foundation of

Music 2.0 and provide the exchange of content between musicians and fans. It is the use

of a newfound participatory culture within the music industry.

Peer-to-peer file sharing – The act of illegal access of music by providers and download

of files by users.

Streaming music – Free, legal music set up for continuous play by users on social media

and band Web sites.

Independent musicians – Musicians not represented by a record label and who market

themselves through the Internet.

Content analysis – An analysis of three music social media Web sites used in New Jersey

for comments related to different components.

In-depth interview – Eight interviews, about an hour in length, of independent musicians

who reside in New Jersey to better understand the viewpoints of music social media as

related to fan bases and the role of record labels in the future.

Fans relations – A public relations field used in the music industry and sports to

accommodate to those who listen, watch or attend and position the client’s, whether a

musician, band, athlete or sports team, brand identity.

Chapter 2

Literature Review

The Music Industry: Past and Present

During the second half of the 20

century, the record industry was in complete

control. Major record labels were the only channels in which musicians could reach

audiences. Overall, musicians found it difficult to market themselves successfully and

reach their desired popularity without the help of record executives. Being the only viable

way to access audiences effectively, record labels were able to charge large fees, leaving

musicians with a small amount of the profits. Labels often collected 85 to 90 percent of

the music sales from each contract (Sen, 2010).

Throughout the 1950s, record sales grew worldwide and the phonogram and

record player became highly accepted as major music media. The music industry ignored

the demand for music choices beyond the big-band-crooner style and the attempts of

musicians who wished to fulfill the public’s need. Because of its stranglehold on

production, distribution and marketing of new music, the record industry was able to

thwart the emergence of new music styles (Tschmuck, 2009).

During the 1970s, sales increased from $4.75 billion to $7 billion over the course

of five years. Artists during this musical boom era were unable to achieve the distribution

they required without the involvement of record labels. Consumers were forced to only

accept the musicians record labels represented, as they had little to no access to music

labels refused to promote (Hughes & Lang, 2003).

But as the late 1970s approached, the music industry hit a short-lived crisis.

Music sales fell by 11 percent in the U.S. and did not pick up until 1984. Until 1979,

sales continued to rise (Sen, 2010).

At the end of the 1980s, the record industry had little to worry about. World

record sales rose to $29 billion and the introduction of the CD rapidly changed the

mindset of the consumer. After the decline of interest in vinyl albums and singles

increased, the industry had little to offer the public. The CD revived the public’s interest

in music and allowed the record industry to increase the price of its products (Sen, 2010).

For the time being, the introduction of the CD format saved the structure of the

music industry and allowed the reign of record labels to continue. Control over CD

production and distribution meant that record labels were able to keep the economics of

scarcity in motion. As the only providers of CDs, an expensive and hard-to-duplicate

product, record executives were able to select prices that ensured maximum profit

(Hughes & Lang, 2003).

By the 1990s, major record labels were able to sell their music worldwide. Along

with international sales, the increase in cable and satellite television, the deregulation of

national television and the widespread use of VCRs created a demand for material other

than CDs (Sen, 2010). This led to more profit by record labels.

To further their profit, record labels sought after different sources of revenue

other than CD sales in the 1990s. This resulted in the movement away from CD sales to

musical rights and royalty sales. Here, music publishers tried to acquire all rights on an

exclusive basis in order to control all resources of exploitation and to avoid artists

seeking to sell their music outside of CD format (Tschmuck, 2009). This optimism,

however, came to an abrupt end with the invention of digital music technology.

The emergence of audio technology greatly changed the way music is consumed

today by transforming music into an information product. Music is now provided at a

much lower cost than it was when presented solely in CD format. Music is also produced

at a much lower cost to the artist by providing a way to produce music within the

household (Sen, 2010). Artists no longer have to rely on the record label to provide

means for production.

Digital technologies such as the mp3 have become the standard format for music

distribution, creating a smaller dependence on CDs. These types of music files are easily

compressed to such a size that provides easy transfer over the Internet. These formats

also led to the invention of portable mp3 players, including the iPod and Zune. Mp3

players can download music directly from the consumer’s hard drive and play them at the

user’s convenience.

With the advent of digital music technology, the Internet has transformed the

music industry into something completely different than what has been commonplace in

the past. The Internet has reduced the stranglehold record labels have on music choices

and has provided the access to millions of songs, whether free or at a cost, legally or

illegally. Major record labels are being forced to re-evaluate their business models

because they are making less profit on a fewer number of musicians and face mergers and

other moves to salvage the remnants of this once thriving industry (Sen, 2010).

Record labels point out that the main reason for their loss in sales of the past

decade was brought on by music piracy. Illegal music downloading became prominent

with the help of the Internet. This piracy is seen as the first wave of declining profits and

critics believe that streaming music available over the Internet will seal the fate of major

record labels (Sen, 2010).

CD sales decreased since the beginning of the decade and has forced record labels

to focus on digital downloads and other content pertinent to the Internet revolution.

Although they have attempted to keep up with the technology, the major players in the

music industry have not found a successful business model for digital distribution. Their

subscription services have fallen short because of the number of free downloading

services that consumers can choose from (Hughes & Lang, 2003).

In order to combat the shift towards digital production and distribution, major

record labels have pushed for new copyright laws to address music as an information

product. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DCMA), for example, was mainly a

music industry-sponsored bill that focused on what the industry wanted, generally

ignoring consumer concerns and preventing any attempt of the re-evaluation of the term

Despite the attempts to stop illegal, free music downloading, media downloading

companies and new digital industries continue to grow and expand. Hundreds of new

industries have evolved to support personal digital production and distribution (Hughes

and Lang, 2003). However, record labels are not dying out in the near future. Revenues in

the music industry consistently increased from 2000 to 2004, where revenues were higher

than in 1997 before the digital age began (Sen, 2010).

Music 2.0

The digital age of the music industry is more commonly known as Music 2.0. The

term spawned from the idea of Web 2.0, which began at the end of the dot com boom.

The term Web 2.0 includes an umbrella of programs and ideas pertaining to the Internet,

including AJAX, Google, Flickr, Reddit, Digg and other Web sites. To summarize Web

2.0 in the words of Tim Berners-Lee, it revolves around the idea of intercreativity. In a

simpler sense, it means that building together is being creative together (Collins &

Young, 2010).

The music industry has been especially susceptible to the ideas of Web 2.0, thus

spinning off the term Music 2.0. New technologies shifted the industry and how the

players within interact among each other. Consumers have become accustomed to the

accessibility and on-demand delivery of music. Musicians are now able to reach their

audiences more effectively and personally. Through Music 2.0, musicians are able to

by-pass the middleman, mainly the record labels, by harnessing the power of non-

traditional communication channels. These shifts present a reinvention of how musicians

create and distribute their music while also affecting the possibility of generating money

solely through their music (Collins & Young, 2010).

The musical revolution in the digital age emerged with the introduction of the

mp3. The mp3 is a music file that is easily condensed and transferred over the Internet.

This convenient format for music sharing spawned a number of programs that relied on

sharing between users. This was referred to as peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing. The

introduction of Napster made peer-to-peer sharing a prominent way of accessing and

enjoying music.

Since the advent of Napster, primary methods of accessing music have become

completely digital, through both legal services and illegal programs (Collins & Young,

2010, pp. 343). At the peak of internet downloads in 2000, Napster was subject to

lawsuits pursued by five major music companies and forced the program to change its

methods of download to subscription-based rather than peer-to-peer (Sen, 2010, pp.14).

The music industry has since attempted to transform its former business model to adapt to

digital technologies by providing legal, paid downloading services. Although more

popular than the earlier CD format, services such as Apple’s iTunes have fallen short,

thus resulting in the acceptance of casual file-sharers by record labels.

Some critics see the idea of piracy as a beneficial subset of the music industry.

Through peer-to-peer file sharing, consumers are able to discover new artists. If a

positive outlook is formed, this discovery could result in consumption through the live

music aspect of the artist’s market. This could balance out the loss of profits from CD

sales by focusing sales in another area (Curien & Moreau, 2009, pp. 111).

The negative impact of peer-to-peer file sharing on the music industry is,

however, undetermined based on the lack of consensus in prior research. Some studies

attribute the decline in music sales solely to piracy while others find its impact to be too

small to be considered a factor. Despite a contradiction in research, the music industry

has lobbied for stricter laws, created encryption software and prosecuted Internet

providers. Record companies have persecuted those who support the industry that see this

as a futile effort by labels to resist change, stifle creativity and prolong the use of their

obsolete business model (Chandra, Goel & Miesing, 2010, pp.7)

Although downloading services, both legal and illegal, are the most prominent,

new methods of accessing music are breaking into the foreground. An IDC study in 2008

reported that the most preferred sources were paid online music services (34.5%) and

peer-to-peer file sharing services (28.1%). However, streaming music from social media

networks (26.7%), online radio station sites (26.6%) and artists’ Web sites (21.2%) were

catching up in popularity (Sen, 2010, pp.15).

Music-directed social media Web sites have become an important way for

musicians to distribute their music legally. Since its rise to popularity, Myspace has

found a niche in music promotion and has become synonymous with online music

(Collins & Young, 2010, pp. 346). Myspace has spawned a form of social media

networking Web sites that completely devote themselves to the marketing of independent

musicians. Pulse2.com released the top 20 music social networks in February of 2010,

which included Myspace Music, ReverbNation, iLike, InternetDJ, QuarterLife and

ShareTheMusic. These Web sites allow artists to share their music and obtain fan

feedback through forums. While also used by musicians with record contracts, these Web

sites are mainly used by independent musicians who wish to expand their fan base.

