It has never been easier to create and sell your own art or product than it is today. Due to the unlimited shelf space that has been brought about by the internet, anyone can create and sell with relative ease. As apposed to the past when everything had to be sold and bought in a physical store the logistics behind getting the product to its physical shelf created problems for the everyday producer and consumer. Selling the 98% has become a reality. The internet has created an explosion of outlets, so your product can be sold or viewed a variety of ways for a cheaper price. This reduction in cost has given more people the opportunity to express themselves to the masses and create and sell their ideas. This is also an advantage for the consumer because now “everything else” and the niche products are now readily available in a convient way. The long tail seems to be a positive step from not just a business marketing standpoint, but also from an everyday creativity standpoint.
It’s kind of fascinating; how people can create a product and then get it out to the masses. It also must be kind of scary for record labels and tv networks because they soon might become obsolete….I’m a fan of this artist by the name of Sophie Madeleine…She’s from the UK and she plays the ukulele…a long time ago it would’ve been almost impossible for her music 2 reach me. Especially since she’s not a mainstream “popular” artist. She’s probably amazed that she has a fan in Memphis….but she has fans worldwide because she’s fulfilling a particular niche..she’s able 2 make money by selling her music on itunes. She posts her vids on YouTube because networks like MTV and VH1 won’t. So I agree with what you said about how “the reduction in cost has given more people the opportunity 2 express themselves to the masses and create and sell their ideas.”
You are right that traditional media organizations are scared – but this is also the perfect time for them to innovate and come up with new business models. Change is scary, but it doesn’t have to be bad. People want content!
This is an amazing advancement. I find it really cool that if I ever find myself to feel more creative or expressive than I normally do, I can post a video of it anywhere I want where I know the most amount of people will see it. It gives us the chance to more easily receive criticism from the public before any label decides what we create is public worthy. It is really easy to get noticed online and turn what you love into a lucrative process if you have the talent and likability.
I hate to say it but….. Doug, your response made me think of Justin Bieber… Now just hear me out! Before he became famous, Justin Bieber was a nobody who was posting videos on youtube. Many people took notice and while some people become fans, others didn’t like him because he was just a teenager posting videos on youtube. After Usher took him under his wing, Bieber has become an international hit but this class made me think about what would have happened if Usher didn’t “discover” him (I put discover in quotes because Usher didn’t technically discover him…youtubers discovered him..Usher just transformed him into something more profitable). If Usher hadn’t have come into the picture it is possible that Bieber would have remained an “alternative” instead of becoming a hit.
It’s kind of fascinating; how people can create a product and then get it out to the masses. It also must be kind of scary for record labels and tv networks because they soon might become obsolete….I’m a fan of this artist by the name of Sophie Madeleine…She’s from the UK and she plays the ukulele…a long time ago it would’ve been almost impossible for her music 2 reach me. Especially since she’s not a mainstream “popular” artist. She’s probably amazed that she has a fan in Memphis….but she has fans worldwide because she’s fulfilling a particular niche..she’s able 2 make money by selling her music on itunes. She posts her vids on YouTube because networks like MTV and VH1 won’t. So I agree with what you said about how “the reduction in cost has given more people the opportunity 2 express themselves to the masses and create and sell their ideas.”
Another way for artist to gain success is to release free content on their website. Last spring i helped out at the memphis music video showcase and at the showcase a rep form top spin media gave a presentation about the service of top spin which is for artist to grow a fan base as well as make money. The things he kept mentioning were giving fans free content. If the fans like the free stuff they might buy the whole album or the short film. People like the ability to have preview of something before they spend their money on it and they are more likely to invest in that artist.
I agree. There is a big difference between mainstream artists who have signed with labels and the artists that are still independent. Anderson mentions it somewhere in the book, but basically it boils down to the artist’s copyright. We have all seen this before where mainstream artists complain of losing money due to illegal file sharing and the abuse of their copyright agreements. However, independent artists are more likely to offer songs for free to their potential audiences to gain traction in the music world. As you said, people like to preview music, and offering a free download of music or a video could lead to hooking a true fan. That may not always be the case because people just love free stuff in general, but it would be worth trying, especially to reach new consumers or switchers.
Giving away stuff for free is a great way to build goodwill, which is one way artists can potentially convert casual fans into true fans.
The internet has done a wonderful job in allowing artists who may never get discovered to let the world see their work. There is a vast opportunity to make money via the world wide web artist just need to be creative and offer free samples so that they will build a large fan base.