Tag: music blogs

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Editorials Industry News News Writing Tips

How Writers And Photographers Should Handle The Return of Live Music

live nation pandemic lessons live music concerts

Live music is back! Here are a few things music journalists and photographers should keep in mind before heading out to a show.

Can you believe it? After more than a year away, Live music is back. Concerts are already happening across America and worldwide, with hundreds more being announced every week. Live Nation, one of the most prominent concert promoters on the planet, says they will have twice as many artists touring next year as they did in 2019. That would have worried the industry a few years ago, but today, demand and excitement are at an all-time high. Fans are ready. Artists are prepared. Everyone is itching to get back in the pit and sing along to their favorite songs while surrounded by people who feel the same way they do about music. It’s a beautiful thing.

Music journalists and photographers, many of whom have spent the past year trying everything in their power to make click were the headlines from reviews and live stream announcements, are pretty excited as well. As much as writing about tour announcements and reviewing albums can be a satisfying experience, nothing compares to the thrill of covering a live show. A well-written review or beautifully captured photograph can do more to help members of the media and musicians alike than a dozen album reviews. With competition for consumer attention rising, the music journalism community is in a unique position of influence. The tours and events they cover can make or break someone’s spending decision, and that responsibility is not to be taken lightly.

But there’s a catch.

Since the first post-pandemic shows were announced, messages have circulated on social media calling for an end to guest lists. For those unfamiliar, these lists are used by venues and artists to set aside tickets for select individuals to attend a performance without buying a ticket. Spots are typically reserved for family and friends of the artist or promoter and members of the industry at large.

Here’s an example of the messaging in question:

It seems clear that the message of this tweet is for people who do not have a legitimate reason to request guest list inclusion. Artists and promoters are trying to tell friends that they would prefer they buy a ticket. Honestly, it makes sense. Before the pandemic, an artist had no reason to believe that touring, the primary way most musicians make money, would come to a halt. Artists in 2021 know that live music can disappear anytime. There is no guarantee of another tour. Artists need people to buy tickets so that they can feed themselves and pay their bills. The same goes for promoters. People have spent the last year worrying about where the money would come from, and now they have an answer. Live music is back, which means making money is possible.

Regardless, certain members of the music journalism community have taken these comments personally. But as the old saying goes, “if you think it’s about you, then it probably is.”

We spoke to several publicists and promoters who confirm they have no plans to deny guestlist access to writers and photographers when live music returns. One professional, who is allowing us to use their quotes anonymously, went as far as to say that “concert coverage may be more important than ever this fall. Artists, especially smaller ones, are going to need all the attention their shows can get to move tickets.”

That said, we put together a few rules with the help of the industry at large that music journalists from all walks of life should adhere to as concerts return:

  • Always say please and thank you. That may seem obvious, but unless you are a significant publication with massive influence, granting you access to an artist and their performance is a gift. 
  • Do not publicly attack artists, labels, promoters, or publicists if you do not receive access. Many factors go into media accreditation consideration. Keep working hard and, in time, you will get the access you seek.
  • Always deliver on your coverage promises. If you said you would write a review, then you better write something. If you said you wanted to take photographs, then you better publish a gallery. The publicists we spoke to say they will be more closely following the content created in return for guest list inclusion moving forward. 
  • Don’t request access to anything you wouldn’t cover otherwise. If you write for a metal site, for example, then you shouldn’t be requesting access to the Jonas Brothers concert under the guise of being a music journalist.
  • In the event you are granted a plus one, use it to expand your coverage. Guestlist spots are limited, and they are not intended to help your friend or significant other access a show. It would be best to use additional guest list spots solely to ensure the best possible coverage—for example, a writer AND a photographer.
  • If you enjoy the artists performing, consider buying merchandise. Not only will this help the artist continue to pursue their career, but it’s also a show of support for both the artist and their team. It says that you are serious when you say you want the artist to succeed. Artists and publicists know that not every site has any significant level of influence, but when you vocally support musicians and buy their merchandise, it tells the industry that you are actively working to ensure musicians can continue creating the art they aspire to share with the world.
  • Don’t be a dick to security or venue staff for no reason. Treat everyone the way you wish to be treated.
  • Don’t post a photo of your press badge or photo pass on social media. It may seem harmless, but someone may steal that image in an attempt to infiltrate another gig or event in the future. At the very least, wait until the tour or event has ended before sharing your pass.
  • Respect any boundaries set by the artist or their team. If someone says they don’t want to discuss something or be photographed at a particular time, listen to them. No one wants gotcha journalism.
  • Send links to your coverage to the person who granted you access. Everyone in music is busy, but you can make someone’s job easier by sharing your contact with them rather than making them seek it out. That behavior will also help you develop stronger relationships with publicists, labels, etc.
  • Don’t fake it. Humans have a unique ability to detect when someone is lying or not presenting the entire truth. Don’t create content you don’t believe in or would not want to consume. Make what is authentic and meaningful to you, and everything else will fall in place.

