ROCK MUSIC & MARKETING.

Music’s always held a special place in my life, from the Beatles to bands like Metallica and Tool its always played a very special role in forming my personality . Remembering the days of my childhood where almost everyone around me played or at least if I may tried to play an instrument perhaps best explains the reason why I have this crazy passionate drive for rock music. But, one thing that quite frankly I must say annoyed me was the digitalization of  modern contemporary music with genres viz. EDM ( Electronic dance music ) and Trap music  where I felt the world was moving away from excelling in making better music and was slowly moving towards a world where the musicians were only driven by making profitable commercial music .

The only genre which I still felt portrayed this sense of musicality was the rock genre. So, I thought to myself what can I as a Marketer/advertiser do about this because Once upon a time even rock ruled the world as a product of Marketing so in essence, it’s just a question of reviving this so-called market . But this has already been done and is being rightfully said and done this very moment by current rock bands, rock record labels and artists alike.

 

Image result for rock n roll

 

 

So what aspect of marketing isn’t playing out for them is it the change in music produced by the bands or the change in the fans choice of music …in all cases I would rather lean towards the latter . Hence, If Marketing rock music to a new generation wasn’t already tough enough this compiled with the searing demand of commercial music made it almost impossible to even contemplate a where to begin plan.

Although, some record label companies like Atlantic records have seemed to be a game ahead of other record labels by providing their existing band rosters tracks for free on iTunes even before the initial album release dates,  in order to create a buzz among fans . Techniques such as these are pretty well crafted and executed but they wont stand to change the fact that the days of rock ruling the world are long gone.

Marketing rock music’s surely an uphill battle but i feel using more creative marketing techniques like bands like kiss did in the past with a mix of  impromptu stage shows and using the bands or the record labels name for events,sponsors etc.. would actually be worth while in the current day and age as it not only garners attention to the band but to the genre in its entirety as well.

Alternative marketing techniques specially article marketing in today’s day and age has worked well for rock bands as a sort of way to connect to their fans but what is article marketing ??Article marketing involves the utilization of article directories where you deposit your articles. These article directories categorize your articles fittingly to their corresponding categories. Popular search engines also browse through article directories when an online user searches for relevant keywords. Your article should have the appropriate keyword for is to be located by the online user. And the better the article in terms of quality and popularity, the higher its priority and ranking in search engines and article directories. Articles are always vying for priority to get better exposure to the online community. It helps to know that your articles should be good enough to make online users read them and patronize them Mike, M. (2017, November 06).

Other than article marketing one could even try other alternative marketing techniques viz guerrilla marketing buzz marketing and experiential marketing which can also have a positive outcome and help spread awareness about rock to other foreign markets where rocks yet to be the next biggest/best thing.

REFERENCES

W. (2013, December 29). Rock n roll [Digital Image]. Retrieved September 14, 2018 , from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rock_N_Roll _logo.jpg

Mike, M. (2017, November 06). Bringing Your Business Online With Article Marketing. Retrieved from http://www.michaelfrantistore.com/bringing-your-business-online-with-article-marketing/

 

Infographics on the music Industry.

Ah!! The times almost near as this is my final blog entry for my mark 440 class which comes to an end, Over the span of the last few weeks, I learned so many concepts from social media marketing to email/mobile marketing and even new topics such as SEO and affiliate marketing to name few. Researching these concepts and using them as a blueprint for my blogs has been an enlightening process especially when my main blog topic is one that I’m so deeply passionate about.

In this final blog post, I would like to touch upon few key infographics around the music industry to help rock musicians and marketers get a sense of the scale of the industry that we are in by highlighting key points and creating awareness among the rock community about new trends in 2018.

