THIS IS AN EMPIRE for iPhones

Absolutepunk.net and THIS IS AN EMPIRE have teamed up for a contest giving away an iPhone each week. The contest has been announced on Absolutepunk.net's site over the past few weeks. The band has been advertising the contest as well through their Twitter and MySpace. The contest rules are as follows:

1) Go to twitter.com/thisisanempire and follow THISISANEMPIRE for exclusive band updates and news.

2) One new follower each week will be randomly selected to receive an iPhone loaded with music from This Is An Empire!

3) a winner announced every wednesday at 9PM EST starting Wednesday October 7, through October 21st when This Is An Empire releases their debut single, "The Whole Story" to iTunes.

This contest is a great marketing strategy for THIS IS AN EMPIRE. First of all, people enter the contest simply by following the band on twitter. This increases their following. The Absolutepunk.net community is highly populated and even those who have never heard of this band before will have the urge to follow them simply because of the terms: an iPhone. Also, the winners of the contest who win an iPhone receive free music from THIS IS AN EMPIRE pre-loaded on their phone. And finally, the contest serves as a marketing campaign leading up to the release of their debut single on iTunes, "The Whole Story."

Contests like this are a great way to increase buzz around a band, increase followers on social networking sites, and/or market a release.

~Laurel Zevitz

How NOT To Quit Twitter: Miley Cyrus Raps "Good-bye Twitter" On YouTube

I guarantee everyone has heard in some form or another that Miley Cyrus has indeed quit Twitter. Everyone has the right to quit for whatever reason, but when you're Miley Cyrus with over 2 million fans following your every move, you might want to think twice. There was no warning and no explanation at first, and her fans were very disappointed. Miley Cyrus tweeted at least once a day if not multiple times day.

After she withdrew from Twitter, she decided to make a rap video on youtube to explain why. Apparently, she wants her "private" life back, and was sick of tabloids using her tweets against her...

Bad move Miley. Miley was not the first celebrity in the spot light to complain about the tabloids and her life being private, but Miley put herself in this position. Miley's Twitter account was her own private account, meaning she had control how often and what she tweeted. She didn't have to say her deepest thoughts, favorite quotes, and send obvious love messages to people in front of all her fans. There is a reason most celebrities are now using Twitter. Considering it is one of the most popular social networking sites out there right now, it helps their fans feel as though they have a more personal relationship with their idols. They know what they are thinking, feeling, and doing at the moment they tweet. Creepy? Yeah, a little. But again, these celebrities have control over how much information they give out.

Miley shouldn't have quit Twitter the way she did, or make a rap video basically mocking the situation. For a young girl who has so many fans on her side, she's starting to dig herself a whole by not taking this situation seriously.

http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2009/10/how-not-to-quit-twitter-miley-cyrus-raps-goodbye-twitter-on-youtube.html

--Lyndsie Klott

If You Feel Guilty About Stealing Music

http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2009/10/piracypaybackorg-the-cure-for-p2p-remorse.html#more

This article brings to light an organization that allows people to donate money to "beneficiaries" in the arts who have been hurt by the piracy epidemic. The site affirms that not only should those who steal music should donate to atone for their sins, but also that the music industry is partially to blame for their current state by giving in and giving away some music for free.
This site to me seems absolutely insane. They are expecting these people who knowingly illegally downloaded music to now feel regret and fork over their money. Of everybody I've ever talked to about illegally downloading music, I've never heard any of them say they feel bad about it and they wish they could make up for it. If someone were so compelled to rectify their sins, I would hope that they would go and buy a cd or get a legal download off of iTunes to support those who were actually involved in making the music that they are enjoying. Sending money to someone who most likely had nothing to do with the music seems nothing short of crazy.
I do not see this organization succeeding, infact I hope it doesn't. I don't believe any of the money is actually going to the artists making the music, but instead financial backers. This seems like the latest scam to swindle people out of their money and give if to people who don't need or deserve it.
Steve Smith

GLEE!

