Foursquare & Fan Rewards

Rewards and the element of friendly competition can be a great way to generate interaction between artists and the fan community, and utilising new technology can be a great way monitor and benefit from the information gathered.

The increase in adoption of geo-location services, such as Foursquare, present such an opportunity.

Independent Artist Spotlight: Chris Bryant

I have decided to start a (hopefully) regular feature in which I get to find out from artists themselves how they are working with the new found musical and creative freedom they are currently enjoying, at the same time sharing with you some of the great music out there to be discovered.

The first artist I have the pleasure of featuring is North Carolina singer-songwriter, Chris Bryant.

Fan Inclusion: A Unique Fan Experience

For me, one of the most exciting elements of a transitional music industry in which independent artists are becoming empowered is that bands are free to make their own rules and guide their own stories and careers, without being stuck in a ‘traditional’ release campaign structure.
More and more frequently I’m reading articles covering independent artists [...]

Live Music Is Killing Live Music

We keep hearing that the live music sector is currently the shining light in a turbulent industry, bucking the falling sales trends currently being experienced by recorded music. Despite the potential threat of licensing regulation changes, the availability of gig slots for up-and-coming or unsigned, independent artists is generally better than ever. But things still [...]

The Demise of Fabchannel

The closure of online concert streaming site Fabchannel heralds not only the loss of a long-running music platform, but also another story of the music industry’s reticence to embrace or support potentially beneficial online mediums.

The Live & Free Model

With the announcement that No Doubt are to give away their whole back catalogue to fans purchasing a ‘tour club‘ membership, it seems that the continued use of the burgeoning live market as a source of revenue for artists and labels is still a strong way to make up for flagging music sales.