There are probably 100 other things we could add, but this is enough for now. We’ll see you at the show!

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Editorials News Writing Tips

Do you know who reads your music blog?

Building and retaining your audience begins with understanding who is clicking on your site.

Search the name of virtually any artist or group on social media, and you are bound to find people discussing that act. Opinions on music are a dime a dozen, and when it comes to bands, everyone already knows their value is worth even less that. Young music writers around the globe cut corners on a daily basis to be among the first to cover the latest news about the biggest acts in their area of interest. It doesn’t matter if their site has few to no visitors or if much larger publications beat them to the punch, they want to ensure that their readers learn the latest breaking news directly from them.

But who is the audience for the average blog, and who visits websites for news before scrolling social media?

Music publications, especially those lacking funding, rarely build their audience through coverage of talent that is covered by every other zine, blog, or Twitter feed in the world. Music publications gain readers by delivering the stories no one else can. They earn trust through curating a profoundly entertaining and highly engaging conversation around music that they believe deserves recognition.

Covering everything that is popular in music will satisfy people, but it won’t captivate them. If you want people to continue coming back, you need to seek out the stories no one is telling about the musicians that everyone will want to know six months from now. Your job is to hook people with music made by others. There is a finite amount of people who read music sites, and the vast majority are using the same hook to lure readers. Why do that when you can stand out? Why offer what everyone else offers when you can be the alternative?

When you align yourself with artists on the rise, you align yourself with dreamers, and that is – in many ways – your audience. You want people who listen to music and dream of lives not yet lead. You want to provide the soundtrack to their next great escape, and you want to tell them why it’s going to change their lives before they even realize what is happening to them. You want to be a source of discovery, not regurgitation, which continually introduces new sounds and ideas into someone’s life. If you can accomplish one or both of those things, you can make a reader for life. Better yet, you’ll create an ambassador for your work that helps carry word of your writing to places you’ve yet to reach.

So, who reads music blogs? People just like you. People who think the radio is dead and the music they hear everyone else enjoying is stupid, dull, or just plain awful. Be yourself and readers will find you. Do what everyone else is doing, and they will pass you by in search of a more authentic voice.

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Business Advice Editorials Industry News News

How media sites inflate traffic stats and why it never works out

Sites raise money and gain access based on traffic, but the numbers can be deceiving.

The beginning of 2019 has been hard on writers and creatives at a number of the web’s most recognizable sites. Between recent cuts at Buzzfeed and Vice, not to mention a number of smaller publications, estimates show at least 2,000 people lost jobs in media over the past six weeks. Some analysts are referring to these losses as a ‘bloodbath,’ and many expect more downsizing announcements in the near future.

The explanations for the cuts run the gamut from restructuring to cost-cutting. Either way, traffic most likely played a role. Everything related to online media companies boils down to traffic, especially for businesses who rely on outside investors to keep their properties afloat.

To gauge traffic, most investors and industry analysts rely on ComScore, a company dedicated to measuring media online. Faking a score in their system is practically impossible, but some forward-thinking media conglomerates have found a way to game the service’s measurements, at least in the short term, to raise their value.

As Tim Pool explains in the video above, digital media companies adjust their traffic and engagement by acquiring clickbait-heavy platforms and folding that audience into their brand. Here’s an example of the kind of articles these sites generate, which you’ve probably seen promoted at the bottom of articles on numerous media sites:

Articles like these offer little information, but boost engagement by requiring numerous clicks to view their content in full.

Between the clicks and added traffic, media companies can boast big numbers for their community of sites without having to show the performance of individual publications. Big numbers attract big investors, and investments keep the lights on.

