16-25-year-olds would have been living and growing up with technology and the digital age all their lives, and the internet, like it or not, has permeated every aspect of our lives. Therefore it has become a crucial tool for artists to digitally converge their brand across multiple platforms, and most importantly, to reach their audiences and sell their products.
The emergence of the internet and streaming services and the changing listening habits this has brought about has meant that labels and artists can no longer rely on high-street CD sales to make profits. They have to use the internet to find new ways of engaging fans and creating more methods of monetisation. Web 2.0 and social media has resulted in a much more active generation of internet-users and the rise of prosumers, where instead of passively consuming content, users want to create and be part of a community where they can chat with other fans and interact with the artist.
SONY Music's homepage is digitally converged, featuring; a scrolling gallery of their featured artists hyperlinked to the respective artists' websites; a list of all the subsidiary labels, also presented visually through logos and hyperlinked; last but not least, featured music videos with embedded YouTube links
George Ezra's online presence is another good example of digital convergence. From the landing page on the website showing George grinning at you directly, the brand is clear - it's all about you, the fans. The menu bar links onto social media, videos, photos, a Journal, shop page, all outlets through which the fans can engage with the artist. And on all the platforms, George's friendly, down-to-earth and homegrown personality is presented.
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| Photos with Fans |
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| Journal so you can keep up with George |
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| Everything is here. Links to social media, youtube, podcast, multimedia... |
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| Music video on YouTube. Again, the fans are the focus |
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| Direct Address. A friendly wave to visitors on the website. |
Researching the role of the internet in the music industry has informed me on the importance of digital convergence and a strong online presence with synergy across all platforms for when I create my own website and social media, in conjunction with the music video, all while being under the Sony Music label. I intend to cross-promote between platforms in order to generate traffic across all of them while maintaining a consistent look and feel, creating a sense of familiarity as well as, hopefully, fun among fans. On the website, there will also be a push to buy merch, in order to support the artist outside of CD sales.
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