3 bands in as many weeks have asked me if I’d like a free download? Yes bloody please. I love free stuff. Everybody loves free stuff. The try before you buy mechanic is a firm favourite with some of the biggest brands in the world. So why wouldn’t it work for bands?
Well, it does. But only if there isn’t a barrier between us(the potential audience) and the band or artist.
Here’s the barrier as I see it. The 3 bands all asked me to “like” them on social media BEFORE I got to sample them.
Essentially, we all have to endorse them, without knowing what they sound like.
I went for dinner last night with my girlfriend. The chef didn’t ask me how the meal was before I’d eaten. He came out after the plates had been scraped clean and worked the dining room.
I understand you’re on a numbers driver. But the fact is, I clicked on 20-30 links this weekend. Bands/Producers/Artists all asking me to check out their music. That’s a privilege, a perk of my job that I love. Some of them were downloads, but most were links. I listened to them all. It wasn’t that many granted. But the point is, I’ve heard all of them. I haven’t listened to the 3 bands that wanted me to like them before I got the track. I don’t think I’m any different to anyone else sat at home looking for new music.
The world is changing. People are savvy to the fact that you can buy social media. In fact, there’s got to be 500 words in the fella who emailed me the other day to say I needed 10K followers on Twitter to look popular. He could sort that for $100.
I’ve had a crisis of confidence at this point. I’m worried this comes across as patronising. Bugger. I’m writing this with love, surely that counts for something?
I’ve got a friend who always says, “…now I’m telling you this because I love you”, just before they ask me to do something differently. That’s basically what’s happened here.