Believe it or not, there is nothing illegal about this approach to promotion. The numbers are legitimate. The deception lies in how sites describe what pulls in readers. Here’s an example:

Let’s say a media conglomerate buys a clickbait-heavy site to boost its numbers. The conglomerate may claim their audience turns to them for news and essays on culture when in reality their audience is driven by articles like, ’25 celebrities who had plastic surgery.’ The investors would need to sift through the data for all sites to determine whether or not the company is lying, which requires time and money most do not want to sacrifice.

Over time, however, the truth about most sites comes out. Whether through internal investigations or a drop in traffic that the conglomerate cannot explain away, investors and readers inevitably see through the deception of inflated numbers. Even if they don’t, a number of services have emerged in recent years that can separate real and fake engagement into easy to read reports that anyone can follow.

The cuts we are seeing in media right now are bound to continue unless this trend changes. The problem is that few, if any sites have found a way to generate a committed audience large enough to draw the investment capital needed to build a media empire through legitimate means. When Facebook boasts a potential audience in the billions, what incentives do investors or advertisers have to work with sites whose monthly audience lies in the hundreds of thousands, or even millions?

But there is a catch-22 to the entire affair that will inevitably need to be addressed. Facebook and similar social media platforms are the primary way people consume news and media, but those services rely on countless third-party publishers to create the content users click. Without investors and ad sales, those publishers will go under, which will leave social media giants to generate news and content on their own.

Something has to give. The only questions are, what will it be and when will it happen?

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News

18 Problems Facing Music Blogs Today (And How To Solve Them)

Music blogs were once widely considered an integral part of any music promotion effort. Before the age of streaming services, dedicated genre flans turned to blogs for new song premieres, new artists, and tour information.

Opinions have changed in recent years. While some blogs are still considered gatekeepers to specific areas of music, many more have been written off as unnecessary or uninteresting (often both). Those criticisms, along with others, have birthed think-pieces, podcasts, and YouTube videos that question the relevancy of the blog market as a whole.

But such criticisms are short-sighted. Much like cassettes and vinyl before them, blogs may not be as vital as they once were, but that does not mean they are dead and gone. There are countless blogs operating today, with more launching every month. People still dream of becoming music journalists, and some even get paid to write about music regularly.

With that in mind, let’s explore the problems music blogs face today, many of which have only arisen in recent years.

1. Interviews are mostly irrelevant in the social media age. Why read an interview with someone who already shares every detail of their life on multiple social media platforms 24/7? What can blogs deliver that they can’t?

2. There will always be a need for a “water cooler” where the conversation on a band/genre takes place, but now there are more avenues for discourse than ever before. Blogs, podcasts, YouTube, Instagram live, etc.

3. Many sites have thrived by regurgitating press releases as fast as possible, but no one is faster than the artists who have likely scheduled the same announcement across all channels in advance of release.

4. Sameness is a disease that has plagued many sites for years. What does any blog offer that no one else can, and how are blogs utilizing that uniqueness to engage music fans?

5. When everyone can share their opinion all the time, why should anyone listen to a blog? Just because someone writes 1000 words on a new album doesn’t mean their perspective is better than what someone else can fit into a tweet. Creativity always wins.

6. Simply sharing content is not enough to build an audience. Where is a blog’s branding? Where is their investment? How are they making their content their own and not just another use of the same promo image every other site uses for the exact same coverage?

7. Single platform sites are dinosaurs. Does the blog have a podcast? How about a YouTube channel? Are they creating unique content for their Instagram and Twitter, or is everything the same everywhere?

8. Have sites made any effort to promote their content beyond having their contributors share links tagging talent? Artists are more inclined to engage fans than they are to try pleasing a blog that relies on them to bring clicks. Where is the authority?

9. Speaking of original content, does the blog edit their posts? Are they developing a voice? Do they curate image galleries rather than posting 50+ photos from a show they covered in 250 words, most of which can be summarized with “it was cool”?

10. What about your community? Has the site identified the type of person who reads their content? If so, have they asked readers why they choose that publication over the competition? Have they asked their audience who they want to know more about?

11. What is a site’s focus? Everyone listens to a little bit of everything, but no site is proficient or knowledgeable about every genre. Sites hoping to succeed need to identify what coverage performs the best and minimize the rest. Blogs shouldn’t trend hop just because Lil Whatstheirname is suddenly buzz-worthy.

12. Does everyone really need a site of their own, or would they be better suited for partnering with another site to create one powerhouse force? Is it ego or necessity that dictates that decision?

