FEATURE: How Do You Keep Fans Interested?

 Despite all the admiration for the changes that companies like Tesla, systems like Bitcoin or trades like heat pumps in conjunction with AI have brought to humanity in recent years, probably no other system has changed as fundamentally as the media world. With the introduction of Web 2.0 and the imminent adaptation of Web 3.0, every interested user now has the opportunity to transport their content all over the world, which has both many advantages and many disadvantages. Due to the media bombardment that hits us every second, it is becoming increasingly difficult to generate new fans, but also to keep old fans who you have laboriously gathered together, as you are fighting a 24/7 battle against “competitive products “, who want to “steal” the fan’s attention. Not only are you dealing with the problem that countless other artists want to be noticed in the same way, but the fan is also distracted by things like social media, video games or just the constant flow of news, which leads to time away from it There is less and less available to you or your band in your professional life. With this feature we try to point out some basic points that can be used to specifically combat the loss of attention.

What is your added value for the fan?

We'll start with a very provocative question: why should a fan even bother with you and your art? Are you, your music, your songs, your lyrics, your appearance, your statements worth it that a music lover / fan spends their free time with your creative output and not with the songs of Ed Sheeran or Taylor Swift? Do you have something special about yourself that fans can use to “adorn” you in front of their friends in the sense of “have you heard blah blah blah, that’s a blast for such and such a reason!”

I know it's not a pleasant question, but in times when you have 24/7 access to millions of other artists, it's very hard indeed to retain a fan for a long period of time, unless yes Unless you were very lucky to have started your career 30 to 50 years ago and achieved the appropriate level of attention. In this case, it doesn't really matter what you do, because you have a positive image in the fans' memory pattern and you actually don't need to do anything at all other than play your old hits regularly and say every now and then that you still exist. There will definitely be thousands of old people coming to your concerts, no matter how good your performance is now. Sad but true.

Unfortunately, newly founded or yet to be founded bands cannot rest on these laurels, although in my opinion the band construct will become much less important in the medium term anyway. As is well known, the majority of mainstream audiences now unfortunately don't care at all whether the music they hear is produced live on stage or played from a MacBook. You shouldn't forget that a band in which different musicians play different instruments was founded because in the early days of popular music there was simply no other way to convey music live in all its shades than to have one for each instrument musician took. Nowadays, this is all taken over by technology if necessary and I'm pretty sure that in the future a single musician with three dancers on stage will provide significantly more entertainment value than a classic four-piece band, if not each musician is a real enrichment in their own right for the viewer.

How do I ensure that the fan continues to lend an ear?

How to acquire fans and draw attention to yourself has already been widely published on the Internet or in specialist magazines and you can read about it with greater or lesser success. This feature is intended to focus on what you can do once you have successfully acquired fans to keep the fans on board so that, as I said, you don't lose them again to Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift or their many colleagues .

Assuming they have a regular job, everyone now only has a very short amount of time per day in which they can do the things they enjoy. If that includes music, it's up to you to give the fan something that will make them want to spend this extremely short time with you or at least bring their friends over to listen or watch your creative output with them. To do this, you have to keep two important points in mind.

Music is emotions captured in sounds. If you want to keep your fans, you have to be able to put them in a mood that either reflects their current emotional state or have them listen to your music to get into that emotional state. This can include anything from shallow ambient chatter to hard-hitting metal drones that the listener would like to hear at that moment or in the respective situation. If you can do this, you've already exhausted 50% of all the options you have left to keep fans engaged. At the same time, this also means that the fan appreciates a certain orientation with your music, which doesn't mean that you can never break out of your pattern, but you should always think about the type of fan you are addressing.

This can also apply to productions that seem completely exaggerated at first glance, such as Heino sings Rammstein or Paul Anka arranges typical rock songs in the classic big band style. What you shouldn't forget, however, is that the artists mentioned manage to interpret foreign songs with their own performance, especially with their own voice and their way of singing, as if they were their own songs, which then even to the Heino audience, at least makes a Heino Rammstein interpretation accessible to part of the audience, some of whom probably don't think the title is bad at all, without knowing what the original actually sounds like.