Rock today like the past doesn’t really have a well-sounded appeal and does not resonate with many people like it once did, Marketers and Rock musicians alike find it hard to get the word across. Apps like Pandora offer some level of versatility for fans and musicians to get their music but honestly fails in comparison to commercial music streaming web apps such as Spotify and Apple music. Therefore, as an artist or a marketer, the challenges of overcoming such odds outweigh the efforts required. Hence, it is extremely important to understand the music Industry ( Past, Present, and Future ) while embarking on the challenge to market rock music today.

So to understand this whole concept better I’ve compiled a few of my favorite infographics around the music industry and some key noticeable trends in 2018. Hope you enjoy !!

how-streaming-is-changing-the-music-industry_560062ba72786.jpg10-ways-to-promote-your-band_52e7ed18d18ed.jpgMusicIsGettingWorseItsOfficial_530384caa17f7_w1500.jpgMusic-Industry-01.jpg

 

REFERENCES

How Streaming Is Changing The Music Industry.Retrieved November 28, 2018, from https://visual.ly/community/infographic/entertainment/how-streaming-changing-music-industry

10 ways to promote your band.Retrieved November 28, 2018, from https://visual.ly/community/infographic/entertainment/10-ways-promote-your-band

Is Music Really Getting Worse?. Retrieved November 28, 2018, from https://visual.ly/community/infographic/entertainment/music-really-getting-worse

[INFOGRAPHIC] The Music Industry. (2018, October 04). Retrieved November 28, 2018, from http://infographic.ly/infographic-the-music-industry/

 

WHITEPAPER ON MARKETING ROCK.

 

INTRODUCTION

 

The purpose of this whitepaper to is to help identify key trends in the music industry and help modern-day bands in the process of marketing their music..for eg. through music sharing apps such as Pandora. Pandora is one of many examples which are going to be touched upon in this paper.

 

If Marketing rock music to a new generation wasn’t already tough enough this compiled with the searing demand of commercial music made it almost impossible to even contemplate a where to begin plan this paper hopefully helps address these questions.

 

To understand this a bit better let’s see the history of the rock music industry and what role marketing plays in it.

 

HISTORY

In the 1950s, The first record companies appear and begin the mass production of records providing everyone with accessible music for consumption. That was at the same time the real beginning of the music industry or as some call it, the music business.(Meler & Škoro, 2013)

Namely, the music industry is a business which sells compositions, in other words, their performances which are by way of recording registered in a specific format so that, in a narrow sense, the term music industry encompasses those business objects which record, produce, distribute and sell (market) recorded music. (Meler & Škoro, 2013).

 

Marketing in the earlier days was the type of marketing where bands like the kiss, Beatles, led zeppelin did a mix of impromptu stage shows and used the bands or the record labels name for events, sponsors and almost everything. Nowadays it’s more online where although in one hand it’s easier for the band to get their music across but on the other its harder for fans to find the right sound trying to clutter through the endless lists of tracks.

WHAT CAN BE DONE?

Marketing rock music has always been an uphill battle as music, in general, is subjective and because of that, it’s almost impossible to market rock to everyone. But if we look at this with another angle we can see that it clearer opens up and helps us define our target market ( the people who like rock music). So, in essence, it’s just a matter of finding said individuals.

One such way to connect to the right audience is through music sharing apps such as Pandora which provides an in-depth music experience for the user and helps artist’s to easily bring their music across all in all while providing the right recommendations and user experience for the fans in the palm of their hands just through click of a thumb.

Social media sites like Instagram, facebook, and youtube are also key essential ways to get music across. Many bands have marketing agency’s nowadays that post 20-second videos on Instagram with well-directed hashtags to get music across to the right people.

MUSIC INDUSTRY TRENDS

Over the past two decades, the music industry has been rapidly developing. New music industry trends have been spawning everywhere. It is only 18 years ago (I know, time flies…)  since the launch of the first iPod and since then the way people listen to their music has changed immensely. Most of us now have more music at their disposal then they would ever be able to carry. Most Spotify users are now complaining that they can ‘only’ store 3333 songs on their mobile devices.