13. As far as advertising and promotion, what is a site’s target market? How did they identify them? What can they offer that group that other sites can’t or won’t?

14. Too many sites lack clear goals. Many are trying to be Rolling Stone, but that is a terrible decision because the business model of Rolling Stone is no longer working for that publication in today’s world. Sites need to set attainable goals and manage their expectations along the way.

15. If they do start a YouTube Channel or podcast, why? How are they working to differentiate that content from what already exists? The more specific sites can be the better. No one needs more “people who like everything talking about everything they like.”

16. Networking matters. What kind of relationships are new sites developing with PR/Labels/Artists? Are they saying yes to everything? If so, stop that. Are they only saying yes if they promise to promote? If so, top that. Are they working together to create the best possible content that can help everyone? If so, do more of that.

17. Too many sites dream big but act small. If blogs try something new, they MUST put their all into it. Why should anyone else give a damn about what a website is doing if the site owners don’t give a damn? Quality breeds community.

18. Blogs need to listen to the music community more. Find a need and fill it. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a complete list of tours currently happening in any specific genre? How about a playlist with all the new material from any one genre each week? These ideas and many more are waiting to be utilized.

These problems don’t even begin to address the problem of monetization, or they need to pay contributors, but both these issues can be solved AFTER an audience has been developed.

Blogs will never die, but it’s likely many sites that exist right now won’t be around in five years’ time. If you want to survive then you must adapt. Constant evolution based on analysis of trends and tastes will inevitably give way to longevity. Complacency only leads to death.

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News

Who reads your music blog?

Music blogs are plentiful, but who reads them?

Search the name of virtually any artist or group on social media, and you are bound to find people discussing that act. Opinions on music are a dime a dozen, and when it comes to bands, everyone already knows their value is even less. Still, young music writers around the globe cut corners on a daily basis to be among the first to cover the latest news about the biggest acts in their area of interest. It doesn’t matter if their site has few to no visitors or if much larger publications beat them to the punch, they want to ensure that their readers learn the latest breaking news directly from them.

But who is the audience for the average blog, and who visits websites for news before scrolling social media?

Music publications, especially those lacking funding, rarely build their audience through coverage of talent that is covered by every other zine, blog, or Twitter feed in the world. Music publications gain readers by delivering the stories no one else can. They earn trust through curating a profoundly entertaining and highly engaging conversation around music that they believe deserves recognition.

Covering everything that is popular in music will satisfy people, but it won’t captivate them. If you want people to continue coming back, you need to seek out the stories no one is telling about the musicians that everyone will want to know six months from now. Your job is to hook people with music made by others. There is a finite amount of people who read music sites, and the vast majority are using the same hook to lure readers. Why do that when you can stand out? Why offer what everyone else offers when you can be the alternative?

When you align yourself with artists on the rise, you align yourself with dreamers, and that is – in many ways – your audience. You want people who listen to music and dream of lives not yet lead. You want to provide the soundtrack to their next great escape, and you want to tell them why it’s going to change their lives before they even realize what is happening to them. You want to be a source of discovery, not regurgitation, which continually introduces new sounds and ideas into someone’s life. If you can accomplish one or both of those things, you can make a reader for life. Better yet, you’ll create an ambassador for your work that helps carry word of your writing to places you’ve yet to reach.

So, who reads music blogs? People just like you. People who think the radio is dead and the music they hear everyone else enjoying is stupid, dull, or just plain awful. Be yourself and readers will find you. Do what everyone else is doing, and they will pass you by in search of a more authentic voice.

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News

A simple trick for improving your relationships with publicists

Do you know what I hate? My inbox. Every single day for the last decade my inbox has been flooded with press releases, pitches, and promotional messaging from thousands of contacts around the world. A few artists and artist reps talk to me regularly, a few even daily, but the vast majority only make meaningful contact when they need something.

If you’re a music writer, you can probably relate to this struggle. You want to be someone people turn to with opportunities, but you also want to live life away from your inbox. The tug of war between your personal and professional life blurs the more you work to be diligent with responses, but ultimately you lay in bed at night and wonder whether or not your time is wisely spent.

Now if you think that is bad — imagine how publicists feel. A publicist goes through all the same struggles outlined above; only their experience is 10x worse. They know, nine times out of ten, that an email in their inbox is a request. They don’t know what the person wants or needs, but they know it is something that will add to the list of things they need to accomplish. Even if all they can do is to decline, there is still work to do, and that work never ends.

