Monday, October 27, 2008

The Myth Of The Net Generated Pop Star

As many great things as the internet has contributed to the promotion and marketing of good music, I have to say that the biggest negative impact it has had involves the propagation of the myth that all you have to do is upload your music and promote your ass off through social networking etc. and you'll eventually get somewhere.

This article is interesting in that it shows how, if anything, the internet is perfectly suited to artists who cut their teeth on major record labels with huge budgets that were able to help them harvest a massive fan base back in the good 'ol "release-and-tour, release-and-tour" days.

Having seen both sides of this coin, I have to say that I think you can make it work both ways (what can I say, I'm an eternal optimist), but there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that if you have had the kind of exposure that comes from playing the industry game, even just a little bit, you have a massive advantage over some kid who's starting out in a bohemian enclave somewhere and trying to build a fan base organically. But then, it depends what you want out of life. If you're happy slinging fries during the day and maintaining some shred of dignity by clinging to the show you've got coming up later in the week, salud.

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