Tag: Periscope

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The Social Media Tool Your Band Is Missing Out On: Periscope

The following post is the latest in our ongoing content collaboration with the fine folks at Muddy Paw PR.

The live streaming tool known as Periscope has been out for just under a year, and in that time I’ve seen exactly zero artists using it to effectively market themselves. When the app first came out, I thought it would be a game changer. Here we had an app that would allow us to live stream our every move. I’ve seen everything from a night in the life of a funnel cake to hiding in the bathroom during a tornado watch, but I hardly ever see artists live streaming themselves. Why?

Is it a fear of being exposed? Perhaps. It’s a scary thing to talk into the void, obsessively watching your number count rise and fall in the bottom corner of the screen. Who are your viewers? What do they think? Are you being compelling? Are you selling yourself well? By live streaming you’re opening yourself up to a lot of potential criticism—and let’s face it, people can be downright mean on the internet. But as an artist, isn’t that what you do every time you release a new song or step on that stage? If by taking a chance and trying something new you gain even a few new followers, or your song and your mission make a difference in someone’s life, won’t that have been worth it? After all, isn’t discomfort and stepping into the unknown the cornerstone of growth?

So here’s what I want you to do. I want you to set up a time, right now to get on Periscope. Don’t go into it totally blind, take the time to plan what you’re going to talk about. But make a plan, promote it to your audience, and then get ready. It could be a Q&A about your latest album, or it could be a behind-the-scenes look at the night of a show, including a live stream of your performance. The important part is to make a decision, make a plan, and then make it happen. And when you do this, send me a tweet—@Angela_Mastro and let me know when you’ll be live. I’ll be watching.

Angela Mastrogiacomo is the owner of Muddy Paw Public Relations. Muddy Paw specializes in working with up and coming artists on personalized campaigns designed to bring their careers to the next level. To date, we’ve secured placements on sites such as AbsolutePunk, Substream, New Noise Magazine, Under the Gun Review, Property Of Zack, PureVolume, Anti-Music, and many more. You can find us at www.MuddyPawPR.com

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Move Over Periscope, Facebook Wants In On Live Video Streaming

The hottest social media trend of 2015 has been the rise of ‘live broadcast’ companies that allow users to share their perspective on life using nothing more than the camera(s) on their phone. These companies have found a way to make a real impression on the overcrowded digital business space in a very small amount of time, so it should come as little to no surprise that the world’s largest social platform, Facebook, is now preparing to introduce their own real-time video streaming service in the new year.

According to a post on Music3Point0, Facebook quietly began testing a live broadcast tool with select users earlier this month. The tool has been available to big brands for a few months, but the company is only just now beginning to share this feature with everyday users. The testing is in its beta stage right now, with a full public release expected in early 2016.

Beta testers have found that you’ll be able to see both the people that are currently viewing your broadcast as well as the real-time comments.

What will separate Facebook’s live broadcast feature from that of other services is the ability to specify who is able to access each stream. This means that you, page owners and users, can designate your broadcast to be seen just by your fans, followers, a group, or even a small group of friends or family. Have a big tour announcement? Invite everybody. Need to share the news of a new baby? Make it personal and only allow those you care about the most to join. Facebook aims to make this specificity the thing that sets them apart.

Also, all broadcasts will live forever on your timeline, or at least as long as you desire to have them available. This differs from Meerkat and Periscope, which only keeps user videos for a limited amount of time (usually a day or less).

The one disadvantage to Facebook’s live broadcast service is the need to be logged into Facebook in order to participate, and the videos of previous broadcast will only be able to be viewed on Facebook itself. This mean no exporting no sharing to other networks. In a time when more and more people are finding the social platform too crowded and busy to be of much real use, Facebook is hoping great services like this will give users a reason to remain committed to the site.

The news of Facebook’s decision to enter the live broadcast market is sure to worry those working at Periscope and Meerkat. Those companies combined 12 million registered users is nothing compared to 1.5 billion people registered on Facebook. If Facebook’s broadcast tool offers high quality streaming that is easy to operate, there is a good chance the companies currently leading the live broadcast discussion could fall behind the social media giant.

Are you excited for Facebook to enter the live broadcast world? Comment below and let us know your thoughts!

