The great and powerful, Wizard of Oz, presented himself as a supernatural, omniscient being.  However, he was revealed to be a much different individual, operating a complex facade of smoke screens and holograms, without any real power.  Musicians can put themselves in the same position as Oz did, by abusing the gap between the digital and dimensional worlds.  

This is a topic I have wanted to write about for quite sometime.  In today’s online world, it is far too easy for musicians to hide behind a curtain of bells and whistles without necessarily a substantial following or fan base; or, in some cases, talent!

Now don’t get me wrong, being confident is great.  If you are passionate about the content you are creating, the confidence should naturally present itself.  I also believe it to be absolute suicide for a band or musician NOT to have a significant digital presence.  Having said that, Social Media can be abused.  Trying to add extra ‘fluff’ to your fan pages, EPK, and twitter updates will only make you look foolish.  Anyone with considerable power in the industry can see behind a fake facade of false claims.  

Not only is it immoral, spreading false claims throughout your social media outlets will diminish your credibility with promoters, record labels, and most importantly, your fans.  No matter how sly you feel these little fibs might be, anyone who has the smallest amount pull in the music industry will be able to separate the truth from the bullshit.  After all, it is highly unlikely that a fledgling band consisting of emerging musicians is probably not playing shows for 20,000+ screaming fans; especially, if their digital fan base is not even out of 3 digit figures.  Be true to who you are, and embrace the stage of your career you are currently in.  Potential fans, and industry officials will appreciate your confidence and passion for your product.  Be proud of the content you are putting out, and if it doesn’t meet your expectations, it’s your responsibility to improve the quality.  

I will keep using the Facebook example for continuity purposes.  Facebook allows a band page to add contacts.  These include a Manager, Booking Agent, Label Affiliate and Press Contact.  It does not look more professional to fill in your manager’s name for multiple positions.  Yes, in the beginning, your manager will perform many tasks and odd jobs, but he is still just your manager.  Hold off on adding other contacts, until you have actually attained them.  

I discussed above the temptations empty boxes give off.  If you want these boxes filled, go out and build a team.  Find people who believe in what you are doing, and are competent to respond to potential inquiries.  Not only do they have to trust the quality of your performance, but you must be able to trust that they will hold up their end of the deal as well.  Each member of your staff is a representation of your brand, whether that is comprised of you as a solo artist, or as a member of a band.  Make sure you find competent, hard-working, and most importantly, loyal people to build your team.  

Please choose your band or stage name wisely.  Sorry, the 90’s are over.  Nobody wants to check out a band named The Lingering Farts, or The Coked up Monkeys.  Also, there is not correlation between name length and creative talent.  The most marketable choice in today’s world should be short, to the point, and a representation of your musical personality.  

You should be living the dream!  You chose not to be some paper-pushing, 9-5 schmuck, who gave up on their dreams long ago.  Being a musician is hard work, that is a given.  If you can’t handle the stress and hardships that come with this profession, you are in the wrong line of work, my friend.  Enjoy where you are along your musical journey, and look for ways to better your craft.  If you want to be successful in this industry, you have to dedicate your life to its betterment.  

Paying your dues is also part of the deal.  Don’t let a crappy gig, rude sound guys, or greedy venues dull your mood.  You cannot control the attitudes and personalities of others.  No matter how famous, rich and elite one becomes, a musician must always be able to deal with the cavalier asshole.  Besides, if you disassemble their insults, you might just find some pertinent information beneath the garbage.  

I used Facebook as an example in this article, but these problems and solutions can be translated to any other Digital profiles you may have (i.e. Myspace, Reverbnation, Sonicbids, Soundcloud, etc.).  

Hope this advice was helpful, and happy music-making! 

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