The importance of technology to an independent music artist is fairly obvious and difficult to understate. The worldwide platform that the internet provides to artists brings an extremely wide scope of opportunities to artists that weren’t available just a few years ago. And while we've written previously about how independent artists can take advantages of social sites like Facebook , we want to use this article to focus on how bigger artists are using technology to help build and engage their fan base.
Though approaching its 20 year anniversary, Matchbox Twenty still has a fairly large and dedicated group of fans, from those that appreciate the revised new sound the band has been experimenting with recently to those that are just in it for a nostalgia trip to the post-grunge soaked late-90's. And even though they have the kind of budget most independent artists can only dream of, the ways they use digital to make their fan base feel like a part of their culture can be inspiring, even to those working on a smaller scale.
Specifically, the band currently is focusing on a mobile app that now incorporates geofencing, which lets the group know where fans are when they are at a concert venue. Nick Lippman, vice president of the group’s management company, Lippman Entertainment, explains why this technology is helpful.
"We think they are the first artist to use geofencing," Lippman told Billboard . "We can talk to fans as they come in and out of the venue, welcome them to the show, give them a hashtag to participate. It’s a great way to get information to people without being uber-intrusive but also remind people what they can do to be an interactive part of the show. We've had killer fan engagement."
Additionally, the management company hopes to expand the app in later versions to provide a more pinpointed location of the concertgoer. This will lead to even more customized services, such as offering help to find a seat and sending notifications of merchandise discounts when someone walks near the merch table.
"The goal is to have it all integrated in one place so fans don’t have to jump around," Lippman said. "We try to simplify things so people can enjoy the music and enjoy the technology without one superseding the other."
Live Nation, which is promoting the current tour of Matchbox Twenty, says the new geofencing technology is just an extension of how artists and fans are currently interacting more than ever before because of digital technology, and mobile technology in particular.
Again, while this kind of technology isn’t really an option for young, independent artists, it does illustrate the importance of giving something to your fans that engages them and keeps them interacting with you on a regular basis. This is a great way to build an online following around a group or individual artist, which has become one of the most important marketing skills artists can have in the digital music industry. And as Matchbox Twenty are proving, the digital world does not have to be kept separate from the real world.
So, Why A Membership?
Let’s face it — trying to create professional mixes without the correct knowledge, tools, services, and network is like playing a concert with a broken instrument to an audience of no one.
That’s where the Sage Audio membership comes in — the membership gives you everything you need to create professional mixes consistently.
The membership is the secret to your success — it’s the difference between the 1,929,999,999 of poor-sounding mixes and the .00000002% of mixes that make people say 'WOW!"
There are 7 unique value-points included in your Sage Audio membership.
Let’s go over each one so you can decide if the membership is right for you.
1. Sage Audio University
- SAU Flagship Mixing Course: 23-video in-depth mixing course that reveals the little-known secrets of mixing and matches the needs of the new music industry.
- SAU Flagship Mastering Course: 19-video in-depth modern mastering course that dives into every nuance of making professional-sounding masters.
- SAU Pre-Mastering Course: Concise pre-mastering course that details the latest industry standards for preparing your mixes for mastering.
- SAU is designed for every experience level, ranging from budding mixing engineers to advanced engineers. The techniques and concepts taught can be applied to any DAW to create industry-leading mixes without expensive software or plugins - and free plugin alternatives are suggested throughout each course.
- Each SAU course includes Start-to-Finish session walkthrough lessons for multiple genres so you can follow along with your preferred genre.
- SAU Certification Document, which can be downloaded and showcased on your website and social channels.
Yes, I want to join the membership now >
2. Private 1-on-1 Mentorship
- The Sage Audio private 1-on-1 Mentorship gives you direct access to us for advanced mixing feedback, in-depth discussions, and customized guidance that's tailored to your specific needs.
- Unlimited private access to us for advanced mixing feedback, where we provide detailed suggestions for improvement.
- Unlimited private access to us for in-depth discussions to help you improve every aspect of your mixes and masters.
- Customized guidance that’s tailored specifically to your needs.
- Fast communication so you can improve your skills quickly.
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3. Unlimited Mixing Feedback
- Unlimited professional mixing feedback directly from us so you can consistently improve your skills and create professional mixes.
- Mixing feedback is invaluable, and the Sage Audio membership gives you continual direct access to us for real-world feedback so you can improve every aspect of each of your mixes while you're in the process of mixing.
Yes, I want to join the membership now >
4. 50 Free Mastered Songs Per Year
- 50 free mastered songs per year with your own dedicated professional mastering engineer so you can get all your mixes sounding like professional songs.
- You get your own dedicated Sage Audio mastering engineer to create custom masters that are specific to you and sound exactly how you want.
- Unlimited revisions with your dedicated mastering engineer. As a standard of our service, we are not happy until you are happy with the sound of your masters.
- All masters are delivered as commercial, industry-standard high-resolution 24-bit HD WAV masters so they will sound clean and clear on every platform.
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5. Community
- The Sage Audio community is a tight-knit community of passionate audio engineers who can provide you with additional real-world mixing feedback, meaningful discussions, networking, collaborations, and more.
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6. 70+ GB of Curated Sage Audio Downloadable Content
- 36 multitrack sessions spanning multiple genres for mixing practice.
- 57 un-mastered mixes spanning multiple genres for mastering practice.
- 62 Recommended Free Plugins List (vetted, tested, and approved, so you don’t have to).
- 39 Recommended Paid Plugins List (vetted, tested, and approved, so you don’t have to).
- 71 Sage Audio custom plugin presets to improve your mixes and masters.
- Sage Audio Membership Badge to showcase on your website, social channels, and portfolio.
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7. 800+ Video Catalog
- Access 700+ in-depth Sage Audio mixing and mastering videos - curated and organized into categories so you can easily take a deep dive into all aspects of audio engineering with thousands of hours of concise, expertly crafted Sage Audio videos to continually improve your skills at your own pace.
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