SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE MUSIC INDUSTRY DCIM Capstone

SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE MUSIC INDUSTRY DCIM Capstone Project Rachel Kim

The goal of my Capstone project is to establish the several groups that make up the music business and determine how they use social media to share music. The segments of the music industry I will be analyzing are: artists, record labels, streaming services and music listeners. I will be looking into the different methods, behaviorisms, influences and preferences that each group uses to approach specific social networks. Through this promotional and psychological perspective, I will also be outlining the interrelationships between the diverse groups and how their decisions and actions in sharing music via social media affect one another. Consum ers Streamin g Services The Music Industr y Record Labels Artists

MUSIC CONSUMERS What do music consumers value the most about being able to share music on social networks? Being able to discover new music or rediscover old music Ability to create customized playlists Connecting with friends What motivates consumers to share their music preferences? Association of music with identity Influences from friends, family, tastemakers, bloggers, etc. Creating connections and pinpointing like-minded individuals

ARTISTS What are the best marketing tools for a musician? Tube. Mogul – Video advertising platform Livestream – Live web video streaming Root. Music – Facebook page tab with direct access to songs Tweet For a Track – retweet on Twitter results in e-mail with track download link Important factors for artists to consider when self-promoting through social media: Key directive is to reach as many people as possible (become viral) Maintain consistent and interactive communication with fans Stay up-to-date on current events and trends that their fans are interested in

RECORD LABELS Social media outlets a record label must have: Interactive and informative website Facebook page Twitter account Instagram account Essential requirements for a record label’s social networks: Religiously update and maintain all sites Short bursts of content on social media posts accompanied by links to more information Visible connections with the artists they manage (“friended”, “liked”, “retweeting”)

MUSIC STREAMING SERVICES Popular streaming services: Which music streaming service has the best sharing features? Spotify – User can follow Facebook friends and share a track or playlist on Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr Rdio – “Recent Activity” feature allows user to see their friend’s music-related actions