Value to Musicians of Facebook/MySpace

Subject: Value to Musicians of Facebook/MySpace
From: Fortunato
Date: 22 Mar 10 - 02:45 PM

I am asking for opinions and knowledge from musicians who put up Facebook and MySpace pages, and/or music fans who look at them for information and enjoyment. What value do they have for you?
Do you sell CDs, or get gigs, or create a measurable 'buzz'? If you're a fan, do these pages cause you to go to shows, or buy CDs or in other ways encourage the musician or band?

I'm wondering if there is observable or quantifiable value for the musician or band, or music fan. I don't doubt there is value; I'd like to have a better grip on what the rewards for all concerned might be.

thanks in advance for your ideas.
Chance

Subject: RE: Value to Musicians of Facebook/MySpace
From: RTim
Date: 22 Mar 10 - 02:53 PM

Because, at present, they cost nothing, they do no harm and give you a greater exposure. I use my MySpace account only as a means of communicating a little of what I do and give examples of my music.

Tim Radford

Subject: RE: Value to Musicians of Facebook/MySpace
From: bubblyrat
Date: 22 Mar 10 - 02:55 PM

I find it very useful ("Facebook",anyway) for staying in regular contact with people all over the country who might have an interest in the sort of music I / we play,and the festivals I/we go to,and I get regular updates from ( mainly professional) artistes (those who are "friends") as to their forthcoming appearances / gigs / concerts,etc.,plus,on a more informal basis,photos,stories,anecdotes ,etc,related to their personal, as well as professional, lives.
      Which is very nice !!

Subject: RE: Value to Musicians of Facebook/MySpace
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Mar 10 - 03:03 PM

Why worry about 'value' ! It's just fun and informative.

Subject: RE: Value to Musicians of Facebook/MySpace
From: Anne Lister
Date: 22 Mar 10 - 03:30 PM

I treat Facebook as a social thing and MySpace as more of a professional showcase - not sure what good either have done to what I laughingly refer to as my career, but they don't cost anything so why not?

Subject: RE: Value to Musicians of Facebook/MySpace
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 22 Mar 10 - 04:04 PM

I'm with Anne and Rtim, above. It doesn't hurt to let people know you're around. I also like the fact that it's easy to hear and play song files on myspace. Videos seem easier to post on facebook. I would say don't go for the game apps on facebook. They can eat a lot of time.

Subject: RE: Value to Musicians of Facebook/MySpace
From: BusyBee Paul
Date: 22 Mar 10 - 04:09 PM

As a folk club and festival organiser and folk music fan, I find MySpace an excellent way of finding information and soundbites on performers, plus a quick look at their gig list will show if they are already booked for when I might want them.

I can't abide Facebook though.

Subject: RE: Value to Musicians of Facebook/MySpace
From: katlaughing
Date: 22 Mar 10 - 04:25 PM

As a fan, I listen to samples on MySpace almost daily. I've put a couple of my spoken pieces, from my book, on there, but done nothing to get people to go there as what I've put up is incomplete. (Where does the time go?*bg*) Anyway, I LOVE MySpace and have discovered so many new-to-me musicians. Can't say I've bought a lot of CDs because of it, but that's not for lack of wanting...just budget constraints.

I hardly ever go on facebook and, if I do, it's not for any particular music or videos. I use youtube that way, MUCH more, on a daily basis. Facebook is too busy, too much minutiae for my taste.

Having said that, I've told my brother-the composer/pianist, he needs to get on both of them for the free exposure.

kat

Subject: RE: Value to Musicians of Facebook/MySpace
From: Maryrrf
Date: 22 Mar 10 - 06:46 PM

As someone who books acts, I find MySpace is a really good, concise "press kit" that can tell me just about everything I need to know if it's well done, and it's all on one page. Most performers now have a MySpace in addition to their regular website, which will usually be more elaborate. Some dispense with a web page altogether. I've enjoyed having a MySpace both for myself as a solo performer and for our trio - it's interesting to see how many plays your songs have had and it's really easy to upload songs and list your gigs.   I like MySpace better than Facebook as a "press kit" tool - I use Facebook to keep in touch with personal friends and acquaintances but not for music. Since MySpace is free, I'd recommend it. I've gotten referrals from people who came to my web page through other artists that have 'friended' me on MySpace. Even if you get only one gig - you haven't spent anything for the MySpace page, so it's worth it.

Subject: RE: Value to Musicians of Facebook/MySpace
From: The Sandman
Date: 22 Mar 10 - 06:54 PM

The worst thing is to have no publicity at all,If publicity is available take advantage of it .
http://www.dickmiles.com

Subject: RE: Value to Musicians of Facebook/MySpace
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 22 Mar 10 - 07:01 PM

As a recipient of publicity, rather than a publicizer, myself, here's my 2 cents:

I've found MySpace to be useful for listening to samples of music and a summary of what people are about. I don't hang out there, so I go there if I've googled on a performer looking for more info, or sometimes if I encounter a link elsewhere.

I do hang out on Facebook. For groups or individual performers that I'm interested in, it's useful to get reminders of their events via Facebook and/or group e-mails via Facebook. I've also used Facebook pages to learn more about performers and to find links to websites and MySpace pages. I've investigated groups and individuals that my Facebook friends have linked up with; I think that network can be very effective.

On Facebook, I don't want daily reports from those groups/individuals, however, and if I feel they're clogging up my channel, I'll hide them, which defeats their purpose. (I don't know if that affects e-mail missives or not...) So, I'd say that a sparing presence is probably a good idea.

~ Becky in Long Beach
a person of middle age, YMMV depending on the audience you seek...

