RE: Mindseye - Tides [Beat Battle League | S2:R6: Tropical Paradise]
Exactly! Honestly, I don't think that at the moment I have any real kind of strong local following (except for people I know personally). But I do have listeners all over the globe, and it almost seems like the more people start paying attention to my tracks generally, the more local people start finding out about me as well. So it's almost the other way around nowadays, at least for me...
Yep, I know what you mean; I've also come across people/artists that simply manage to somehow get themselves on a few big playlists and get a large amount of plays, and then appear to have a serious fanbase. But usually their social media pages are suspiciously quiet... I guess there are lots different ways now in appearing 'successful', with people simply being able to buy their plays and followers. A strange world really...
I enjoyed SoundCloud back in the day, when I was able to upload unofficial remixes that I created for fun, without me getting warnings of my account being shut down because of copyright infringement. Now I barely use it anymore. Musicoin has potential, but I feel like at the moment I don't really get plays because people want to listen. It seems to be more people fishing for me giving them plays in return. So that puts me off quite a bit. Still, I guess similar stuff happens on Dsound/Dtube...hopefully things will improve in that sense.
Keeping everyone happy is the ultimate goal! Maybe I'll just sleep a bit less and have a few more hours in the day.. ;p
That local versus international thing is something to contemplate ... I'm thinking of doing more live stuff, taking advantage of living near LA while I still do, thinking of doing something like a digital busker, beatbox(?) with solos/live playing over top through a portable sound system, something in a crowded thoroughfare, more eyeballs that way, just to test these ideas we're ruminating here ... I'm fortunate enough to have a a real short url, om92.com to easily 'drive traffic' ...
Now that you mention big playlists, I've been critically examining 'sustainability' ... advertising seems to only work when the public is, first unaware, and second, has no alternatives, not really applicable to the music industry these days... In other words, I've seen a number of artists who at first had a 'pop' event, maybe paid goog adwords (?) then settled out back down to our scale audience within a year ... Major labels do spend 100's of thousands, if not millions in advertising (actually that's the cost of training their employees/contractors in the divisions that own commercial radio station airtime in these media conglomerates), and only sign a few acts who craft tunes especially designed per marketing research to appeal to the 'intellect' of those of IQ 100 (masters of mediocrity?)
I would say what you describe as your experience on musicoin is 'musicians playing to other musicians' (for now) so yeah, everyone playing no one 'listening' Let's face it, as musicians our peak experience is playing, not listening ...
So what you see there is the reflection of how all musicians network. It's unreasonable to think any given cat would give up his bag and offer a substantial amount of his time to follow yours... I would think the idea is to associate with like-minded cats approximately going in the same direction, so that if opportunity arises one gets to jam with each other. Over time history calls that 'a school', a genre... At least that's the way I see the natural sociology of it ...
I suppose we need to entice ALL musicians to get on the blockchain Dsound/Musicoin and DTube (YouTube when adsense starts to pay, maybe but, that's already a huge following for a musician to get that) ... Drive the listening audience to the blockchain for lack of other places to get new (or any?) music for free (the genie's been let out of the bottle, no one paying for music anymore, except for the one in ten thousand who feel obligated to support a 'starving' artist) ...
Those live playing ideas sound very interesting, could definitely be some potential in that especially if you can test those different ideas properly. I'm interested in doing more live stuff too, but I haven't thought the possible formula through at all really. Just seems like it can be a lot of fun, being in a live setting.
I can very much imagine that lots of artists experience these short 'pop' events you describe, yes. Also from appearing on one of the Spotify-curated playlists for a week or two, and then disappearing again. I guess that can be both encouraging and frustrating at the same time. Major labels scare me in general really, I'd like to stay as far away from them as possible. They're definitely not in it for the music...
I must say though, that yes as a musician playing might be the main objective, but for me personally listening is also very important. I mean, I have music playing throughout the day where possible, and I follow quite a few artists very closely. But yes, associating with like-minded musicians is vital as well, and I get a lot of fulfillment out of talking to these kind of people.
It'll be very interesting to see whether any 'big' artists will start appearing on the blockchain. Because once a few start, that's probably when the genie is totally out... Then yes, the streaming services may suddenly find themselves being collectively left behind. That would be the day! I wonder if it will happen...but the potential is there, that's for sure!
I imagine there are quite a few artists who have gone 'free agent' since their days on a major label or with major distribution. Or a few reconsidering a comeback, this Steemit would certainly give and get mutual benefit from these types. What I have noticed is, after the adpocolypse on Youtube, especially a lot of alt-new heavy personalities are coming to steemit, just to escape YouTube's censorship. This seems like how the turning point of the old way passing and the new rising, this flight to steemit. We're likely ahead of the rush, a good place to be.
Depending on what kind of work I'm doing, I often can't listen to music, takes too much concentration for me! ;-)
Yes, it seems quite hip really nowadays to be a 'free agent'. People feel like major labels are just going to screw them over.
Yeah I guess escaping YouTube's censorship is a very good reason to come to Steemit. However, I do hope that does not attract too many very controversial people. I have already seen some content on here that is quite questionable. I do wonder how many other (and better?) Steemits will be out there in a year or two. It's an exciting and quite unpredictable development still, so let's see how well Steemit does in the long run!
Yeah, the music I listen to does depend a lot on my activities as well. I have quite a few playlists on Spotify that actually help me concentrate better if anything.
I was thinking about this comment thread yesterday while filling out tax return forms ... not a particularly enjoyable task, nor one that requires much focus, just busy paper work. There was annoying ambient noise and indeed, I did notice the effect you describe by listening to some ambient/industrial sound that 'took the edge off' of the annoyance, indeed helping.
I would say that perception of major labels I've considered for quite a long time. My intention was always to get a distribution deal, without any of the 'management' that often kills the artist's creative impetus, if not the artist himself!
I sort of like the controversy, a by-product of free speech, a necessity for social advancement ... Then again, who has time to argue with those who put forth ideas that must be put down? Like weeds in a garden can dominate to the point of the garden no longer yielding viable life. I suppose word of mouth without direct confrontation can keep bad ideas from flourishing. I myself am suspect of anything that looks 'too establishmentary'.