5 Social Networking Sites EVERY Band Should be on

This is a new age in marketing! Persistence, enthusiasm, and social networking sites are all your band needs to SELF-PROMOTE!

Facebook

Every band member should join and your band should have its own “musician” page. Your band’s page will give you a chance to post videos and photos. You can feature new songs and request feedback. You can add new music as a chance to promote the songs specifically and your band in general. Your followers will be able to become a “fan” of you—linking their pages with yours. Anyone or everyone linked to each of your fans will have the opportunity to be quickly and easily exposed to your band and your music.

As an additional networking connection, your fans have the option to create their own fan groups in your honor—promoting your band and opening up new cliques and societies centered on you! You can add blog posts that describe your creative processes, give teasers for upcoming projects and provide behind-the-scenes details. Facebook will also list your upcoming events, keeping your admirers aware of your performance schedule. Your upcoming events will reach your fans AND their friends—giving their friends a chance to get involved and giving YOU a chance to expand your network!

MySpace

Although MySpace peaked a few years ago and has been overtaken by Facebook, it’s still an important opportunity, particularly for musicians! The music section of MySpace has become extremely popular and continues to evolve! Your band will have the opportunity to upload its entire discography in MP3 format (assuming that you are unsigned and have complete control of the rights to your music).

You can post music and sell it using MySpace’s SNOCAP, which gives you multiple options for sharing and selling your music while you register your content and maintain control of the rights to your material. MySpace is also linked to its own record label, MySpace Records, and has provided over 8 million artists with the opportunity to have their music discovered!

Last FM

Last FM is devoted entirely to music. It describes itself as the world’s largest online music catalogue! Last FM offers free music streaming, videos, pictures, charts, artist biographies, concerts and Internet radio. It creates detailed user profiles of each visitor based on information gathered about their downloads and listening preferences via Internet radio stations, their computers, and their portable music players.

Users have the ability to make their own playlists, listen to tracks on demand, create their own custom “radio stations,” and share their favorites through social networking. Last FM is an excellent way to reach new listeners, since the site tracks listeners’ preferences closely and is uniquely apt at suggesting your music to the people most likely to appreciate your sound!

YouTube

YouTube is the number one spot for your band’s videos. If you have videos taken while you’re performing, this is the place for those! Any live performance or worthy rehearsal session can provide an opportunity for increasing awareness of your band. Recording and posting interviews, commentary, or individualized content for each band member will give your current fans the fix the need and want, while giving them a chance to spread the word about your sense of style, your sex appeal, or even your music!

Flickr

The spot for band photos! Make sure there are a LOT! Promote a culture around your band, and use Flickr to highlight it! Upload photos of all your performances, venues, behind the scenes shots, and the interactions between your groupies! If your band’s performances seem like a happening, EVERYONE will want to join in!

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