Aspiring artists who maintain any realistic expectation of selling records these days must inevitably embrace some sort of social-networking strategy in order to have their music heard. More and more forward-thinking artists seem to be doing just that, whether it’s to inform and interact with an established following or, like up-and-coming duo Karmin, to develop one.
Like it or not, in much the same way that music-themed reality television shows such as American Idol and The X Factor have bestowed “overnight sensation” status to hopeful contestants, social-networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are in many ways wielding similar star-making clout.
Karmin’s Amy Heidemann and Nick Noonan have utilized YouTube’s video-uploading platform and search-engine drawing power to arguably their highest advantage – case in point: the video for their debut single, “Crash Your Party,” has received over 820,000 views since it premiered just four days ago – but they’ve also found considerable favor on Facebook and Twitter, where they can communicate with their fans (otherwise known as “Karminites”), post news of upcoming releases and live events, and respond to (or re-Tweet) what others are saying about Karmin.
Whether or not Heidemann and Noonan's social networking on behalf of Karmin will translate into big-time record sales won't be fully known until their debut album is released early next year. What it does underscore, though, is how ubiquitous such social-networking sites have become in the music world, from showcasing new and unknown artists to establishing a following.
Article comments