Music Business: Fostering the Artist-Fan Relationship in the Digital World | 264
Rock stars used to be, well, rock stars. They were untouchable demi-gods who descended from their lofty perches to perform concerts and give interviews for the enjoyment of us common mortals. The most of that is still true today, although Taylor Swift and Wayne Coyne (of The Flaming Lips) frequently comment on followers’ Instagram photos, and Taylor now maintains Tumblr blogs. Why did they descend to the status of an average social media user? due to need.
The accessibility of “music grazing” on websites like Spotify, Pandora, and YouTube has led to a decrease in fan engagement with the musicians behind the songs they like. The typical user adds hundreds of tracks by hundreds of different artists to a playlist. Artists must thus exert greater effort.
to catch a fan’s eye and entice them to continue listening to their music. This may be draining for an artist, which is why there is a market for “ghost writers” on social media. These people professionally post on social media sites on behalf of various musicians, giving each message the voice of the artist it is posted for. They are so skilled at it that nobody could ever determine if Katy Perry was tweeting or if her social media ghost writer was doing it.
Therefore, while engaging with fans on digital platforms is vital for well-known musicians, how important is it for lesser-known artists to engage with their followers on this platform? Very. Producer of electronic music from London, Max Cooper, just made contact employing what many would consider the “old-fashioned” method to connect with new fans, using his website and mailing list to sign up fans and provide them a selection of exclusive “Quotient” tracks and remixes. He developed a closer bond with his fans as a result. The fan feels much more involved and connected every time Max sends content and explains the backstory to it.
The issue with all of this is that many musicians are reclusive, artistic types who have chosen music over interpersonal connections. A manager or social media ghostwriter (formally referred to as a Social Media or Content Manager) can help with that. Younger individuals pursuing careers in the music industry are assisting musicians with their digital content and frequently at a reasonable cost. Even though many independent musicians and bands have extremely tight budgets, it’s worthwhile for them to set aside some cash to cover the cost of the publicity. A career as a content manager for one or more bands may be ideal for you if you have a natural talent for writing about music and publishing on social media. Your career will advance as you help the artists build relationships with their followers.