Google has also joined the Music 2.0 wave by creating a new music search

capability designed to facilitate music discovery, streams and sales. It will also drive

users to digital music services that serve as content providers. These content providers

include Myspace Music and Lala. This addition to Music 2.0 will add to the ease of new

music and discovery while promoting independent musicians (Bruno, 2009, pp.27).

Music is also getting more interactive to cater to current consumers’ needs and

habits. The iPhone has forged this path by introducing Romplr, developed by Bell Rock

& Moderati. The inexpensive application allows music fans to mute or solo eight aspects

of offered songs and play them back with any of the seven offered samples. This makes it

possible for the user to hear the selected song a number of different ways. Versions can

also be recorded and shared via email, Facebook or the artists’ Web sites using music

streaming (Sen, 2010, pp.15).

Music 2.0, however, goes beyond the new distribution methods. It highlights an

environment in which artists are compelled to create and distribute their music with ease.

In essence, it promises that musicians and audiences do not need the same level a

technological knowledge to take advantage of what is offered through the Internet. The

ease of the Internet comes into play when musicians can easily access social networks

directed towards music promotion, upload music, generate a presence and audiences can

interact directly with musicians (Collins & Young, 2010, pp.344).

An idealized Music 2.0 suggests that new media technologies are exploited to

allow building together and enables the traditional intermediaries or gatekeepers to be

bypassed. This sense of Music 2.0 focuses on talent alone regardless of music trends at

the time. It promotes the loss of genre restrictions and the heavily reliance on creating an

image. It allows music to speak for itself rather than taking the backseat in traditional

forms of music marketing. Music social media has been a large contributor to this idea

and have used a likeness recommendation system to create new genres and niche markets

(Collins & Young, 2010, pp.345).

Social Media Networking

The early days of computers made it possible for people to connect to each other

by joining networks where members shared a common interest. The University of Illinois

at Urbana Champaign developed the PLATO system in the 1960s and 1970s to offer

some of the first opportunities to experiment with computer networks where individuals

become a social network despite their spatial proximity, (Mitra, 2010, pp. 1).

Since then, the transformation from communities centered around text-heavy

discussion to social network Web sites was made possible by two major technological

developments- the availability of more powerful machines and the wide-spread usage of

high-speed connections. However, this did not change the way in which people would

want to interact with each other. The individuals that might have been members of virtual

communities can now use social network sites to connect more efficiently with people,

(Mitra, 2010, pp. 2).

There were a number of social networking sites (SNS) during the late 1990s and

the early 2000s that provided various types of functionality and attracted different levels

of following from users. The shift to these new technologies became apparent in 2005

with the emergence of sites such as Myspace and Facebook, (Mitra, 2010, pp. 3).

Myspace.com was an open site that became popular among a variety of users

because it presented unrestricted access to social networking sites and the creators

remained in touch with users to created features users demanded, (Mitra, 2010, pp. 3). It

operated on a different model as other social network sites. Here, a person could set up a

digital presence and wait for other users to stumble upon it to make a connection.

Myspace offered users the opportunity to extend real-life networks to digital connections.

Its openness offered an open-ended type of connection where users may never interact

outside of the digital realm, (Mitra, 2010, pp. 5).

As a free Web site, Myspace approached 80 million members within the first

three years of its 2003 launch, with a sign-up rate of two million per week. It has become

one of the most popular sites for teenagers and young adults to communicate, socialize

and express themselves, (Kuntaraporn, Sun, Wu & Youn, 2006, pp. 1105).

Today, Myspace is one of the biggest platforms for artistic promotion through

social media sites. The ranking systems used within this Web site helped determine and

display a profile’s popularity. This popularity is not only generated by the number of

friends in a user’s profile, but also by the number of comments displayed. Through this,

artists could gain legitimacy through networking channels, (Suhr, 2008, pp. 260).

Unlike more traditional forms of artistic promotion, regarding music and art, the

audience loses its role as a spectator or listener and is encouraged to do more than just

observe. Artistic promotion through social media sites allows the audience to participate

in the creative process, thus altering their relationship with the artist, (Suhr, 2008, pp.

260).

However, their participation does not mean to use their feedback to fix or create

art or music through collaboration. Instead, Myspace invites users to validate or embrace

the art presented by acknowledging the quality through feedback and aiding in network

expansion, (Suhr, 2008, pp. 261).

Myspace also allows the artist to bypass the intermediary by using participatory

media to reach audiences. This is particularly useful in the music industry. The majority

of music provided in mainstream media was due to the marketing of major record labels.

Myspace uses participatory media to represent music marketed by record labels, but also

gives marketing opportunities to musicians who do not have access to the marketing

prowess of record labels. With ‘Top Artists,’ users can view artists under three

categories: Major label, Indie and Unsigned. The artists are ranked within their own

categories the same way popularity is ranked on personal Myspace pages. These rankings

provide an even level of exposure to both well-known and unknown musicians. This

gives audiences equal access to all types of music, regardless of their record contract or

lack thereof, (Suhr, 2008, pp. 259).

Another social media contender is Facebook. Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook

in 2004 during his sophomore year at Harvard University. It first began as a social

network site exclusively for college students, but has since branched out to all age groups

and lifestyles. Since its inception, the social networking site became a basic tool for and a

mirror of social interaction, personal identity and networking building among students.

Despite its immense popularity, Facebook has been scrutinized for its privacy issues,

(Debatin et al., 2009, pp. 83).

In a report on 23 Internet service companies, Privacy International alerted

Facebook of sever privacy flaws and placed it in the second lowest category for

“substantial and comprehensive privacy threats,” tied with six other companies. Their

rating was based on issues with data matching, data mining, transfers to other companies

and others, (Debatin et al., 2009, pp. 84).

Issues with features have also come into play since Facebook’s rise to popularity.

In September 2006, Facebook introduced its “News Feed,” a feature that displays the site

activities of the user’s friends, such as posted pictures, befriending users, writing of a

friend’s wall, etc. None of the actions displayed were private but the public display on

each user’s home page outraged users. Account holders felt exposed and deprived of

control over their information. Protest groups quickly sprang up across the Facebook

network to voice the opinions of disgruntled users. The feature still remains as an

important part of each user’s home page, (Debatin et al., 2009, pp. 85).

Despite the controversy presented over privacy issues, Facebook has become a

daily routine for many users and an almost invisible part of students’ everyday lives. Its

important place in society stems from its ability to maintain superficial social

relationships with large numbers of people. The conveniences and gratifications of

Facebook as a social tool seem to void privacy discrepancies, (Debatin et al., 2009, pp.

100-101).

The entity of social media sites can be seen as a vehicle for word-of-mouth

(WOM) in the online sense. Online WOM involves personal experiences and opinions

transmitted through the written word. This way, people can seek information at their own

pace. New media technology, especially social media sites, tend to be more influential

due to their speed, convenience, one-to-many reach and absence of face-to-face human

pressure, (Kuntaraporn et al., 2006, pp. 1106). The use of online WOM can be translated

to the public relations practice of fan relations, both sports and music targeted.

Fan Relations

Fan relations is an important aspect of public relations when relating to the

entertainment industry, especially sports and music. Without a good relationship with the

fans, athletes, artists, record labels and sports franchises are unable to maintain a brand

identity.

Raymond Boyle researched the effect mobile communication has on the sport

industry and focuses directly on soccer (referred to as football internationally) clubs in

Europe. More specifically, he focuses on the experiences between sport and new media in

digital economy and what they tell us about the developing relationship between sports

content and 3G networks, (Boyle, 2004, pp. 73-74).

In 1999, new media emerged and created a frenzy between sports and media

platforms. All media companies, both old and new, invest millions in soccer clubs in

order to create business in sports content. Converging technologies and a level of

interactivity are creating a new media sports industry that will change sports experiences

as fans see it today, (Boyle, 2004, pp. 74-75).

Pertaining to the transition from 2.5 to 3G, mobile penetration levels are reaching

about 80 percent in European markets and it is seen as an important aspect of the long-

term growth of telephone revenues across the continent. The first 3G phone was launched

by Japan’s NNT DoCoMo in October 2001 but have since reached popularity worldwide,

(Boyle, 2004, pp. 76).

Sports have been identified as core content that is used to attract subscribers to 3G

services as they are available across Europe. Since then, the Olympics, FIFA World Cup,

Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus have capitalized on its popularity and

appeal, (Boyle, 2004, pp. 78).

Mobile media has been important to the sports fan; specifically those who attend

live events. The use of the radio has declined since the introduction of the mobile phone

because many of its functions of keeping in touch with the games can be done with

greater ease. SMS is also an important part of the live sporting event, not only for

receiving information about the game, but also as an organizational aid for supporters to

engage socially before and after matches, (Boyle, 2004, pp. 79).

According to Boyle, much will change over the following years as mobile devices

and communication become even more embedded in fans’ everyday lives. However,

there will also be aspects of continuity in how sports fans use this type of media. This

means that both athletes and sports franchises worldwide must learn to capitalize on the

popularity of mobile communication. By providing more mobile features and keeping

fans in touch with their favorite teams, the sport industry can integrate the success of

mobile communication into its business model and reap the benefits, (2004).

The music industry is even more greatly affected by fan relations because without

the support of their fans, musicians cannot reach the level of popularity they desire.

Paul Theberge studied the effects of the Internet on fan clubs, specifically

focusing on music-based clubs. He states that fan clubs have been an ongoing feature of

the movie and recording industries, but neither industry uses them as an avenue for profit.

