Popular progressive jam
band, Umphrey’s McGee, is playing a show in front of a select group of fans in Chicago. Everything seems normal except for the giant
projection screen that displays phrases such as; “Mudslide on Mars,” “Climbing
a Mountain,” and “Funky Imperial Death March.”
These seemingly random phrases are being text messaged by fans to the
Mozes App and selected by the band’s sound board operator to be used as
guidelines for how the band will conduct a set of improvised music. This unique event has been named the band as
Stew Art series and is performed in select cities during Umphrey’s tour schedule. This event is one of many examples of how new
and improved communication technology can create unique ways for music artists
to interact with their fans.
The last decade has seen a tidal wave of new
communication technology. From cell
phones to smart phones, AOL to Facebook, laptops to iPads, the way people
communicate with each other has drastically changed and become more of a
constant interaction between friends, family, and even strangers. This constant interaction between people has
also been catalyst in changing the way the music industry operates. Since most people can find ways to illegally
download or listen to copyrighted music on YouTube, artists and the labels that
promote these artists need to find innovative ways to maintain a devoted fan
base and make a profit off that fan base.
By incorporating new communication technology such as social networks,
mobile phone, apps, and music listening services, artists are finding ways that
allow more interaction with their fans that in turn create a devoted fan base. As some members of the music industry worry
about the decline of album sales due to illegal downloading, the people who are
take advantage of these more interactive mediums are finding success by
developing more intimate and loyal fan bases.
To fully understand how artists are successfully
incorporating these technologies, it is important to understand how the
industry has changed with the advent of digital music sharing. In the 90’s, as CD’s completely replaced
records and the internet became the main medium of communication and
information, it was inevitable that digital music would start to be part of
this giant communication network. (Hunt,
3) Unfortunately for the major record
companies, this made music piracy much easier and from 1999 to 2006 record
sales fell 26%. (Ogden, 5)
While
most record companies were panicking about their albums sales, one company,
Apple, used the popularity of the Mp3 based, file sharing phenomenon to their
advantage. By introducing two
user-friendly products they managed to find a successful way to profit off of
the digital music medium. The iPod gave
users a practical way to listen to and store vast catalogs of music and iTunes
gave users a convenient and more personal way to purchase that music. Instead of purchasing full albums, users can
purchase individual songs for usually .99 without leaving their house. (Hunt,
3) Between 2003 and 2006 digital media
sales reached 1 billion downloads. (Ogden, 5)
This shows that by taking advantage and embracing new technology a
company or musician can find ways to be successful even in an age when most
forms of media can be found for free.
Even though this was an example of a major company finding success, it
shows how providing consumers with a more personal and interactive product will
gain brand (or in others cases, band) loyalty.
One area of the music industry that has been changed due
to more interactive communication technologies is the way artists are able to
distribute their albums. There are many
different routes that artists can choose to take when it comes to releasing
their material nowadays. For instance,
the indy rock band Dr. Dog recently released a new album “Be the Void.” But before this album’s hard copy was
released to retailers, the band posted a streaming audio version on TV host,
Conan O’Brien’s fan website. This stream
only lasted for a limited amount of time and allowed fans of the band to get a
listen to the album before they were able to go to the store, or iTunes, and
purchase a copy of their own. (Bleyaert)
A much more unique way that artists have approached this
by implementing the method of a “pay-what-you-want” pricing scheme. One of the more notable instances of this
scheme is when the band Radiohead used it for the release of their 2007 album
“In Rainbows.” In their implementation
of this pricing scheme, they allowed listeners to download their album from
their website and pay the price whatever prices they thought the album
warranted. This scheme initially
received criticism but as it turned out almost 40% of people who downloaded it
paid and the payments averaged six dollars per album. (Ramaprasad, pg. 3) Besides, the financial implications of using
a distributive method such as this, the concept of allowing consumers all over
the world to dictate what they’re going to pay for a piece of art is a
testament to the seemingly unlimited power of the digital media platform.
One of the most emerging areas of the digital media
market is social networking and the multitude of ways that these networks
connect musicians and fans. At the
center of the social networking world is of course Facebook. Facebook employs a
system called the Open Graph that represents relationships between 700 million
users and the things they care about: movies, books, videos, events and music.
