Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.Ever since discovering Blip.fm in January, I’ve been somewhat obsessed with the service. For those unfamiliar with Blip, it works by aggregating music streams and MP3s from around the web. Users then sign up as DJs and “blip” their selections (along with an optional message of up to 150 character) to those who choose to follow/listen to them–think of it as what radio would be if it had been invented by the kids at Twitter (and you can actually link your Twitter and Blip.fm accounts if you are so inclined, as well as your Last.fm scrobbler–details here and here).
While Blip.fm is a lot of fun (after all, one of the best parts about being a music fan is sharing the music that you enjoy), one of the reasons that I like Blip.fm as much as I do is the variety of music that I am exposed to as I listen. For example, courtesy of the people who I follow on Blip, the next five songs that I will hear as I am typing this are:
- Chumbawuba – “Big Mouth Strikes Again”
- The Lucksmiths – “The Chapter In Your Life Entitled San Francisco”
- Tim Maia – “Danca Enquanto É Tempo”
- Golgol Bordello – “Baro Foro”
- Thievery Corporation – “Shadow of Ourselves”
Listening to random DJs from the public home page is even more diverse and surprising–it’s actually somewhat overwhelming to see how much music is being played and listened to around the world. Courtesy of the Blip.fm homepage , the next five songs I would hear at the moment I am writing this are:
- Bear McCreary – “Battlestar Sonatica”
- T.S.O.L. – “Code Blue”
- The Meters – “Just Kissed My Baby”
- Bad Company – “Feel Like Makin’ Love”
- Grizzly Bear – “Two Weeks”
Now, you’re probably saying to yourself, “Great, so you like Blip.fm–we saw that from your Twitter updates. What does this have to do with independent musicians?” My answer? Everything.
What Independent Musicians Can Learn from Blip.fm
I recently spoke with two different independent artists, both of whom told me the same thing: “I love making music and I would love to do it full time, but there really isn’t a market for what I do.” I replied with a simple question: have you ever logged onto Blip.fm?
If there is one thing that we can learn from Blip.fm–besides the fact that people from around the world like to share what they are listening to–it is that if you make music, there is someone who wants to hear it; you just need to reach your audience. If you were in Borneo making Electronic-Albanian-Folk-House music twenty years ago, I may concede that you would have trouble reaching anyone beyond the local tribe of Tasmanian Devils, but today? If you have Internet access, the world is yours (the world, of course, meaning the people who are dying to discover your music). People want to hear what you are doing–you just need to get your music in front of them, and not only does the Internet allow you to find those people, but it also provides you with a nearly-infinite number of ways to get your music to them.
Next week, our articles here at MusicIsMyDayJob are going to focus on ways that you can find your audience–as niche or obscure as your sound may be–but until then, here are some of our favorite non-music articles on the topic:
- How to be a Rock Star in Your Niche from copyblogger
- Remarkable Communication on finding “all the people in the entire world who are weird in the same way you are”
- Men With Pens explaining why “small stats make for big audiences”
- Copyblogger on dominating your niche, whatever that niche may be
Thoughts on Blip.fm? Specific questions you have regarding finding your audience as a musician? Please share in the comments below or via Twitter.