With the rise of the Internet, fans have engaged themselves in online discussions devoted

to specific music genres or artists, (2005).

Online fan clubs have taken on a new way of interaction, where artists have more

direct contact with their fans and the fans have more interaction with each other. They

can now be regarded as a new type of community or a new source of revenue, depending

on the intentions of the individual observing them. Internet fan club have become an

important mediating factor in relationships between fans and artists and the fans

themselves, thus deserving of greater attention, (Theberge, 2005, pp.486).

Fan clubs are a medium that serves specific functions for fans and the music

industry as a whole; they act as channel in which fans can contact the desired artist and at

the same time serve as a medium to promote tours and commercial releases. These clubs

can be used to create a sense of identity for its members and can be used as a form of

direct marketing. The music industry must learn to exploit the changing aspects of

relationships made within the club in order to develop a new source of revenue to ensure

the long-term survival of the industry itself, (Theberge, 2005, pp. 486-487).

Overall, Theberge found that the music industry must not only promote tours and

commercial releases through the everyday lives of Internet fan clubs, but also involve

fans in an ongoing way with artists’ projects and with the marketing needs of the

industry. For both musicians and fans, Internet fan clubs offer a certain type of access

that has not been found in the history of fan culture. It allows one to perform their

identities and relationships on a daily basis and this factor can be used as a source of

profit making and identity formation, (2005, pp. 500).

In an effort to understand the use of fan labor, Nancy K. Baym and Robert

Burnett studied the complexities of voluntary fan involvement in the Swedish music

scene. According to Baym and Burnett, Swedish popular music has attained an

international profile as a vibrant music scene. Despite how small Sweden is, its musicians

find audiences from the US, Europe, the UK, most of Asia and parts of South America

ready to adopt their music, (2009).

The Swedish music scene, however, is very different in structure. Its fans work

diligently as publicists, promoters, archivists and curators to spread the music worldwide.

These fans work for free, promoting bands and labels on news sites, archives, blogs and

in offline activities. Together, these fans serve as a filter of cultural materials for

international consumption. This can be seen throughout the music industry and it is just

one sector that is seeing its business model drastically changing by increasing

interconnectivity and voice that were once seen as consumers, (Baym & Burnett, 2009,

pp. 433-434).

However, fan labor is not only viewed in positive light. These fan practices are

also viewed as exploitation through fan labor that has been as aspect of the Web 2.0

economy. Some critics believe that the Internet makes people easier to use and makes it

possible to out-source many tasks to these users. The Internet validates a kind of

promotional entrepreneurial capitalism that binds users to profit making service providers

through the exploitation of users’ labor, (Baym & Burnett, 2009, pp. 435).

Swedish independent music fans tend to be very organized over the Internet,

building connections among themselves and their sites. They harness the power of many

Internet communication platforms, including blogs, social networks, comments,

discussion forums, private messages, shoutboxes, mp3 files and videos. In order to reach

all potential fans, bands should maintain a presence on sites such as Myspace, Last.fm,

Facebook, YouTube, Web sites, blogs, Twitter and others. Fans reduce the effort of

musicians to obtain to new fans by serving as publicists and filters, steering audience

members towards or away from bands and labels. Martin Thornkvist coined this action as

The Swedish Model, (Baym & Burnett, 2009, pp. 436).

After conducting a series of in-depth interviews with fans, musicians and

members of independent Swedish record labels, Baym and Burnett came to the

conclusion that exploitation and just reward are matters of perception. The real issue at

hand is to identify the circumstances in which individuals experience their contributions

as exploitation and those who do not, and to understand ways to manage theses tensions.

They also admit that musicians and record labels must assume the rewards that fan attain

are not to equal as the ones they deserve and that fans can perceive their actions as a

seduction by the power dynamic that exploits them. They then offer a positive strategy

for adapting to changes in the music industry and present one path entertainment

industries may take in the future, (2009, pp. 446-447).

The Use of Social Media and Fan Relations

As the rise of the independent musicians ensues and the music industry continues

to suffer the blows of lost revenues, one must harness the power of fan relations through

social media in order to effectively reach audiences and increase popularity.

There is a common understanding among musicians that times are changing. New

technologies, especially social media networks, allow artists to directly engage with their

audiences, leaving the record industry with a feeling of redundancy. This presents a

tremendous appeal to Music 2.0. Its existing fan base suggests music’s traditional

distribution infrastructure is not necessary. This is causing younger musicians to use

Music 2.0 as a way to bypass the decision-making process of major record labels,

(Collins & Young, 2010, pp. 340 & 345).

Social networking sites enhance social capital, allowing musicians to cultivate

and maintain close ties among their fans, which was not easy when record labels were the

only resource to effectively reach audiences. However, the needs of local-level musicians

have not created these changes, which are instead guided by the redefinition of

intellectual property and attempts to re-engage fans through the Internet, (Sargent, 2009,

pp. 470 & 475).

Musicians in the digital age have a less reverential attitude towards major record

labels and hope that Music 2.0 technologies will allow them to bypass what they see as

controlling overindulgences of the past. Some musicians have a poor viewpoint on record

labels and radio stations and are enthusiastic about Music 2.0 because it offers the

potential more a more rewarding way for making and selling music, (Collins & Young,

2010, pp. 348).

Independent artists hope for an extreme version of Music 2.0, which suggests a

world without major record labels. Here, individual musicians are independently able to

build a fan base and publish their music using new digital distribution tools. With this

extreme version in mind, it is not uncommon for musicians to make their music

independently and avoid relationships with major record labels, (Collins & Young, 2010,

pp. 349).

In order to keep the independent spirit alive, musicians have turned to social

media sites directly focused on music. Musicians see these sites as having significant

impacts and offering a certain type of social wealth that is difficult to quantify. It presents

the opportunity to be heard, one that unsigned and amateur bands see as having premium

value, (Collins & Young, 2010, pp. 350).

This also presents the idea that musicians are using the economy of Music 2.0

because it is built around the value of information manifested in social and professional

networking rather than a financial economy derived from sales. Overall, social

networking sites are seen as a good marketing tool, allowing musicians to build a

community and to draw upon resources from the community with ease, (Collins &

Young, 2010, pp. 351).

Touring musicians can also reap the benefits of fan relations through social

media. This maintained form of social capital allows users to keep up with loose and

fleeting ties developed in a highly mobile lifestyle. Internet communication and digital

media exchange allows musicians to more effectively draw upon social relationships they

had in other cities in order to get gigs and create audiences, (Sargent, 2009, pp. 478).

Overall, some record labels and artists have started to see the positive aspects of

the use of music-directed social media. They realize that they are getting honest feedback

from people who are passionate about music, buy records and talk to their friends about

what they like, (O’Donnell & McClung, 2008, pp. 76). The main issue with the use of

social media in the music industry is how to monetize creativity at a time when the value

of recorded music is at an all-time low.

However, one aspect remains true; social media allows musicians to communicate

more easily with fans and to forge relationships that are reinforced in real life

engagements, such as music sales and attendance at live performances, (Collins &

Young, 2010, pp. 354).

The use of social media for fan relations can be seen as more beneficial form of a

promotion as compared to a marketing one, (O’Donnell & McClung, 2008, pp. 84).

Despite the positive outlook on social media by independent musicians, the record

industry has yet to integrate its use into a business model to keep the industry alive.

By merging the social media expertise of independent musicians and the profit

making potential of the music industry based on its history, the use of music-directed

social media networks can be used to create a new future for the music industry as a

whole. This future can be mutually beneficial for the artists, fans and record industry.

However, this calls for a large shift in the perceptions of all parties involved.

Summary

While research has been done to gauge the perceptions of artists, fans and record

labels on emerging social media networks, two issues still remain. Social media has yet to

be monetized to supply profit to independent musicians. Record labels still face

extinction because of the development of Music 2.0 and its impact on CD sales. An effort

to incorporate ideas and skill from musicians and record labels could be mutually

beneficial to both parties.

Despite the wide usage of social networking sites, record labels have yet to use

their power to sustain their industry. By looking more in-depth at the components of

major social networking sites and the knowledge of independent musicians, a new

business model can emerge to keep the music industry afloat. Both the positive and

negative aspects of the music-directed social media phenomena must be evaluated in

order to properly use them to keep the attention of primary audiences. The fans are the

most important aspect of the music industry, thus perpetuating the necessity for a

business model centered around them.

Chapter three outlines the specific research design in which the author will engage

to assess the knowledge independent musicians hold on social media and the components

of these Web sites. The chapter describes specific research techniques and how the

researcher will execute them.

Chapter 3

Methodology

How can the music industry as a whole use social media to redefine strategies to

keep it alive? (In this instance, “social media” is defined as an Internet site that facilitates

direct interaction between musicians and fans. It also refers to any form of social media

used, despite its popularity nationally or internationally.)

Research Design

This study will determine the positive and negative aspects of music-directed

social media as it pertains to independent musicians, or musicians who do not have a

record contract with a major or indie label. Indie labels are defined as record labels that

are not considered major record labels. Instead they are perceived as “underground”

labels, where musicians with less popularity might acquire a contract but do not typically

obtain the same amount of public visibility as major labels.

Many musicians and critics see music-directed social media as the way of the

future. Brought on by Music 2.0, these social networking sites have created a way for

independent musicians to market themselves without the aid of record labels. Before the

rise of self-marketing, record labels were the only intermediary between the artist and its

fans. Although looked down upon by the record industry, musicians’ use of social media

cannot be denied nor will it vanish.

