Berklee Case Book - A Study Of Artists' Online Presence

Foreword

2009-03-26T23:33:00.002-07:00

The Beginning

This study was born out of an idea hatched by Christopher Lars Carlson, the club's president, when he realized that so few artists knew what they were doing when it came to establishing an online presence. He realized that by looking at what other artists were doing, one could model after them. Just one study wouldn't cut it though; multiple analyses would be needed to get the full picture of what a band should be doing online. Thus began The Case Book Project for Berklee's music business club.

What's so important about my online presence?

If you have yet to receive the memo, the music industry is moving towards direct artist-to-fan relationships. The most successful artists of the future will act transparently, interact with fans directly, create an abundant amount of content, and exceed their fans' expectations (writing and performing incredible music is a given). Most of this activity will happen online and more specifically, within the artist's "world". This world will exist in your browser, but also on your phone; it will be the collection of all the places an artist appears online, driving you to the center of it all.

Define "Successful"

I can't. You have to decide for yourself what you want your online presence to accomplish. Depending on the artist (as you will see when reading the studies), the internet is needed for different purposes (attracting new fans vs. managing existing ones). For most artists though, I believe a successful online presence should follow this formula*: "Connect With Fans" + "Reason To Buy" = "New Business Model".
* Michael Masnick, creator of the popular blog TechDirt, presented this idea at the 2009 MidemNet Conference through an analysis of Trent Reznor's (Nine Inch Nails) online presence, which is why there isn't a NIN case study here.
All of an artist's online activity should drive fans into their world; when a potential fan hears your music for the first time on your MySpace page, there should be a reason to go to your main website where they can download free content and start to interact. They will enter your world and hopefully be so impressed that they stick around for the next great thing you have to offer.

The Studies

All of the studies herein follow a basic format: biographical information, the author's findings, a concluding statement, stand out points, links, and an author's blurb. It is important to note that the authors were all encouraged to share their opinions and were continually reminded to ask themselves, "if I was an artist or manager, what could I learn from a study on this artist's online presence?" The opinions and perspectives helped shape the studies and made for the best content for you. These studies will show you all the options that are out there for building a presence on the internet. Take what you like from each one and create your own. Then come back and leave a comment to tell us how this case book helped you.

Thanks

A special thanks goes out to everyone who participated in the case book, but specific mention is needed for Matt Rodrigues. After I presented the idea of the case book to the music business club in the Fall, Matt returned from winter break in January and asked to meet with me. This led to Matt doing most of the leg work needed to make this idea a reality: what information authors should gather, formatting ideas, and writing the first study as a model for the others. So thank you, Matt! I'd also like to thank Jack Shenker for editing all the studies and for helping set up this blog.

If you find our research to be of value, please pass it along to as many people as possible. The goal of this case book is in line with my own personal goals: to help as many musicians as possible to some day put "musician" as the primary occupation on their tax returns.

Christopher Lars Carlson is a Music Production & Engineering major at Berklee College of Music, president of Berklee's music business club, and an artist manager to Tom Howie and Project K-Paz. You can connect with him through his blog, or email: christopher.lars.carlson [AT] gmail.com

Corey Smith

2009-03-26T19:25:00.000-07:00

At A Glance

Corey Smith is garnering a lot of attention for his success as a country music star in the US, but even more so because this success is very grassroots, built upon a simple message, a great live show and a direct connection to fans using the internet. Previously a schoolteacher from Jefferson Georgia, Smith always played music, and slowly built up a following. Eventually he quit his teaching job and left to play and tour full time. He's been at it about 4 years.

Findings

Smith made the decision to stay independent, and not sign with any record label. He uses his main website and an email list system as a way to stay in touch with his fans.

The messages are fairly standard. They are clean, well organized, and cut straight to the point. The main purpose of the email list is to announce pre-sales for shows. Each newsletter has an introductory "hello", then an announcement of new shows, the dates of which link back to his site, and finally a review of perhaps one or two past shows and how they went. Towards the end of the newsletter there is also a sentence and link directing you to the store to buy t-shirts and CDs. A thank you and "see you at the shows…" closes each newsletter.

The newsletter doesn't come frequently; I've been on the mailing list for about 3 months and I think I've received 2 in total.

One interesting area on Smith's website is a "promote" page, which has posters you can print out and put around your town, and press clippings and links to interviews and videos of Smith being interviewed on the radio, etc. There are step-by-step instructions on how to best promote with posters, but other than that, there is nothing interactive. The only thing you get from joining the mailing list is the newsletter. He has some cool videos on his "promote" page of him being interviewed by college students where he plays, and other videos of him playing live, but these are really just news pieces and press that have been linked to his site.

Smith's music is sold mostly digitally, through his website, Amazon, and iTunes. You can download around 20 of his songs for free, spanning all four of his albums, but not all of the available content. You can also download and read the lyrics for those songs for free.

You can also buy t-shirts and caps through an online store (linked from his main site), and there are various deals where you can get a t-shirt and CD for $25. Also, there is currently a special where you get a free "koozie" (beer holder) with any purchase of merchandise.

The bulk of what Smith is selling is his live show. It's all about the show. He has $5 pre-sale tickets available for certain shows, and keeps all of the show prices between $15 and $30 dollars. This has garnered him a lot of press and really keeps his fans happy. He sells out about half of his shows, and is constantly on the road all over the country, especially in the central and southern parts of the US.

A very common review of him that's available in the "promote" area is that he's "definitely worth the money", because he is delivering a simple but great show for cheap.

