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KCB202 NEW MEDIA 2Eliza Jorgensen, Shadi Toloui-Wallace, Hoda Toloui-Wallace, Siobhan Rodriguez and Georgia Rostagno

THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IN THE AGE

OF YOUTUBE:

10 essential guidelines

+ YouTube and The Music Industry:10 essential guidelines

1. DO embrace YouTube as a form of new media.  

The music industry is still facing the challenge of how to adapt to new technologies and media. YouTube however, remains one of the key portals to music promotion and networking and ideal for driving traffic to other relevant web links.

2. From a major record label's perspective, DO use YouTube as a way to promote and distribute music.

YouTube provides another way for major record labels to distribute and promote their artists to the world.

3. From an independent musician’s point of view, DO post music on YouTube.

With consumer consumption habits evolving and web 2.0 technologies rising, it is no surprise that YouTube has assisted in the adoption of new promotional techniques for independent artists. It is essential for any independent artist to use YouTube as a free platform for exposure to a wide online community.

“For those about to ROCK, we salute you,” ACDC

+4. DO create virtual communities through YouTube music

channels as a way for artists/bands to engage with fans.

YouTube music channels allow users to explore YouTube as social network rather than as a simple video database. As a result, artists can engage with their fans and users can find all of the artist’s content in one place instead of having to search through literally, millions of videos.

5. DO embrace potential fans on YouTube (don’t dismiss them) as avenues of promotion.

 Musicians are starting to rev it up on the web, with the realisation they can actually control their fans on YouTube. At any rate, many artists are starting to realise that YouTube has a lot more potential for them, if simply just to get in touch with their fans, and more importantly, to keep them buying their records, books and other products.

6. DON’T be stringent on maintaining control over your music content. 

In the current social and technological framework, musicians must adopt an increasingly flexible attitude. As an artist begins to generate their own success and establish a solid reputation for themselves in the industry (by utilising avenues such as YouTube), the legal and ethical concerns of their early days are likely to be alleviated.

“I know, it’s only rock ‘n roll but I like it,” The Rolling Stones

+7. DON’T remove music clips from YouTube due to legislation. 

Removing music clips ignores an important avenue of promotion and distribution members of the music industry as Youtube now has the ability to direct fans to additional websites where fans can purchase music.

8. DON’T block user-generated content due to copyright breeches.

The creative content available on YouTube’s large community is made up of a mix of media users who are the driving force of the transformation of online convergence. YouTube started as a free space for creative collaboration, blocking user generated content would simply defeat the purpose. 

9. DON’T limit uploads to music videos.

Extend uploads to include a range of material such as interviews, vlogs and concert footage to maximise exposure and give fans an exclusive insight into the band.

“We will rock you,” Queen

10. DON’T dismiss other social media sites for music promotion (not just relying on YouTube) to allow multi-platform distribution and promotion.

The social web has changed the way people listen to, share and interact with music. Sites like last.fm, Muxtape, Radioheadremix and iMeem put the user at the helm. They allow fans to share, interact, distribute, collect and rework music.

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