With discussion of this Sunday’s Grammy Awards blowing up on social media, it’s time to reflect on how the web and social have affected the music industry. Obviously, music moguls and the internet haven’t been the best of friends in the past.  Napster lawsuits and piracy issues have made record labels, musicians, and producers wary of new sharing technologies,  but has the online world had an entirely negative effect on the music business?

Let’s back up a few years.  We all remember MySpace, right?  Although the social networking site is now shunned by the masses, the first social media giant did have one strength– music.  Members could include a “theme song” on their profile, and bands could upload their latest tracks.  The format was an effective, inexpensive way for new bands to promote their songs.  After struggling to compete with Facebook for years, MySpace finally learned to embrace this strength.  These days, MySpace only focuses on music and entertainment.

Of course, nowadays, many people not only listen to free music on sites like MySpace and Shazaam, but they can also download free music– legally.  Many artists are choosing to give away all of their music for free.  Artists like Pretty Lights have provided free downloads of all of their albums on their website.  However, while this new technique may be effective for  musicians with a strong fan base, it won’t work for new bands trying to make it in the competitive market.

Although the industry as a whole may fear the internet, individual artists are embracing the possibilities.  In addition to giving away free downloads, other artists have embraced the interactive nature of social media in other ways.   The Red Hot Chili Peppers is a band using social to great effect.  They have recently released a new interactive video for their single “Look Around.”   Fans can zoom in and out, move around, and locate eggs to bring them to other sites.  This interactive video has been a great technique used by many other bands.  In addition to these more technical techniques, the Chili Peppers are all active Tweeters– which is a great way bands have built their audiences.

It’s fascinating to watch how social media and music can use each other for success in spheres where the “next big thing” is always around the corner.  What other interesting ways have you seen social media and music interact?