photo by It’sMoniVictorino

With the ubiquity of the internet came opportunities galore for marketers, but artists, musicians, writers, and other content producers have been met with equally as many challenges. Perhaps because the availability of copyrighted content has been disputed and challenged for over a decade already, musicians have blazed the trail for leveraging new technologies and bucking the system. Artists on Myspace proved that you no longer have to be spotted by an agent at an open mic night or a local show to get signed. John Mayer has taken to connecting with his fans almost constantly via Twitter (for better or for worse…) and the Jonas Brothers have offered themselves up for three-on-one video chats on Chat Roulette. These savvy artists have embraced digital media, particularly social media, and are being rewarded for it. But they’re certainly not alone. Below is a list of five of the best uses of digital media by musicians:

Radiohead

In 2007, Radiohead left their long-time record label EMI and famously released their album In Rainbows online as a digital download, asking customers to name their own price and pay what they thought it was worth. Within a week, they made almost $10 million, with the average user paying around $7.80 for the album. While it was later released in physical form, Radiohead made waves in the music industry for their insightful read on consumer behavior and their inspired use of digital as a primary distribution tactic.

Amanda Palmer

This performance artist/street performer/musician has added another title to her already impressive introduction: social media guru. Announcing surprise shows with an hour’s notice on her Twitter feed and hosting live video on Ustream, Palmer has leveraged social media to connect with fans, perform live music from fan suggestions, and even auction off t-shirts she makes on the spot.

Trent Reznor

Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails fame had been hailed as one of the most media-savvy celebrities before he started to pull away from social media. Despite his departure from Twitter, Reznor has continued to innovate within digital media in attacking the issues facing content distributors. NIN followed the path Radiohead had taken by releasing albums online before their availability in stores; in the first week that Ghosts I-IV was available online, NIN made a whopping $1.6 million. By rewarding his fans who actively aligned themselves with him and spread the word, Reznor was rewarded for his honest connection and commitment to his fans. He has since offered a full-length album for free download as well, further challenging the status quo within the industry.

OK GO

With over 50 million views on YouTube for their video, “Here It Goes Again,” OK GO has rocketed to fame, winning a Grammy in 2007 and Most Creative Video at the YouTube awards in 2006. But they certainly wouldn’t be the last musicians to find success on YouTube.

Justin Bieber

From humble beginnings covering Ne-Yo, Justin Timberlake, Stevie Wonder, and more, Justin Bieber’s videos on YouTube caught the attention of Scooter Braun, who had him meet with Usher. Now, the 16-year old has had four singles that have made the Top 40, the only artist to do so before the album was even released. Bieber also enjoys a strong Twitter following, gaining about 11,000 new followers daily, who often push him the number one trending topic.

Tags: community, Marketing, music industry, Social Media