Musician Uses Twitter to Her Advantage, Shock Horror Probe

Technology is turning the music business upside down, like any other media business. Some people embrace the change and some people decry it. When I read a post like this one about using Twitter to make money, I always read the comments. Whether the post is at the Berklee School of Music or TechCrunch, the range of responses is wide and consistent. Some commenters accept the new world and cheer it on, while others complain bitterly. Typical complaints range from: "I cannot do that because I do not have any fans" through "people should respect copyright and give me the money I am due" to "the record company put you there so you should give it all back to them".

The most ridiculous response is the complaint that a musician who spends time developing their fan base is wasting time that could be better spend on creative activities. The point of the Amanda Palmer post is that if you are properly organized, it does not take a lot of time or effort to keep in contact with your fans, particularly when using new instant communication tools like Twitter.

Technology changes. Music is no longer distributed as sheets of paper or by stamping it on 5, 7 or 12 inch pieces of plastic. The business model must change with the times.

The moving finger [of technology change] writes; and having writ,
Moves on: nor all your piety nor wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a line,
Nor all your tears wash out a word of it.

HT to Roger for the Berklee post.