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Blogs and Internet Radio: The Online Explosion of Personal Preference

By Will Morgan

As the music industry — and the rest of the modern world — transitions to life online, the catalyst behind much of the content generated every hour across the web is pure and simple personal preference. And now, openly expressing your individual tastes and opinions has never been cooler — or more popular for that matter. A study conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, released in November of 2005, found that 50% of all teens ages 12 to 17 created content online in one form or another, be it a video, photos, a personal webpage, a journal, or music. Imagine how this percentage has grown since that time, with technology analyst and all-around media soothsayer Gartner predicting just last December that the blogging trend will peak this year at roughly 100 million blogs. Those behind the trend envision a similar expansion as well. Brad Searles, a Boston-based blogger who runs BradleysAlmanac.com, notes that the near future of blogs will “likely parallel the future [and current] path of bands themselves: the sheer number of them will grow infinitely.” The internet has allowed individuals to express themselves as freely (and often anonymously) as they wish, and consumers can simply choose whose opinions they care for and whose they do not. And yet the true inherent brilliance of this remarkably prevalent movement, from the artist’s point of view, is the two-way flow of content that online self-expression has enabled. Musicians submit their work to the appropriate tastemaker and, in turn, the tastemaker, eager to voice his or her thoughts on the piece, generates online press. It is a cyclical symbiosis and is largely responsible for the rate at which the tastemaking phenomenon has blossomed online — and leading the charge are two very opinion-based outlets: blogs and internet radio.

New material, underground artists, live tracks, news items — there are countless reasons why bloggers and internet radio DJs draw in hundreds of rabid fans on a daily basis. The two outlets can save independent artists valuable promotional dollars while still inciting a buzz equal to (and in some cases, more powerful than) terrestrial radio and print coverage. Bryan Jay Miller, General Manager for internet radio station WOXY, smartly characterizes the alternative foundations of internet radio and breaks down why the system works so well online: “Most internet radio stations are programmed by small companies or independent operators who are open to new music and artists and who started an internet radio station because of their distaste for terrestrial radio. Whereas it can cost thousands of dollars to get airplay on an FM station, it can take as little as an email or IM to catch the ear of an internet radio programmer. With more and more people going online to discover new music, it only makes sense to promote your band as much as possible online and internet radio is a great way to do that.” Despite the benefits of online promotion, however, one could argue that ultimately the prevailing attractor simply remains that of analogous tastes. In this tell-all era, we want to keep up on what our musically-inclined peers are listening to. As New York Times columnist Jon Pareles qualified the trend in a December 10 editorial, “It’s word of mouth that can reach the entire world ... Private individuals aren’t private anymore; everyone wants to preen.” And as individuals continue to spread their wings and show their colors, more and more consumers take notice.

Yet, in a world driven by personal opinion and burdened by an exploding population, gaining attention as an artist has its challenges. The trick here is to know your audience, develop an effective approach, and present them with the content most beneficial to their purposes.

DEFINING THE MOVEMENT

In this era of 24-hour news and 3 million MySpace artists, tastemaking is determined by the immediacy of content. Blogs and internet radio stations thrive on giving light to the freshest acts and most alternative material and, as such, can separate themselves from the once-standard “gatekeepers filtering new music to the audience,” as Mike Taylor, Program Director for WOXY, states. “Between MySpace and sites like Pitchfork,” continues Taylor, “it’s getting harder and harder to beat the audience to hearing about a band. It keeps us on our toes. I think it’s an exciting development that puts fans and listeners directly in touch with the music in ways that they never had before.” While Taylor enjoys the challenge of reaching fans first (in fact, he considers WOXY one of the aforementioned gatekeepers who have been put to the test by other internet tastemakers), the escalating level of competition online is indicative of the opinion-based trend’s impact on breaking artists and news.

Other characteristics of blogs and internet radio stations also boost their independent appeal. As a broad example, the very noticeable absence of advertising or a dependence on a higher power (read: parent company) is an obvious indication of their alternative foundations and cements their worth in the underground arena. Due to this level of freedom from big brother, bloggers and internet radio DJs can, in effect, say and write, play and post anything they please. While swears and political issues may jump to mind first as excellent exercises of this freedom, it is the more laid-back, conversational language of bloggers and DJs that sits so well with the independent audience. And, as Searles wisely points out, this defining trait can greatly benefit artists: “A lot of bloggers won’t write about things they don’t like, so that’s in your favor. Unlike the days of ‘zines and dominating print publications, bands aren’t as at risk of getting a negative review. Sometimes not getting covered on a blog you contacted is a blessing in disguise.”

