Category Archives: music

Changing times: how social media has revolutionised the music industry

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It is a matter of years since music was generally only available in various physical forms such as CDs, or online in a select few places such as Napster. We have now reached the stage where music is available in a myriad of locations across the web and social media has certainly played its part in bringing the music industry to where it is now, therefore opening up a potential market for a social network like miXXerS.

The advent of social media has opened up an entirely new platform where artists can promote their music to a wide range of people, fans and potential fans alike. Artists can link fans to new music, inform them of upcoming music as well as promote any upcoming live events they may be performing at. We are at a point where you will likely hear any news about your favourite artists on social media before you hear or see it anywhere else. Features like Twitter’s trending topics highlight any recent news that has generated a lot of talk over social media. A big announcement from a music artist is likely to end up on this list. Outside of the music they produce, artists are able to promote themselves by interacting with their fans, something which social media has enabled on a much greater scale.

Case Study: Spor

Spor, the alter-ego for UK based drum and bass producer Jon Gooch, was created in 2006, taking the electronic music industry by storm. After a lengthy hiatus, Spor returned to the scene in February, immediately announcing his new and long awaited album, and sending drum and bass fans into a frenzy all over social media. Moving away from the traditional approach of releasing an album, Spor announced that he would be first releasing the album as a ‘pay as you want bundle’, where purchasers can choose the price they pay for the album, as a torrent through the BitTorrent bundles service. Spor further promoted his return to the drum and bass scene by doing an ‘ask me anything’ thread on the message board website, Reddit. Spor’s use of social media, from announcing his comeback and new album, to his interactions with his fans over a number of social networking platforms, enabled him to generate as much publicity and hype for his new release as possible.

Social Music Marketing, Brands? Millenials & Digital Natives: miXXerS

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Source: http://thesociallife.org/social-media-marketing-what-does-that-meme/

Source: http://thesociallife.org/social-media-marketing-what-does-that-meme/

In doing my research on business models I found that SoundCloud was working with non music related brands to sponsor musicians on the site and therefore drive participation of DJs, musicians and party/concert producers who are paying customers but also users who come to interact with them and each other. While this could be a business strategy we employ I think there needs to be deeper analysis of this before pursuing.

We are leading with the idea that social music is an aim and in an of itself. Social media can provide musicians with an easier way to land sponsorships and brand partnerships. For example, one celebrity sponsored tweet can generate $2,500 to $8,000. By partnering with DJs and musicians, brands are equipped with an even bigger microphone to reach their customers, in addition to the musician/DJ stamp of approval.

“According to data from William Chipps, author of the IEG Sponsorship report, corporate sponsorship by consumer brands incorporating music into marketing programs was expected to exceed $1.17 billion last year, nearly double what it was six years earlier.” (Panos Panay, CEO of Sonicbids)

Digital Natives and Millennials which are the primary target group for miXXerS (18 – 35 year olds) not only like music but listen to it a lot even if they are not as brand loyal as their parents (WSL Retail) especially since they cannot always afford loyalty and make decisions more based on competing prices.  More brands are turning to emerging artists (not backed by a label, entrepreneurial) who are socially connected online and able to build a loyal fan base through active engagement on social networks. Given Millennials and digital natives are our target audience such a strategy can prove useful.

Attaching an artist to branded content is a sure way to guarantee consumers enjoy and remember their experience, and therefore, the brand…. Their collective reach is incredibly appealing, according to a study from Music Metric. That’s because emerging artists are reaching hundreds of millions of fans who are already engaged and connected with them, and these very fans can activate on behalf of a brand. (Panos Panay, CEO of Sonicbids)

A brands spokesman speaking about the brilliance of their product is not as effective as referent power of someone’s favorite musician or DJ speaking about that product in a favorable light. This relates to the concept of power as influence as well as the extent to which that power is propagated throughout the network through reposts, follows, likes and conversations etc. While miXXerS can potentially enable this we will examine the issues surrounding this before making any such decision and at launch this would not be a part of our business model.

What other Music, DJ, Party sites are out there? (Part 2)

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I did quite a bit more research on what other similar sites exists and so here is follow up review. New-comers to streaming services online include SoundCloud (Musicians) and MixCloud (DJs) which focus on playlists and are popular with users which include DJs. Many of these services have been invested in before they actually started making money. Soundcloud started out with brands like Squarespace, independent artists and others like Maker studios.

SoundCloud also enables non music related brands to help them generate income by sponsoring musicians who can then get more exposure.  Through their On Soundcloud – creator programme. Music is categorised by genre and you can get suggestions of popular music, upload a file and start a new recording. Selections prompt suggestions on who you should follow and you can also follow music that is trending. You can also create groups and become a member of groups of people who enjoy/listen to similar music as well as like new playlists, tracks.

MixCloud lets users login through Facebook. They also enable DJs to participate in DJ competitions online and DJs can promote their content to increase their visibility across Mixcloud and easily reach new audiences. This costs 6.99 pounds per day. They provide a basic free service for all users a premium services for listeners and a pro service for uploaders who are primarily DJs. Similar to the LinkedIn model Mixcloud provides the service for free but is able to generate income through having DJs provide for premium services, targeted campaigns, Custom Digital Solutions (Bespoke apps, web-pages). Like SoundCloud, MixCloud also works with a variety of brands to support branded content.