I tell you this because a surprising number of writers do not appreciate how fortunate they are to receive any response at all from most artists and publicists. Unless you a contributing to one of the top tier entertainment publications the chances your one post is going to make a significant impact on the trajectory of someone’s career in 2018 – without them publicizing it heavily themselves – is minimal. Today’s talent needs a lot of quality coverage, not to mention a lot of different types coverage, from numerous sources. There has to be a strategy to the chaos of promotion, and implementing that strategy requires someone who oversees the madness that is attempting to make people care about someone’s creative output. That responsibility almost always falls on the publicist (or, in their absence, the artist), and it is up to them to figure out how and where and when to push content.

And you know how they keep these jobs? Results. The person responsible for promotion is judged on the results of their work. Did they secure a lot of news coverage? Did the interviews go to sites who had significant influence and/or strong writing talent? Where did the exclusives premiere and why? Were there any opportunities left on the table? If so, why?

To answer the questions above publicists create reports that are regularly updated, which only adds to the workload of these already busy professionals.

This is where you come in.

Every time you write about an artist you need to send the artist’s press contact a link to the published post. Tagging the artist on Twitter or other social media platforms is not enough. Some artists receive hundreds, even thousands of notifications throughout the day. If you want your name and site to get ahead, you need to ensure your work is being seen by the right people, starting with the artist and their representation.

News post? Email.

Review? Email.

Editorial? Email.

Top 10 best hair moments? Email.

Publicists spend a significant amount of time scrolling through Google notifications, and RSS feeds in search of content relevant to their clients. The names and sites that appear through those efforts are hurried into spreadsheets so that another name can be added to the list. You don’t want to be just another name on a list. You want to be known as a writer who gives a damn, and that begins with making sure people know your work exists.

REMEBER: Relationships are everything in music, and you can further yours by helping those around you do their jobs more efficiently. In writing, that means sharing your content with the people who shared that information with you in the first place.

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News

Three tips for music writers in 2018

The music business in 2018 would be virtually unrecognizable to the music business of 2000. In less than two decades the industry we all love has undergone an extended transformation that has placed an emphasis on access rather than ownership, created a glut of festivals, and brought into question the necessity of quote/unquote ‘music journalists’. When algorithms can predict success better than even the most gifted ears and everyone with an opinion is able to share their thoughts on social media do we really have a need for full-time music writers?

The answer, as always, is yes. There may be more people talking about music than ever before, as well as more way to access music, but that does not mean the quality of conversation around the art form is at its peak. As long as there are great artists creating impossibly catchy songs that ultimately never receive the praise or support they deserve there is still work to be done on the part of music journalists. There is and will always be a need for people to amplify the voice of artists on the rise, as well as a need for experienced listeners to help those short on time make worthwhile discoveries.

While there is a lot to be said for how music blogs and publications can better themselves in 2018 (click here to learn more), there is also quite a bit you should be taking it upon yourself to do in order to get ahead. What follows are three tips to keep in mind as we begin to navigate the uncertain months ahead. The future is always unpredictable, but there is a lot you can do right now to increase your chances of a better tomorrow. If you have any questions, just email me: james@haulix.com.

Storytelling matters now more than ever

There was time not long ago when the vast majority of music blogs created just two pieces of content: Reviews and news. The reviews were written hurriedly by young critics trying to make their name by praising or trashing talent, while the news often amounted to little more than copy/pasted press releases tweaked just enough to not be outright plagiarism. Some of this content was good, but most was immediately disposable.

Some of those sites still exist today, but most have died due to an inability to grow their audience. If the content your creating is immediately disposable then the same can be said for your site. If, however, you are able to find a way to create unique content that no one else can offer then you may be able to set yourself apart.

To do this, we suggest telling more stories. Find an artist you believe in, regardless of popularity, and tell their story. Tell your story about telling their story. Tell the story of their fans and why they choose to care about this artist instead of the other million-plus in existence. Find an angle that interests you and share it with the world. Take chances. Maybe what you uncover isn’t necessarily new or groundbreaking information, but as long as it is honest and well-written it will entertain.