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3 Ways Periscope Can Help You Better Engage With Fans

Periscope has been on the market for the bette part of 2015, but so far artists have been slow to adopt the latest social media trend. I believe this is largely due to a lack of understanding on how to best leverage the platform for marketing purposes. Where companies like Snapchat, Twitter, and Facebook have spent untold sums of money trying to cater to brands and artists, Periscope has kept their business-to-business marketing at a minimum. Whether or not that will change as the company continues to scale in 2016 remains unseen, but for those willing to try something new there is a lot of fun and improved fan engagement to be had with the real-time video streaming service. Here are 3 ways you can use Periscope to improve your interactions with fans:

1. Host Q&A sessions with one or more band members

Twitter and Tumblr have long been the places musicians have turned to field questions from their fans. While I wouldn’t suggest stopping those efforts altogether, I do think it would be wise to add Periscope Q&A sessions to the mix as well. The real-time video aspect of Periscope makes it possible for these brief, global engagements with fans to feel more intimate because they can actually see the member(s) they are conversing with, not to mention the reactions they have to the questions asked. This put a face (or faces) to the band brand, and it personalizes the experience in a way no other social media platform can match.

2. Create a daily or weekly broadcast that happens at or around the same time every time you choose to go live

All social media exists to make it easy for people to stay up to date with the people, places, and things they enjoy. Periscope is no different in this aspect, but again the addition of video makes the entire experience far more personal. With this in mind, artists should set aside a specific time every day or a few times a week that they use solely to engage with fans and offer any current updates/promotions regarding their music. Creating and sticking to a broadcast schedule is important because it not only raises the likelihood of viewers returning again and again, but also helps establish engagement with your brand/music as a part of your fans’ day-to-day lives. Like a TV show so great people tune in when it airs, your recurring broadcasts will become a point in every day or week that fans look forward to and yearn to see arrive. 

As an example, let me tell you about a comedian named Joey Diaz. Every day, or close to every day, Joey Diaz begins his morning by sharing a smoke with his fans over Periscope. Joey calls it his “morning number,” and literally thousands of fans join to participate. As he puffs away on his hand rolled stick of death, Joey tells fans about his life and any upcoming shows/comedy happenings he feels are important. The broadcasts rarely last more than five minutes, but that is more than enough time for fans to feel as if they’ve been a part of something special that allowed them to engage with their comedy idol.

3. Surprise acoustic performances

Due to the sometimes poor sound quality that comes with recording concerts from the audience, it may be a while before Periscope works all that well for artists hoping to share their live performance with fans. In the meantime, musicians can make the most of the platform by hosting impromptu acoustic performances for fans. Have one member, or even an onlooker, hold a phone set to broadcast while the other members perform something stripped down for anyone able to tune in. The video will be catalogued for 24 hours, but those able to witness in real time will feel part of something special. They may wake up with a musician’s song in their head and the knowledge that artists will not be performing anywhere near them for months, but in a moment’s notice they can be connected to a performance happening anywhere in the world. That kind of instant gratification is hard to come by in any industry, and it definitely should not be taken for granted.

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Taylor Swift’s Secret Internet Police Are Now Targeting Periscope Users

Taylor Swift may be the queen of modern pop music, but her latest tour has ruffled more than a few feathers with its aggressive approach to controlling media distribution. The first to complain were photographers, many of whom believed the ‘1989’ creator’s photo release form to be outright ridiculous. As photographer Jason Sheldon explained in his open letter to Swift, the photo waivers for the pop star’s concerts stipulate that a photographer can use the images from the show only once and only within the published report on that performance. That means they can’t sell it to other editorial outlets, nor can they sell prints of the image in any way.

While this is not an entirely uncommon set of guidelines for a photo release, it is only the tip of the iceberg on for Swift. As COS points out, “the real kicker is not the rights it takes from the photogs, but what it gives Swift and her team. The contract states that Swift and Firefly Entertainment have the ability to use any concert photographer’s images themselves for any publicity or “non-commercial purpose” in perpetuity. In other words, they can use a photographer’s work in marketing material and not pay them a penny.”

None of these restrictions have applied to photos taken by fans, of course, but only because fans are rarely in a position to snap a high quality photo of Swift during her performance. The photos fans take are often zoomed in shot of the pop star taken from a great distance. They’re the kind of thing people share on their Snapchat story, or in a thread with friends who could not attend, which is a long way of saying the pictures fans captures are intended for non-commercial use. Apparently, this is still not good enough for Taylor Swift and/or her team because a new story circulating online points to even more aggressive restrictions being placed on media captured during Swift’s latest tour.