Facebook and MySpace
On his main site, he has links to his Facebook page and MySpace page; that's it. His Facebook is set up with four tabs across the top including wall, info, photos, and boxes. He uses the wall section to give fans updates about his live shows and ticket sales. Fans are unable to leave comments. The first thing you notice in the info section is a complete listing of upcoming tour dates, once again emphasizing his live show. There is also contact information for his booking agent and links to his main site and his MySpace. The photos section has only four pictures uploaded by Smith himself, but over 400 uploaded by his fans. The pictures are either of Smith onstage playing, or of him hanging out with fans. It makes him look like a very nice, easily approachable guy. The boxes section of his Facebook includes a music player with 19 songs. You can listen to the entire song, and there is a link to the left where you can buy directly.

Also included in boxes is a section titled "Discography". It seems that this functions only to list his albums, because we couldn't find any links to buy. Merchandise is sold through his boxes tab, but it's handled by an application called Music Shop. If we wanted to buy merchandise through Music Shop we would first have to be a member of Facebook, then we would have to add Music Shop to our page, which gives them access to all our information as well as information on our Facebook friends. It took a lot of clicks to get to the actual purchase page, and we were a little weary of using that application.

Smith’s MySpace page is laid out very well, using nice colors and portraying a good image overall. It's easy to see the information and to find links to other pages. On the left is an area to purchase any of his CDs either from iTunes or Amazon. Each CD is listed individually, and clicking the link takes you directly to the purchasing page whether it be Amazon or iTunes. The entire right side of his MySpace is filled with concert dates and locations. To purchase tickets you need to head back to his main site because this is where he controls ticket sales. There are also links to his Merch Store, main website, and Facebook. On the bottom of the page is information about a promotion with AT&T where you can receive ringtones through a text message.

The feeling of community on these sites is positive, and they seem to be updated with some regularity. Smith has over 18,000 fans on Facebook, and over 800,000 friends on his MySpace page, which has over 10,000,000 plays. It seems like he has a substantial following of loyal fans who come to his shows and visit these sites. Smith's social networking sites definitely help his fans connect and find out information, but if they want to purchase anything it seems like the main site is the best place to do that. All roads lead back there.

In Conclusion

The layout of his main site is clean and crisp. It is very simple, with an easily visible navigation bar at the top. The links to the other parts of his site and to his other pages like Facebook and MySpace are clear. The font is much too small and it is difficult to read the news section and shows without looking closer and squinting.

Clicking on any purchasing-related link navigates you away from the main site - this is a drawback. If the store was integrated into the main site, it would make for a more pleasant online experience.

Overall, we would say that the Corey Smith site is simple and pleasant looking, but lacks ingenuity and is very standard. It is more like a brochure than a hub for an interactive community; however, we think that this may be intentional, in that the majority of what they're selling is the live show. Ultimately, if you want to connect with Corey, go see him live.

What Stands Out

Smith's success is based on his live performance, so his online presence is focused around getting people to the shows.
This presence is limited, but because he is independent, we can safely assume that this is all he and his team can manage (someone should let them know about ArtistData).

Links

This case study was written by Ellis Tucker, a 2nd-semester student at Berklee College of Music studying Music Business/Management and Guitar Performance, and Tom Howie, a 2nd-semester Songwriting Major and touring artist. You can connect with Tom through his website.

Kings of Leon

2009-03-25T17:36:00.000-07:00

At A Glance

Kings of Leon is a major alternative rock band signed to RCA Records (Sony Music Entertainment). The band has released four studio albums and currently has both the largest selling album ("Only By The Night") and digital single ("Sex On Fire") in the UK. At the heart of Kings of Leon’s success is the tested "record and tour" approach. They back each album with strong live performances, and are currently on a world tour on the back of releasing "Only By The Night". But is their continuous and relentless touring the only reason for Kings of Leon's huge digital success? Let's take a look at what they are doing in the digital world.

Findings

Their main site has the latest news and tour dates as the main focus, with a flash banner on the upper right corner cycling through ads for downloading singles, joining mailing lists, purchasing merchandise and becoming fans of their new Facebook page. The site is filled with the usual but necessary options such as RSS feeds, forums, member areas where fans can create profiles, a store and an area for media (both band and fan content). All in all, there doesn't seem to be much out of the ordinary happening.

However, Kings of Leon do make very effective use of widgets. For example, on their MySpace page they have a dedicated section for these widgets. I won't describe them all, but one I found very interesting was a widget that is essentially a mini-website (by gydget.com). It has all the features/tabs of the main site - home, tour, home movies, news, music and music videos, ringtones etc. It essentially adds the entire Kings of Leon website to your site in a small and discrete widget. Amazing. Moreover, it is extremely easy to share and embed on your site, making it potentially very powerful – imagine having a full website on 5% of your fan base's personal sites. It allows a tremendous amount of information to be conveyed without the viewer ever having to leave their friend's page. You can even watch a video inside the mini-site, among other things.

Another stand-out tactic used was one full month of webisodes - a series of home movies that were uploaded onto the site daily from September 1st 2008 to the release of their latest album on September 23rd 2008. These weren't high quality films. They were simple, short (2-3 minute) movies giving insight into the band members' daily lives and the recording of "Only By The Night". The webisodes were uploaded through YouTube.

I think the key idea here is that these widgets, fan pages and webisodes play to the band's strong points – touring and recording. There are no gimmicks and no frills. If enough of your friends click "demand" on the live show widget, you can be sure they'll add your city to their next tour. As with other bands, plenty of content is made available to listen to or view for free. And everywhere you go in the Kings of Leon online world, you can buy tickets, merchandise, ringtones, and mp3s with just a few clicks.

