# Do you use social networking sites?



## rgames (Sep 28, 2011)

Was discussing this the other day - do you find that the social networking sites (Facebook, etc.) are helpful in finding gigs and promoting yourself?

I've never gotten in to them. Maybe because I'm basically anti-social 

If there were anti-social networking sites, I'd be all over that...

rgames


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## midphase (Sep 28, 2011)

Not really, I mean I suppose they are good at keeping tabs as to what your friends are up do, particularly if they are filmmakers. But generally it's not particularly useful in finding work.

As far as self promotion, I tend to find posts by composers who are a little too self indulgent boring and a bit annoying after a while, and then I block them.

I think it stands to reason that if you're someone like Zimmer, people would be interested in getting updates and news about what you're up to...but for the rest of us I don't know if the demand from the public is there.


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## Andrew Aversa (Sep 28, 2011)

Don't think of social networking as a promotional tool. Think of it as strengthening existing relationships by actually talking to people and having conversations.

For example, use Facebook to check up on your high school, college and work friends / colleagues periodically. See what they're up to. Say hi, talk to them about their projects. On your own page, don't JUST talk about yourself but instead start discussions on interesting topics. Have a lot of composer friends? Ask for some advice on new gear, or maybe music licensing, contracts, etc. You'll be sure to draw lots of comments.

With Twitter, follow composers, audio leads, game developers, directors and organizations you like. Maybe a contest will come up that you can enter. Maybe someone will ask a question that you can answer. Don't go posting about how you just ate an awesome sandwich, but DO participate in conversations. If you've already been involved with projects, do periodic searches and see if people are talking about those projects. @Reply or use #hashtags and voice your thoughts too.


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## rgames (Sep 28, 2011)

Yeah, the whole "I'm getting a cup of coffee right now" thing is pretty crazy. And yes, I'm also completely turned off by blatant self-aggrandizement. But I guess it might be a good way for folks to keep up with what you're doing.

I joined Facebook yesterday, so I'm trying it out.

I guess it's odd, I'm pretty much a complete geek but I'm one of the last people to jump on all the internet stuff. I really didn't start using the internet until about 2000 or so. I had dial-up until about 2005...

rgames


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## realstrings (Sep 29, 2011)

zircon_st nails it for me! FB and Twitter aren't promotional tools they are places to talk, just like you would if you bumped into other guys in the music biz in a bar. Sure, you might talk about what you do, but you'll most likely talk about shared interests, current news, ways to work, soccer etc. Once I got over the idea that I was going to get work thru social networks, I relaxed and just hung out..... and then I started to get work thru social networks!


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## TheUnfinished (Sep 29, 2011)

I've found Facebook extremely useful in talking to other composers and film-makers, making connections. Sometimes making someone laugh during a conversation can lead to working with them. It can be that simple.

I've just done a music library album that simply would not have come about without meeting the other guy on Facebook.

So, yeah, if you're not an annoying or needy person, then it can work for you.


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## Daniel (Sep 29, 2011)

Maybe someone here did know about site Friendster? Well, I am just ordinary person who is hate social networking sites. Until it changed my life,,,, At 2007 I join Friendster, and then at October 2008 I put some boxed pics (Cubase, Garritan, Propellerhead Reason, BFD2, etc), and after 1 weeks someone message me in Friendster private message. Ask me what is that box? I said they are my "new" tools to create music, just for a hobby, I said that (but deep in my heart: composer/arranger wanna be haha). 
The person was supporting me by her demand to make musics for drama musical for kindergarten school. After that, my life changing to be a serious composer & arranger, and studying every day about music software and DAW. So please do not underestimate the "power" of social networking sites 
Honestly, join this forum, encourage me to have a new site, besides my social networking sites (Twitter, Facebook, Friendster)

Best,


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## Casey Edwards (Sep 29, 2011)

Why yes, I do use social networking. I actually didn't have a facebook music page until Mike Verta suggested I get one so he could "like" it. haha. More seriously though, I like to see what others are up to and I've learned about some cool projects along the way. I've also received aid/tips from other composers. Nothing fruitful yet in the world of monetary success, but every step counts.

http://www.Facebook.com/CaseyEdwardsMusic


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## vancomposer (Sep 29, 2011)

Honestly I dont think it really does anything much.. a tiny exception here and there maybe, but usally this is just a total musician SPAM thing. I dont see the point anymore why there seem to be musicians out there adding one friend after the other and then invite everybody around the world to a gig in a pub somewhere in Nebraska... :| Myspace was the first one where you would get bombarded with so many banners and free song downloads and "Hey check out my band bla bla!". And then I had thousands and thousands of friends there. Once I reached the first 1000 friends in facebook I decided I to drop it down to about 200 people I actually know and which I havent met on facebook rather then in real life or through some other connection. I also dont add any people anymore I dont know and I even say so clearly in my description but still I allways get requests from musicians I have never met before showing they are evn not reading anything. I will only hear from them once I reached my birthday and I get the obligatory birthday greetings since FB is nicely reminding you! :twisted: If somebody seriously has a job offer for me, he can easily find a way to reach me and for sure will. In Twitter there is no way to stop it really and I see those accounts all the the time where people follow so many sites. Its a comon practice to get your follower rate up that way and give the impression you are super known. I contact people once in a while to let them know I loved their work but either do that with a private msg or drop a line on their artist page if they have since I think everybody should see a good feedback. If so at all that will help them if somebody who could land them a gig is reading it... not a high follower number. Ohh didnt I mention you can also fake LIKE numbers on artist pages??? :mrgreen: 

