Bad advice is oftentimes free advice. But at a music conference, you're actually paying for the privilege. And, attempting to sort and sift through what will actually help your career or company, versus what won't.
And oftentimes, it won't. Is that worth the price of admission?
This was a serious concern at CMJ in New York, where hopeful bands were getting endless DIY tips-and-tricks, with nearly-zero discussion of the realities of actually making it. And even worse, almost no discussion about the music itself, the most critical component of success.
So what was it like at the SF MusicTech Summit this week? Thankfully not as painful, and this conference featured a broader emphasis on startups, industry trends, and topics like education and show acoustics. Still, a lot of the direct-to-fan fantasizing continued.
At a panel flanked by Facebook, BandZoogle, and headliner.fm, the problem reemerged, but smart attendees started pushing back. Facebook's Meredith Chin offered some very smart advice related to the frequency of postings on Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms. But she also relied heavily on mega-star examples like Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga, both digital natives with an innate sense for what these communities represent.
Salient points, but the takeaway is dangerous, and the stories on Gaga and Bieber far more complicated. And those struggling though these questions are starting to push back. “We've always had these huge stars, this isn't new," said Corey Denis from the audience, picking apart the assumption that somehow Twitter-savviness is really the driving force in question.
But this is proving a tough balloon to prick. Author and marketing strategist David Meerman Scott went to a familiar DIY deity, Amanda Palmer, and pointed to Twitter frequency volumes that often exceed 100 posts a day. But Palmer's major label history was conveniently omitted, clouding the more involved story on what really helped Palmer scale awareness.
The rest was this idea that if bands just market enough, Twitter enough, and respond to enough emails and friend requests, they'll reach the promised land. In fact, Meerman told smaller bands that doing “2,000 things" was a recipe for achieving success. “If you want 20,000 fans, you need to do 2,000 things that gain 10 fans each," he told the audience. “It's like exercise."
Does that make sense, or is this more like a treadmill—lots and lots of work that ends in the same place? Perhaps the better, more effective workout comes from focusing on songwriting, practicing, perfecting the live gig, and structuring business partnerships to scale awareness. Instead of logging on for hours on end, and ultimately running in circles.
And oftentimes, it won't. Is that worth the price of admission?
This was a serious concern at CMJ in New York, where hopeful bands were getting endless DIY tips-and-tricks, with nearly-zero discussion of the realities of actually making it. And even worse, almost no discussion about the music itself, the most critical component of success.
So what was it like at the SF MusicTech Summit this week? Thankfully not as painful, and this conference featured a broader emphasis on startups, industry trends, and topics like education and show acoustics. Still, a lot of the direct-to-fan fantasizing continued.
At a panel flanked by Facebook, BandZoogle, and headliner.fm, the problem reemerged, but smart attendees started pushing back. Facebook's Meredith Chin offered some very smart advice related to the frequency of postings on Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms. But she also relied heavily on mega-star examples like Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga, both digital natives with an innate sense for what these communities represent.
Salient points, but the takeaway is dangerous, and the stories on Gaga and Bieber far more complicated. And those struggling though these questions are starting to push back. “We've always had these huge stars, this isn't new," said Corey Denis from the audience, picking apart the assumption that somehow Twitter-savviness is really the driving force in question.
But this is proving a tough balloon to prick. Author and marketing strategist David Meerman Scott went to a familiar DIY deity, Amanda Palmer, and pointed to Twitter frequency volumes that often exceed 100 posts a day. But Palmer's major label history was conveniently omitted, clouding the more involved story on what really helped Palmer scale awareness.
The rest was this idea that if bands just market enough, Twitter enough, and respond to enough emails and friend requests, they'll reach the promised land. In fact, Meerman told smaller bands that doing “2,000 things" was a recipe for achieving success. “If you want 20,000 fans, you need to do 2,000 things that gain 10 fans each," he told the audience. “It's like exercise."
Does that make sense, or is this more like a treadmill—lots and lots of work that ends in the same place? Perhaps the better, more effective workout comes from focusing on songwriting, practicing, perfecting the live gig, and structuring business partnerships to scale awareness. Instead of logging on for hours on end, and ultimately running in circles.