Maintain your archives, both public and private

Here’s a nightmare scenario most writers never consider: What happens to your content in the event a hacker attacks the site(s) where you contribute? What happens if the owner of that site suddenly loses interest in the publication and deletes it? What happens if for whatever reason your content disappears before you or anyone else thinks to save a copy elsewhere?

The answer is always the same: Your content is gone forever.

In 2018, there are no longer any acceptable excuses for failing to maintain a personal archive. Too many sites have gone under and too many people have complained over social media about now permanently lost work for you to fall in line with those who the easily avoidable mistake of not keeping track of your work. After all, who else do you expect to do it? No one cares more about your career in writing than you, so you must be the one to look after and ensure its legacy.

In addition to saving your work offline, we also suggest you maintain a catalog of links to the currently active content you consider to be your ‘best’ work. Services like Contently make this easy and cost-effective. Again, there is no excuse for your archives being a mess. Get it together!

You need a website

Every time we create a post offering advice to individual professionals we make it a point to emphasize the need for a personal website. It doesn’t matter if you own a blog with a hundred contributors or you contribute to a hundred blogs, every single person trying to make it in the music business should have their own website. The reasons why are as endless as your imagination, but the main reason is that you need a place where you and your work can be the focus of everyone’s attention. You need a place where your absolute best work is displayed, as well as a place where people can learn more about you and whether or not you are available for freelance work. A personal website can be anything you want it to be. Just make sure you have one.

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News

3 Tips for improving your music blog in 2018

The new year is almost here, which means right now the music business is largely silent. Industry professionals at all levels tend to lay low in the days between Christmas and New Year’s day, which in turn leaves music writers with little to discuss aside from their picks for the best album, song, new artist, video, etc. of the preceding year. That content is good and expected, but if you really want to make the most of this time you should be putting the majority of your effort and focus into deciding how you will further your work in the new year.

The world of digital music writing has changed immensely over the course of 2017. Dozens of sites went under, leaving writers at every level looking for steady employment, and several sites combined forces because doing so was the only way to stay afloat. The value of digital advertising also fluctuated more than ever, which in turn made it increasingly difficult for sites to cover their costs. 2018 will likely be no different, if not worse, so those hoping to do make it through with their job and sanity intact need to embrace the constant state of change we now exist within and use it to their advantage. Here are three tips to get you started:

Get (more) social

The constant battle to always be producing quality content became even more complicated in 2017 as it seemed every social media platforms was working hard to make their platform the go-to destination for all young people. Snapchat has stories, Instagram has stories, Facebook has stories, and two of those platforms also offer live broadcast options. This, in addition to Twitter, Tumblr, and any other site/platform where fans of music exist.

You will never be able to be everywhere all the time, but if you focus your efforts on maximizing the return from a single platform in the new year your brand is likely to go far. Look at your followers and figure out where you have the most engaged followers. From there, outline weeks or months worth of content that can be created exclusively for that service. Maybe you do artist takeovers, or perhaps you host a weekly talk show. The sky is the limit!

Start a podcast (and if you already have one, keep at it)

The podcast medium garnered a lot of attention in 2017, and it is likely to see even more growth in the new year.

The possibilities with podcasting are seemingly endless; You can record a conversation about a single topic, offer regular news updates, interview people, or simply talk to the world at large — all from the comfort of your home (or anywhere else, for that matter).

Podcasts can be as long or as short as you want, and there is no limit to the number of podcasts you can record. Find a niche that has not yet been filled an fill it with your voice.

Simplicity is an art. Quality > Quantity.

When everything is available with a few clicks and keystrokes the temptation to try and cover all corners of the entertainment world at all times can be great, but for the sake of your health and sanity, you need to resist giving in to such ideas.

There is no way anyone or any one team can cover everything and do a good job. You can cover everything and be pretty mediocre, sure, but being the best at everything just isn’t in the cards.

Find what your audience wants and serve that to them as often and as well as you possibly can.

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News

How ending net neutrality would kill music blogs

The term ‘net neutrality’ has been commonplace in pop culture for the last few year, but many people still have no idea what it means or how it affect their lives.  

In the simplest terms possible, net neutrality is the idea that all things on the internet should be treated equally. The term was coined in 2003 by Columbia law professor Tim Wu, net neutrality stems from the idea that a public information network like the Internet is most useful if all of the content, websites and platforms on said network are treated equally. More specifically, net neutrality is meant to prevent large Internet service providers (ISPs) from slowing down sites or content from their competitors and privileging their own content to increase their revenue.

