Give 'Em What They Want
May2702:02 PM
Filed in: Indie Advice
To be a successful business you need to understand your customer, how they relate to your product, and what they want from your product.
Is the music business doing this? Are you doing this?
What do music lovers want? Free music, no restrictions (no DRM), and a personal connection with the artist. As an artist, are you offering any of these things to your fans?
No?
If you're not giving your potential customers and fans what they truly want, then how can you ask for their money?
The business has changed, the music industry (that includes you, Mr. Indie Band) needs to stop crying over spilled milk (sorry for the old cliche) and accept that things are drastically different from how they used to be.
Give 'em what they want, and your fans will return the favour.
You can't build a solid, dedicated fan base by fighting with your potential fans and marketplace (take note, RIAA).
If you give 'em what they want, and more, you will be rewarded by word of mouth praise, a renewed and energized fan base, increased daily spins, the potential for your music and videos to spread virally across the internet, and a revitalized interest in your project. And of course, that in turn increases the turnout at your gigs, increases merch sales, and presents a whole new world of opportunities for you.
