So who's the latest to dive into Facebook? That would be Sonicbids, a company that is about to announce a serious expansion into the network. This is an involved artist profile builder that further broadens the Sonicbids model beyond live performances.
Members are getting notified later today. “We realized that we were helping people get gigs but not cultivating their audiences," Sonicbids founder Panos Panay told Digital Music News at Midem this week. “We needed to do more."
That was the impetus behind the recent acquisition of ArtistData, and now, the push into Facebook. And, at first blush, this looks pretty slick. At the onset, bands can quickly get started by linking their Sonicbids and Facebook accounts, then the process of porting over Sonicbids EPK information begins. So, just like that, Sonicbids profile details are loaded onto a Facebook tab.
Then, there are lots of customization options. Bands can load customized banners, select customized colors, and stray from the default Facebook layout theme. Also, there are some nice features that seem ambitious for a first version. That includes the ability to 'lock content,' then unlock that content to reward certain levels of fan engagement. So, for example, if a fan 'likes' a band, that fan can then receive more music, photos, or whatever.
Here's an example below, full-sized version here.
And, here's Sonicbids founder Panos Panay talking a bit about the his company's expansion, and how that ties into artists' needs.
