Music Discovery Changed - Get Over It

It's obvious you can't make general statements with credibility, but let's say both musicians and online radio stations are screwed anyway. Now that we got that out of the way, have you heard about all the possibilities laid before musicians and radio stations online?

"The online radio industry is at the same point indie artists have reached. Both groups need to spend more time understanding various ways to become known."

It's amazing how far apart opinions are in a day when:
A large portion of online listening is over smartphones
Internet radio's audience is growing at staggering rates
Indie artists can go directly to the public and make a fortune
Put up a video and your future is guaranteed

Luck begone! We have the internet!

Only problem with the statements above is that little of it matters to a struggling artist or radio station owner who's trying to get attention. It's a tough world for both groups, and there's not much to look forward to without help.

My first job with any client is to tamp down expectations - which rest a great distance from reality. Playing the "best music mix" won't draw listeners. Having a great new song isn't going to get fans knocking on your web site's door. There's a combination of events and a mastering of skills required, along with persistence.

Some facts from the trenches:

Internet radio stations are destined to spend more time exposing their existence than programming content. These words appeared here in 2011: Either way - search engine or portal - your choice requires a summation of what your radio station is about and what it represents, using words that briefly describe what you offer to the person doing the looking - before they listen. Today they apply to artists as well. Pureplay radio stations need multiple entry points to grow audience. So do artists. It's at these links to your station or music that a written description is most important. Taking time to spread your words is where the online radio industry's real work is required. Curiously, it's the same for artists. Independent artists have scores of companies waiting to "promote them to the world." Choose carefully, because the majority offer little more than an email blast to persons unknown. For the few artists who are lucky enough to get through, it's snagging the recipient's time to listen to the song - then getting them to go through the time consuming task of adding that song to a playlist (personal or station based) - that's vital.

A majority of youth find music online. Many more are using RSS feeds (Really Simple Syndication) today than a short decade ago, which brings a new form of music distribution into the picture. Radio stations also need to heed this warning of seeking out a more diverse distribution system than just a web site. The more smartphones are used, the more RSS comes into play.

Getting on iTunes won't bring an onslaught of exposure, but it helps. Using Feedburner or SoundCloud also helps; all need a degree of exposure to their systems if they will do the station or indie artist any good. More time spent learning to grow exposure is expected.

The online radio industry is at the same point indie artists have reached. Both groups need to spend more time understanding various ways to become known.

I just spent three months understanding content distribution through Feedburner and iTunes, writing the code to implement, and organizing hundreds of web site pages to reflect them. RRadio Music artists are now distributed at RadioRow and Audio Graphics. (Check the "Fans, receive free - RSS" links under the "Intro to Indie Artists" banner on the upper-right of this page.)

Music discovery and distribution have changed. I got over it. It's now your turn.

That whole "Luck begone! We have the internet!" thing still requires the work of learning how to properly use this new music and content distribution system. It doesn't matter whether you have a radio station or you're an artist wanting more fans.

Join me and thousands of others who are spending time learning "how to better use the internet."














Today's indie artist introduction to internet radio is...

La Familia Hip Hop

sample song

Who Got It Stations - Download Song Tweet

We listen for songs that evoke emotion; fast, slow, female, male, group, it doesn't matter. When an artist has the power to please, they should be given a chance to be heard.

Give La Familia - "Who Got It" a listen.

Add it to your playlist, free! Such is the new world of music distribution.

It's time internet radio programmers take a chance and reach into a huge pile of talent.
It is there that new hit songs will increasingly be found.





More Articles

	comments by Disqus