As TorrentFreak first broke late last week, Taylor Swift in her team have reportedly been issuing dozens of takedown notices to fans and media who use Periscope to capture her performances. The videos, often shared by some of the most passionate fans, are seen as apparently being viewed as copyright infringement. Swift has surrounded herself with a dedicated enforcement team called TAS Rights Management who swiftly take them offline. An example of one a takedown notice currently being distributed can be viewed below:

As far as we know, Taylor Swift is the only artist who has assembled an entire takedown task force to protect what she perceives a copyrighted material. She is not, however, the only person to issue takedown notices for Periscope broadcasts. Many brands, including sports organizations like the NFL, NBA, WWE and Premier League, also have teams working to make sure their broadcasts are not replicated or shown without their consent.

While we understand Swift’s desire to keep the best parts of her show a secret for those who pay to see her, we can’t help but feel her secret task force may eventually do more harm than good. A big part of why we enjoy social media as a culture is the way it allows us to share experiences instantaneously. Swift is essentially trying to prevent that type of interaction from happening whenever the media being shared involves her, and in a way its only serving to mute her most dedicated fans. Call us crazy, but we don’t really see the benefit in that. Do you?

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What We Learned From Watching Pvris At Webster Hall On Periscope

With the seemingly unstoppable growth being experience by the market for apps allowing you to broadcast your life in real time it should come as no surprise that artists have found yet another way to connect with their fans in the digital space. Last night, in front of hundreds of fans, Rise Records group Pvris became one of the first internationally-recognized bands in the world to share their thrilling live show with fans around the globe in real time, for free, using nothing more than a cell phone and an app they downloaded for free from iTunes.

We told you back in late March about Periscope and the numerous ways musicians could leverage the real-time mobile broadcast platform to benefit their careers. At the time, we never imagined a mainstream artist would consider sharing a straightforward live performance given the many issues such promotions would face in regards to assuring a quality broadcast (sound, lighting, etc.). but last night Pvris rolled the dice and more or less came out victors as a result. The image wasn’t great, and to be honest the audio did leave a bit to be desired, but the broadcast allowed the band’s many fans around the world a new way to connect with the group, as well as one another, that was equally unique and fleeting (Periscope deletes all broadcasts twenty-four hours after a recording is first made).

If you missed the broadcast entirely, there is no way to share it with you now. You cannot embed broadcasts, and even if you could the app captures all broadcasts as vertical video. Viewers watching Pvris had to hold their phones sideways to view the concert proper, but if they did that it became a bit more difficult to keep track of the fan-generated conversation happening simultaneously on the same screen. Here’s an example:

The entire broadcast lasted only through the opening song of the band’s set, and even that proved to be a bit difficult. Connection was never lost, but at one point whoever was responsible for holding or watching the phone capturing the performance lost control of the device and the image became incredibly hard to watch:

This may sound like a lot of complaining, but I actually think this event was a great success. Pvris’ broadcast was far from perfect, but it did manage to teach us a few things:

1. Periscope would be wise to implement a horizontal/widescreen broadcast setting. 

Vertical video syndrome used to be a pretty hilarious meme, but the age of cell phone broadcasting has made its use more prevalent than ever before. Due to the way Periscope has been developed, the chat functions do not rotate with the camera during a broadcast so, as you see above, users are forced to choose between engaging with others and strictly viewing the performance. There is also no way to shut off the chat (at least not one that is clearly marked on screen), so it’s possible to foresee instances where the interaction between audience members takes away from the action on screen.

2. Despite a lack of HD video and studio quality sound, fans stuck around to view the entire performance. 

The initial Pvris broadcast brought in 558 viewers, with an additional 276 people watching the video replay of the performance in the hours since the live feed came to an end. I watched the video twice myself, and though I won’t claim to have been able to read every comment that flew by on screen, I did not see a single person complain about the video or audio quality of the event. Most fans were just excited to have the opportunity to see the band live at all, with numerous people commenting “This may be the closest I ever get to seeing you,” or “This makes up for me not being allowed to see you on Warped Tour this summer.”  

3. Artists hoping to duplicate this idea in the future would be wise to invest in a tripod.

I mentioned this briefly above, but it became increasingly clear as the Pvris broadcast continued that there was someone holding the phone capturing the performance. While they did their job perfectly fine, numerous moments of shakiness and one instance where the view of the band was lost entirely due to circumstances that remain unclear may have been avoided if the phone/iPad/etc running Periscope had been placed in a tripod or similar device that enabled stabilized recording. 

4. Fan-filmed broadcasts of concerts large and small will be on the rise in no time at all, so artists might as well take the lead.

