The internet has seemingly become the faster and surest route to exposure than the traditional media – TV, radio, magazine etc. This is obviously true as a lot of brands, companies, professionals, organizations etc have leveraged their efforts by making use of online advertising and presence to their advantage.
One
major set of persons who have enjoyed quite a boost to their input from
the internet are music artistes. The internet gives them fame within
seconds of putting up content that goes viral and spreads across the
globe.
From every indication, the world will move more online so it’s only apt that everyone gets a good presence online and keep strengthening it.
Alright, back to the issue at hand. As a blogger, I receive a lot of songs from artistes all over the world, just like other bloggers do too. Most of those songs never get put online and this is due to different reasons. Some of the songs get online but don’t receive the desired ‘hits’ and downloads.
Online blogging started out in Nigeria with the likes of Linda Ikeji, Uduak Odouk (Ladybrille) who blogged society news, living tips, music etc. Main stream music blogging came with the success of NotjustOk, 360nobs etc. Today, we have a horde of blogs and they all are doing great in spreading songs across to different audiences online.
One thing most artistes overlook is that most of the said ‘big’ blog names they know are no longer the ‘pepper’ like they used to be. Also, putting your song on most of the ‘big sites’ might not give you the necessary downloads ‘cos most of the visitors go there looking for songs from certain celebs and just might overlook your work.
From every indication, the world will move more online so it’s only apt that everyone gets a good presence online and keep strengthening it.
Alright, back to the issue at hand. As a blogger, I receive a lot of songs from artistes all over the world, just like other bloggers do too. Most of those songs never get put online and this is due to different reasons. Some of the songs get online but don’t receive the desired ‘hits’ and downloads.
Online blogging started out in Nigeria with the likes of Linda Ikeji, Uduak Odouk (Ladybrille) who blogged society news, living tips, music etc. Main stream music blogging came with the success of NotjustOk, 360nobs etc. Today, we have a horde of blogs and they all are doing great in spreading songs across to different audiences online.
One thing most artistes overlook is that most of the said ‘big’ blog names they know are no longer the ‘pepper’ like they used to be. Also, putting your song on most of the ‘big sites’ might not give you the necessary downloads ‘cos most of the visitors go there looking for songs from certain celebs and just might overlook your work.
In the meantime, let’s uncover the top reasons your song won’t be blogged, shall we?
1. Poor Song Art/info + other
details
2.
Inappropriate/bad Song
It is necessary that artistes should be sure of the platforms they send their songs to. It’s inappropriate to send secular songs to gospel blogs or send certain songs to blogs that don’t premiere your kind of music. Another thing that makes bloggers reject your song in this direction is if your song is ‘wack’or carry inappropriate lyrics. Poor mixing, horrible vocals and poor delivery all add up to it.
3. Lack of Appreciation
This is the bane/crux of the issue. One major thing that makes a blogger overlook a song is when the artistes don’t show appreciation in any way. There are different forms of appreciation and they range from financial support and referrals to merely sharing the links to your song post with your contacts. A lot of other bloggers I took the issue to complained about this so I’ll be giving it more length.
Let’s take ‘financial’ up and digress it. You see, a lot of artistes don’t understand that bloggers have expenses they take care of from time to time that are directly linked to their jobs as bloggers and otherwise. Merely downloading your song from the net and uploading it on their blog costs them chunks from their internet subscriptions. Spending time to spread and promote your work also eats up their time and money but yet they do this cos it’s necessary if your music must spread.
And
yes, they have real life financial commitments like you do. They pay
for BIS subscriptions, internet data plan for their modems, feed,
support friends and families with cash, etc.
It’s
pathetic when an artiste uses a blogger’s platform to get his music out
and does not think it apt to compensate the blogger for expenses
incurred in putting up and hyping the songs.
Artistes pay production costs to producers, ‘payola’ to radio and TV On-Air-Personalities to get their music on air, they pay for their promo CDs, etc but don’t want to pay bloggers for building a platform that promotes their work and put the said work on it.
Yet they hope to ‘blow’. Paying TV, Radio, Newspaper people to promote your song and overlooking bloggers in this 21st – Internet – Suave- Century is a misnomer and reeks of lack of foresight. The internet gives you more access to your fan base and stakeholders in your sector more than the traditional media. Besides, you can boost whatever you do on radio/TV and newspapers/magazines with your online presence. Can your fans call in radio stations to get your music on a cd or in their laptop/phones? But yes, they can get them from the net into their phones, laptops and even CDs and play whenever they want to.
A blogger friend of mine said “Surprising the blogger with gifts occasionally” helps. Everyone aims for greener pastures and a better deal in life…If a blogger is helping you get one, it’s only apt that you appreciate him/them from time to time. Be partners in progress. And yes, progress is best when mutual.
Just as artistes complain about not getting paid for their work or being underpaid, so it is with bloggers.
4. You’ve been Blacklisted
Are you shocked to know this? Yes, artistes get blacklisted by media men including bloggers. What does it mean to be blacklisted? If your name gets on a blacklist, it means no one will touch material from you and this often occurs when you treat a particular set of persons wrongly over a period of time and they get to find out and decide to avoid such outcome.
The result is that your music or material won’t receive the push it should. Even if it gets put up, it won’t be made to receive the kind of traffic it should. Professional bloggers know how to drive traffic to a particular set of posts so it doesn’t end in having your song online. That song needs push. If you are on a blacklist, you might get an upload but no push.
I recently saw a blackberry messenger (BBM) broadcast from a fellow blogger that states thus;
“You Shoot Video of N500k and spend over N200k [extra] on it yet you can’t pay promoters/bloggers or PR managers to [handle] a professional promo for it….Dear artiste, the devil is dancing ‘xxxxx’ with your music career. Wake up and invest in your career”.
A lot of successful artistes know the importance of having a good representative stand in for them when it comes to taking their music to the pro league.
You just can’t remain in the fish jar and feel you are swimming in the ocean. If you plan for your music to go viral more than once, you should have a structure in place that will compensate the people that help you achieve that.
I advise that you get a good blogger who knows his onions and whose onions other bloggers know and respect to be on your team and handle your online publicity. Your work is best when its sent from one blogger to the rest because getting your song/video release in the right format and other things will be taken care of by the said blogger.
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ABOUT THE WRITER
Philip Asuquo is a PR/Media Strategist who has been in practice for over a decade. He runs a gospel entertainment platform called Gospel City Naija and promotes several artistes as well as brands and organizations. Philip is also a blogger and Chief Admin of www.gospelcitynaija.com.
You Can Reach Him on 07063607101
Philip Asuquo is a PR/Media Strategist who has been in practice for over a decade. He runs a gospel entertainment platform called Gospel City Naija and promotes several artistes as well as brands and organizations. Philip is also a blogger and Chief Admin of www.gospelcitynaija.com.
You Can Reach Him on 07063607101
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