Nancy Baym, associate professor of Communication Studies at the University of Kansas, covers media fandom. She has published various academic journals and studies regarding internet’s effects on how fans interact. She recently gave a talk (PDF version) regarding specifically music fandom.
As she stated, her main point was this: “In many ways this is NOT about the artists, let alone the music business or the recording industry, it’s about the fans’ relationships to each other.”
According to Baym, music fandom involves the following behaviors:
- An emotional connection
- A social identification
- Collective intelligence, such as set lists and fan reviews (ex. last.fm)
- Sharing interpretations, such as analyzing lyrics (ex. SongMeanings)
- Sharing personal creations, such as fan videos, remixes, and playlists
Example:
What has the internet done to give fans more power? Baym thinks it:
- Eliminates physical distance barriers
- Elimates social distance barriers
- Provides group infrastructure
- Provides a means of archiving information
What I found most interesting is the application for artists now. Sure, the internet has helped music fans connect with one another, but it’s also paved way for another thing: illegal downloading. So what should artists do? How should they connect with fans? Do they even need to worry about illegal downloading?
Baym believes that there are mutually beneficial ways to connect with fans. By using and maintaining multiple platforms (cd, digital, concerts, videos, etc.), artists have a better chance of reaching their fans. The key here is personal connection. Artists need to provide social resources and encourage the fans’ creativity. Involve the fans in their creation. If they do this, they won’t have to worry about illegal downloading. This is the nature of engaged fandom: fans will eventually pay for music as a show of support (and to be morally correct).
It may seem like a far-reaching ideal, but we’ve seen it work. Just look at Radiohead’s latest album, In Rainbows. The band provided its entire album for download online at a price determined by the fans. Which meant, if you wanted to pay nothing for the album, you could. The result? Probably not what you would have thought. Most fans still chose to pay the normal retail price.
Another example would be Weezer’s music video for their single, “Pork and Beans.” Here, they involved various YouTube viral stars like the Daft Punk dancers, the Numa Numa guy, Chris Crocker, and more. At nearly 18 million views, this video has brought the fans closer than ever to the music they love.
Following the Fan 