I assume that everyone reading this article knows that the media industry has completely changed and income is generated completely differently than it used to be. As a quick reminder, publishing songs in the form of streaming, CDs and even vinyl can now only generate marginal income, which only just exceeds the hobby level.

All recordings are actually only there to draw attention to you and give you a reason to perform live or on the Internet. That's why more and more institutions are of course jumping into the live music sector and holding their own, but that's a different topic that can be dealt with in another feature.

What you should ask yourself, however, is why is the live sector the last department where there is still money to be made? Why have the fans arranged themselves in such a way that the biggest cash cow of the past, the physical recording medium, has become irrelevant and the live shows ultimately dominate everything that is desirable in any way? Well, the main reason is that humans are social creatures and celebrating an artist together with like-minded people, singing the same lyrics, moving to the same beats is still the central point of what it's all about for many people when it comes to music and emotions. So your job is to regularly provide the fan with content that keeps you in their attention and what attracts them to your shows.

The three points of fan loyalty

The following points are important:

1.) Publish your own music regularly
2.) Be authentic
3.) Be approachable within a moderate range


to 1.)

Think carefully about whether you want to stick to the classic publishing principle of an album. Large record companies are still very happy to stick to this system because their promotion and marketing departments can handle this type of publication very well, as you can easily sample large-scale trade press, internet media, etc. in one fell swoop and with several small ones Promotions try to keep the band in the media until the next album is released. However, if you have a peer-to-peer network where you are in more or less direct contact with fans, you might want to consider going there and, for example, releasing a new song every two months distribute the streaming platform accordingly. Of course, this also has to be advertised again and again, but a newsletter is still a very good thing, although you of course have to be careful not to make a mistake in terms of data protection, or else you have a very good online presence and can use it usual social media to inform fans about it.


to 2.)

Old hat in all professions that deal with business, leadership or personnel management in general, but still a real challenge for artists. All too often you are told that you have to wear this or that, say this or that, do this or that and so on. Exactly the opposite is the case. Once you have become a personality, with all its advantages and disadvantages, you can discreetly work on the disadvantages and push the advantages further forward. But the most important thing is that you are a guy, you are a personality that people would like to look at, that they would like to listen to and that they would like to spend their time with. That's the only thing that matters in the end. Be unique and be good at what you do and you will find your fans, provided you fit into their life structure.


to 3.)

This is by far the most difficult area, as it depends very much on the musician's attitude towards the public. Every fan finds it great to get as close as possible to their artist, even if it's just in a friendly conversation at a live show or in a chat on an online basis. However, the closer you come into contact with your fans and the more personal things you share, the more you lose shine. However, if you take too much time out of communication, you run the risk of appearing arrogant and unapproachable, which can also have the opposite effect, unless it is part of your image.

For my part, I can only recommend that almost every person should be shown a certain degree of basic politeness and basic interest in themselves, especially when you consider that it only takes around 1,000 Die Hard fans to reach a modest level To be able to live music. If you manage to get around 1,000 people so enthusiastic about you and your music that they buy everything you have available to purchase, the income will be enough to cover a simple living, assuming that , you maintain direct contact with the fan and are not forced to give up any stakes in things like label, management or anything else.


Finally, I can only recommend that you choose your target group that you believe will appreciate your creative output and convince them to listen to you. It makes no sense at all to mention a little bit about yourself everywhere like the watering can principle; you'll actually achieve the opposite of what you actually want. Anyone who likes Ballermann Bums doesn't really care about any kind of music, it's all about the party and the atmosphere. At parties like this you could also have a drum machine with a cheap sequencer bass running and someone singing “you are so wonderfully beautiful, you are so wonderfully beautiful” with autotune over it, it would have the same effect. If you make your mood and your self-esteem dependent on such an audience, you have already lost.