In Conclusion

You probably won't find Kings of Leon chatting away on their forums or setting up a Twitter page to interact with their fans on a constant basis. They are still a band focused entirely on recording and performing music. Had they not been touring on the back of their regular records, they would most definitely not have achieved the amount of digital sales thus far. However, I am quite sure that out of the 550,000 digital sales of "Sex On Fire", a sizeable amount is due to the band's online efforts – actively getting fans excited about new albums and tours with webisodes, regular news feeds, emails, and giving fans easy access to some very interesting widgets. If you are a band that is all about the music, then Kings of Leon's digital pages could be a fantastic online presence model to check out.

Links

This case study was written by Matt Rod, an aspiring artist currently working toward a dual major at Berklee College of Music in Music Production & Engineering and Performance (guitar). You can connect with Matt through his blog and/or Twitter.

Soulja Boy Tell 'Em

2009-03-24T17:45:00.001-07:00

At A Glance

Soulja Boy Tell 'Em (or simply "Soulja Boy") is a major rap artist signed to Interscope Records (Universal Music Group) who has achieved considerable success in generating new sources of income by exploring and exploiting how the web generation live, interact and consume online.

Findings

Soulja Boy is through and through a product of the web generation. His success is largely due to clever use of social media and encouraging fans to spread his music by "sharing" content (in turn, these friends potentially share it with their own friends, having a viral spreading effect). In fact, along with highly-viewed SoundClick and MySpace pages, his widely viewed YouTube videos (the "Crank That" single video and accompanying dance-move instructional video) were what initially attracted Interscope Records' attention to the then 16-year-old Soulja Boy.

His pages are constantly being updated. If there is a new app (application) that can help an artist connect with his fans, Soulja Boy is using it. For example, you can play games live with Soulja Boy online at Xbox live or at SODMG Gamers. You can call his mobile for free and leave a message with SayNow with the possibility of him calling you back, and you can see what he is doing right now with Twitter updates and even 'tweet' him (send him a Twitter message). I sent him a tweet telling him about this case study, and within 10 minutes he tweeted back - "pow". Nice. The list of methods he is utilizing to connect with his fans is a long one, and it is growing steadily.

As a music student, I understand that it can be easy for one to dismiss this kind of music as trivial or lacking in authenticity. However, Soulja Boy’s relentless attitude towards trying new means of promoting himself (not only his music, but Soulja Boy as a brand) and using new methods to connect with fans is indisputable. For a musician in the current age – where consumers can be easily overwhelmed by the exponentially increasing amount of music available – this is something crucial: creating, growing and nurturing one’s community of fans, one’s "tribe".

This fundamental philosophy is clearly reflected in Soulja Boy’s main site, which serves as a hub for fan interaction. As one enters the site, an animated character (which also ties into his new animated series) welcomes the viewer to the site (through speech audio). The message changes once every few weeks, but is always humorous and distinctly reinforces the personality (and brand) of Soulja Boy. Currently, part of the message would be something like this:
"Wad up wad up wad up! Welcome to ma wehbsiite (…) Da one most important thing – go ahead and hid up ma blog, leave a comment man', don read it if ya ain' gonna leave a commen' (…) You dig wadum sayinn' (…) Da second most important thing (…)"
What is interesting about this is the fact that he explicitly tells you, the fan, what the most important parts of his site are: 1) "ma blog", 2) "da chat rooms", 3) "da videos man". The fact that he says "don’t read the blog if you don’t comment" illustrates the fundamental aspect of interaction (fans with fans, and fans with artist).

Leaving a comment, joining the live chat rooms, becoming a site member (essentially, to navigate the site without a message asking you to join) requires you to sign up and provide your email, thus becoming part of the Soulja Boy community.

Wherever you go in the Soulja Boy online world (be it Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, etc), the interactive and social aspects of his main site are present. A "share" or "comment" button is never hard to find, and neither is the option to purchase anything - (iPhone apps, .mp3s, ringtones, merchandise, etc). As a fan who can enjoy himself listening to Soulja Boy's music, watch and share videos, cartoons, see pictures he posts live from the Grammys, and receive a real-time message from him through Twitter, why would I not want to buy something with just one simple click? Soulja Boy uses all social networks… but lures you into his own web of fans.

In Conclusion

There has never been a time when an artist has been able to reach out to his audience in ways like this. Soulja Boy is the perfect example of an artist exploiting these methods, and it seems that his fans are enjoying the experience so much that they don't hesitate to pay for content that is easily available for free. While Soulja Boy's CD sales are only a fraction of a top rap artist from 5 years ago, Soulja Boy is thriving on ingeniously marketing to the new web generation…

What Stands Out

Humor (consistent in all his videos, audio clips, welcome messages, tweets etc)
"Themes" – when Soulja Boy's "Kiss Me Thru The Phone" was the newest single, various products were tied in with this, such as his iPhone app that was released around Valentine's Day that enabled one to send a "gift" through the phone. One could also join his mobile fan club to receive the “Kiss Me Thru The Phone” ringtone for free.

Links

Radiohead

2009-03-24T16:33:00.002-07:00

At A Glance

Radiohead is considered one of the most successful, innovative, and influential artists of our time. Previously functioning under the traditional record contract, from 1992 to 2003 Radiohead was signed to Parlophone/Capitol Records. They achieved incredible success in the old business model, but with the release of their seventh LP, "In Rainbows", Radiohead showed the world they were going to take a more modern approach.

Findings

On October 1st 2007, Johnny Greenwood posted a message on Radiohead's official site announcing "the new album is finished, and it's coming out in 10 days... We've called it In Rainbows". This was a huge surprise to fans; usually an album release date is set months in advance. When October 10th rolled around, there was another big shock. Radiohead had set up their own internet server to allow fans to download the album directly from the band, for whatever price they wanted to pay.