BLOCKCHAIN

The rise of technology and its mass cuts of human jobs through all industry has finally found its way to the music industry. The industry has been ripe for disruption for a while now and this really seems to be the way forward. It isn’t just the playback but the industry as a whole appears to be benefiting from it. The established positions of concert hall owners, ticketing agencies, managers and labels are all being challenged by the technology.

INDEPENDENT ARTISTS

The second clear music industry trend was a little harder to identify. Independent musicians usually don’t say that they are independent up front. Most platforms and labels give musicians the following deal; we give you listeners, you give us the money.  Loads of artists are done with this, just look at all the recent lawsuits carried out against labels, as Forbes claims

Many new, but also long-time musicians are now taking matters into their own hands. It does take a lot of work for most of them but it has large benefits. Besides being a musician, a lot of them are now also becoming business owners. Getting people to work for them instead of serving the larger labels. This has sparked an uprising of new record labels like the BLCKCHN Records. These labels aren’t all about control but rather just do what they are supposed to, help musicians focus on music.

INTERACTIVITY

The last of the music industry trend was musicians seeking interactivity. Many musicians are seeking new ways to find and more importantly connect with their fans. Musicians have recently started blogging, vlogging or podcasting.  Ed Sheeran (and many others) started on the streets where a fan could give feedback instantly by means of a clap, a high five or even a tip. Currently, users of platforms like Spotify and Apple music can do neither. All they can do is listen to another song and that is it. Interactivity between musicians and fans is on the rise

 

REFERENCES

  1. (2018, August 27). 3 Big Music Industry Trends in 2018 Identifiable After SXSW. Retrieved November 8, 2018, from https://volareo.live/blog/3-biggest-music-industry-trends-2018/

(PDF) (R)EVOLUTION OF MUSIC MARKETING. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266853358_REVOLUTION_OF_MUSIC_MARKETING [accessed Nov 08 2018].

Pandora – Free Personalized Radio App that plays music you’ll love.

 

Pandora is the world’s most powerful music discovery platform — a place where artists find their fans and listeners find music they love. Founded by musicians, Pandora empowers artists with valuable data and tools to help grow their careers and connect with their fans and the best part is the app is for free on the play store and apple app store.

In 2000, Pandora Media Inc. began as Savage Beast Technologies and was founded by Will Glaser, Jon Kraft, and Tim Westergren. The idea was to create a separate, individualized radio station for each user, with music that the user prefers and without music that they do not prefer. This phenomenon to me is the reason why the app works so well especially with rock musicians.

The main reason that pulled me towards the app was the simplicity of using it to discover new music which I found interesting. It was different from other contemporary music radio apps that just draw you towards commercial top ten lists.

Once the app’s downloaded it’s very simple to navigate through the Menu where you will find several options to choose. For example, under the Artist option, you can find the artist’s bio and learn more about them and even find out about the albums they’ve launched recently, past tracks by them and future projects/ endeavors by them.

Image result for pandora music app in app screenshots

Underneath the artist option, one can find the option of similar artists and even track/song recommendations similar to the one that’s playing currently.

At the side of the artist option, if you click the drop down box, you will find several different headings such as TRACK, SHARE, CLOCK.

In the track option, you can find recommendations for new station’s where similar tracks and songs are played all the way up to an option that reads I’m tired of this track which just means that you could remove the track from your feed.

In the share option, you can share the station or the track and even publish it on Facebook, the option of the clock helps you in setting reminders and alarm clocks in which you can set a preferred track as the ring/alarm tone.

If you’ve read my previous blog you’d realize the need for such apps as they help market a long lost art form. The app also helps listeners get closer to the right type of music they yearn for rather than struggle searching lists after lists trying to find the right track/song online. If you find yourself in one such dilemma of trying to find the right music especially if you’re another rock musician this app can be a game changer! Pandora will never let you down and always provide you with the music you ever so dearly cherish and love. Hope you guys like the recommendation and go and check it out !! see you until the next one! Cheers.