Subject: RE: Value to Musicians of Facebook/MySpace
From: Bounty Hound
Date: 22 Mar 10 - 07:27 PM

Both are invaluable sources of contacts, any publicity is good publicity. They are an excellent means of networking and both have got the Bounty Hounds noticed, and got us gigs and radio play.

Facebook is better as a means of keeping fans/followers updated. Best thing to do is to set up a 'page'. On a page you can post gig listings and add a music player, friends and followers of your band can then become a 'fan' and you are then able to send gig notifications etc to all of them at the click of a mouse.

You can see what has worked for us from the links below.

Facebook profile: where you can be our friend and indulge in idle banter http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?ref=profile&id=1430949048

Facebook 'page' where you will find gig listings, some of our music and become a 'fan' http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/The-Bounty-Hounds/52279174263

My space page http://www.myspace.com/thebountyhounds

Come and find us, we would be pleased to have any 'catters' as friends.

John

Subject: RE: Value to Musicians of Facebook/MySpace
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 22 Mar 10 - 08:28 PM

Busy Bee Paul
As a folk club and festival organiser and folk music fan, I find MySpace an excellent way of finding information and soundbites on performers, plus a quick look at their gig list will show if they are already booked for when I might want them.

I can't abide Facebook though.

================
Maryrrf
As someone who books acts, I find MySpace is a really good, concise "press kit" that can tell me just about everything I need to know if it's well done, and it's all on one page.

=================

I also book acts for my club & agree with these comments. I'm not a member of Facebook & don't find it in any way appealing, & don't intend to join. Nor did I take up an offer to follow another act on Twitter - I don't have a mobile (cell) phone (ps. I also don't see the point of Twitter - do the receivers of these messages have to pay for them?)

One artist didn't get a booking partly because of their MySpace page - bold black writing on top of lots of pictures! - bloody unreadable, and the music was way outside our genre. Another recent applicant has a beautiful B&W drawing of themselves under the text - also difficult to read.

Give me a simple or well designed elaborate MySpace page - good pic or pics, several tracks to listen to, easy to read text, a page that is pleasant to the eye & I'll read it.

And if the team likes them, we'll book them.

sandra

Subject: RE: Value to Musicians of Facebook/MySpace
From: johnadams
Date: 22 Mar 10 - 08:48 PM

My monthly radio show on PhoenixFM trails artists visiting the Calderdale (West Yorkshire UK) area and MySpace is really useful in finding out about people who I've never heard of. Some of them have web sites and they are just as useful but MySpace is free.

My next programme goes out on Sunday and as I'm pre recording it (got a distant gig that day) I'm working on it now. There are 11 acts visiting the area that I've either not heard of or I don't have their music available on my shelf. If they are on MySpace I can use the audio tracks they've showcased to decide if I can include a trail and if I can it's worth me contacting them to ask for full quality copies of the tracks.

Through this access to Myspace I've found some great visiting acts who I then feature on later shows, even when they are not visiting the area.

Subject: RE: Value to Musicians of Facebook/MySpace
From: open mike
Date: 22 Mar 10 - 09:43 PM

I have met and interacted with a lot of musicians on my space (and facebook)

myspace has a "special" category for musicians which you need to sign up for in the beginning if you want to be able to upload audio tracks.

I did not know this until i already had a "regular" page. It is,
however quite easy to upload video (with audio) and photos.

I am finding out about an application for facebook which facilitates
music postings...reverb nation ... which is designed for bands to use.

on both sites, it is easy to find friends of other folks and link to them. both have lots of mudcatters on board, and on facebook there is a mudcat group where you can link up with other catters, and have a place to go if the Cat is down.

i have often gotten invitations to join "linked-up" which says it
has a professional connection service...i have so far refused to participate as this seems to grab every e-mail in your file and
send invites to all...seems evil to me...akin to spam.

so far you tube has seemed the easiest to download tracks from.

Subject: RE: Value to Musicians of Facebook/MySpace
From: GUEST,Blowz sans cookie
Date: 23 Mar 10 - 05:23 AM

Depending on who you are looking to book you, I would just mention that many large organisations block Myspace and Facebook, so that their employees can't access them. When I was working for the local authority, I used to get a myriad of speculative emails from artists, seeking bookings at events and providing links to their Myspace pages. I had to tell them that I couldn't access it and that if they wanted me to listen to their work, they'd need to provide a demo or a website with samples. So, there are still situations where an investment in a demo will be needed.

(The local authority concerned now blocks access to all music sites as well, classing it as Entertainment and making some people's jobs impossible, but that's another story - and no longer my problem!)

Subject: RE: Value to Musicians of Facebook/MySpace
From: Banjiman
Date: 23 Mar 10 - 06:14 AM

I book acts and find MySpace invaluable. I also use both Facebook and MySpace as part of the publicity for events I've organised (as well as Mudcat, an emailing list. website and physical flyers etc).

Kirkby Fleetham Folk Club on MySpace

KFFC Facebook "Fan" Page

I quite often share videos of events as well via Facebook.

My wife is an aspiring singer and musician...... she also use MySpace & Facebook. Very useful for getting gigs including those unexpected one's, miles away which you would have stood no chance of getting in the pre-digital era.

She's had unsolicited offers of bookings from Italy and Devon (the other end of the country, never played down there before!) in the past couple of months. I just can't see how this would have happened without MySpace (both contacts came directly through MySpace), Facebook and probably even more importantly YouTube.

The Facebook "Fan" page title definitely puts some people off, I wish it was called "network" or something.

Wendy Arrowsmith MySpace

Wendy Arrowsmith Facebook "Fan" (yuch) Page

Wendy Arrowsmith You Tube

I also find all of these mediums useful to find music I like as well. I'm definitely a consumer as well as the other stuff above.