Social Media Usage by Up and Coming Musicians

As more and more new musicians are trying to make a name for themselves in society, it has become increasingly important that they find a way to effectively market both their name and music. Before social media, the best way for new musicians to get noticed was by recording demo tapes, playing at dive bars, getting radio exposure, or even just being in the right place at the right time. It was very difficult for musicians to be noticed or heard by anyone, and they often gave up on their journey before it even started. 

The advent of the internet and social media has practically reinvented the music industry and how new artists find their way to the spotlight. The internet and social media offer hundreds, even thousands of opportunists for new musicians to showcase their work, reach out to fans, sell merchandise, and anything else related to marketing the musician. Social media essentially eliminates the middle man in the musicians rise to fame. With social media sites like Soundcloud or YouTube, new musicians can upload their work as many times as they want with the potential of reaching millions of viewers. For example, Post Malone, a famous singer/songwriter, reached stardom over night after uploading his hit single, White Iverson, to Soundcloud in 2015.

Let's say you're on your way to the top as a musician. What is one thing that is absolutely essential to the success of your new career? People actually listening to your music or coming to your show! Marketing yourself as a musician is just as important to your career as the actual music you are playing. One of the easiest and most effective way a new musician can market themselves today is through taking advantage of the numerous social media outlets used by millions of viewers every day. Twitter has become one of the most popular outlets used by musicians because it allows musicians to send out personal messages directly to their fans whether its through posting a tweet to the public, messaging a fan through direct messaging, or commenting on posts by other musicians or even fans. Social media has allowed musicians, new or established, to connect with their fans on a personal level that has never been able to be reached before through traditional marketing channels. 

Chance the Rapper is a musician from Chicago that has used Twitter throughout every stage of his young music career. As he was up and coming he would always post about new tracks he was recording or he would let people know when he was performing in the area. Later in his career, Chance still used Twitter to announce impromptu concerts, album releases, tours dates, and even raise awareness for his charity, SocialWorks. Through Twitter, Chance the Rapper was able to build a tight-knit network of fans that quickly spread beyond Chicago to the rest of the country.