By Gaurav Pradhan 
It is difficult to keep away Social Media from anything in this world. It is going viral and reaching out to almost every corner of the world (though we know that Earth is Round !).
The best example – Music Industry
In earlier days, Music was restricted to Vinyl records, audio & video cassettes and Music CDs. And then a storm came – Social Media, affecting the age-old ways of Music Distribution.
There had been protests when Online Music came into picture, as the music CD sales reduced. But Music business had to change from the previous model to Online Sales Model, because of changing consumer behaviour.
Social Media can be a very good indicator of Success for Music Band or Label. As per BrandWatch’s 2013 Twitter Landscape Report, Music is Third Most Talked about topic on Twitter. This shows the tendency of fans to express their willingness to listen, download or buy and share their experience and liking.
Musicians and Bands are also becoming active on Social Media sites such as Facebook, Twitter. This allows them to market themselves to public with unparalleled reach, which was not there in early days. Interacting with Fans add up to Brand Building as well as content for future projects. It also allows free promotion of their new releases and shows via Fan Base.
Some Social Media websites are dedicated towards Sharing Music. These sites allow musicians and fans to interact and like and share their favourite music.
Soundcloud
This website has over 20 million users, including artist and PR companies. Here, users can record, upload and promote their own created music. This platform is increasingly used by fans to discover latest music tracks.
Twitmusic
It is basically an extension of Twitter, towards musical acts. This is simple and effective way of sharing music, as users can retweet, share and comment on the Tweets. Purchase is also possible via Twitmusic from iTunes.
OurStage
This is a networking platform which allows sharing and promotion of Music, along with connecting with fans, artists, bands and other people in Music Industry.
With Music Industry on such platform, There is always ‘Party on Social Media House’.
(Author is a Management student of IIM Bangalore having an experience in Manufacturing Industry, Follow On Twitter @GauravToYou)
Also Read:
Social Media is revolutionising the Music Industry – Brandwatch – http://www.brandwatch.com/2013/08/social-media-the-music-industry/ Music Insiders Tell Us How Social Drives Album Sales and Revenue – SproutSocial – http://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-music-industry/