Joe Lim estimates that 90 percent of what you see on the internet is advertising in disguise, and he should know. For three years, Lim ran a company called Floodify, which at its peak operated 65,000 dummy social-media accounts used to drum up attention on behalf of paying clients.
The point of this kind of marketing is that nobody is supposed to notice it. But lately, the machinery has started to show.
In April, Justin Bieber headlined two consecutive weekends at Coachella. Coachella is the biggest stage in pop music save only for the Super Bowl, the kind of event that in theory generates its own attention. And yet on both weekends, a Discord server writer Lane Brown had been monitoring hosted paid campaigns for Bieber’s Coachella performances, offering clippers — people who are hired to turn a song, trailer, interview, stump speech, or whatever into short, social-media-friendly fragments — as much as a dollar per thousand views.
“On social media, popular opinion is being formed, measured, and manipulated all at once, and every signal the platforms produce — a trending song, a backlash, a talking point, the feeling that ‘everybody’ is suddenly talking about the same thing — can now be fabricated by unseen actors with hidden agendas,” writes Brown.
“Everybody is doing this now,” Lim says. “And if you’re not, you’re behind.”
Brown reports on how the same techniques are now being used to fool people on every app they go to in order to find out what other people think, not just in music but across entertainment, politics, consumer products, and celebrity gossip: https://t.co/hlcdfSmzPc
Some of the larger music management firms are taking on label services, supplementing or, in some cases, replacing the work of traditional label and distribution partners. I'm a proponent of the management-service model. Less friction, better alignment, quicker reaction time.
I’ve talked to several indie acts planning tours for this year, and many are now reconsidering. Between the TSA meltdown and rising gas prices ($4/gallon nationally), the math is getting harder to justify. Touring was already brutal for non-superstars, and now it’s even worse...
There’s never been a better time in the history of recorded music to be an independent artist. You don’t need a label or radio to find an audience and foster community. The “industry” is not holding you back.
MUSIC INDUSTRY PRO TIP - Being proactive, working hard, and staying ahead of the curve can put you ahead of a majority of the industry.
So many people working in music just want the optics of “looking cool” or having a job that seems fun.
@BrianZisook Just hosted his album listening & merch pop-up in our backyard in silver lake and I’m so pumped for them rn! He’s a prolific artist plus @drewdrialo & the team around him deserve the moment, they’ve been putting the work in🦾👏
JMSN has been self-releasing music for 14 years. He writes, produces, and records his own songs (including “Love Me”) and tours independently. No major label. No machine. You should listen to more of his music instead of admitting you’re late.
I just updated my "New Music, Who Dis?" playlist for independent and emerging artists.
This playlist updates EVERY SINGLE week and is FREE for you to submit your music to by using my release calendar (linktree). All genres are welcome, and I do this because I love supporting!
I just updated my "New Music, Who Dis?" playlist for independent and emerging artists.
This playlist updates EVERY SINGLE week and is FREE for you to submit your music to by using my release calendar (linktree). All genres are welcome, and I do this because I love supporting!
@AhmadDavisPR that new dosey EP coming out on united masters next week is a great example 📈👀
Pre-save “pillow fights” by Dosey: https://t.co/dppyH3G1hg
@AhmadDavisPR that new dosey EP coming out on united masters next week is a great example 📈👀
Pre-save “pillow fights” by Dosey: https://t.co/dppyH3G1hg
With so much music releasing, fans are prioritizing listening to two different styles of music.
Music that tells stories or music that makes them feel. The artists who are able to create a world that does both are winning in a major way.