When a band as big as Radiohead ditches a traditional record label and personally distributes their music (for free), it is clear that the industry is changing. While they eventually released the album on CD through both ATO and XL/TBD Records (Thom Yorke justified this action by pointing out not everyone is internet-savvy), the online release of "In Rainbows" showed the world that internet distribution is the new standard, and a traditional record label is becoming less and less necessary.

Radiohead's online presence is quite substantial, but they are not taking the same route as most current artists. Only in the last few years did they establish an official MySpace page and start selling their music on iTunes. Radiohead is not on Twitter, and they update their official site with mini blogs, pictures, or thoughts only a few times a month. The bulk of online activity keeping Radiohead fans up to date is found on fan-managed sites and forums, the two most prominent being Mortigi Tempo (through www.greenplastic.com) and At Ease. I am an active member of both, and get most of my Radiohead information through these sites. It was on Mortigi Tempo that I found a link to a statement by guitarist Ed O'Brien, announcing that the band plans to go back into the studio and tour this summer. These sites are great because they allow fans to discuss songs, gigs, albums, instrumentation, or anything else concerning the band. They are also very reliable places to find updates on the band's activity when the official site doesn't have anything new.

Along with the fan-managed forums, Radiohead set up a social network sharing the same name as their merchandise company "W.A.S.T.E.". It allows users to create their own profile, post pictures, videos, blogs, etc. This site, like any other social network, allows you to add friends, send messages and share information freely. The band themselves rarely ever update their own profiles, but Thom Yorke has shared interesting things through his profile, including some unreleased remixes which can be streamed directly from the page, as well as his thoughts on the global energy crisis.

It is difficult for a band as established as Radiohead to connect with fans on a personal level. While up-and-coming bands can manage their own MySpace pages and respond to emails, this would be impossible for a band like Radiohead. However, they have the resources to do live webcasts from their studio in England, and have done several since the release of "In Rainbows". On November 9th, 2007 they made a live webcast on www.radiohead.tv called "Thumbs Down". On the webcast, the band performed many songs live, including material from "In Rainbows" and covers. They also took turns DJ-ing some of their favorite songs. This webcast was quickly made available as a free podcast on iTunes.

In Conclusion

Many up-and-coming artists are using the internet as an excellent tool to strengthen and expand their fanbase. While Radiohead is not utilizing all the same tools as other bands, such as Twitter, they are certainly not ignoring the power of the internet. They have the means to distribute music directly and make live webcasts at their leisure, and their dedicated fans take care of the rest.

Links

This case study was written by Steve Bone, a 4th-semester dual major in Music Production & Engineering and Drum Set Performance at Berklee College of Music. You can connect with Steve through his MySpace or via email: stevebone7 [AT] gmail.com

Metallica

2009-03-24T16:33:00.001-07:00

At A Glance

Metallica is a major heavy metal band signed to Warner Bros Records. They are arguably the biggest band in the world right now, having sold over 52,000,000 records to date in the US alone. After being around for 28 years, Metallica has adapted to the internet age and is at a unique place in their career where their focus is not gaining new fans, but managing the millions of existing fans.

Findings

Metallica's online presence is marked by individual websites for each "facet" of their Metalliuniverse. The main site is fairly simple, very straightforward and well organized - you can find anything within a couple of clicks. Once cool thing is that you can choose the "skin" of the whole website based on the Metallica album you like the most. All media (CDs, DVDs, videos, photos, etc) can be bought/downloaded with a couple of clicks at any time, and you can find the full range of their merchandise and more on the Metallistore, which offers all kinds of Metalligear from t-shirts and baby bibs to wrapping paper and bar stools.

Upcoming tour dates can be found on the main website, but if you want to know about any tour-related info, you have the option to be directed to MetOnTour, where you'll find dates, info, pictures, a tour journal written by the band, and a forum you can write in.

If you decide to join the MetClub, their fan club, you will find a huge community of worldwide fans who share your passion for this band and their music (after paying a annual fee of $40.00). Fan club members get the FanCan, a can with signed posters, unique t-shirts and more stuff. Club members also get 4 issues of "So What!" every year, a hard copy magazine full of Metallica-related news, letters from the band and signed posters. Metclub Chapters run by Metallifans exist all over the world (in over 20 countries). You can join your local chapter for free or start your own chapter if you want.

One of Metallica's greatest moves into the digital era, especially after the Napster debacle, is that they sell the audio recording of every single show they do (both in MP3 and FLAC) on the Live Metallica website. You can purchase the audio and they provide you with a booklet, CD artwork and jewel case, so you can "assemble" your album at home if you want. They also have a "vault" section in which you can download shows from their entire career, since 1983, for free. Live Metallica offers all of this and more, including the ability to order set lists, and ticket stubs.

Metallica is always adapting to new forms of marketing to keep their existing fans enthralled while at the same time attracting new fans to their legacy. Most recently, the band has put their name on a signature edition of the hit video game Guitar Hero. Guitar Hero Metallica allows you to play your favorite Metallica songs as animated members of the band itself, as well as songs from 20 other bands that have collaborated with or been inspired by them. It also features tons of "Metallifacts" that come directly from the band to give you deep access to the world of Metallica. When you pre-order the game, it comes with a second bass drum pedal that allows you to play double bass drums like Lars Ulrich on songs like "One" and "Fight Fire with Fire" to get the ultimate Metallica playing experience. You can also collaborate with your friends over the internet or battle other groups to see who is the best Guitar Hero Metallica rockstar.

