Seems like every time I send out a newsletter, something crosses the desk that I would love to have put in. Perhaps next time.
Anyway, here’s a pretty cogent argument from the film side of entertainment that applies to music just as much. With such an emphasis on entertainment news and “scoops,” are people more excited about celebrity gossip than the actual creative works that celebrities produce?
We certainly see this in movies, and I know we can point to some recent music examples: U2’s most recent record, which was more notorious for having a CD-R test burn lost in an airport. Coldplay gets more press when Apple Martin sports a new jumper than when they play a sold out arena.
The thing is… when I talk with clients about beefing up their weblogs and newsletters, most folks admit that they don’t know what to say. I think your audience is making a clear request. We love behind the scenes stuff. We love watching the process unfold as much as we love the end result, if not more.
So launch that weblog to document your recording sessions, or your tour, or your struggle between day-job-dweller and emerging-artist. Send funny tour stories out in your newsletter. Audiences want to know, no matter how sheepish you might be about it. It’s all part of being accessible and available.