Previous generations were forced to group themselves by geography. We now do so based on interest, by way of the web. What we’ve learned is, just like the real world, the natural state of behavior on the internet centers around small communities. Unlike the past though, these communities are based on a common interest, not on the location in which you were born.
That’s why solving your Audience Problem by focusing on a core group is actually a more natural way to do it. It’s never a good bet to align yourself against human behavior. It seems better to open your sails behind a growing wind, instead of trying to swim upstream against the current.
This article is more ‘pep talk’ than anything, providing some positive encouragement for cultivating fans to help the artist make a living. The paragraphs above may seem obvious at first glance, but the important, underlying message is that one should not look at the ‘Audience Problem’ through a traditional lens. There are new communities forming thanks to the web, and seeking creative, previously unimaginable approaches for music exposure is a winning pastime.
Another quick quote I’ll pull from the piece, in case you need reminding:
The free distribution and cheap means of production that the web provides is only bad for the “middle men,” not the creators themselves.
And this Venn diagram the author references is worth meditating on for a few moments:
Action → inspiration … it’s most often not the other way around.
Leave a Reply