Dear musician that I adore and hate
Sorry for this headline. But I need you to be awake when you read this.
When I want to buy music - I don't leave the house. If you find me in an actual music store = then it's because I was out anyway, groceries maybe, and the store looked nice or it was to crowded outside or it rained - or someone I like dragged me into it. I certainly did not enter that music store because of you!
I love you. But don't expect too much!
Only after I have listened to you for a long time, only if I came to the conclusion that you are ought to be seen on my shelf - so I can teach all my guests what good music is... then I'll buy your CD. I got Beethoven on my shelf, some soundtracks. And many, many rather unknown, well-chosen musicians; so when a friend of mine takes a disc out of its cover and puts it into the stereo... s/he is definitively going to be in awe, listening whilst jaw-dropping.
I bought so many MP3 in my short time. That's how people do it. They go online.
I buy very good MP3's only, AND I buy great CD's (if I know the content to be extraordinary). There are no exceptions. I go online to free webased radio stations and find out what I'm going to buy. Often it's songs I just heard somewhere... in someone else's room. Or in a movie theatre (score). And then I bought it in MP3 format. NO CDs.
How dare you expecting me to buy your CD? A bit arrogant to aim so high, don't you think?
What you want from me = is to buy your MP3 on iTunes or on AMAZON. (I know those to be secure, no one will snitch my money = I will not switch to another www supplier, so don't come along with your very own web-based music store... unless it works via Paypal.) You want to be on my harddisk. I shall inform you: That's what you want.
Now, let's talk about me.
- When I want to listen to you (when you're not on my MP3 player, yet) - I go online. I don't go to a store. Maybe the following generation will do that again... I will not. If your MP3s aren't on BLIP.fm, on iTunes or AMAZON, then we have a problem.
- I also want to click Like on your facebook page - and I want to see who else did that; I'd love to chat with other digital natives about your tunes... That would make my day. So, have a facebook page! With a short profile of yours and a picture and a LIKE button. Thank you.
- I want to experience the personal aspect of your art. Why don't you upload up a 2min video on YouTube (made with your digicam) where you show everyone your favorite instrument? Tell me how wonderful it was to record it's smooth sound for your first album - and then play that chord, just for a second. I would adore that! I would BLIP about it! (Yes, you can embed that video into a page on your own website. If you don't have an official website yet, get one... and you can connect your YouTube account with Facebook... = so that your Facebook-based fans automatically recieve a note that you uploaded a video.)
- Leave MySpace alone. It takes ages to load a MySpace page. And it hurts people's eyes. If there is pressure on you to do a MySpace page: well, then create a tiny one... one, that has nothing else but one song, your profile, your picture and a cute link to a better website of yours. No comment section, no info boxes and no whatnots.
- Have a twitter account, will ya? There you leave short messages that don't change the world. It's marvellous! You may have read about twitter, and now you believe I want to know when you drink your coffee. That's not the case. I want to know if you're in shock as I am when there is bad news on TV (= tweet that!). I want to know that you are a communicating person, a human being. You can chose what you want to communicate, you know? Does not have to be about your coffee! You could tell when and where your next gig is going to happen...
Also, you can connect your twitter account (and almost everything that is labeled web2.0) with your official website... so you don't have to bother how to create a "guestbook". Forget guestbooks! People tweet and it shows up on your page. Just like that. You set it up once, and it keeps on working on its own. - On your official website I want to find links to all kinds of online- and offline-based stores where I can buy your music. So that it is up to me to chose the medium: digital or physical, MP3 or OGG, CD or DVD!
Dear frustrated lovers of disconnected artists:
Any ideas what else one could suggest?
Text:
Marianne Jaffke (C) 2010
Images:
The Teddy:
Photo by shankar, shiv,
uploaded on FLICKR March 2008;
titled "I love my music !" (Link)
The Icon:
by yuhui,
uploaded on FLICKR
in January 2006;
titled "iTunes Music Store podcast"
(Link)