Unless Periscope develops a way for quote/unquote ‘celebrities’ to broadcast in full HD, the level of quality recording attainable for anyone using Periscope is basically the same. The Pvris broadcast, while far from perfect, proved people will engage with the platform in spite of not having the best audio or video to enjoy. The access the platform gives those without the means to attend events is second to none, and it will only be a matter of time before every other teen at every date of Warped Tour is capturing full sets from bands for people online to enjoy from the comfort of their own home. Maybe they’ll be broadcasting for a friend who wasn’t allowed to attend, or maybe they’ll be broadcasting in hopes of getting some digital recognition for being the ‘first’ to share the group’s latest live show. Whatever the case, Periscope’s foray into the world of live music has only just begun.

With that in mind, I think it’s important for artists to follow the lead of Pvris and begin using Periscope to share their own live performances and behind-the-scenes antics. Let fans know now, while the app is still young, that your official account is the best source for broadcasts featuring you and your music. You could also encourage fans to share videos of your performance using a specific hashtag that helps further your brand.

5. It never hurts to try something new

Pvris on Periscope could have been a complete disaster. The sound at Webster Hall could have overwhelmed the phone’s micropohone, or the lighting at the venue could have made the video too much of a colorful mess to enjoy, but instead the band’s first real-time performance broadcast was proof the emerging social media platform could be used to connect with fans in a new way. It’s not perfect yet, but it will almost certainly be approved upon, and for the time being it’s more than good enough to capture and retain the attention of the band’s global fanbase, many of whom are likely in high school or college.

6. Pvris are a really, really great band.

Part of the reason nobody seemed to care that the audio from Webster Hall wasn’t crystal clear is because Pvris still sounded great. The band has been praised by critics and fans alike for their tight live show, and even a low quality real-time broadcast of their set could not diminish the talent they have developed through years of hard work and constant dedication. The less than ideal setup may have exposed another band’s lack of cohesion on stage, but for Pvris it was only further proof this still young band has an incredibly bright future on the horizon. 

James Shotwell is the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. He is also a professional entertainment critic, covering both film and music, as well as the co-founder of Antique Records. Feel free to tell him you love or hate the article above by connecting with him on Twitter. Bonus points if you introduce yourself by sharing your favorite Simpsons character.

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Five Ways Musicians Should Be Using Periscope

Have you heard about the latest social media trend? It’s called ‘live broadcasting,’ and right now there are two companies dominating the marketplace. One is called Meerkat, and until a few weeks ago many believed it would be the industry leader. Now that title belongs to Periscope, which was acquired prior to launch by Twitter in January, and just last week the highly-publicized mobile app was released to the public.

Pericope, like Meerkat, works by allowing users to live broadcast their life to the world by downloading the iOS app and connecting through Twitter. Your followers get a push notification and can watch your livestream, all free of charge.

Here’s what the founders of Periscope had to say about the inspiration for this product:

Just over a year ago, we became fascinated by the idea of discovering the world through someone else’s eyes. What if you could see through the eyes of a protester in Ukraine? Or watch the sunrise from a hot air balloon in Cappadocia? It may sound crazy, but we wanted to build the closest thing to teleportation. While there are many ways to discover events and places, we realized there is no better way to experience a place right now than through live video. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but live video can take you someplace and show you around.

For broadcasters, Periscope lets you share an experience with others. Press a button, and instantly notify your followers that you’re live. Whether you’re witnessing your daughter’s first steps or a newsworthy event, Periscope offers an audience and the power of a shared experience. Most mobile broadcasting tools feel far from live. Broadcasters on Periscope are directly connected to their audience, able to feel their presence and interact. Going live on Periscope means more than a blinking red dot.

For viewers, Periscope gives you a new set of eyes and ears. Travel the world and step into someone else’s shoes. See what they see, hear what they hear, and hopefully feel what they feel. Watching a broadcast isn’t a passive experience like television. On Periscope, viewers influence the broadcaster by sending messages, and expressing their love by tapping the screen to send hearts.“

While adoption of this new social media format is still on the rise, now is as good atime as there will ever be for musicians to signup and begin building their community. Unlike several recent social media platforms that quickly rose in popularity only to disappear seemingly overnight, Periscope (and Meerkat) offers something that actual changes the way we are able to connect with one another. It’s not about profiles and photo-swapping, but cultivating instantaneous communities around events happening all over the world in real time. It’s about engaging with others, regardless of location, to experience life in a truly unique way with very few barriers to entry. Like Facebook and Twitter before it, Periscope has found a way to make the world seem a bit smaller, and in doing so the founders created a scalable business model that will likely see large growth in the months ahead.