The record industry faces the possible dismantling of its business structure if it

does not incorporate social media into a new business model. Their traditional methods of

promotion and sales have been failing since the beginning of the decade. Musicians also

face the dilemma of finding a way to monetize their new form of marketing. Social media

may have many positive effects on social capital, but it is very rare for musicians to make

a profit.

The subjects of this study include independent musicians throughout New Jersey

that utilize social media to promote their music. These musicians must have an online

presence on at least two social networking sites, mainly those directed toward music

promotion, and have used these sites for a minimum of six months. The study will

examine the experience of these musicians with social media as their major marketing

tool, to find the positive and negative impacts of these sites on their fan bases.

Findings will identify knowledge of music-directed social media and sentiments

about how it has benefited or negatively impacted independent musicians. It will provide

insights on how certain components can be utilized and how musicians view the record

industry’s role in the future.

Source of Data

The researcher will use a convenient sample in order to select eight musicians.

The researcher intends to have a representation of a various genres and a number of

counties throughout New Jersey. The musicians will be independent and will use social

networking sites to marketing themselves.

Method of Acquiring Data

The analysis will be conducted through a content analysis and in-depth

interviews. The content analysis will be conducted before the in-depth interviews in order

to provide the researcher with an in-depth knowledge of music-directed social media

sites. This preliminary knowledge is important to the researcher based on the nature of

the interviews. The in-depth interviews will be conducted from January through March

2011.

The researcher will find three bands that have a presence on Myspace,

Purevolume and ReverbNation, giving the researcher nine social networking profiles to

analyze. Their presence must be for at least six month in order to collect a satisfactory

amount of information. The researcher will then collect 25 comments from each site.

These comments will be categorized by their tone, whether positive, neutral or negative.

By looking at the tone of comments, the researcher will be able to determine the

components of the sites and how fans use them. The researcher will also categorize the

feedback musicians acquire through the three social networking sites in order to facilitate

further discussion during in-depth interviews. Common key words will also be collected

to determine any similarities or differences between the three social networking sites.

The researcher will also draft in-depth interview questions for independent

musicians in New Jersey. The questions will identify the types of social networking sites

interviewees use and how they use them. They will also identify the positive and negative

impacts of these sites and how interviewees perceive their value. The questions will also

address the interviewees’ thoughts on the record industry’s role in music promotion in the

years to come.

The interviews will be conducted in-person and over the telephone to no fewer

than eight independent musicians.

Method of Analyzing Data

The researcher will codify the content analysis, then use the quantitative data to

identify social networking site components and comment tone.

The researcher will also codify interview answers.

The researcher will use information obtained through the content analysis to

develop questions for the interviews, to keep a common theme between the two methods.

Codification and analysis will provide insight into how music-directed social

media is used and how record labels and incorporate it into a new business model.

Summary

Research reveals that CD sales dropped with the advent of Music 2.0. Some

critics believe that peer-to-peer file sharing was the initial cause of the record industry’s

decline and social media sites that stream music may be the form that seals its fate. The

research also reveals that social networking sites have developed as a way for musicians

without record contracts to effectively market themselves to current and new fan bases.

The record industry has made numerous attempts to fight against or join the

Music 2.0 wave. These attempts first began with actively prosecuting peer-to-peer file

sharing programs and their users. Its attempts have been futile, as free music

downloading services are still widely used today. After their attempts to thwart Music 2.0

failed, it presented paid for downloading services. Although they have been more

successful than law suits, they still have yet to reach the popularity of peer-to-peer file

sharing and streaming music.

Although Music 2.0 has seemed to replace the traditional methods of acquiring

music, the record industry has yet to effectively adopt these techniques into a business

model. Without a new mindset and an interest in building social capital among fans, the

record industry will face its demise in the years to come.

However, the record industry is not the only member of the music industry that

needs to capitalize on the use of music-directed social media. Independent musicians

must find a way to monetize their presence on social networking sites in order to make a

substantial profit, something that has only been possible with the aid of record labels.

This researcher’s primary research seeks to identify the positive negative impacts

of social networking sites on musicians and it can be utilized in the future.

Chapter four provides primary research results, which range from the tone and

components of specific social networking sites to attitudes towards social networking

sites as marketing tools. The chapter contains charts and graphs to provide quick data

references. Although it contains strict data, the chapter provides insight into the make-up

and sentiments of music-directed social networking sites, with regards to marketing and

promotion.

Chapter 4

Research Data

The following research examines the predominate use of social media sites by

independent musicians. The researcher first conducts a content analysis to catalog

comments made by friends. The data is then analyzed and incorporated into in-depth

interview questions.

The in-depth interviews collect opinions from New Jersey independent musicians

from various genres. The data is then examined to find positive and negative use of

music-directed social media. Interview participants also provide subjective views of the

current situation of the recording industry.

General Findings

As previously stated, the content analysis conduct provides in-depth knowledge

about music-directed social media prior to the interviews. The tone and keywords present

the general nature of analyzed Web sites.

The content analysis is not meant to support any of the hypotheses. Its purpose is

providing an understanding of primary music-directed social media sites to the researcher

in order to properly identify topics and draft interview questions.

When analyzing Myspace, the researcher finds that a majority of comments are

neutral in nature. Common keywords also follow the tone, as they are very neutral in

nature.

Table 1: Keyword Analysis for Band #1’s Myspace

Positive

Neutral

Negative

Add

Friend

Thanks

Request

Music

Show

Each keyword is counted by number of appearances. Multiple keywords can be

present in each comment. Multiple tones can also be present in each comment. The coder

chooses keywords and each comment is properly analyzed and cataloged.

A pattern occurs early on, as there is a lack in negative comments. Positive

comments make an appearance, but with a low number of occurrences. Neutral comments

outweigh all other categories.

The following table presents generally the same type of data. Comments tend to

stay neutral with a small lean toward positive connotations. The same keywords are

analyzed for tone and counted by their number of appearances throughout the pre-

selected comments.

Table 2: Keyword Analysis for Band #2’s Myspace

Positive

Neutral

Negative

Add

Friend

Thanks

Request

Music

Show

Table two provides a definite neutral stance. No negative comments appear, while

very few positive keywords are found.

The neutral pattern continues through the two analyses. It results from a

consistent comment source from other bands who “friend” the analyzed bands. These

bands comment on fellow bands’ profiles to promote their own music, live events and

recording sessions. These comments are status updates in the form of comments and are

self-serving. These bands do not aim to provide feedback, rather than reach a larger

audience than their friend list can foster.

Based on its high occurrence on analyzed profiles, it is commonplace for bands to

write self-promoting comments. This technique thus lack negative stigma among

independent bands. Instead, it creates a way to facilitate a new fan base that is unable to

reach through other methods. The following table confirms this analysis.

Table 3: Keyword Analysis for Band #3’s Myspace

Positive

Neutral

Negative

Add

Friend

Thanks

Request

Music

Show

Table three’s data varies from the previous tables. Instead of creating a very

neutral stance, this band collects ample feedback; however, this feedback is only positive.

The lack of negative comments occurs throughout all analyses.

The main reason for the lack of negative comments stems from the natures of

music-directed social media sites. Those commenting on band profiles are referred to as

“friends.” These friends already enjoy the band’s music, support them and wish to see

them succeed. This creates a bias among comments. These friendships mean that any

negative opinions will not be shared.

The analyzed bands confirm a bias from self-promotion comments. Previous

figures show that a majority of keyword appearances relate to the words thanks, add,

friend and request. These are usually in the same sentence and refer to the friend thanking

the band for accepting their friend request. This sentence holds a neutral connotation, as it

does not provide the band with feedback.

Another reason for a lack in negative tone can also rely on the band. Myspace

gives bands the ability to delete any posted comments on their profile. In order to reduce

negative exposure on the Internet, bands can be inclined to delete negative feedback.

Deleting comments shows a bias created by the band. Rather than embrace criticism and

using it to improve, bands aim to eliminate it.

Myspace faces a decline of users based on its increased use of spam. Generalized

comments prevail over feedback, as displayed in the previous figures. This deters users

and forces them to find other sources.

Following Myspace, Facebook continues to evolve into a music-directed social

media vehicle. Its current renovation added space dedicated to music, whether

independent or represented.

Based on its expanding usage over Myspace, Facebook profiles provide a larger

number of keywords. Its lack of generalized, self-promoting comments also facilitates

more keywords.

Table 4: Keyword Analysis for Band #1’s Facebook

Positive

Neutral

Negative

Listen

CD/Album

Songs

Friend

Thanks

Gig

Band

Request

Support

Show

Much like Myspace, table four lacks negative comments; however unlike

previous tables, tone is evenly spread out between positive and neutral columns. This

table also shows a heavily concentrated number of keyword appearances dealing with

live performances. These include show, support and gig.

The following table shows a very low usage of any keywords or tone. This results

from a large display of graphic design in comments, rather than actual comments. If the

analysis includes graphic, the overall tone would remain neutral.

Table 5: Keyword Analysis for Band #2’s Facebook

Positive

Neutral

Negative

Listen

CD/Album

Songs

Friend

Thanks

Gig

Band

Request

Support

Show

As a result from this reliance on graphic design in comments, Table five shows an

even number of positive and neutral keyword appearances. Much like the rest of the

analysis, band two does not receive negative comments. Keyword appearances also range

from those referring to live performances and those about listening to the band’s music.