With their latest album, "Death Magnetic", the band took a new step in their relationship with fans. Fan club members (of which I am now one!) ordering tickets for Metallica's live shows received an "e-voucher" they could redeem to have the new CD mailed directly to their home for no charge. Fans also received more "e-vouchers" to download a video recording of the live show they went to see - again, free of charge.

Metallica has not only evolved musically over their 28-year career, they have also evolved in terms of their image and brand. The band has introduced a new logo and brand multiple times, their most recent one being that from "Death Magnetic". As former Advertising Agency CEO Mike Tunnicliffe puts it, "First, in good brand-management style, the Metallica ID has been revamped with a new logo, a "signature" typographic style and a brand kit that incorporates logos, imagery and graphics, as well as promotional items including a flag, a coffin-shaped special edition album [box] and a vinyl boxed set.” Metallica's habit of revamping their brand helps keep it fresh and increases their "brand stickiness".

In Conclusion

By adapting to the new age of music marketing, Metallica has been able to stay at the top of the business and prolong their status as the biggest band in the world. Metallica will surely continue to adapt and overcome. They will never die!

Links

This case study was written by Álvaro Kapaz and Tim Woo, students at Berklee College of Music.

Álvaro is Treasurer of Berklee's music business club, a Film Scoring and Music Business dual major and guitarist with an upcoming personal endeavor, Project K-Paz. You can connect with Álvaro through his blog or via email: alvarokapaz [AT] gmail.com

Tim is a Professional Music major studying music business and drum performance. You can connect with Tim through Twitter or via email: twoo [AT] berklee.net

Phil Wickham

2009-03-24T16:32:00.002-07:00

At A Glance

Phil Wickham is an alternative artist signed to INO Records, a Christian record label based out of Nashville. The internet has been an integral part of Wickham's development as an artist and has helped him to spread his message one person at a time.

Findings

Phil Wickham wins people over not only with his music, but with his humanity. He uses “in the studio” videos with sneak peeks of new songs and recordings that show mistakes, mixing, and clips of the finished products to make himself seem more human. These videos help create a bond between the artist and the listener/fan. He makes videos periodically that talk directly to the fans about his day-to-day life on tour, some of which depict him and his wife exploring new cities or just driving in the car. He appears in “how to” videos explaining the chord progressions and style in which he plays his favorite songs from his albums, giving either a written tablature or a step-by-step video breakdown of the whole song, complete with mini-performance. This saves his fans the trouble of figuring out his songs or scouring the internet for tablature. In his videos, you see his true personality; he doesn't dress himself up as a stereotypical rock star. Instead, he gives all praise to God.

Phil frequently updates his iLike, YouTube, Feedburner, MySpace, Twitter and Official blogs. His Twitter and Tangle accounts allow him to follow his fans' updates instead of just the other way around. Tangle even allows fans to upload videos directly to playlists for other fans to scroll through. MySpace is his main draw however (as with many artists), offering up-to-date touring information and a plethora of all things Phil Wickham, such as ringtones and links to purchase music at iTunes, Rhapsody, and Thumbplay.

Although Phil Wickham’s official site supplies a selection of t-shirts and CDs, a substantial number of sales comes from musichristian.com. (Depending on you niche, there may be stores such as these that will help you reach the right audience). It's at this store only that you can get an autographed copy of his CD “Cannons” for $10.97, which is cheaper than other places on the internet. Actions like this show a respect for his fans and their desires.

In August 2008, Phil Wickham made a live album called “Singalong” available for free downloading exclusively on his official site. A link to download the album is automatically sent to anyone signing up for his mailing list. All the songs from the album were also turned into videos, which were used in a contest/viral promotion campaign. Videos were posted periodically to his official site and fans were encouraged to embed the video on their MySpace, Facebook, or blog and link to Phil’s site. They then had to take a screenshot and send it to contest [AT] inorecords.com to win a signed set list. It was a great way of spreading his music and satisfying fans at the same time.

Phil recently performed on the K-Love Friends and Family Music Cruise in January, where he and his fans lived untied on a boat for four days. This is a great way for an artist to promote him or herself and create a tighter bond with listeners.

In Conclusion

Phil Wickham has a love for God that is overwhelming. His unwavering dedication to his beliefs and way of life are a huge draw. In any musical culture there is a stereotype of how “the other half lives”. He is fulfilling that standard in the Christian music scene. Many are turned off by Christian music due to the message; however, Phil Wickham’s voice and musical styling are helping him to slowly break those boundaries.

Phil Wickham may not be all over the internet; however, he has created a very strong fan base. He has taken it to a whole new personal level. Whether it's putting up pictures of his new tattoo and asking what people think, or mobile uploads on FlickR of all the places he has visited and all the people he has met, he is creating a friendship instead of just a fan base.

What Stands Out

Message: His message is not about sex and drugs. It’s not ambiguous so that it will fit into mainstream music. He speaks directly from the heart and doesn’t compromise his music for air play.
Humanity: Phil Wickham gives all praise, honor and glory to God. He encourages his fans to help others and the community. He even has a link to a company called “Compassion”, which gives people the chance to sponsor children around the world.