Net neutrality prevents corporations from controlling your internet experience. For example, because of net neutrality a company like Comcast is not allowed to slow your Netflix stream to a crawl to ensure you don’t stop paying them for cable. Likewise, it prevents Comcast from blocking your access to certain sites based on their content. 

Recently, certain people in government have been pushing to end net neutrality. If this were to happen, the power to determine who can access what online and how much they will have to pay to do so will be in the hands of internet providers. Furthermore, those same providers could charge websites fees based on their traffic.

EXAMPLE

In a world without net neutrality, Comcast could change their internet offerings from packages based on speed to packages based on what sites you would be allowed to access. $20 might get you Netflix, Facebook, and Twitter, but nothing else. $30 would get you all of the aforementioned sites, as well as Hulu, Amazon, etc. $40 would get you all over those, as well as additional ‘popular’ sites, and so on.

This would be bad for blogs for a number of reasons:

– The number of total consumers who could access their site would drop exponentially overnight. 

– There would be no clear way to ensure any marketing reaches people who can also access your site. Maybe the consumer pays for YouTube and therefore see your ads, but they might not have access to your site.

– New sites that begin to gain popularity will have to pay more and more in order to keep their site online. Failure to do so may cause their site to be throttled to such an extent its too slow for consumers to access. 

These problems would impact big and small music blogs alike. The diminished traffic would ultimately impact ad revenue, which in turn would limit how much a site could pay to be reachable. In short, it would take a miracle for anyone to make it out alive.

Net Neutrality would hurt artists and labels as well. Imagine not just paying $10 for Spotify, but an additional fee for the internet package that includes access to Spotify. This kind of ‘nickel and dime’ business will drive away lower income consumers, thus resulting in less streaming royalties for musicians. 

There is literally no aspect of repealing net neutrality that benefits the music business. Even Haulix, which is used by professionals around the world to access unreleased music for promotional purposes, would be inundated with extra costs if a repeal were to happen. Prices would have to be raised to meet these new costs, which would be hard for clients to meet considering the loss in streaming revenue. 

You can fight the war against net neutrality by contacting your representatives to demand they fight any proposed legislation that does not keep the internet free and equal. More information can be found on SaveTheInternet. 

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Can someone create a successful, sustainable music blog in 2017?

Not long ago the idea of launching a music blog was thought to be a smart way for aspiring music professionals to network and get their foot in the door of an otherwise hard to access industry. Anyone living anywhere who could string together sentences and navigate a ‘create your own site’ type blogging platform (WordPress, Tumblr, Blogspot, etc.) was suddenly able to be a part of the entertainment business, and many signed up to do just that. Sites of all sizes were creating original content, building communities, and – in some cases – catching the attention of the business world at large. Some site owners sold their creations for thousands of dollars, while others built writing teams largely funded through click-driven ad revenue.

Over the last few years however, things have gone downhill. Sites have been folding by the dozens, and any newcomers who dare try to launch a new project without some kind of celebrity backing or association often struggle to develop an audience. Patreon has helped in some cases by making it easy for consumers to support content creators, but when the majority of a site’s content (news) is easily available for free on a hundred other sites convincing people a single blog deserves even a dollar a month can be an uphill battle. This is especially with younger audiences, who have likely never paid to read news or opinions in their life. That demographic has only ever known the news to be something that was available on demand, for free, 24/7.  To make them think otherwise requires original thinking, innovative content, smart marketing, and relatable voices with in-depth knowledge of the subject matter.

But there’s a problem: All of those things require money, and anyone who is actually getting paid to write about music right now will tell you there is little of that to be found. Advertising revenue has been falling for years, which has no doubt killed many publications and forced others to drastically downscale their operations.  In turn, the rate(s) freelance writers receive for their work has continue to fall year over year. Some have found success by selling music related content to brands and social platform as a form of marketing, but even those jobs are increasingly hard to find.

With all of this in mind one has to wonder: 

Can we create a successful, sustainable music blog in 2017?

From my experience, the responses to this questions can best be described as coming from either optimists or realists. The optimists will tell you that people will support something they believe if it is done well. Realists will tell you there is a lot of great content from great writers available for free all the time, so why do you think anyone’s work deserves more than theirs?