The final portion of the content analysis also lacks sufficient comments. Band

three’s Facebook also relies heavily on graphic design. Because graphic design is not

analyzed, overall tone of the profile is not represented. Only written word is analyzed and

thus considered to determine tone and widely used keywords.

Table 6: Keyword Analysis for Band #3’s Facebook

Positive

Neutral

Negative

Listen

CD/Album

Songs

Friend

Thanks

Gig

Band

Request

Support

Show

Table six shows a large use of keywords pertaining to live performances. A few

keywords appear regarding listening to the band’s music. As an overall determinant of

bands’ Facebook content, the analysis shows that profiles mainly discuss live

performances. A live show schedule is provided and fans or other bands comment about

the performance after it has occurred.

Based on findings from the content analysis, in-depth interviewees answer

questions to add the understanding. This includes types of social media, perceptions on

their effectiveness, their benefits and downfalls and similarities between band profiles

and personal profiles.

Despite the differences in answers for general usage, all participants agree that

music-directed social media is an important aspect of their marketing efforts. Some site it

as a way to gain new fans while others discuss the importance of creating a digital image

for the band. The following quotes regard general usage of social media sites:

“We utilize it by gaining fans and creating a digital image for ourselves, such as

pictures and promo pictures. We also get a chance to provide songs, sneak peaks of

videos, upcoming events and good news, such as recording,” says participant one.

“Social media is very important to everything that we do. It is the best way to get

our stuff out there. Everyone is on the Internet so you have the biggest crowd to hear your

stuff,” says participant two.

One hundred percent of participants agree that social media is a vast medium that

allows a large audience to interact with bands. More and more people are turning to the

Internet to find music, and music-directed social media makes it simple to find it.

Although social media is important to independent musicians, 80 percent of

participants cite downfalls to its usage. These downfalls include a drop in CD sales, a

lack in live performance attendance and an outside perception of inexperience among

independent bands.

All participants cite using Myspace and Facebook as primary social media

vehicles. Participants also cite Purevolume, Youtube, Twitter, Stereo Killer and

ReverNation as useful tools.

Sixty percent of participants claim to incorporate Youtube into their online

presences. One interviewee comments, “it not only gives the audience an audible

representation of what we’re doing, but also a visual one. We’ll put live show videos up

and also music videos we shoot. With the decline of Myspace, Youtube is becoming the

new prominent way to promote your music.”

Participants also explain that it is still difficult to reach audiences through

Youtube because they do not create accounts. They see the best way to direct them to

Youtube is by posting a link on their Myspace or Facebook profiles.

A surprisingly useful tool for musicians is Twitter. Participants aim to create

Twitter accounts in order to provide the most up-to-date information about performances,

recording and other band happenings; however, interviewees find it difficult to keep up

with. The main issue is how much time is committed to updating a Twitter and having

enough news to post tweets everyday.

Twenty percent of participants cite the use of Stereo Killer as a social media

platform. This Website is comparable to Myspace but allows for more customization. Its

purpose is to share music with other bands. This is evident because one cannot own an

account unless he or she is a band member.

One hundred percent of participants place importance on face-to-face interaction.

This can occur at a live performance or in general. They claim that social media use must

be fostered by some type of face-to-face interaction. Bands need to foster relationships

with their fans. One interviewee also explains the importance of creating an image. This

means a band must “create an image and play it up at a venue. You can be an intellectual,

a partier, etc. You need to get to know your fans on more of a personal level. That’s what

gets them to look for you.”

Among participants with recorded music, 100 percent sell their songs on iTunes.

This paid-for downloading service is widely used but does not generate substantial profit

for independent bands. Participants do not care about the profit and try to supplement it

with CD sales. They only aim to get their music out to audiences in any way they can,

whether fans pay for it or not.

Among emerging tools for independent bands, Purevolume Critics’ Picks creates

a platform to interact with record labels. This list of accomplished independent artists is

where record executives turn from time to time in order to acquire new talent. The only

issue interviewees find is that labels might not look at a band if they do not have a certain

number of fans, friends or plays. A less talented band can create an advantage over other

bands by finding ways to increase their friend list or number of plays.

Hypothesis #1

It is expected that musicians see social media as a new way to influence their existing

fan base.

According to research findings, 80 percent of participants believe existing fans are

inclined to find their bands on social media sites. In terms of this research, an existing fan

is an individual who listened to and supported the band before any social media presence

began.

“They are pretty inclined to find us because the fans we do have are very

dedicated so they want the most up-to-date information on us,” says interviewee one.

“They are more inclined if we don’t have anything physical to give them like a

CD. The Internet is an incredible way to promote your music. Existing fans will keep

going back to it,” says interviewee two.

“They need to come into your world. If you create a world but don’t stick to it or

don’t give them something to listen to, they will be lazy. They might not even delete you

so you don’t know if they are still fans. They are still around and will read but you won’t

get a reaction,” says interviewee four.

Twenty percent of participants do not have an existing fan base. This is due to

their short-term status as a band. Also, some bands tend to begin creating a fan base

through social media, thus eliminating any fan base existing before a social media

presence.

Only 40 percent of participants include anything on their profiles specifically for

existing fans. These components include exclusive downloads, show postings, live

performance footage and others.

Participants also include up-to-date information for existing fans. They claim this

is to keep them interested. Rather than forcing them to listen to the same songs and grow

bored, more features and links are posted to keep profiles fresh.

The idea of a street team emerged during 60 percent of interviews. Each cites

some interest of use of a street team, whether face-to-face or virtual. Street teams usually

include family members, friends and devoted fans that want to see a band succeed.

Activities come in the form of missions or a simple mailing list. Although street teams

have their benefits, 40 percent of participants only see them as a tool during a tour.

Hypothesis #2

It is expected that if musicians engage directly with their audience, it will cause

them to grow a new fan base.

According to research results, a number of primary ways new or emerging fans

hear of bands. 40 percent of participants cite word-of-mouth as the most popular way to

reach audiences. In this instance, word-of-mouth is any general audiences pass along

information to other individuals. Fans pass along the name of a band to a potential fan.

This is repeated a number of times, creating a snowball effect for acquiring fans. This

interaction between a fan and a potential fan can occur face-to-face or digitally.

Forty percent of participants cite live performances as their primary way of

reaching new fans. Most shows include three to five bands, giving audiences

opportunities to hear new music. Depending on how often a band plays, this can happen

often.

Only 20 percent of participants cite social media as the best way to reach new or

emerging fans. In this instance, Facebook overpowered Myspace and other social media

sites as a primary source for new fans.

Regardless of how they are reached, 60 percent of participants believe new fans

are inclined to add their band as a friend or bookmark them. This gives the band the

ability to constantly reach the new fan, as information will show up on news feeds. Bands

do not have to wait for fans to return to their profile to promote themselves.

Twenty percent of participants believe new fans are inclined to add them

depending on their interaction in-person. This brings up the idea of creating an image. A

professional and friendly relationship is fostered through this image; however, the band

members must stay consistent with their image. Inconsistencies will deter the new fan

from reaching out through social media sites.

Face-to-face interaction is an idea that reoccurs throughout all interviews. One

hundred percent of participants direct fans to social media sites in order to build

awareness. This is usually done through face-to-face interaction, especially at live

performances. Participants do this by handing out business cards, creating flyers or

simply mentioning sites while on-stage.

All participants also cite social media as an important way to increase fan bases.

The most common reason relies on the Internet’s reach. Social media profiles are able to

reach a vast number of individuals, creating a simple way to acquire fans. Participants

also emphasize the importance of emersion and frequency. By posting information a few

times, an individual could gain interest once. All a band needs is for an individual to click

through to their profile once. This can cause long-term fandom.

Hypothesis #3

It is expected that record labels will no longer be needed as an intermediary between

musicians and fans.

The following data is the compilation of subjective views. The researcher

understands that interviewees cannot represent the opinions of all band members, thus

providing only personal opinions.

According to research results, 80 percent of participants believe record labels are

still necessary in today’s music industry. Major reasons for their support include financial

backing, distribution purposes and wider promotion reach.

“I think it is very necessary for the sole reason of financial backing. Basically it is

hundreds to thousands of dollars to record now and being an unsigned band, it is

extremely difficult to raise the money. The music industry isn’t really thriving in Bergen

County, making it even more difficult to raise money,” says interviewee one.

“They are necessary if you want to succeed in a mainstream market but there are

also people who can completely avoid them and still be successful. Bands with record

labels dominate the market at such a high rate that its hard for independent bands to

compete,” says interviewee three.

“I think that record labels, to an extent, are necessary for advertising and

publishing purposes. They are capable of mass-producing while we cannot. It is too

expense. They can help you get a large following,” says interviewee four.

Only 20 percent of participants do not believe record labels are necessary in

today’s music industry. They feel that social media can fulfill a majority of record label

functions and that a band can be successful without a record contract. According to

interviewee two, “People are able to do it themselves now and it is also very hard to get

onto a label. The idea of the seven-record deal is dead these days. No one is doing that

anymore. More and more people are building studios in their basements. You won’t owe

a record company any more. The economy makes it hard to do a huge studio album and

pay a label back.”

Despite a percentage of participants stating the rise of social media as the primary

promotional tool, 100 percent of interviewees still desire a record contract as social media

evolves. They believe that record labels still control the market and will help bands reach

more fans. With a record label, bands can play better venues and reach fans

internationally. Each participant plans to continue promotion through social media, but

aims to sign a record contract in the future.

