How indie artists can make the most out of Twitter
With Twitter, independent artists can gain visibility and connect directly with potential fans. Artists can also use Twitter as a tool to interact with the music community and stay on top of the latest advice from influencers (A&Rs, artists, record execs, etc.) Without major backing, performers everywhere can use Twitter as a lively platform to broadcast their content to the world for free and gain visibility to fans they could not have reached before. Music is the #2 subject discussed on Twitter in the U.S. and 50% of all active Twitter users follow at least one musician.
Tweet & @reply: Your Twitter profile can be a direct reflection of your personal brand, talents, and interests. A Twitter connection tells fans how much you appreciate them, and it also enables you to tailor your messages. Take the time to engage with your fans on Twitter to build loyal relationships. Fans also use Twitter to get a taste of artists’ personalities and life adventures.
For example: Lady Gaga recognizes the power of Twitter and used the platform to announce her collab with rapper Kendrick Lamar.
I am so excited to announce that a record I’ve been working on has now become a collaboration with @kendricklamar for HIS ALBUM.
— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) August 15, 2012
Even artists like Janelle Monae take the time to interact with their fans and personally @reply.
@janellemonae you inspired me like no other to think differently and maintain an open mind. the archandroid did that. thank you. — john zabala (@johnzabala94) May 19, 2013
Use Hashtags: Hashtags are Twitter’s way of collecting Tweets around a topic or conversation. You can click on a hashtag to see search results for recent Tweets also using that hashtag. Artists of any musical genre can use hashtags to monitor Tweets around music conversation on Twitter. i.e. If you’re an indie rock artist, you can monitor Twitter conversation around the hashtag #indierock and engage with indie rock music figures and fans. If you’re a hip-hop artist or a country musician, the same concept works. By using hashtags to join and discover new conversations, you can interact with the music community, grow your following, and potentially gain new fans all over the world. You can also use hashtags as album and song titles to easily rally conversation around searchable terms on Twitter (if artists spike enough Twitter conversation about their songs, they could also be charted on the official Twitter #music app). Search: Use Twitter’s advanced search to hunt for local music opportunities around you. You can use the Twitter search tool to follow and find music conversations all over the world. i.e. If you’re looking for shows in New York, localize your Twitter search query, and search for music opportunities nearby. i.e. If you’re an artist or underground producer looking for placements and collaboration opportunities, you can specialize your search queries to find radio stations and artists looking for submissions. Fully modifiable Query samples: @ “send beats” com OR net / beats @ “send” com OR net / @ “submit beats” com OR net / music beats @ “send” com OR net Follow: Twitter spokeswoman Shavone Charles (@Shavone) also encourages artists to follow the industry experts, artists and A&Rs on Twitter. Charles says,“ There are a number of music executives, A&Rs and artists tweeting about opportunities and music industry knowledge.” A&Rs and industry figures are approachable on Twitter and often personally respond to artists with invaluable advice. “You can also use Twitter lists to organize producers, artists, A&Rs, and music industry figures all in one place. For example, Universal A&R @LisaDavis constantly tweets about showcase opportunities for artists.
if your in New York City on June 15th! The @scmcmusic Producer & Artist Showcase with Universal Music Group scmcmusic.com/june15th/ — Lisa Davis (A&R) (@LisaDavisMusic) May 22, 2013
She also reaches out to artists on Twitter personally, encouraging them to send in their music.
@thekiddyno send music lisadavismusic@gmail
— Lisa Davis (A&R) (@LisaDavisMusic) May 20, 2013
In addition to offering real time feedback to artists, she shares useful music industry knowledge and offers her followers tips about breaking into the industry, marketing and more.
artists definitely need to work smarter not harder on their biz and spend 95% of time writing music & working on their #brand
— Lisa Davis (A&R) (@LisaDavisMusic) May 20, 2013
An @-reply became a #OnlyonTwitter collab with Deadmau5 when music producer/vocalist @ChrisJames saw Deadmau5 was working on a new project and tweeted him with some vocals. @ChrisJames sang on @Deadmau5 ‘s track “The Veldt,” which ended up being one of Rolling Stone’s top 50 songs of 2012.
mixing in vocal stems for “the veldt” on live.deadmau5.com got a total win goin on here!(vocalist is… fb.me/BYP8x0Z7
— deadmau5 (@deadmau5) March 18, 2012
Here are a few tips that will professionalize your Twitter profile and maybe even lead you to your dream connection or record deal:
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