Links

This case study was written by Angela Campo-Pitt, a Music Business Major at Berklee College of Music. You can contact Angela via email at acampopitt [AT] berklee.net

K'naan

2009-03-24T16:32:00.001-07:00

At A Glance

"It ain't easy comin' out of where we from, homie. And that's the reason why I could never play for me. Tell 'em the truth is what my dead homies told me. I take inspiration from the most heinous of situations, creating medication out of my own tribulations. Dear Africa, you helped me write this by showing me to give is priceless." – كنعان وارسام

Somalia native K'naan, born Kanaan Warsame, is a rising hip-hop artist whose objective is to educate his listeners about the pressing issues affecting his home country. He educates this expanding audience through both his music and his utilization of several media outlets - particularly the internet. This internet presence allows him to network with his existing fans while simultaneously building a broader fan base and promoting his new album "Troubadour" produced with Octone/A&M Records.

Findings

K'naan brings his fan network together through the use of his main website. On this website, he has created a Facebook/MySpace-type environment where his fans can interact with each other and him through their "MyPages" – personalized fan pages containing RSS feeds, blogs, Facebook-type "walls", photos, applications, widgets, music, and personal information. This type of online community is a great locus of amicable thought and media sharing, through avenues such as "wall posting", blogging, and photo/video sharing.

The main page on K'naan's website, however, is a paradigm of organized chaos. The copious amount of information on this page allows his fans to access every website on which one could find profiles and/or information about him or even Somalia, but this person needs to be willing to read through the entire main page and really explore each piece of information presented. As a devout fan, sifting through the web page is not a problem, but as a first-time, interested listener or a prospective consumer, the page could be slightly overwhelming.

K'naan takes full advantage of keeping in touch with his fans through blogging. He keeps current blogs on many different websites including his main web page, Twitter, MySpace, DipDive, imeem, Buzznet, bebo, and 4REAL. He is currently on tour for his album "Troubadour", and while on tour, he keeps fans updated on his current thoughts, travels and news through these websites. All of the information is interesting, but it is difficult to keep up with him because each website contains different posts. A universal link could be used to direct readers to one main blog where all of his posts are located so that less effort is needed to stay up-to-date with his blogging.

In Conclusion

With his easily accessible internet presence, K'naan keeps fans intrigued. As with all artists, there are always ways to advance and improve marketing and web design, but as an all-inclusive artist with an all-encompassing web page, fans can always find new information about K'naan and his work. By knowing his audience and targeting that fan base, K'naan has proven to be effective in promoting and building his success.

What Stands Out

K'naan's main website is a ning site. This service allows you to create your own customizable social network.
Taking K'naan's approach to an online presence with a bit less chaos would be very effective for the right artist.

This case study was written by Tara Comes and Kristal Foster, students at Berklee College of Music.

Kanye West

2009-03-24T16:31:00.000-07:00

At A Glance

Kanye West is a 12-time Grammy Award winning Rapper/Singer,and Producer. Signed to Def Jam Records, in 2004 West launched his career with his debut album, "The College Dropout". While achieving huge success with his four albums, he has also successfully spread his music, videos, and ideas throughout internet, creating a constantly growing fan base.

Findings

West's websites have been viewed by millions. His MySpace page alone has had over 62 million views. At the top of the MySpace page are links to his blog and to his main website. The home page of his main site is very clearly laid out. You simply click "Blog" if you wish to visit his blog, "Video" to watch his videos, etc. The only thing that may be confusing is that you have to click "City Center" to access his fan club, message board, and news. Viewers can also access the same information by clicking on various graphic images throughout a futuristic city in the center of the page. This gives the website flavor and makes it seem less generic.

One feature that stands out on his homepage is the advertising messages that appear in bright letters at the top. It ranges from "Buy 808s and Heartbreak" (his latest album) to "My new book! It's dope…10 bucks".

West's blog is different in the sense that it is mostly comprised of pictures. He posts photos of events, concerts, and sometimes videos that he has been recently involved in. Each picture or video has a caption with a brief description. This method is probably highly effective because many people may not have the time to read an lengthy blog. The visual representation allows a reader to quickly observe West's recent posts. West uses a lot of graphics to entice his audience. One popular image associated with him - a teddy bear - appears on most of his merchandise. His use of graphics in merchandising and website design helps engrave his image in the mind of a fan or viewer, allowing them to easily remember information that he is sharing.

In Conclusion

Overall, Kanye West has effectively shared information, music, videos, and more through his online presence. He is constantly updating his blog, and has had millions of viewers on MySpace. From there, one can stream or download music, watch videos, and access links to his other sites. West's presence online is certainly not lacking in today's web-based society.

What Stands Out

Use of images throughout his website and blog.
Clear layout on his main site, which allows for easy access to information.
Advertisements for his newest album in multiple places on one page (main site, MySpace, YouTube, blog).

Links

This case study was written by Steven Gringer, a 2nd-semester student at Berklee College of Music studying Music Business/Management.

John Mayer

2009-03-24T16:28:00.000-07:00

At A Glance

John Mayer is a multi-platinum selling singer/songwriter from Connecticut signed to Aware/Columbia Records. His fan base was built by spending hard hours mastering his instrument and his songwriting technique. Because he mainly writes about his own life struggles and experiences, Mayer's writing has an honesty that people can connect with. He has been able to maintain a high level of excitement about his career through genuine and frequent interaction with his fans.

Findings

Mayer jump-started his career with very little use of the internet. He instead chose to get his name out and develop a following through live performances in Atlanta, Georgia and the surrounding areas. Aware Records, a subsidiary of Columbia Records, picked him up after he played at the South by Southwest music festival.

However, since becoming a prominent public figure, Mayer has taken full advantage of online interaction with his fans through two blogs (here and here), a Twitter account, and his own personal YouTube account.

Mayer's main website has evolved into an exploration of his newest project. "It's a house, in a clandestine location, that's being converted into a music studio. No, not a music studio. An entire music experience. A living, breathing, ever-evolving organic space that contains every part of the record making process." Through videos of new approaches to guitar, experimentation with hip hop, interviews, jams with his friends, and a glimpse into his newest songs in their nascent stages, he truly connects with his fans.