Chapter 5

Evaluation

Interpretation of data

Preliminary research in the form of a content analysis showed a large bias among

social media profile comments. Two categories of comments prevail: Bands promoting

themselves on other profiles or generic comments thanking the band for their friend

request. These types of comments form a neutral tone among Myspace and Facebook.

Along with generally neutral comments, a small number of positive comments

were found. These comments stem from fostered relationships among fans, friends and

family. These posts come from people who want to see a band succeed. Because these

people already have some type of relationship with the band, negative comments are rare.

Facebook presents a larger following, as Myspace faces a large quantity of

spammers. If genuine feedback is what a band desires, the primary source through social

media is Facebook. Myspace seems to be falling behind and many bands are moving

away from it.

Overall, the research shows an overwhelming need for independent musicians to

promote on social media Websites. Social media provides bands with vast audiences and

ways to disseminate up-to-date information. Both new fans and long-term fans are

inclined to search for bands on social media platforms.

Long-term fans tend to reach out more frequently and with less motivation than

new fans. These existing fans already have some type of relationship with the band and

wish to see them succeed. They are also more interested in other profile components

other than streamed music. These components include live footage clips, music videos

and live performance schedules.

Independent bands are using social media to reach out to new or potential fans,

but a face-to-face relationship must be fostered to motivate fans. These interactions

usually occur at live performances and fans are directed to social media through business

cards, fliers or word-of-mouth. Independent musicians also rely on word-of-mouth

between fans to generate a larger fan base.

Despite social media’s evolution into a music promotion vehicle, record labels are

still necessary. They provide financial backing, enhanced touring opportunities, wider

distribution areas and extensive advertising. Independent musicians will continue to use

social media but aim to sign a record contract in the future.

Conclusions

H1: It is expected that musicians see social media as a new way to influence their

existing fan base.

Based on the data, hypothesis one is supported. Existing fans are inclined to reach

bands through social media because musicians offer up-to-date information and

additional features. These features generate interest and continue to foster the

relationship. These fans also try to support musicians in any way, including providing

possible live performance opportunities. Support can also come in the simple form of

criticism and genuine feedback.

H2: It is expected that if musicians engage directly with their audience, it will cause

them to grow a new fan base.

Hypothesis two is supported because Independent musicians are using social

media to create a relationship with new fans; however a face-to-face interaction must

precede it. In order to generate enough interest in social media profiles, interaction during

shows or meetings must be friendly and professional. Previously built images must

remain consistent through interactions and social media profiles. Independent musicians

also rely on digital word-of-mouth between fans and potential fans to increase their fan

base.

H3: It is expected that record labels will no longer be needed as an intermediary

between musicians and fans.

Hypothesis three is not supported because independent musicians still see record

labels as necessary. Although the record industry faces a slow and steady decline, labels

still dominate the market. In order to gain mainstream success, musicians must acquire a

record contract. In terms of being an intermediary, record labels are still necessary in

order to reach fans beyond the musicians geographic area, whether nationally or

internationally.

Contribution to the Field

The use of social media is an upcoming tool within a number of fields. Other

fields, such as consumer products, have presented a vast amount of research on the topic

and have been working diligently to harness its power.

On the other hand, the music industry seems to lack the research it needs to

understand how social media will change its field and how it can utilize it. To provide the

knowledge necessary to adapt to the shift in musical power, the author conducted both

qualitative and quantitative research. The researcher aimed to further the understanding

of social media networks and the independent musicians who use them. This will provide

the music industry, whether record labels, musicians or fans, with knowledge that will aid

in using these websites to their fullest extent.

Further Research

In order to generalize any data pertaining to this research, a larger geographic

location must be examined. Other regions in the United States stand out as “hubs” for the

music industry. These regions should be examined in order to highlight opinion

differences according to geography.

Along with an expansion of regions, other music genres must be considered. The

current research only represents different genres of rock. Other musicians use social

media as a promotional tool and these include hip-hop, country, pop, rap, etc. In order to

examine opinions of all musicians, different genres must be analyzed.

The researcher used a convenient sample to obtain participants for in-depth

interviews. In order to generalize data, future research should include a random sample.

Music-directed social media exists beyond Myspace and Facebook. Other

comment-based platforms with likeness rating scales should be considered, whether they

are heavily used or just emerging.

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Appendix A: Content Analysis

Band #1

Myspace

Positive

Neutral

Negative

Add

Friend

Thanks

Request

Music

Show

Band #1

Facebook

Positive

Neutral

Negative

listen

CD/album

songs

friend

thanks

gig

band

request

support

show

Band #2

Myspace

Positive

Neutral

Negative

Add

Friend

Thanks

Request

Music

Show

Band #2

Facebook

Positive

Neutral

Negative

listen

CD/album

songs

friend

thanks

gig

band

request

support

show

Band #3

Myspace

Positive

Neutral

Negative

Add

Friend

Thanks

Request

Music

Show

Band #3

Facebook

Positive

Neutral

Negative

listen

CD/album

songs

friend

thanks

gig

band

request

support

show

Appendix B: Interviews

Interviewee #1

County: Bergen

Genre: Metalcore

# of Social Media Profiles: 4

Online Presence: Over one year

GF Genre of Music

1. How does your band and other bands in your genre utilize social media?

• We utilize it by gaining fans and creating a digital image for ourselves, such as

pictures and promo pictures. We also get a chance to provide songs, sneak peaks

of videos, upcoming events and good news, such as recording.

2. How do you see it benefiting musicians such as yourself?

• I see it benefiting because just about everyone is on the computer these days and

we can not only get people to listen to our music, but also let them know about

upcoming shows, which is great because they come out, and have the ability to

meet people, just get to know the fans.

3. How do you see it hurting musicians such as yourself?

I see it hurting too because fans can download our music off of the Internet

instead of buying a CD. It kind of defeats the purpose of us recording our music and

trying to make money because it is expensive to record.

GF Social Media Types

4. What types of social media do you use for your music?

We use Myspace, the first one we began using, ReverbNation, Purevolume,

Facebook, LastFM, Youtube, Twitter (do not tweet that often). We also have our own

website.

5. Do you use your personal social media sites to promote your music social media sites?

How?

Absolutely. ReverbNation is kind of the mother of all of our sites because it

collects information from the rest and catalogs it. There are also links to the rest of our

sites on it, like a link to our Myspace page.

We try to link our other profiles on each other to forward fans to all sources of

information.

Any account that I own is geared toward the band so there is a lot of information

on my personal accounts as well. I use it to get more fans to the band profiles.

6. What social media sites do you find to be more efficient? How?

Facebook is one of the biggest but not for music, so I would say ReverbNation

just because it syncs with all of your other profiles. It also shows opportunities for gigs

and possible fans in your area. Any posts made on ReverbNation are posted on all the

other profiles, including my personal accounts.

H2 New Fan Base

7. How do new fans or emerging fans reach you/hear of you?

Normally I think it’s more of word-of-mouth now. That starts with one person

going to one of our sites and telling a friend about it so they are on the site too. Its also

shows as well and that comes back to our Websites because they see a show posted so

they’ll come out and bring a friend. It helps us potentially gain more fans.

8. How inclined are they to add you as a favorite/add as a friend/bookmark you on your

social media sites?

I think they are pretty inclined to because a lot of these sites don’t make you

create a profile to hear us or leave any kind of feedback for our band. If they do stumble

upon one of our sites, they spend at least a few minutes on it listening to a song or

reading a bio.

I think we have an advantage because myself and another band member into

graphic design so we look good digitally. Our Website is spicy because it cool images on

it, it is well done and well organized so people have no trouble navigating through our

sites to find any information they need.

9. Do you promote your social media sites to direct new fans to them?

Yes, we recently had business cards made with our main Website on it. Through

that, you can get to any of our other sites. We always try to tell them to look us up on any

of our sites or to even Google us.

10. How do you think you can increase your fan base by using social media?

Well as of now, we can’t play a show in let’s say Australia. Someone out these

might like the genre and can still hear us through our sites.

11. As an estimate, how many fans of your music do you think don’t create profile on

these sites or add you as a friend, but still frequent your page?

I’d say out of the visits we get to your page, probably a good ¼ of them don’t

have a profile or account, but they’ll still spend time on our sites to listen to our songs

and read about the band.

- Does them not having a profile hinder you from reaching them again?

Yes because it’s easy for them because they don’t need to create a profile

so it’s easy for them to check us out and be play us anywhere. They don’t need to hear

our news when we post it. They can come and go as they please, if they even return at all.

H1 Existing Fan Base

12. How inclined are long-term fans to find you through social media?

They are pretty inclined to find us because the fans we do have are very dedicated

so they want the most up-to-date information on us. They can also join a mailing list so

they get updates constantly and can send us feedback.

13. What do you include on your pages for existing fans?

Yes, if you are a member, you can sign onto ReverbNation to get exclusive

downloads, such as a clip to a new song or a video. They get treated well because they

treat us well.

14. Why do existing fans access your social media sites?

These fans are usually close friends of the band so it’s a good way to

communicate and it makes it really easy for them to enjoy our music. They can also

provide us with ideas and suggestions.

H2 - What about the idea of street teams to push people toward social media?

We did a little bit with the mailing list but we haven’t sent any missions to

the street team members due to a lack of shows because of recording. We plan to use it

more in the near future to put out fliers and other promotional materials.

15. How can you utilize existing fans to direct potential/new fans to your social media

sites?

We want them to make sure new fans know they can also get our stuff, like to get

a CD or get the information on what’s happening next with us.

16. Do existing fans contact you for live performance opportunities? How can you make

your social media sites into a platform for performance inquiries?

