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The Internet: Shaping the Future of Music

October 27, 2011 | Link | 5 Comments

Things change at such a rapid pace that what is cutting edge one minute is almost obsolete the next. This is especially true in the world of technology, which is connected so strongly to the music industry. Because of this, I often wonder what the future holds for the music industry.

It is definitely important for artists and the industry as a whole to be adaptable – and not just in the sense that they are able to adapt but to be willing to embrace the changes which may come along.

There are countless ways in which the internet has changed the way the music industry works. It is so much easier to discover, share and purchase music than ever before. We can do it at home, work and on the move. It has opened up so many doors for unsigned and independent artists, and it is these artists (rather than the mainstream) who are taking advantage of all the internet has to offer and crafting their own niches and approaches to promotion, distribution and even recording.

Terra NaomiOne artist who has always been a pioneer when it comes to incorporating the internet in her musical endeavours is singer/songwriter Terra Naomi. Terra found success a few years back when her video for ‘Say It’s Possible’ went viral on YouTube. She has consistently used YouTube as a promotional platform and has built up a loyal following on there and subsequently on other social networks, too. She also partnered with iPhone app Hipstamatic to create a video for her single ‘You For Me’ and connected with music crowdfunding platform Pledge Music to fund the recording of her most recent album. Currently, she is working with producer/engineer Lucas Johnson on an innovative project which involves recording an album via Google+ hangouts. You can follow the progress of this project by circling Terra on Google+.

The internet is here for artists to use. There are so many options available – we all know about Facebook and Twitter but as Terra and other innovative artists have proven, there is so much scope for creativity and out-of-the-box thinking which can yield far greater results.

What do you think is the future for music? Have you come across any interesting ways artists have used the internet to promote themselves? Share your stories in the comments – I’d love to hear from you!

  • http://www.arranarctic.com Arran Arctic

    From what I’ve read / heard on the topic of fan funding, people seem to fall into 2 camps. 1) It can galvanise your existing fan base and involve your fans in a project at grass roots level, or 2) It’s a poor alternative for CD pre-sales which can be done directly from an artist’s website using Paypal. That said though, fan funding can be used for many projects other than releasing CDs.

    I haven’t made my mind up as to which camp I’ve joined just yet, but here’s what the learned folks at the CDBaby podcast think: www.cdbabypodcast.com/?p=928

    In terms of using internet outlets, such as Youtube, to guerilla marketing effect, you only have to look as far as bands like Pomplamoose to see the ridiculously positive results achievable: http://www.youtube.com/user/PomplamooseMusic

    Personally, when it comes to buying music, I have never bought a digital track and prefer to have a CD / vinyl record in my hands and say “yes, this is mine, I’m going to put it on my shelf now”.

    I will admit though, that I’ve sold much more music via Bandcamp (www.arranarctic.bandcamp.com) than I have physical CDs from my website (www.arranarctic.com/buy).

    The future of music? I think unsigned, independent artists like myself have to use every tool at our disposal to get our music out into the ether, whereas signed artists are still going to get rotated on BBC Radio 1 every two hours regardless of whether their facebook profile is up-to-date…

    What the internet is really good for is sharing, and as long as fans continue to share music each other via the internet rather than handing mixtapes to one another, the internet will continue to play a huge part in the future of music.

    • http://www.electrickiwi.co.uk Ross Barber

      Hi Arran

      Thanks for your comment and for sharing so many interesting links. I’ll definitely be wanting to give that CDBaby podcast a listen at some point!

      I’m not 100% sure how I feel about fan funding either but it has produced some great results for many artists who have used it. I think a lot of it has to do with the fan base as well – it’s probably most useful for artists who have a fairly large fanbase, rather than those just starting out.

      When it comes to buying music, I was a CD-fanatic until I moved flats and found that I simply didn’t have the space for CDs anymore. I still love having the physical CD, but I’m much more open to, and willing to buy digital music now. I can totally understand why people would want to buy the physical copy though rather than a digital track!

      I believe the internet is going to have a huge part in the future of music, too, and I think this is a good thing. As more people catch on to this though, it is going to get increasingly competitive so artists will need to keep thinking of interesting and innovative ways to spread the word or they’ll get lost in the crowd.

      Thanks again for commenting – I appreciate your input! :)

      • http://www.arranarctic.com Arran Arctic

        No worries Ross.

        I think I’ve been guilty of being a bit of a stick in the mud when it comes to utilising the internet to its full potential. Especially compared to Terra Naomi above. She’s on that ball!

        I guess what’s important is that artists put out the best music they possibly can. The crowd may get larger, but music fans are generally a rather discerning bunch and will sniff out quality over quantity any day! :)

        • http://www.electrickiwi.co.uk Ross Barber

          Absolutely! The quality of the music will always outweigh the quantity. At the same time though, it’s important to keep ahead of the pack in terms of promoting the material, otherwise it could just get passed by, which is a shame – particularly when the music is good!

          Terra is amazing. I’ve been working with her for the past few months and she is so creative in her use of the internet to promote her music :) I think I’ve learned quite a bit from her and I love hearing her ideas and approaches for new ways to get her music out there.

  • http://mimismuses.com Mimi Becker

    Long considered an elegant work-horse….It has been my pleasure to have been introduced to Ross by my niece , the LA-based singer/song- writer Terra Naomi.  Ross works like Terra and I do…and those are big boots to fill. 
    You grow as big as your dreams…..so kick your talent into gear and let’s go! The sky’s the limit!  Forward!
    Everyone be well,
    Mimi