Artists today need to find a way to get themselves noticed. In the past it may have been by constantly touring and giving interviews in order to build a following. Now given the explosion of the Internet and social media an online presence is a must. Bands have their own Facebook pages and websites. However, given that everyone is doing this, artists may find themselves right back where they started unless they find a way to set themselves apart. Perhaps they offer free downloads of some of their songs (more on that in a bit) or they come up a video that becomes a viral sensation such as Ok Go's "Here it Goes Again." No doubt their dance on treadmills got them a lot more attention than any amount of touring- it led to appearances on the MTV awards and the CBS show Las Vegas. I wonder what long term effect this had on their career. Recently, they split with EMI and set up their own record label, and seem content to be indie rockers and not BIG STARS.
Having a song used on a commercial can also be boom--if your fans can find it! One night, many years ago, in a bout of insomnia, I had on HBO. They ran a 3 minute commercial for their programs featuring a song called "Wrapped in My Memory." I quickly found that the singer was Shawn Smith, and clicked on shawnsmith.com...and found that it was a website for a Christian singer! Well, after some more searching, I found the right Shawn Smith and was rewarded with a free download---of "Wrapped in My Memory!" Strange thing was, there was no mention of it being used not only in the HBO ad but also at the end of the Sopranos episode "Long Term Parking" (where Ade meets her end). Very much a missed opportunity!
As librarians we need to be aware that patrons will be coming in to the library and asking for the CD of "those guys on the treadmills" or that Sopranos song. Searching will involve more than the online catalog or typing lyrics into Google. Youtube may become more of a search engine since patrons can see the artist. Facebook and band websites will also be enlisted to find release dates of new music. As artists expand their presence on the Internet, librarians will need to be aware of it and learn how to use it to find materials.
This week's video is a Sopranos tribute set to Shawn Smith's "Wrapped in My Memory" (warning: contains brief nudity)
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