They do use sites to contacts us about shows. Some fans will request us to play in

areas we wouldn’t normally travel to and we love playing shows, so we are open to do it.

These sites definitely form a common ground for us to stand on with our fans because

they know we actually respond to what they send us.

H3 Record Labels

17. How necessary are record labels in today’s music?

I think it is very necessary for the sole reason of financial backing. Basically it is

hundreds to thousands of dollars to record now and being an unsigned band, it is

extremely difficult to raise the money. The music industry isn’t really thriving in Bergen

County, making it even more difficult to raise money.

18. How can social media sites substitute record labels?

They get our name out and doing most of the promotion that a label would do. It

ultimately helps us gain fans and find new places to play shows.

19. How are record labels adapting to musicians’ sense of independence because of social

media?

They will contact an independent band and offer touring options as a probation

period for any kind of record deal. They want to see how you handle the stress and carry

yourselves.

20. Will you still desire a record contract as social media continues to evolve?

Absolutely. I feel that a contract can offer a band a better chance to expand their

sound in America and around the world. It can help us travel, play at the best venues and

have the best fans.

Other comments:

I believe that social media is more good than it is bad at this point because

everyone is using a computer now. It also helps us see how many people actually look at

us, by tracking views on our pages. We can also see where these viewers are from to

know what states have more fans than others. It really has given us a head start if we ever

hit the road and do a tour.

Interviewee #2

County: Bergen

Genre: Alternative Rock

# of Social Media Sites: 2

Online Presence: One and half years

Genre of Music

GF 1. How does your band and other bands in your genre utilize social media?

Social media is very important to everything that we do. It is the best way to get

our stuff out there. Everyone is on the Internet so you have the biggest crowd to hear your

stuff.

GF 2. How do you see it benefiting musicians such as yourself?

I see it benefiting everyone because that’s where people are starting to look.

People are going to shows less and less. People are lazy and want to stay home to use

their fingers to find music and discover new bands.

GF 3. How do you see it hurting musicians such as yourself?

Everyone is staying in one place to find music. If you have a promotional event or

a show, less people are inclined to come because they can find your music online.

Social Media Types

GF 4. What types of social media do you use for your music?

Youtube, Facebook, Myspace, ReverbNation and Twitter.

GF - How do you see twitter being used for unsigned musicians?

It just gives them a little update on what we’ve been working on and what

they can expect to come in the near future.

GF 5. Do you use your personal social media sites to promote your music social media

sites? How?

Yes, we have pages for our band but if we are just hanging out at home and feel

like promoting the band, we’ll probably use our own accounts to do that. We can post a

portion of a video or a link to one of our songs. We want people to be able to access our

stuff as easily as possible so we use links.

GF 6. What social media sites do you find to be more efficient? How?

Youtube because it not only gives the audience an audible representation of what

we’re doing, but also a visual one. We’ll put live show videos up and also music videos

we shoot. With the decline of Myspace, Youtube is becoming the new prominent way to

promote your music.

GF - How do you see Facebook being used?

Facebook is the best primary source to reach people because you direct

people to your other sites.

H2 New Fan Base

7. How do new fans or emerging fans reach you/hear of you?

I think the best way to do it is through word-of-mouth on the Internet. It is a lot of

work for the band to keep badgering people so you have to be patient and keep posting.

Some people may view it as spam but for every person that hears it three times, a new

person will hear it once.

8. How inclined are they to add you as a favorite/add as a friend/bookmark you on your

social media sites?

I think people are pretty inclined to do this. People like having sources at their

disposal so when there is a new band; they are willing to give them a chance.

9. Do you promote your social media sites to direct new fans to them?

Yes. If we are playing a show and there are a lot of new faces, we ask them to

check out our sites. That’s something we do at every show we play or anytime we meet

people. Rather than giving them a CD that they can lose, they can always find our music

on the Internet.

We also hand out fliers and CDs but we include our sites on them.

10. How do you think you can increase your fan base by using social media?

It increases so much more than just at shows because it’s available to more people

on the Internet. People are always surfing the Internet so one link can reach twice as

many people as a show can.

11. As an estimate, how many fans of your music do you think don’t create profile on

these sites or add you as a friend, but still frequent your page?

A lot of people because we’ll put something up and a family member will show it

to friends. They can show it to their kids or other friends. People we don’t know or

people who we don’t know have an account will eventually be reached.

- Do you see them as an actual part of your fan base?

They are a big potential part of your fan base. It may not start out that way

but if you continue to use these sites they way you are supposed to, they can definitely

become a part of your face base.

- What do you see as the best way to get then as a core part of your fan base?

Just being determined to have them hear your stuff. You need to repost

and have other people repost for you. They serve as a street team. We can only do so

much at a time so people helping you out to get your name out on these sites really helps.

It’s an important thing that most bands aren’t using right now.

H1- Who makes up your street team?

It starts out as just friends and family, and then turns into core fans. It’s a

mix of people who want to see you succeed.

H1- How big should an effective street team be?

It could start out small and increase in size over time. It webs out the same

way as if you were to do it yourself, just on a bigger scale.

H1 Existing Fan Base

12. How inclined are long-term fans to find you through social media?

They are more inclined if we don’t have anything physical to give them like a CD.

The Internet is an incredible way to promote your music. Existing fans will keep going

back to it.

13. What do you include on your pages for existing fans?

We let them know everything we are doing. We give them show updates, studio

updates and as much of our media as we can. We post all of our songs and links to

iTunes. We want people to stay interested and see new things once in a while instead

hearing the same songs. We try to keep it fresh and updated.

- Is iTunes a good platform for new bands?

We use it just as another outlet but we understand people aren’t really

buying CDs anymore. For right now, I don’t see it as a bad thing because the more people

that can access our music, the better for us. It doesn’t matter if they pay for it, as long as

they can get it.

14. Why do existing fans access your social media sites?

15. How can you utilize existing fans to direct potential/new fans to your social media

sites?

Through a street team or through the Website itself. Fans can post links as well.

That’s the great thing about these sites. There are no restrictions. Existing fans that want

to help can find new people that are willing to hear us.

16. Do existing fans contact you for live performance opportunities? How can you make

your social media sites into a platform for performance inquiries?

A lot of fans contact us but usually more in person. We always list our shows

online and post about it a few days before the actual performance. We want to make it as

easy as possible to come see us play.

H3 Record Labels

17. How necessary are record labels in today’s music?

I don’t see it as a necessity. People are able to do it themselves now and it is also

very hard to get onto a label. The idea of the seven-record deal is dead these days. No one

is doing that anymore. More and more people are building studios in their basements.

You won’t owe a record company any more. The economy makes it hard to do a huge

studio album and pay a label back.

18. How can social media sites substitute record labels?

I see a record label as a form of distribution. I think having your music on the

Internet today is better than having it in a store. Its just they way technology is changing

everything. People are buying everything online. Whether they are buying or

downloading your music, they are still getting it o the Internet. Record stores are closing

everywhere so there aren’t many places to have your CD sold.

19. How are record labels adapting to musicians’ sense of independence because of social

media?

I think they understand they way things are going. A lot of labels are closing

because people are doing it themselves. They are trying to find a way to let people do

things to a certain extent and then come in to help. Record labels keep track of social

media use and will try to use it as much as they can.

20. Will you still desire a record contract as social media continues to evolve?

Once we’ve done our part using social media, a record label would be helpful to

get our names out in a way that we can’t. A record company can help with radio and TV

to reach different people who don’t use the Internet as much.

Having your music in TV show is helping out a lot today. It will reach a lot of

people you wouldn’t think could be into your music. They are more of a financial means

and a way to access different media you can’t.

Other comments:

You need to use it as much as you can in whatever way you can. Possibility are

becoming endless and it can help you band in ways you didn’t think were possible on the

Internet. You can reach more people.

Interviewee #3

County: Morris

Genre: Pop Punk

GF Genre of Music

1. How does your band and other bands in your genre utilize social media?

Myspace is becoming outdated and Facebook helps you gather more fans.

Purevolume works to reach other bands.

2. How do you see it benefiting musicians such as yourself?

You can get your name out through this open medium. Everyone has access to the

Internet so it’s easier to reach people.

3. How do you see it hurting musicians such as yourself?

It puts everyone in the same pool and there is a lot of inexperience. It dilutes the

bands that put forth a real effort.

GF Social Media Types

4. What types of social media do you use for your music?

Myspace, Facebook Purevolume, Twitter, Youtube

5. Do you use your personal social media sites to promote your music social media sites?

How?

Yes. We supplement the band’s page with our own pages. We repost the band’s

events to reach more friends.

6. What social media sites do you find to be more efficient? How?

Facebook encompasses everything you need to successfully market yourself.

- Not at the point of their experience where the band can use street teams. They

see it helping when they begin to tour.

H2 New Fan Base

7. How do new fans or emerging fans reach you/hear of you?

They reach us primarily on Facebook.

8. How inclined are they to add you as a favorite/add as a friend/bookmark you on your

social media sites?

They also share the page with their friends. The grapevine is a great way to

multiply our fan base.

9. Do you promote your social media sites to direct new fans to them?

It is hard to find a band that does not mention their social media sites when on

stage at a show.

10. How do you think you can increase your fan base by using social media?

We do it through emersion. We put ourselves out there at such a high rate that its

difficult to ignore.

11. As an estimate, how many fans of your music do you think don’t create profile on

these sites or add you as a friend, but still frequent your page?

I believe it is 10-15 a week and they are a main part of our fan base because we

don’t really have a physical object to give them, like a CD.

