Music Connection with Fans

I attended a discussion yesterday in Atlanta titled “Economic Evolution: Alternatives, Re-Invention, and Opportunity in an Uncertain Industry.” There were a number of panelists, including an entertainment attorney, a VP of promotions, Pres of an indie label, a few well known artists, and an associate director at SESAC. It was a fascinating discussion, and here are some of the items that stuck with me regarding the importance of connecting with your fans.

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