Mayer is also very active on Twitter. His "tweets" range from daily workout routines and diet, to funny stories, to random bits of philosophy. He has also created a contest in which the best reply he receives wins the contestant a hand drawn Twitter background from Mayer himself.

Other contests Mayer has organized include T-shirt designs, inter-faith baking, and a very compassionate MySpace idea. He listened to songs that were sent to him, and using his public spotlight to raise awareness, he put his favorite song in the fourth slot of his MySpace music player for that month.

In addition to his music, Mayer has received great acclaim for his comedic pursuits. In 2003 he filmed one episode of "John Mayer Has A TV Show", in which he showed footage of him dressing up in a bear suit and patrolling the parking lots of his concerts. He has a full season of a variety show in the works, and has been known to randomly drop into comedy clubs and perform a quick set of stand-up.

One thing we like about John Mayer is how accessible he allows himself to be, not to mention his outstanding musicianship. Even if you're not a fan of music, you can't deny that this guy has some serious skill when it comes to his craft. It must have something to do with attending Berklee for a couple of semesters!

While the official John Mayer fan club - the Local-83 - is a paid subscription, there are many other forums where fans congregate. The hub of all things Mayer is a site called TRY JM - A collection of news & notes about John Mayer. There are links to nearly every fan forum from all over the world, as well as links to live recordings. Mayer encourages his fans to record and share his shows online free of charge. TRY JM also has the latest gossip on Mayer.

In Conclusion

All in all, John Mayer has been able to survive and thrive in this ever-changing music industry.

What Stands Out

No communication barriers between Mayer and fans (contests, Twitter, MySpace).
Humor. Not only does Mayer have humorous blog posts, he actually creates comedic projects such as TV shows and stand-up comedy routines.
Great Musicianship. Mayer’s musicianship stands out in today's music world. On top of writing his own material, he is able to cover classic songs such as Jimi Hendrix's "Bold As Love", Eric Clapton's "Crossroads", and Tom Petty’s "Free Falling".

Links

This case study was written by Jordan Casty, a 2nd-semester Songwriting Major, and Amy Mantis, a 2nd-semester Music Business/Management Major at Berklee College of Music. They are both guitar principals.

You can connect with Jordan on Twitter, MySpace, and YouTube.

You can connect with Amy on Twitter, MySpace, and YouTube.

Dave Matthews Band

2009-03-24T16:27:00.001-07:00

At A Glance

Dave Matthews Band was formed in Charlottesville, VA in the late 80s/early 90s, and in just a few years became world-renowned for their catchy tunes, unusual rock ensemble setup, and most importantly, their live concert experience. An unique blend of rock, jazz, and world influences, the live show was their ticket to superstardom - that was what set “DMB” apart. Contrary to what their name might suggest, each member has contributed artistically and shared in the praise for the band's success. The DMB lineup looks something like this:

Dave Matthews – guitar, lead vocals
Carter Beauford – drums, backup vocals
Stefan Lessard – bass
Boyd Tinsley – violin, backup vocals
LeRoi Moore – saxophone, various other winds (recently deceased)

Findings

After nearly two decades, the band continues to uphold its reputation of live musical prowess, bringing on additional live performance band members throughout the years such as Tim Reynolds (guitar), Butch Taylor (keyboards), and Jeff Coffin (Sax, fill-in for LeRoi).

Current Status
DMB is currently in the finishing stages of recording their seventh studio album, due out June 2nd, 2009. In support of the release, the band is also gearing up for a summer tour of nearly 50 dates. It has been four years since the band's last studio release, "Stand Up" in May 2005. Since that time the band has released a whopping fifteen live albums, and one greatest hits album. As a fan, just knowing about the new album has me excited. However, the band's internet presence does less than a fair job of promoting it. The home page of the DMB website displays fifteen promotional boxes, and at a time when the album is near completion, a lack of news is hardly acceptable. With the 2005 release, the DMB team at least maintained a website devoted to sharing the creative process with fans to stir up excitement and anticipation. With the recent passing of saxophonist LeRoi Moore, one could say that the band is going through such a loss that sharing intimate details via a studio blog is too much. Perhaps the tones of the sessions are too somber and full of personal emotion to share with the world. Or maybe the team is so busy planning a sizeable tour and other various projects that a studio blog fell by the wayside.

Whatever the case may be, the fact of the matter is the whole DMB community feels that with the loss of an original member, now more then ever the band should be connecting with fans on a more personal level. With the technology available today, there is frankly no reason this can't be done. An even deeper personal connection with fans at such a pivotal moment would be the perfect thing to usher in a new era of this great band's legacy. The members of DMB are not known to stay in the limelight of celebrity gossip, or go out of their way to attract personal attention. Every bit of promotion is rooted in the greatness of and appreciation for their music. Five years ago, it was more difficult to make an artist-to-fan connection without intervention from other media. Today, fans can obtain news, music, video, and even a passing thought right from the horse's mouth, all the while maintaining the artist-to-fan dynamic.

Website
DMB recently launched a brand new website. I was initially overwhelmed by the new home page, as it's used entirely for promotion. It's very effective, however, at making sure fans know about specific things. For example, five out of fifteen promo boxes are used to promote them as a live band, whether it's to check out tour photos, or purchase the latest live album. This is an instrumental part of the band's online presence. Running with their strength of live entertainment reminds existing fans and encourages new fans to put DMB on their calendar. The next thing that struck me about the new site is that it's very "nature" oriented. The band has always been an active force in conservation, and their site communicates that very prominently. On both their MySpace page and their site, a gorgeous landscape is chosen for the background image. This does a great job of communicating the Dave Matthews Band brand and reminds you of all they've done for the planet. It is a big step up from their previous website.