(Peoples, pg. 2) This graph allows
companies to integrate their websites into Facebook’s eternal structure which
allows more interactive methods of sharing activities and interests. (Peoples,
pg. 2) Many of these companies offer
music related websites that provide users with different ways to share what
they’re listening to.
Among the different music related websites that have
promoted interaction with listeners is the website SoundCloud. This is a website that allows users to upload
audio content which can then be streamed to any interested listener. Users also have the ability to browse for
different artists to listen to. You can
also comment on particular pieces of music at different points during the song,
kind of like how you can comment on photos and status updates on Facebook. Also like Facebook, SoundCloud allows users
to become “friends” and start groups.
This helps create networking opportunities for both fans and artists who
use this website.
SoundCloud offers up a good example of how social
networking is becoming more and more important to the music industry. Newer artists who just want people to hear
their music can easily start an account and upload their music to the
website. Established bands can use it to
stream special releases or sneak peaks into what they are currently using. In fact, it is the same service used when Dr.
Dog streamed their new album through Conan O’Brien’s website, as was mentioned
earlier. By combining the simplicity of YouTube with
the communal and networking capabilities of Facebook, SoundCloud offers an
interactive medium for both fans and artists to engage in music consumption.
Another website that has become more and more popular
among Facebook users is Spotify. This
website, or App if using a mobile device, connects users to a vast library of
music where they can create their own playlists and share what music they’re
currently listening to. By using
streaming audio instead of actual MP3 files, Spotify allows for a more practical
method of sharing music amongst listeners. (Peoples, pg. 4) By utilizing the convenience of streaming
audio with the networking capabilities of Facebook, Spotify provides listeners
with a way to find music they might not otherwise find. The company’s chief product officer, Gustav
Soderstrom, says that the users who connect their Spotify accounts to Facebook
listen to a wider variety of tracks, have more than double the number of
playlists in their libraries and are more likely to convert to being a paid
user than those who haven’t linked up. (Peoples, pg. 5) This shows how new music listening programs
that make use of social networking can create a wider market for the music
industry.
Besides helping artists and fans, social networking has
also benefited some of the major companies that help drive the music industry. Small ticket companies such as TicketFly of
Eventbrite have utilized Facebook and Twitter as word-of-mouth marketing
agents, as a ticket purchase shared on one of these sites provides excellent
adveristing for the event. (Bylin, pg.4)
A more notable player in this area is the concert ticket conglomerate,
TicketMaster. Besides relying on concert
goers posting status updates or tweets about when the next big show is, they
have also began tapping into Facebook’s Open Graph to add social features.
(Bylin, pg. 4) Last August, they
released a new feature that provides fans with an interactive seat map where
Facebook friends can see where they are sitting at a particular event. (Peoples, pg. 2) Ticketmaster CEO, Nathan Hubbard, says that
80% of buyers who “tag” their seats choose to share their location with
everyone, not just their Facebook friends, showing that this program has the
potential for people to expand their networks. (Peoples, pg 5) Even though this is not direct contact
between fans and artists, it does create interaction between fellow concert
goers and helps the company that provides them with tickets.
Among all the artists who are currently recording new
music and touring, the band Umphrey’s McGee, who was briefly mentioned at the
start of this paper, has managed to utilize just about every facet of the
emerging world of communication technology.
Besides holding interactive concert experiences like the Stew Art series
that was described in the opening paragraph, the band constantly relies on
social networking and other mediums for promotions, distribution, and feedback.
When it comes to promoting concerts and albums the band
has always been able to get peoples attentions.
For every concert they announce, you can RSVP on Facebook and be entered
in a drawing to win a pair of free tickets.
This helps get the word out about concerts and helps out their ticket
sales. They also release promo videos
through YouTube, Facebook and their own blog entitled “The Floor.” Some of these videos are just live footage
from their concerts, others are behind the scenes looks into the recording
process, and others are mini documentaries about different aspects of the
band. These videos give fans a more
intimate and personal view of the band which means they will be inclined to
purchase music, merchandise, and attend concerts.
