Generation L and the Promotional Value of YouTube
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=479791&in_page_id=1770&in_a_source=
Here's a real-world example of the great "rise of the amateur" we hear so much about (debunked by Andrew Keen in the wonderful book The Cult of the Amateur). A musician downloaded free software and made a recording on his computer that according to one of those insane websites that thinks they can use computers to predict human emotion should have been a hit--put together a recording and a video that got over 250,000 hits on YouTube. (In fairness, the artist is a bit of a ringer as he is not an amateur, so let that color your view of how proficient he was at using the "garage band" recording gear that Terry Fisher tells us is competitive with the best recording studios leading to the triumph of the amateur. Of course if you're a Fisher acolyte, being good at music--much less a professional--automatically disqualifies you.)
250,000 hits. There's that great promotional value we hear so much about that's supposed to justify us looking the other way while the YouTubes pocket a billion and a half of our money.
So before you read the article (linked above)--here's a little multiple choice quiz for you.
After getting 250,000 hits on YouTube, how many downloads of the track did the artist sell off his website:
a. More than 1 million;
b. More than 500,000 but less than 1 million;
c. More than 250,000 but less than 500,000;
d. More than 50,000 but less than 250,000;
e. More than 10,000 but less than 50,000;
f. Less than 1,000 but more than 100; or
g. Less than 100.
Hint: Don't put money on this.
Here's a real-world example of the great "rise of the amateur" we hear so much about (debunked by Andrew Keen in the wonderful book The Cult of the Amateur). A musician downloaded free software and made a recording on his computer that according to one of those insane websites that thinks they can use computers to predict human emotion should have been a hit--put together a recording and a video that got over 250,000 hits on YouTube. (In fairness, the artist is a bit of a ringer as he is not an amateur, so let that color your view of how proficient he was at using the "garage band" recording gear that Terry Fisher tells us is competitive with the best recording studios leading to the triumph of the amateur. Of course if you're a Fisher acolyte, being good at music--much less a professional--automatically disqualifies you.)
250,000 hits. There's that great promotional value we hear so much about that's supposed to justify us looking the other way while the YouTubes pocket a billion and a half of our money.
So before you read the article (linked above)--here's a little multiple choice quiz for you.
After getting 250,000 hits on YouTube, how many downloads of the track did the artist sell off his website:
a. More than 1 million;
b. More than 500,000 but less than 1 million;
c. More than 250,000 but less than 500,000;
d. More than 50,000 but less than 250,000;
e. More than 10,000 but less than 50,000;
f. Less than 1,000 but more than 100; or
g. Less than 100.
Hint: Don't put money on this.
posted by Chris Castle at
6:20 PM
1 Comments:
Well, I guessed right (thanks to your hint). The article is fascinating, and Rhodri, to his credit, seems to have a good sense of humor about the whole thing. But it also sheds some light on the value of fleeting internet fame.
I've missed out on most of the YouTube phenomenon, since I'm not much of a tv watcher to begin with (except for Twin Peaks, of course). But it is surprising (to me, anyway) to see the low payoff for such a huge number of viewings. I have friends in bands that are working the whole MySpace circuit trying to promote their music, and it sadly doesn't sound like that's of much value either.
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