Apparently, The Orchard has noted similar results. The free song drives song awareness and leads to purchases, even while the track is still legally available for free.

This is interesting for artists trying to develop a following. The times have been telling us that songs are no longer the big profit center, but that they should be used for awareness for tours & merchandise sales. This is just a very odd twist in that whole equation.

Stay tuned,
Erik
erikrostad.com
Follow me on Twitter

Now, some of these numbers need to take into account that people using Twitter are more likely young and tech-savvy. But to be 77% more likely to purchase digital downloads is pretty substantial.

So, how can you as a band use Twitter? Start by signing up. Then, check out what other bands/artists are doing. Look at the Dave Matthews Band and John Mayer. See how you can connect with your fans and give them the inside scoop, without it being a blatant advertisement. And be real. Let your personality shine through. Tell about funny screw ups and be humble about great successes.

Stay tuned,
Erik
erikrostad.com
Follow me on Twitter

I think one clue into this is the low level of people who Twit after a month. A very small percentage of Twitter users continue sending Tweets for an extended period of time.

And now we are starting to see a few more voices of disapproval for the service. Kanye recently went off on Twitter saying “Everything that Twitter offers I need less of.”

And even more recently, Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails said he will be scaling back his Tweets. Reznor had been a heavy user of Twitter, but complained that the service did not allow him to navigate through the clutter. Each time he would send a Tweet, many users would Tweet back with negative comments. To reach the true fans and respond to their Tweets became too time consuming.

So now, Reznor is going to concentrate his Twitter efforts on just having it be a place for announcements. Just a one-way announcement device.

I still think that John Mayer is the model citizen when it comes to Twitter. He Tweets about hilarious things and will Retweet to fans all the time. I’m sure he doesn’t read every Tweet that comes back his way, but just the fact that he Retweets so often is quite extraordinary.

If Mayer spends 30 – 60 minutes a day on Twitter, I think that is one of the best and easiest ways he can stay connected to his fans. Other than touring of course.

Stay tuned,
Erik
erikrostad.com
Follow me on Twitter

The obvious implication is that Twitter is hot. If you are an artist and are not on Twitter, get on it now. And give people a reason to follow you. Offer exclusive news through Twitter. Or offer free tickets to the first 10 people that write you back.

Interact.

Keep it personable. Tell the mistakes you have made. Tell the successes. Tell your fears. And respond every now and then to people who return-twit to you.

Stay tuned,
Erik
erikrostad.com
Follow me on Twitter

The thing that I have been most impressed with is the accessibility to musicians. I have chosen to follow John Mayer. The man constantly sends Twitter updates (and his publicist says he is the one doing the updates, not some record company). Some are hilarious (ex. Larry King twits from his Atari Lynx). Others provide sort of an inside scoop (ex. just recorded on the new spinal top record). And others just make you feel that John Mayer is a friend of yours and is sharing his daily life with you.

The Twitter platform is a must for musicians or bands. It is probably the single most direct way to connect with all of your fans with relatively little work on your part. Twitter applications are available on the iPhone and Blackberries, so you can update your status on the go. If you don’t have a smart phone, you can also text message your updates in. Twitter can be connected to Facebook as well so that all Tweets are simultaneously broadcast to your Facebook status.

Twitter has also made news recently in some interesting ways. Dave Matthews used Twitter to release an exclusive, free download from his new album. And Ashton Kutcher has challenged CNN to see who can hit 1,000,000 Twitter followers first. CNN is leading right now with 930k compared to Ashton’s 872k. But think about that. One man has nearly as many Twitter followers as an entire company that broadcasts breaking news.

That is the power of Twitter.

Stay tuned,
Erik
erikrostad.com

In this age of immediate digital distribution and social networking, it is rather easy for musical artists to spend a great deal of time working on their online presence. And while there is value in this, the real connection happens at the ground level. It happens by engaging fans before, during, and after the show. It happens by giving cds to those at your show and encouraging them to share the music with their friends. One of the panelist sells the idea of specific songs to the radio stations. The comment was made that songs are not made famous on the radio first, they are broken at the street level and then make it big on radio. I’m sure there are exceptions, but the point is that the song must connect with fans first.

Stay tuned,
Erik
erikrostad.com

Kyte has a business relationship with Universal Records.

Artists that have already taken advantage of Kyte’s technology include All American Rejects, Keri Hilson, Lady Gaga, The Pussycat Dolls and Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em.

The iPhone app offers opportunities to include songs, advertising, rss feeds, chat, video, and photos. This is a great way to connect with fans. The apps appear to be free and are being used to connect artists with internet content, up to the minute news releases, and areas to shop for songs and merchandise.

This is a development that artists should seriously consider to increase contact with their fan base.

Stay tuned,
Erik
erikrostad.com

On the business side of things, I think the cruise concept for bands is just an incredible idea. First of all, you have 2,700 fans on a boat. You instantly have a connection between all of those people. They are all music fans. They are all die hard Skynyrd fans. They all chose to take their precious little time of vacation for one purpose. What better way to create instant community amongst people from all over the world than through music.

And secondly, for the fans, it is an amazing experience. Just the fact that you are within a confined area for 4 days with your favorite band provides this sense of excitement that you could see your favorite guitar player in the casino or at the bar. And for the most part, the bands did walk around on the cruise. These fans got to be up close and personal with their favorite bands.

I’m sure there are many implications for this for bands going forward. In times of economic slowdown, what types of things are going to connect with fans? I think this was a great answer. The cruise was sold out. If bands can create an intimate atmosphere with just the slightest hint that it may be possible for fans to connect with the band over a period of a few days, this will create great loyalty to the band.

Other cruises are coming up – the Rock Boat and the MayerCraft.

Stay tuned,
Erik
erikrostad.com