At the very beginning, let me thin out the herd by doing some math. In an online social networking setting, let’s say there’s an average of four people in a band, plus there’s the band’s own page. That’s five. Also on average, the radio show I’m working on with a friend of mine airs twelve songs per episode. Not counting a few of those mainstream stars who don’t give a crap about a small radio show, and since it will help me with making the math easier, let’s call it ten. Multiplying five by ten, you get fifty.
What is fifty, you ask? The link to the show should be shared fifty times, at least! Because, you see, you’re proud of your band. You love hearing it on radio. It’s a great promotion for your band, especially when there’s fifty pages that shared the same link, which means that at least fifty souls got to hear your track. Of course, you share it because you’re grateful to the guys who included your band and want the name of the show to spread around. As a means of thanking them. Letting them know what they’re doing is appreciated.
Wow, I’m painting utopia! While I’m at it, imagine your girlfriend being proud of you and your achievements with the band, so that she shares the link as well. I mean, her boyfriend got acknowledged for his hard work and dedication by a guy from Serbia. Holy hell! Then again, there’s the label who published your work. They must be proud of their band being presented to the masses via radio show. After all, they’ve got the promotion they haven’t paid for. Sounds amazing, right!?
Let’s try for super-utopia! Say your producer is proud of his work and he shares it, too! Perhaps the guy who did your cover artwork? Why not!?
Still, let’s be realistic, at least your mom and your aunt must be proud of you enough to share the link to the radio show that played your music.
So, the end result of this whole math introduction is that fifty people sharing the link to the show is a conservative number. Now, in all honesty, I don’t know if all the bands included have been notified, but half of them surely were, so I will conservatively halve the number to twenty five.
Show of hands, who can guess the actual number?
Three. The actual number is three. One band, one person and one label, all in the hands of one individual. Three in total. Not counting the two of us, presenters on the show.
I also need to be self-critical and look into my own backyard. I can’t even get the rest of Abaddon Magazine editorial to share it, even though on each episode I clearly state that I’m working on behalf of the magazine. Not to mention my own family and friends.
And here I am writing about the radio show, when the same can be applied to reviews on Abaddon Magazine, too.
Now, there’s a couple of possible answers to the question: “How come”?
First, the show sucks and is therefore unworthy of sharing. People only share the content they like, naturally. It’s possible, I won’t lie. I’m not the most self-confident person in the universe, so I cannot claim to be doing excellent work if I’m not sure of it. I like the work we’re doing, but it still doesn’t mean we’re doing a good job. We can definitely do a better job and we are trying to, time after time. But the participants remain unresponsive.
Second, the bands we include suck. They are comprised of lazy assholes who cannot be bothered to waste less than a minute of their time to hit that button. I guess there are those who find promoting their own band (or those who help promote their own band) a lesser task, as opposed to browsing the photos of cute, half naked girls, playing games or commenting on some irrelevant bullshit that ultimately won’t make a difference.
Either way, bottom line is that you suck. This is such an era that the band, in order to best promote itself, needs constant online presence. Quite literally, you need to be online at any given second, should anyone have a comment or a message to send you, place an order or whatever else. Furthermore, you need to keep hammering the band’s name into the potential listener’s minds. Else, you will be forgotten. And forgotten so soon that you wouldn’t believe. Hence, posting new content as often as humanly possible, preferably without repeating, is almost a must.
So, what’s the problem if the two of us hand you a posting opportunity? Why don’t you want to share that one? And don’t forget, I’m a stubborn bastard when I want to be one. What makes you think I don’t have a list of bands that haven’t bothered to share the radio show or my review? What do you think I’ll do the next time I see you need a review? When I get a “request for airplay”? I don’t even call it a payback. I call it “one hand washes the other”. Don’t forget, I need promotion as well. Abaddon Magazine needs it, too. As does the radio show. Not because we’re trying to become hyped influencers who make tons of money off advertising. We do not aspire towards such goals, though I don’t have a doubt that there are some who do. We would, of course, like to make a living off these things we do out of love, but that’s not the primary goal.
Matter of fact is that you sharing, commenting (even negatively) or even just liking our content is the one satisfaction we get for our work. It shows you appreciate our efforts, shows your gratitude to the people who were enthusiastic enough about your work to spend time on it. After all, I don’t include the stuff I dislike on the radio show. So, if you made it that far, I’m already a fan. By ignoring, you’re actually ignoring a fan of your band. Ask me whether I’ll think the same of your band later on? Then ask yourself whether you deserved it?
Exactly!
What’s the plan going forward? Naturally, this column won’t raise too much dust. It’s a question whether the right people, to whom this may concern, will even read this. From my experience, no they will not. If they can’t be bothered to listen to the radio show or read and share a review concerning their own brainchild, why would they waste time on a column? Those who will read this are those who are already aware of the issue I’m writing about. Likely the ones who feel the same, so I won’t change anybody’s mind with this. Nothing will change other than the fact that I vented out and will feel a bit better after writing this.
At the very end, I need to make an honorary mention to Hammerheart Records for the best response to including them in the radio show. An example of appreciation to “laborers” of heavy metal. And just to show what do you get for an act of mutual respect and gratitude, click on the magnifying glass icon in the top right of this page and type Hammerheart Records in the search engine. Then count the reviews. Utmost respect towards them and a handful of others like them!
As for the rest… Well, take a close look at my photo up there for a clear message.
