Can Indie Ring Tones Bring in Fame and Acclaim?

The advent of new technology has brought in new possibilities for bands to reach fans and hopefully make some money. The internet clearly has the potential for many acts to further their fan base but many people are also tipping mobile phones to generate a lot of publicity.

Many mobile phones are now being used as mp3 players which make it easier for people to have music with them without carrying around extra devices or gadgets. A few years back people predicted that bands would make a lot of money from selling ring tones but this trend has still to take off in the manner it was suggested.

"There's only music so that there's new ring tones"

So sang the Arctic Monkeys on 'A Certain Romance' and there have been suggestions that ring tones have been outselling CD singles for certain artists and releases. The only problem is that technology has caught up with the mobile phone and it is now fairly easy for a person to download any track from CD or their computer onto their phone. This has reduced the potential for selling ring tones but this does not mean that bands and management should abandon all consideration of this promotional channel.

There may not be the money in selling ring tones but it could generate a lot of extra publicity and awareness in a band for no great cost at all. Just imagine if a fan had your songs as their ring tone or message alert, every time they received a call your bands music would play.

Give Stuff Away for Free

This is why bands who have websites should consider offering songs or snippets that are designed to be used on a phone to their fans. Any track could be edited to feature the chorus or perhaps just a riff to ensure that the impact is noticeable every single time a phone rings.

Equally, wallpapers and graphics for people to place on their phones can be offered too. Doing this is no guarantee of success and you have to accept the limitations of trying to reach people in this manner but it's a worthwhile option at not much cost for a band to consider.

Even if it fails to generate any new fans, it will be seen as a good gesture to existing fans. People like getting stuff for nothing and by offering freebies for people to download onto their phones, a band will create a better spirit between themselves and their fans.

Release Exclusive Content for Mobile Phones

Alternatively, some bands are offering exclusive content that cannot be purchased anywhere else to fans through their phones. Perhaps it could be live tracks from a gig or perhaps a remix of a popular track but the option to give away exclusive content or perhaps sell it for a small fee could greatly improve the popularity of a band.

The possibilities of this are only limited by the technology available to a band. If fans at a gig all had the Bluetooth facility enabled on their phone, they could easily receive exclusive content from a band. This would further encourage fans to come along to gigs if they felt they were being offered something exclusive and again, it would be create a stronger bond between band and fan.

With technology moving forward at a great rate, artists who are able to react to the new possibilities and use it to communicate with fans, existing or potential, are giving themselves a greater opportunity of being found by more people. If you don't do it one of your rivals probably will so be sure to check out what the latest mobile phone technology can do for your band.