Oh yeah here is the most entertaining factor about facebook to me: With a regular private account I know guys have easily reached the 5000 friends limit allready but their artist pages only have some hundreds. As "friends" we are equal but if somebody LIKES me he is a level below or what?? :lol: I think it was even worse when facebook still used "be a FAN" button... lol that was a total NO GO for many musicians. Human nature at its best... 

But there is still nothing better then the real eye to eye thing, where you can meet somebody and talk. Especially about initiating projects and work. Of course taking advantage of all the comunication and logistical freedom through the internet. Any recording gigs I get as a player are the same way like years before from recomendation or somebody was specifically looking and found. Ok now its online years before it was maybe a magazine or add somewhere or again over 5 people recomending etc. etc. The logistical freedom of sending WAVs via FTP and all that just made it easier but didnt real change the way to get there.

Also I have much more fun using facebook these days using it for the real folks that I know. Also lets see where it is in 5 years... it still a kind of fashion thing but myspace was so as well and is dead now.


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## vancomposer (Sep 29, 2011)

realstrings @ Thu 29 Sep said:


> zircon_st nails it for me! FB and Twitter aren't promotional tools they are places to talk, just like you would if you bumped into other guys in the music biz in a bar. Sure, you might talk about what you do, but you'll most likely talk about shared interests, current news, ways to work, soccer etc. Once I got over the idea that I was going to get work thru social networks, I relaxed and just hung out..... and then I started to get work thru social networks!



The way I met you was I bought both of your string librarys and decided I have to contact that guy and tell them how AWESOME they were!! After that we became "friends" on facebook and we also like each others artists pages isnt that a nice social network storry!! =o


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## choc0thrax (Sep 29, 2011)

IMO social network sites won't do anything for your career but depending on the person they can have a mildly negative effect.


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## ozmorphasis (Sep 29, 2011)

forums are a form of social networking. They just happen to have a theme. FB and others will likely tap into that eventually too, since connectivity and how it is linked to human behavior is their primary obsession.

Whether we like it or not, it is very much a paradigm shift in communication. Not a replacement, but as a set of tools and behavior patterns bundled together, it has changed our way of communicating, sharing, and a host of less flattering human behaviors as well. 

The politics in the middle east, the Japan catastrophes of late. Social networking was a more reliable form of communication for the entire world than anything else.


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## Guy Bacos (Sep 29, 2011)

Of course! Facebook is a great way to make professional contacts. I've made tons! But you have to say to yourself, with every 100 or 200 or 500 contacts, maybe one of them may turn out a great thing for me. I have 4000 friends on FB, but the idea is that this gives me more chances to make the contacts i'm looking for, not to talk about the next beach party. And it works for me. For example, most people know I wrote last year: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVDzoyFnHFc (Christmas Chimes) I made aware of this to several pianists on FB in the last few months, and so far I have 5 concert pianist (duos) who will play this work. So with the right planning and strategies it could be highly efficient.


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## Dan Mott (Sep 29, 2011)

I don't know why I use Facebook. I guess I use it when I'm bored. I ahve 30 friends and I have deleted 300 people I don't like. :D


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## nikolas (Sep 29, 2011)

I use FB I guess... I know where to find people who otherwise would be innaccessible for me. So it's a plus. I don't think I've ever gotten a gig from FB, but I do understand the power of it...


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## chimuelo (Sep 30, 2011)

Personally I have no need for this stuff as word of mouth and a good track record keeps me quite busy.
I turn down more work than I book.
But my Bassist was quite the popular Rock God and worked with 3 different groups, and while I was in Japan back in 2004 I noticed they still sell posters of him in many shops....

At any rate he became a paramedic in the late 90's and hated it, but needed a straight gig. But in the last 3 years various dedicated Facebook pages and fan clubs propped up, and add that to the current trend of famous has beens gigging in Vegas, and Voila.....an Italian Label signed them for another LP, and then that led to a re Union tour of yet another one of his Bands, and also during down time he does a tribute group of a famous band, and makes more money than the record deals pay....

So I suppose it depends what you make of it.


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## rpaillot (Sep 30, 2011)

Honestly, Facebook never brought me any gigs. I use it to communicate with friends and also to fellow young composers of my country ( this is always interesting )

Almost all the gigs I had these last years were brought to me in real-life situation , meeting producers / directors / publishers.


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## Guy Bacos (Sep 30, 2011)

What you put into it is what you will get out of it.


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