It really comes down to money and content. If you ask former music bloggers why they quit the first response they are most likely to offer will relate in some way to money. Maybe they needed more of it, or maybe they never made any at all. Maybe they made it work for a minute, but in order to have any kind of life as a functional adult they needed to seek additional employment. That secondary job inevitably paid more than writing so, over time, writing faded into the background.

Seriously, you would not believe the amount of great music writers who would love to continue writing about music, but due to the simple fact they have lives they cannot reason the time needed when no payment is involved. It’s not a matter of whether or not they are writing for the right reasons, but that our society is not one where credits can sustain one’s continued existence. Clicks don’t put food in writer’s stomachs or pay for their kids to have school clothes. People need money to live and asking for it in exchange for their time and creativity should not be something they hesitate to do. They deserve it.

The other factor, as mentioned above, is content. What kind of content can a publication offer today that cannot be found elsewhere for free? The answer is two-fold: The voices of the writers involved, and the type of content they are able to create because they have funding. The possibilities are endless as long as their is support for the creative endeavors of those involved.

If it mainly comes down to money, how much do we need?

This is a good question. Perhaps, the only question. There is no exact answer, but reliable monthly income is a good place to start. The amount a writer feels their work is worth and the amount they’re willing to accept to create said work is often two different numbers. Those with a passion to develop a sustainable brand and home for their work will be willing to take less to begin if they believe in what is being created. With the backing of an audience that reenforces the necessity of their work through financial support writers can be positioned to do great things on even modest budgets.

The thing is, most career writers will not jump into a non-paid project for an unknown site if there is no guarantee of money down the line. They may be willing to contribute an article or two, but they are likely too busy with paying work to take on something for credit.

How do we get around this?

It is possible that there are consumers who want quality content related to alternative music/entertainment enough to financially support a site at launch. With the right team of influencers, each bringing their own audience to the site, a community of passionate readers could theoretically support a new site from launch.

Right now, the best way to approach this appears to be through a funding site like Patreon, which allows consumers to give creators a few dollars a month, every month, in exchange for continued content creation. One could create a Patreon page promoting the launch of a new music site from a group of writers who have agreed to write as long as the page maintains X amount of money per month. Readers wishing to see the site launch agree to contribute a few dollars a month, and once a certain threshold is reached the site goes live. From that point, the amount of money generated per month directly correlates to the amount of content created.

For example: Let’s say MUSIC BLOG X starts a Patreon Page promising to launch once the site is receiving $250 a month in contributions. Prior to reaching this goal, all subscribers who sign up to donate early will receive a weekly newsletter with headlines and short reviews. Once the page is bringing in $250 a month, the site goes live. At this point all money donated to MUSIC BLOG X is split into three groups: Site costs, operational fees (taxes), and paying contributors. The first two groups could be covered with $100 a month. If the site continues to generation $250 a month, this leaves $150 to pay contributors. If the site pays writers $15 per feature (a low rate), the site can run 10 features that month. As more contributions come in, more content can be afforded. Writers get paid, readers get quality content. Everyone wins.

But we still come back to the first problem: Finding consumers who ‘give a damn’ enough to pay for a new publication.

It’s one thing to find subscribers to established brands, even if you have to lowball yourself to do so (Example: Alternative Press selling $5 subscriptions), but starting something new is an entirely different story. Many people equate something new with presenting risk, and no one likes to think they are risking their money. It may take a ‘proof of concept’ beta site to win over consumers, and even then it will be an uphill battle to gain followers.

This does not mean we should not try.

If you look around the digital space you will find there are small revolutions happening all the time. Every week there is a new idea or site or trend that grabs a corner of the internet by the collar and hooks them into whatever is being sold. It is unclear how large the market for a music blog is in 2017, but suffice to say there will always be an audience for quality music journalism. We as creators have to believe there are consumers who understand that the content we provide is not created out of thin air, and that every keystroke comes at a cost of time and money to the content creator. Just because consumers cannot hold our creations does not mean they do not have value, but convincing a generation of consumers raised to believe otherwise is a problem plaguing much of the digital space. The answer appears to reside in people and the community that can be created around their voices, as well as through empowering those who support them. When everyone feels like they are not only being heard, but respected, then we can move forward a global music community.

We need a revolution. Who will lead us into the future?

James Shotwell is the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. He is also the host of the Inside Music podcast and a ten-year veteran of music journalism. You should probably follow him on Twitter.

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