First impressions aside, the new site is definitely a huge improvement. It runs more slowly than their earlier site, which is due to the vast amounts of information and media that gets served up. You can start your visit by turning on the music player located at the top of the page, which runs independently of the rest of the site. Once the player starts, it plays through the track list so you can enjoy nonstop music while navigating the site at will. This adds to the overall experience you get from the visit. Not a lot of artists’ sites have this feature, which shows that DMB is thinking ahead. So, you have the player on, now what? Choose from twelve different tabs or fifteen different promo boxes to get started. The site includes standard information such as recent news, band history & bios, tour info, discography, and other links. Also included are links that pertain to DMB specifically, such as:
The Warehouse – the DMB exclusive fan club, which offers advanced ticket sales, $35.00 per year.
Bama Works – established in 1999, this is a DMB fund set up to benefit charitable causes in Charlottesville, VA.
DMB Store – you can shop through a variety of DMB products, and purchase right on the site.
Road – you can find extensive info on set lists, gear, photos, and even the touring crew.
The major benefit of this new site is that it's easy to get comfortable, take your time, and explore the band. There's plenty of content available for an extensive visit, an uninterrupted music player for a smooth accompaniment, and a beautiful landscape to tie it all together.

MySpace & Facebook
Besides DMB's official site, the hub of DMB's online presence is MySpace, Facebook, and more recently, Twitter. It makes sense that they would give MySpace and Facebook a lot of attention, since they are the most popular social networking sites, and offer useful tools for building relationships with fans. However, with only three songs in the MySpace player and having recently done away with their SNOCAP store, MySpace is becoming a place for fans, and less about the band.

DMB's Facebook page, although not as extensive as their website, is another big source of online DMB entertainment. There, you can get all the latest on concert events, merchandise, and Facebook activity among the DMB community. A decent amount of media is also available. You can listen to a number of tracks with the option to purchase from the DMB store just by clicking "Buy Now". Move to either the "photos" or "video" tab, and get ready to explore through a plethora of not just official DMB content, but also fan content. Post your reactions in the comment field, or move to the "Discussions" tab to read and respond to what the band and the fans have been chewing over. As you can tell, the Facebook page is kept very open to fans, and is probably the #1 place for fans to interact directly about the band's content.

Dave Matthews and Stefan Lessard are both on Twitter. Follow them to find out their thoughts on how the album is going, what their day is looking like, or anything else on their mind.

Mailing List & Sales
Once you’ve confirmed your email subscription, you'll be receiving 3 or 4 messages a month. The mailing list is simply an extension of the website, meant to draw people back to either that or the DMB store. They regularly promote merchandise, which you can buy in just a few clicks. It seems that there is always a merch event going on in the DMB store, whether it's old gear, or auctioning off signed material to benefit DMB's Bama Works Fund. The online store offers a variety of products: t-shirts, jackets, hats, posters, stickers, DVDs, books etc. The store is staying somewhat up to date, offering all physical albums. More importantly, most of the catalog is available via digital download. A drawback is that some of the well-known albums are only available in physical format. However, a handful of albums have additional digital options such as audio format and quality. For the DMB store to be as powerful as possible, it needs to offer every album the band has ever released in all formats. Hopefully we'll see this in time.

Outside the official site, Dave Matthews Band music is available for digital download from many locations: iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, Napster and Lala. You can buy physical albums from stores such as Barnes & Noble, Target, Wal-Mart, etc. Although you can find the cheapest deal with digital downloads, DMB always offers a deluxe purchase option, which usually includes a bonus DVD with behind the scenes/live concert footage. "The Gorge" is an example where the band released not only the live double CD set, but also a full live/documentary DVD. A DMB album will cost $10 to $14 via digital download, about $14 on the DMB store, and $14 to $20 in other physical stores. Most songs are available as single downloads. Overall, price differentiation gives the consumer many options. If someone is relatively unfamiliar with the music, they can ease in with a couple of songs and pay less than $5. The more avid fans place greater value on DMB, and will pay $20 for a deluxe edition release. Ringtones are also available on both their website and MySpace page for $2.99 each.

In Conclusion

DMB's internet presence is going in the right direction, but there are still some holes. I think they are using certain tools like imeem, last.fm, bebo, and YouTube just enough to get by, without giving any of them more attention than necessary. They're really trying to draw attention to the official website, MySpace and Facebook pages. I’d like to see the other two members of the band (Boyd Tinsley and Carter Beauford) on Twitter. People are fans of each band member, so I’m sure whatever they have to "tweet" would be just as interesting and relevant as anyone else. As of now, not all albums are stream ready on the website's music player. The more content to choose from, the more satisfying a website visit will be. I believe this will only help music sales. If people enjoy the music, they are going to want access to it whenever possible. And lastly, if they want to maximize on the industry trends of today, they'll need to make every bit of recorded music available for digital download, and preferably with a variety of format options. The music is very fan-driven. Once it sticks, it will spread. The best thing DMB can do is to help promote word of mouth dissemination and community building, which is something they’ve already done an impressive job with through the use of online utilities available today.

Links

A few DMB fan sites worth mentioning:

This case study was written by Tom Richards, a drummer, percussionist, guitarist and songwriter at Berklee College of Music majoring in Music Business/Management. You can connect with Tom through Twitter or visit his Berkleemusic profile.