Degree Type
Honors Capstone Project
Date of Submission
Spring 5-1-2013
Capstone Advisor
Ulf Oesterle, Assistant Professor in Bandier Program
Honors Reader
Robert Kucharavy, Public Relations Professor of Practice
Capstone Major
Public Relations
Capstone College
Public Communications
Audio/Visual Component
yes
Audio/Visual Location
Honors Library
Capstone Prize Winner
yes
Won Capstone Funding
yes
Honors Categories
Professional
Abstract
The Internet, and particularly social media, provides many opportunities for musicians to promote their music at no, to a relatively low, cost. Artists can build a fan base using a variety of different platforms, like YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Tumblr, among hundreds of other music-friendly social media sites. Superstars like Justin Bieber, who got his start on YouTube, have proven that it’s possible to not only get discovered, but also cultivate a career, using the power of the Internet.
Since August 2012, I have managed YouTube artist Kara Della Valle. As an independent singer-songwriter, this was the first time Kara had someone working with her to help promote her music. Kara first started posting YouTube videos of both original songs and covers in 2010. Her original music gained popularity, especially among tween and teen girls, after being featured in many beauty and style how-to videos. She built a sizeable following on YouTube, with around four thousand subscribers and nearly half a million views, but the numbers did not translate to much success beyond that platform. Although her song “Tonight” and debut EP Out Loud gained notoriety among the YouTube and Tumblr communities, Kara’s social media following across the web did not grow.
Opening New Windows (and Doors) for Independent Artists Online explores how I created cohesion among Kara’s social media properties, scored a viral hit, translated her YouTube success into a larger following and ultimately increased digital sales. I will outline the social media practices used to gain, retain, and cultivate connections with fans online. This case study goes through six phases of an album cycle, chronicling ten months of promotion on a limited budget, partially funded by Syracuse University’s Renée Crown University Honors Program as part of my Capstone Project.
Recommended Citation
Musacchio, Matthew, "Opening New Windows (and Doors) for Independent Artists Online" (2013). Honors Capstone Projects - All. 76.
https://surface.syr.edu/honors_capstone/76
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