KNOWING YOUR AUDIENCE

Should an artist keep one fact in mind when reaching out to bloggers and DJs, it is that these tastemakers choose to highlight certain artists and genres purely out of a love for music, and as such the only obligation is to focus on what they feel is deserving of attention. Each blogger and DJ has his or her own attitude, as determined by the type of content covered, and, just as many fans are striving to follow the norms prescribed by genres, artists are trying to associate themselves with this image as much as they are hoping to receive good press. That said, it is crucially important to research which blogs and stations cater specifically to your type of music and character in order to even have your songs reviewed. “My blog isn’t a job,” comments Searles. “It’s just for the music I really love, so if someone hasn’t taken the time to get even a basic idea of what I’m into, into the trash folder they go.” Taylor concurs, noting “Anyone can do a little bit of online research to see what each station is all about. Blindly sending your music everywhere will waste a lot of your money and probably frustrate [the DJ] to no end.” The ubiquitous belief amongst these online tastemakers is that honesty will get artists much further than insincerity or flattery because, as Taylor aptly points out, while “the ‘net causes buzz and to a degree, hype, to move at lightning speed, it’s also a fairly reliable bullshit detector.” Searles continues his train of thought — “When emailing music blogs, obviously, transparent form letters are the worst: ‘Dear [insert blogger name here].’“ The fairly remarkable level of cross-reference between online tastemakers should be enough incentive to keep artists forthright. Perhaps the most avid readers and listeners of blogs and internet radio stations are other bloggers and DJs. Why? “The point of music blogs is that they can be responsive, timely, relevant,” explains Searles, and what better resources to monitor than these buzz generators? In response to whether extensive press influences the decision to spin a band’s record or not, Taylor replies “If by press you mean what’s written in the blogosphere and online music review sites, we watch those fairly closely ... I do enough sleuthing around online to find a fair amount of things for the station.” Searles offers a word of warning on the matter: “Believe it or not, a lot of us mp3 bloggers are in touch with each other, and we’ve all gotten the same emails from the same bands that say ‘We love your blog and would be honored if you wrote about us.’“

DEVELOPING AN EFFECTIVE APPROACH

In addition to honesty, professionalism, brevity, and discretion are paramount in contacting these online tastemakers. Sticking to these principles will ultimately influence bloggers and DJs more than any overindulgent press kit. “Any band who presents themselves professionally usually will earn my attention, if for nothing more than giving them the courtesy to listen to their music,” notes Taylor. Searles emphasizes the futility of being overbearing or intrusively admiring, remarking “The best advice I can give is to write a short personal note. ... Another important thing is not to pester after the first email. A month later or so, maybe drop a follow-up asking if the blogger has had a chance to listen to the songs at the link you sent before. Most bloggers are really busy and pretty overwhelmed with new stuff to listen to, but a gentle reminder can help things stand out.” As for what to submit, again a little bit of research will ensure your recordings receive attention, as preferences vary between each blogger and DJ. More often than not, their website will have specific instructions for submitting music, news, and the like, so use that as your point of reference. If not, use the contact information provided on the site to send a very simple message asking how they would like to receive materials. If anything, this gesture at least introduces your name to them. Searles prefers to receive just a few links to where he can hear your music, i.e. MySpace and the like. He makes sure to point out, however, that a “major no-no is sending mp3s as attachments. That’s a big bloggers pet peeve. Send a link, not a whole song.” BradleysAlmanac.com consistently features live mp3 recordings, and Searles does accept invitations from bands to see and record their shows. And while he acknowledges that “it’s relatively rare that the stars align and I end up seeing a band that I wasn’t already planning on checking out ... it does happen, and it’s the best feeling when it does.” Taylor has a different view on the matter: “I always like receiving a CD with a one-sheet. Sending me an email with an invitation to click a link or check out a MySpace page will usually get deleted. It’s probably old school thinking but I’ve always felt that if you can’t put it into my hand, you must not want me to hear it that bad.”

SUBMITTING BENEFICIAL CONTENT

Again, blogs and internet radio stations are fueled by immediacy, and getting your music and news out to them as swiftly as possible will increase your chances of coverage. “So many music bloggers love writing about ‘the new,’ so if you’ve got a brand new song, video clip, freshly-booked tour itinerary, or some other kind of cool news, email your favorite blog or two immediately and point it out,” suggests Searles. “Writing to a music blog three months after your album came out because it’s not doing as well as you’d like isn’t going to work.”

Sending advanced copies of CDs certainly demonstrates to tastemakers that you care for their opinion and believe in their abilities to accurately judge and create buzz for your music. Send new tour dates out, especially to bloggers in cities you will be hitting (just as you would do with local ‘zines and alt weeklies). Location can be an important influencer for some bloggers and DJs. As Searles wisely points out, “Even though the internet is universal, writers will always need a way to filter out some noise, and lots of bloggers use location to do that.” Taylor sums up the matter in the tone of someone who has seen many great local bands achieve the attention they deserve: “Local bands are right in our back yard, so we’re a potential captive audience. I don’t know that we necessarily give them any kind of preference but we like supporting the home team if we feel the material is up to snuff. If you’re really trying to develop a live show and following, by all means solicit all of your local resources. The internet has certainly leveled the field for more studio-friendly bands, but a good story is a good story. A strong live show will enhance that. Word will get around.”

BLOGS

www.largeheartedboy.com

www.chromewaves.net

www.marathonpacks.com

www.rockinsider.com

www.stereogum.com

www.music.for-robots.com

www.bradleysalmanac.com

www.donewaiting.com

www.morecowbell.net

www.brooklynvegan.com

www.clickyclickymusic.com