We also use iTunes and is a good way to sell music. It is not a good way to reach

new people because it is much easier to find music for free. Our CD sales are still higher

for us and other emerging bands.

H1 Existing Fan Base

12. How inclined are long-term fans to find you through social media?

It is really the only choice they have.

13. What do you include on your pages for existing fans?

Everything we put out is pretty generalized.

14. Why do existing fans access your social media sites?

They use it to keep in contact and to listen to our music because they don’t

purchase it.

15. How can you utilize existing fans to direct potential/new fans to your social media

sites?

16. Do existing fans contact you for live performance opportunities? How can you make

your social media sites into a platform for performance inquiries?

They definitely do and it can play a role to branch us out to other areas. It isn’t the

main way we branch out, but it helps.

H3 Record Labels

17. How necessary are record labels in today’s music?

They are necessary if you want to succeed in a mainstream market but there are

also people who can completely avoid them and still be successful. Bands with record

labels dominate the market at such a high rate that its hard for independent bands to

compete.

18. How can social media sites substitute record labels?

You can circumvent promotional tools record labels have through social media.

It’s a free way of promotion. Record labels provide a lot of money so social media can

only substitute so much.

19. How are record labels adapting to musicians’ sense of independence because of social

media?

I think they branch out further down the scale by seeking out unsigned bands.

They are found because they get so popular through social media. They can search

through Purevolume’s top unsigned artists and critics’ picks. Once bands can rise up

through the independent scene, record labels will come and scoop them up. Record

executives don’t have to do a lot of work finding bands.

20. Will you still desire a record contract as social media continues to evolve?

With the way they control the market, record labels will monopolize the industry

for a long time coming regardless of how social media evolves.

Other comments:

It’s an effective way to market yourself but it shouldn’t be overestimated. It can

only go so far.

Interviewee #4

Genre: Union

County: Rock/Pop

GF Genre of Music

1. How does your band and other bands in your genre utilize social media?

Depending on the type, we try to get our name out to as many people as possible.

Unfortunately for things like Facebook, you can only reach friends or friends of friends,

making it difficult to go outside of those groups. Myspace is now a lot of bands trying to

promote to people that are just trying to sell themselves as well. It has become pointless

because no one really cares about you or your music. ReverbNation makes you pay for

your usage. It sends out press kits so you can get fans from all over the place to hear us. It

helps you get gigs as well.

2. How do you see it benefiting musicians such as yourself?

It helps you reach as many people as possible and hopefully one of those people

will sponsor you.

3. How do you see it hurting musicians such as yourself?

To an extent, many venues will only check you out if you have a certain number

of fans on your social media profiles, which is not a good gauge of talent. No one is

really finding the real music this way. They are just selling something that has already

been sold.

GF Social Media Types

4. What types of social media do you use for your music?

Facebook, Myspace, ReverbNation, Twitter (not really used because you need to

be on everyday and don’t have enough time)

5. Do you use your personal social media sites to promote your music social media sites?

How?

Usually because every member of the band will use statuses to direct friends to

the band’s profile. We also try to branch out by asking friends if they know people who

would like to hear our music. It definitely matters how many friends you have though.

- does this snowball effect of gaining friends help on social media?

It gives people a chance to hear us. A street team has difficultly getting

people to listen.

6. What social media sites do you find to be more efficient? How?

ReverbNation is really good because it has a lot of stuff. It keeps track of all of

your other social media sites if you set it up the right way. In order to get a good virtual

press kit, it cost about $100 and this gives you one for less.

H2 New Fan Base

7. How do new fans or emerging fans reach you/hear of you?

They mostly hear of us through shows. There are always people posting about a

show. These people will look for you on sites and if you don’t have anything on there,

they’ll forget about you. You have to play shows.

8. How inclined are they to add you as a favorite/add as a friend/bookmark you on your

social media sites?

It depends on how you act with them at the show. You need to be professional

and friendly. You have to create an image and play it up at a venue. You can be an

intellectual, a partier, etc. You need to get to know your fans on more of a personal level.

That’s what gets them to look for you.

9. Do you promote your social media sites to direct new fans to them?

10. How do you think you can increase your fan base by using social media?

If you have time and money, you can advertise a lot. It gives you a way to interact

with your fans. Right now we get a lot of close friends, but that’s how it is on Facebook.

11. As an estimate, how many fans of your music do you think don’t create profile on

these sites or add you as a friend, but still frequent your page?

There is a way to see how much traffic you have on your sites, but it always

depends on what we’ve done publicly.

H1 Existing Fan Base

12. How inclined are long-term fans to find you through social media?

On occasion, but you have to keep their interest. They need to come into your

world. If you create a world but don’t stick to it or don’t give them something to listen to,

they will be lazy. They might not even delete you so you don’t know if they are still fans.

They are still around and will read but you won’t get a reaction.

13. What do you include on your pages for existing fans?

14. Why do existing fans access your social media sites?

It is mostly a personal friendship right now. It also depends on what we do. If we

give them something new, we get feedback.

15. How can you utilize existing fans to direct potential/new fans to your social media

sites?

16. Do existing fans contact you for live performance opportunities? How can you make

your social media sites into a platform for performance inquiries?

Yes they do. We need to get contacts to do this. We can then call them up from

time to time in order to get shows. This also goes for other bands you build friendships

with. It is always better to do this over the phone or in person if you want more of an

immediate response. It really matters what you do outside of social media than just the

social media itself.

H3 Record Labels

17. How necessary are record labels in today’s music?

I think that record labels, to an extent, are necessary for advertising and

publishing purposes. They are capable of mass-producing while we can not. It is too

expense. They can help you get a large following.

18. How can social media sites substitute record labels?

You don’t need to produce CDs. You can use your social media sites and iTunes.

This also depends on who you know and how many people you know. If you don’t know

a lot of people, social media is ineffective.

19. How are record labels adapting to musicians’ sense of independence because of social

media?

They are not. Underground labels are more open to musicians’ preferences

because they trust more. Larger labels are more unwilling to compromise. They care

more about a profit than your music.

20. Will you still desire a record contract as social media continues to evolve?

Yes I would like one because it’s a good thing for advertisement. You also need

to remember to watch your back. For now I still want a contract, but I’d like to see how

social media evolves.

Interviewee #5

County: Atlantic

Genre: Pop Punk/Hardcore

GF Genre of Music

1. How does your band and other bands in your genre utilize social media?

We just try to get people to like our page so they can see what we post on a daily

basis. They see everything.

2. How do you see it benefiting musicians such as yourself?

Everyone will see what you post and will eventually click on it. We post a lot of

stuff so people will get interested in something once in while.

3. How do you see it hurting musicians such as yourself?

I don’t see it hurting in any way. I wouldn’t have a Facebook if I didn’t have a

band and you can reach so many people quickly.

GF Social Media Types

4. What types of social media do you use for your music?

Myspace, Facebook, Stereo Killer

- What is stereo killer?

It is like Myspace but more customizable. You use it to share your music

with other bands. You can’t have an account unless you’re in a band.

5. Do you use your personal social media sites to promote your music social media sites?

How?

I try to repost what the band posts to have it reach more people.

6. What social media sites do you find to be more efficient? How?

Facebook is the most efficient because you can reach so many people and because

they are my friends, they are into a lot of the same music. We also have friends who are

in bands so we repost stuff for each other to reach even more people.

H2 New Fan Base

7. How do new fans or emerging fans reach you/hear of you?

Shows are a great way to reach people. You go to see one band and see four other

bands. We also posted our new CD and friends reposted.

- We still get copies pressed along with digital downloads. It is nice to have CDs

and vinyl. You can sell them on tour.

8. How inclined are they to add you as a favorite/add as a friend/bookmark you on your

social media sites?

9. Do you promote your social media sites to direct new fans to them?

We always bring up our sites at shows so they can find us again if they want to.

10. How do you think you can increase your fan base by using social media?

We can with all of the above. You can reach so many people just by posting one

thing. It pops up on your news feed. People are connected to you just by clicking “like.”

If you post something seven times, it will show up seven times on news feeds. It is hard

to ignore.

11. As an estimate, how many fans of your music do you think don’t create profile on

these sites or add you as a friend, but still frequent your page?

I know I do that a lot if I don’t want updates so I can imagine others do that as

well.

H1 Existing Fan Base (too new to examine existing fans)

12. How inclined are long-term fans to find you through social media?

13. What do you include on your pages for existing fans?

14. Why do existing fans access your social media sites?

15. How can you utilize existing fans to direct potential/new fans to your social media

sites?

16. Do existing fans contact you for live performance opportunities? How can you make

your social media sites into a platform for performance inquiries?

H3 Record Labels

17. How necessary are record labels in today’s music?

We put a lot of money into our band and with a record label you don’t have to

invest as much. Record labels are necessary for financial reasons. We just put out a CD to

get label recognition.

18. How can social media sites substitute record labels?

Not really because labels deal more with everything instead of just promotion.

They help you get to another level with your music. Record labels wouldn’t still exist if

they weren’t helping. Musicians would not continue to sign deals.

19. How are record labels adapting to musicians’ sense of independence because of social

media?

When you have a deal, you represent the label so you don’t just promote yourself.

For independent musicians, you only focus on yourself.

20. Will you still desire a record contract as social media continues to evolve?

I don’t labels will ever go away. People always aspire to be on a label because it

really helps you branch out. They book your tours and help you tour internationally.

Other comments:

I think social media is a wild fire for music. It helps fans come together over

common music and interests.