They also have utilized different technology and social
media when it comes to distributing their music. Every show they play is recorded live and
available for download at a nominal fee usually within 24 hours of the
concert. This is done through a website
entitled Livedownloads.com which specializes in providing this kind of
content. Also, a setlist and a link to
this download is always posted on their Facebook account following the
concert. In an example of how social
media and fan interaction led to new album, after many requests for a
collection of their most prized pieces of improv, the band released “Raw
Stewage,” a 7 hour collection of 33 live tracks that was available as a paid
download priced like a typical album. (Smith)
When it comes to feedback, Umphrey’s goes to a new level
of fan interaction. Before certain
shows, such as their annual New Year’s Eve concerts, they will usually conduct
online polls as to what songs the audience wants them to play. They will even go so far as to conduct polls
on what songs the audience would like to hear in their new albums.
One
event they hold that is completely reliant on feedback and fan interaction is
the annual UmBowl. This event is made of
four quarters of music, each with its own unique method of interaction. One quarter utilizes the method of
improvisation from the aforementioned Stew Art series. Another quarter is a set
of songs that fans voted on before the show.
Another quarter brings
interaction between fans, band and technology even further. The
Third Quarter features a "Choose Your Own Adventure" approach. Songs
are chosen via preplanned polls of three options, including songs, jams and
themes, which are shown on the screen. Fans
text in their votes which are automatically tallied and displayed beside the
poll options. The opening song is chosen before the set starts and the rest
occur while the band is playing.
(Smith) Here we see the potential
that new communication technology has when it comes to changing the way we view
music. This event is promoted online,
tickets are bought from online ticket retailers, the songs that are played are
chosen by fans online, and the ideas that band uses in their improvisation are
sent to them via mobile phone technology, and after the show is all done the
audience will have a digital copy waiting to be loaded into the iPod and
enjoyed whenever they want.
Although Umphrey’s McGee’s don’t
make the top of the Billboard charts and their songs don’t receive much air
time, they have still managed to find large success and incorporating these
technological have most likely played a role in that. One way I am able to measure this success is
the fact I have been attending their concerts for the past six years and find
it increasingly more difficult to get tickets.
When they come to Philadelphia they usually play the Electric Factory
which holds around 2500 to 3000 people.
When I first saw them in 2006, I was able to buy a ticket at the door
and watch them play to a crowd that only filled about 2/3 of the venue. At least the last two times I saw them there,
the tickets were sold out prior to the show and the venue was as tightly packed
as possible. Now the use of social media
and other technologies can’t be held solely responsible for this success but by
utilizing these technologies to their full advantage, Umphrey’s has created a
loyal fan base that is more than likely to attend their concerts every time
they come around.
So
whether you are looking to find new music, trying to promote your own music, eager
to download new music from your favorite artist, looking to see who else is
going to the next Radiohead concert, or hoping to find a new music experience
that is completely outside the box of convention, you will be able to
accomplish these things by utilizing the latest innovations in communication
technology. Social media, mobile
technology, and the digitization of audio files have all played a major role in
the growing interaction that fans, artists, and music related companies are
capable of having with one another.
Works Cited
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and Glenn Peoples. "Building Digital Business Around Music and
Rights." Billboard
3 Dec. 2011: 16-19. Business Source Premier. Web
Hunt, Kenneth A., and Mellicker Andrew. "A Case
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Business Case Studies
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Ogden, James R., Denise T. Ogden, and Karl Long.
"Music Marketing: A History and
Landscape."
Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services 18.2 (2011): 120-25. Print
Peoples,
Glenn. "The New Connectivity." Billboard 123.35 (2011): 12-17.
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Premier. Web
Ramaprasad, Jui, Remi Desmeules, and Genevieve
Bassellier. "A Look at Shared Value and
Shared Social
Responsibility." McGill Univeristy (2012). Print
Smith, Clyde. "Umphrey's McGee: Using
Technology to Empower Fans to Shape Music and
Business."
Hypebot.com. Skyline Music, 11 Apr. 20120. Web.
<http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2012/04/umphreys-mcgee-umbowl-playlist-created-