We have said this many times before, but every musician needs to view their career like that of a small business. They may have the highest quality products and the best customer service, but unless they know how to market and publicize their efforts they will find establishing a lasting presence in the industry next to impossible. The age of social media has made it incredibly easy for anyone to become a successful marketer as long as they know how to engage with people online, and with the rise of Periscope there is yet another way for brands, bands, and people to connect and raise awareness for their work. The ways to do this are essentially limitless, but we have gathered five ideas that will go a long way toward further engaging with fans through the use of live broadcasting:

Weekly Updates (Same time, different place)

There are a number of artists who currently make and release updates for fans on a weekly or monthly basis, but the vast majority of them rely on YouTube to host this content. Furthermore, they spend days or weeks recording content, then several more hours editing everything together before sharing said recaps with fans. With the rise of services like Periscope and Meerkat, musicians can now broadcast their updates in real time directly to whatever fans choose to tune in as long as they are somewhere with cell service. Instead of spending hours recording and editing, artists can establish a regular broadcast schedule and spend for more time marketing their appearances. Both services catalog every recording, so anyone who misses a broadcast will be able to catch up at their own pace. This means everyone who would have watched on YouTube will still be able to tune in when they’re able while those who are able to watch live can now directly engage with the artist in real time. Double win.

Scenes from the road/Scenes from the studio

There is no career like that of a musician on the rise. From spending hundreds of hours on the open road, to playing clubs that look like rejected sets from the last Quentin Tarantino film, and even time spent in the studio (wherever that may be), there are hundreds or even thousands of sights musicians see that the vast majority of their fans will never have a chance to witness. The immediacy of Periscope allows for musicians to share their perspective on life, be it while hanging backstage before a gig in Iowa or in the midst of pre-production for their next studio album, with the power of their cell phone. There is no need for a laptop that limits mobility, or a state-of-the-art camera whose footage will require a large amount of extra work to make perfect for the internet. Musicians can (and should) turn on Periscope periodically, if only for five or ten minutes, to allow fans to dive a bit deeper into their reality. What does the half day drive across rural Texas in mid-July look like? Artists can show their fans with only a few seconds worth of effort. What about the view of the crowd from the main stage at Coachella? Again, in just a few seconds that view can be shared with the world? What about the first time you hear the first edit of your new single? Periscope makes sharing the reaction on your face, as well as the sound you are hearing, a breeze.

Live Chats

I didn’t really cover this in the introduction, but Periscope and Meerkat both allow for viewers to engage with broadcasters. This makes live chats, regardless of geographic location, incredibly simple. Whether it’s a planned event or something musicians do while killing time between sound check and the start of a show, live chats allow fans around the globe to see and interact with artists. The ease of setup and launch makes it possible to field questions regularly, which in turn create more opportunities for fans to engage with their favorite artists. Maybe a fan can’t make the show today, but thanks to the freedom provided by the platform they may have another opportunity to ask their question sometime in the near future. It’s up to the artist to decide how often they make themselves available, of course, but with such ease of connectivity the decision to not engage with fans on a regular basis seems a bit foolish.

Surprise acoustic performances

Due to the sometimes poor sound quality that comes with recording concerts from the audience, it may be a while before Periscope works all that well for artists hoping to share their live performance with fans. In the meantime, musicians can make the most of the platform by hosting impromptu acoustic performances for fans. Have one member, or even an onlooker, hold a phone set to broadcast while the band performs something stripped down for anyone able to tune in. The video will be catalogued for prosperity, but those able to witness in real time will feel part of something special. They may wake up with a musician’s song in their head and the knowledge that artists will no be performing anywhere near them for months, but in a moment’s notice they can be connected to a performance happening anywhere in the world. That kind of instant gratification is hard to come by in any industry, and it definitely should not be taken for granted.

Scavenger Hunts

This one will require musicians to think outside the box a bit, but it is worth the effort. While on tour, musicians can use Periscope to broadcast their location while exploring a city or town prior to an event. This broadcast serves as a clue for a scavenger, and fans in the area can then use the broadcast to find the musician and collect their reward (concert tickets, merchandise, etc). This could be a great way to build additional interest in a show, as well as sell a few last minute tickets. The opportunity to get free stuff will be more than enough to hook fans, but getting to meet their favorite musician will add another level of excitement to the whole affair.

James Shotwell is the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. He has over a decade of music industry experience and spend the majority of his free time writing about various aspects of the entertainment business. If you need another talking head in your life, please consider following him on Twitter. You should also follow Haulix on Twitter.

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