Twitter for Songwriters, Artists & Musicians

Alright….. So you’ve heard about twitter… But you’re not sure what the big deal is… How am i supposed to use it? Perhaps you exclaim in a state of overwhelm… HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO MANAGE ALL OF THIS STUFF, and STILL do what i love!? These are valid questions, and real concerns for a growing number of us music makers. Unfortunately, the fact is… In this changing industry, it is important we embrace the tools and technology available to us. One major resource; still foreign to many, is twitter. Allow me to shed some light on the growing potential for us music makers to utilize this amazing resource.

First of all, despite its “versatility” in uses and “strategies”….. Think of twitter as a global hub of concentrated interest groups. The ability for us to network and share information from anywhere IS HERE, and more PRACTICAL THAN EVER. If we use twitter right… We creatives have a tremendous opportunity here. Let’s look at the big picture… Here’s just one basic example; Im working on a new song project and i realized my humble keyboard skills arent going to cut it, and want to call up a couple pro’s in my arsenal of collaborators… quick twitter post with the scratch tracks and criteria….. boom. Not saying there isn’t other ways to do this kind of streamlined collaboration… I’ve done it in forums as well. …But twitter is a network of your own choosing, and of course offers many other advantages…. For example, updates and the latest resources delivered daily. Access to people you might not otherwise be able to contact directly, got a question you want an answer to ASAP!? ….Up to the minute feedback on your new song? Notify your whole network that you just completed your informative ranting about people not using or understanding twitter!?:) Look at it as a big party. Dont get lost in the how do i take advantage of it…. Those people will spotlight themselves, and fall to the wayside as shady business characters who “just dont get it”. We need to raise the awareness and up the caliber of content. There is so much garbage floating all over the net, with little more intent than to “sell this or that”. I think that shy’s people away. We all get too much spam in our mailboxes anyway right? As songwriters, artists, musicians, producers, we are perfect candidates to elevate and model twitter interaction and highly valuable networking, if we can all understand the bigger benefits of a highly interactive and information sharing community.

Below are a couple quick do’s and don’ts in terms of using twitter the way that will be valuable to all of us.

Twitter DO’S:
Post information that is appreciated and interesting, or super cool!
Find and follow people that make you laugh, keep you informed with relevant stuff, and converse with you. etc.
follow the people that follow you. its a courtesy thing… UNLESS you check that person out and they are “the guy selling car insurance at the dance party!”

Twitter DON’TS:
tweet “i just ate a ham sandwich”
SPAM PEOPLE….. you just look like an a**hole.
dont use twitter like a sales convention… ITS ALL ABOUT CONNECTING and networking with REAL people. Twitter “bots” just fail to see to the bigger picture and add to the massive accumulation of internet pollution.

If you have other questions, feel free to post them here. I will do my best to answer each and every one of them.

If you’d like to follow me on twitter you can follow me at http://www.twitter.com/jamieleger which is my personal twitter account

or at http://www.twitter.com/audiomecca for articles and information on home recording and music production for the modern songwriter, artist, musician. I only post content that i vet and consider valuable and helpful to you. That is my promise… And also why my “tweet count” is perhaps so low.

Rock on,
Jamie