If there's one of the few benefits of media overload, it's the fact that you can reach pretty much anyone in the world and there will always be people who are into exactly what you're offering. It's a lot of work and it's torture and it takes years and it will often get you to the point where you say, "I don't feel like it anymore," but if you can get through it, then you have a chance establish.

And like I said, 1,000 Die Hard fans to survive, 2,000 and it gets better and now imagine you have 10,000 fans.

I wish you much success for your future.

————————

Additional Informations:

In an era characterized by information overload, constant connectivity, and an abundance of entertainment options, the attention span of music listeners has become a precious and elusive commodity. The contemporary music landscape faces the challenge of capturing and retaining the focus of an audience inundated with a myriad of stimuli. This article delves into the factors contributing to the diminishing attention of music listeners and explores how the industry can adapt to this evolving landscape.

1. Streaming Services and the Paradox of Choice

The advent of digital streaming platforms has revolutionized the way people access and consume music. While these services offer unparalleled convenience and a vast library of songs at users' fingertips, they also introduce the paradox of choice. With millions of tracks available, listeners often find themselves overwhelmed by the sheer volume of options, leading to shorter listening sessions and a tendency to skip through songs in search of instant gratification.

2. Short-form Content and the Rise of Singles

The rise of short-form content across various media platforms, including social media and video-sharing apps, has influenced music consumption patterns. In an age dominated by bite-sized content, there is a growing inclination towards singles and individual tracks rather than full-length albums. This shift not only impacts the revenue models for artists and the industry but also contributes to a fragmented listening experience where listeners may not engage with an artist's complete body of work.

3. Attention Economy and Multitasking

The attention economy, driven by social media, notifications, and the constant demand for engagement, poses a formidable challenge to music consumption. Listeners are increasingly engaging in multitasking behaviors, such as scrolling through social media feeds or working while listening to music. This divided attention diminishes the immersive experience that music traditionally offers and may lead to a reduced appreciation for the nuances of the art form.

4. Algorithmic Playlisting and Predictability

While algorithmic playlists on streaming platforms aim to enhance user experience by offering personalized recommendations, they inadvertently contribute to a sense of predictability. As algorithms analyze user preferences and patterns, there is a risk of creating echo chambers, where listeners are exposed to a limited range of genres and artists that align with their existing tastes. This narrowing of musical exploration can lead to monotony and a lack of excitement, contributing to shorter attention spans.

5. The Rise of TikTok and Viral Trends

Social media platforms, particularly TikTok, have become influential in shaping music trends and determining what captures the attention of the masses. While this can provide exposure to emerging artists, it also contributes to a culture of fleeting popularity, where songs gain rapid attention and then quickly fade into obscurity. This rapid turnover of viral content may contribute to listeners' reluctance to invest time in exploring a diverse range of artists and genres.

6. Strategies for Navigating the Attention Crisis

Addressing the diminishing attention of music listeners requires a multi-faceted approach that combines technological innovation, artist engagement, and industry adaptability. Some strategies include:

   a. **Curated Experiences:** Platforms and artists can curate immersive experiences that go beyond individual tracks, offering thematic playlists, visual components, and storytelling to captivate listeners.

   b. **Interactive Content:** Integrating interactive elements into music releases, such as virtual reality experiences or interactive music videos, can enhance engagement and encourage a more active participation from the audience.

   c. **Diverse Collaborations:** Encouraging collaborations between artists from different genres and industries can introduce listeners to new and unexpected musical experiences, breaking the monotony of algorithm-driven playlists.

   d. **Educational Initiatives:** Promoting music education and storytelling around artists and genres can foster a deeper connection between listeners and the music they consume, encouraging a more thoughtful and engaged audience.

Conclusion

As the music industry grapples with the challenge of diminishing attention spans, there is a need for continuous innovation and adaptation. By understanding the factors contributing to this trend and implementing strategic initiatives, stakeholders can create an environment where music is not just consumed but cherished. Navigating the attention crisis requires a collaborative effort from artists, platforms, and industry professionals to ensure that the art form continues to resonate and evolve in the ever-changing landscape of the digital age.