One example of a DJ social media site is Topdeejays. Topdeejays uses an algorithm that measures overall social media influence by combining Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, SoundCloud, MySpace, Last.fm and YouTube fans, subscribers and followers. It uses a unique measurement – TDJ points to rank artists by popularity.

One site that attempted to turn music lovers into DJs was the site Turntable.com. They existed for only 2 years and closed in 2014. Following the rules of the traditional music industry that went with licensing music was one of the reasons they cited for failure and inability to truly innovate. They also failed to migrate their service to mobile platforms at the key moment that music was increasingly being listened to on mobile rather than desktop. Turntable was best experienced on a desktop computer at a time when the rest of the world was going mobile.  In what they called a virtual club, users could select avatars, listeners could highlight their favorite songs and DJs could upload original tracks to test out on listeners. Casual listeners could explore new genres in a very interactive environment through a chat window. They could also DJ and their fans could reward them with points for buying new avatars.

Plug.dj is trying however to pick up where Turntable left. It  is a real-time social media experience combining music and video discovery in a fun and interactive online environment. Users can choose from an array of avatars including dancing avatars and can create parties with friends and peers around the globe. They can join and create virtual rooms to discover and share music and videos, and communicate with international party-goers using real-time chat translation. Musicians and DJs alike can engage with and attract fans in real-time.

DJ List is another site that exists and says it is the ‘largest directory of DJs of around the world’ though the site is not very interactive. DJs but also labels, clubs/venues and agents can create profiles, specifically for electronic/dance music. Fans, and DJs follow DJs through a music and social media feed of the latest content being generated by DJs online. Information on DJs, promoters, agents, publicists and their events are also made available online and they also all login via Facebook.

Other sites like AliveNetwork allows users to hire DJs but don’t have the social media or music streaming element. Tastebuds.fm lets you connect with new people via music and even find others who would go to a party or concert with you. However, you are unable to chat with musicians or DJs or follow them on the site. It is however integrated with Facebook.

On the other hand  Live Nation Entertainment, revealed that concert attendees use their mobiles heavily for tweeting, texting, Facebook and Twitter, photos while there. More than in previous years. Eventbrite found that electronic dance music, has risen in popularity in part due to the social media savvy of its fanbase. It follows that combining social media in the DJ context can prove very useful.

What other Music, DJ, Party/Concert sites are out there? (Part 1)

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Social networks can create a Supportive Community for musicians as well as for DJs by linking them to music lovers that love to attend concerts as well as parties. While there are an increasing number of sites that provide music streaming services, in a way that connects listeners, sites that provide information on DJs and others that provide information on parties and concerts there is no one site that combines elements of each of these in a socially networked way that can enhance the people and musical connections for each group.

There are an increasing number of social network sites for music fans online. These include streaming services such as Spotify and Deezer and LastFM. According to Nielsen, music streaming increased by 24% from 2012 to 2013, while sales from downloads decreased by 4.6%. While downloads have been steadily decreasing. Streaming lets you listen to hundreds of your favourite songs instantly and legally and you don’t have to download the content. If users do not pay for the service the music is interrupted every now and then with an advert you cannot skip as this is one way in which they generate income. Some incorporate free trials to introduce users to the service. They also provide a personalised “radio station” service and enable the creation of a unique playlist when you search for a song. While there are others these are the most popular ones and music lovers use them to listen to new music discover new music and share their playlists with others. Graphs which make use of the concept of graph theory  are also important to music social media sites. For example, Spotify has introduced the Music Graph which is also integrated with Facebook’s graph too and this is a feature that miXXerS can also explore.

Another is Pandora once popular in the UK but now available in the US, Australia and New Zealand audiences only due to licensing constraints.  Earbits Radio, provides Independent Music with no commercials. Like Pandora it offers handpicked independent music, curated by a team of music experts, and caters particularly to music that is not mainstream. It also enables listeners to connect with bands and introduces elements of game theory with the ability to earn ‘Groovies’.

 

miXXerS… Social Network Linking DJs, Musicians & Party/Concert-Goers

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Music lovers are rejecting the purchase of CDs in favor of streaming their favorite songs via platforms like Spotify or illegally downloading them. This has dealt a blow to not just the wider music industry but also the musician. On the other hand, concert sales and attendance at parties are still the norm, whether they are small or large. DJs are also still popular and their services are still valued at parties.

After a coming up with a few ideas in this meeting we finally decided on our project! We propose the creation of a social network site called ‘miXXerS’ which will connect concert and party goers with each other as well as DJs and musicians. It will be integrate with existing sites like SoundCloud, and MixCloud but also include third party integration of Twitter and Facebook. The site will facilitate the discovery and sharing of new music and information on parties. It will enable connection with others who may have similar tastes in music, concerts and parties. It will also help to put more revenue into the pockets of DJs, musicians, promoters and party organisers who can also use the site to promote such events and the music that is played there.

Objective:

To connect music listeners, partygoers, musicians/DJs and party/concert producers on one site.

Tagline: Connecting all music and party and concert goers