So recently a new TV show has come on the air called Glee. Glee mixes together a story line of a high school glee club with a musical feeling. Many didn't think this show would succeed, but not only are the ratings up, the songs themselves sell well on iTunes. Glee draws in 7.8 million viewers per week. I think it is key for artists featured on this show to see how possibly there record sales can increase by being associated with new hit show. Many artists also would gain greater exposure by allowing their songs to be featured on this show. The show has a great draw, and a variety of fans. I think this is the perfect opportunity for artists to mix TV with their music. The actors featured on the show also all have 36o deals with Columbia, and are creating buzz for themselves in the music industry as well. It will be interesting to see the next steps Glee will take after the first soundtrack release on Nov. 3. I can see a tour in the works already, with countless opportunities for merchandise.

http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/content_display/industry/e3i1c9f6a73741ca4f558a3e5b6c3c123b7

- Val South

EMI music downloads & Myxer Mobile

Myxer just made a deal with EMI to add their digital music catalog to Myxer's mobile offering. This deal cover the US and Canada and makes EMI the first major label to be put on Myxer's platform. Myxer is mobile web based, which means we'll be seeing artist branded sites similar to I-phone apps. These features will be usable on most mobile phones and should have many possibilities with Myxer's customizable mobile web platform.

This was a brilliant move by both companies and should prove promising for marketing songs through EMI and artists as a brand. More and more we keep seeing a trend of the artist trying to sell more then just a song, but an experience. The artist is now using technology to become closer to the fan then they ever have before, to stay relevant and push other forms of money making deals. Cell phones are a direct advertising tool that stays with the potential customer all day long. This gives more marketing time and access to reach potential fans no matter where they are or possibly what they're doing.

I think well see a lot more mobile providers team up with music sites in the future. This is the future and the driving force behind it is web access, portability, and convenience. It's almost like before advertising would mostly reach people at home or in the car, but now we can be reached everywhere at almost all times. I'm excited to see what other applications or technology will be built in the future, to expand on what we already have.

By: Andre Rodriguez

Grooveshark: The Biggest iPod Ever

I haven't downloaded a new song in over two months. Though I previously to constantly download hundreds of tracks each month, a streaming website called Grooveshark has drastically changed my music downloading habits.

Grooveshark is a music search engine and streaming service that allows users to search, stream, and upload music for free. All music uploaded is available to the public, and users can create playlists that are available on the site. While their Autoplay feature is much like that of Pandora's recommendation system, Grooveshark stands out from other similar programs thanks to its simple, clean layout that brings to mind Apple's iPod. In fact, Grooveshark is essentially one huge iPod with everyone's library on it.

Grooveshark streams about 60 million songs per month, and is growing at about 2% to 3% each day. With numbers like this, it's pretty obvious that Grooveshark is making a big impact on the industry.

With such a large following, it's interesting to think whether similar programs could be taking a bite out of sales by online retailers such as iTunes. In addition, an iPhone app is in the works, meaning that you can find nearly any song you want no matter where you are.

Grooveshark is a great program that I recommend any music fan to try out. It will be interesting to see if such programs will soon be industry standard, rather than purchasing and pirating music online.

Alex Katz

Classical Music Revival?

This week I found an article that discussed a potential "revival" of classical music in the mainstream. Last week on the blog and in class, we talked about Grizzly Bear's performances with live orchestras. The idea is that using different styles of music to complement your own is a great way to not only broaden your fan base, but also to expand your own image in the music community. When you match your own music with that of an orchestra, the public's perception of you shifts.

The article that I read essentially reinforces the fact that classical music is slowly making its way back into the mainstream, and how classical artists are utilizing technology much like any other musician. Zoe Keating, a D.I.Y. violinist with no agent or record label became the #1 classical artist on iTunes simply by creating a strong online following via Twitter and YouTube videos.

I suppose there are two morals to this story. One is that utilizing classical music may be the new way to establish yourself as a legitimate artist in the music industry. The other is that social networking technology is beneficial to artists of all genres; the ability to reach out and be seen by the people who want to see you is one of the largest benefits. And by utilizing different markets of music, you can spread your presence across multiple fields.


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Bill Ross