Silos aren’t only for corn, they’re additionally for info…to the detriment of everybody, particularly relating to music promotion and information…and politics.

In case you haven’t observed, many of the promotion you get today from musicians, golf equipment and occasion promoters is…non-existent—besides on their very own social media channel. Within the “olden” days (like earlier than COVID), bands and golf equipment have been way more conscious of the necessity to do a wider promotional push. However COVID kind of ended that.

OffBeat Journal has supplied free “music listings” for nearly 40 years: FREE, however golf equipment and promoters must ship them in. Alternatively, OffBeat’s listings system additionally means that you can add your personal info and will probably be displayed in our calendar of occasions robotically—you possibly can even promote exhibits throughout the calendar itself (no telephone calls or emails wanted). You may as well promote exhibits through our web site, Weekly Beat publication or our social media platforms.

Let me inform you why that’s a good suggestion.

Since I’ve been concerned in music media for the higher a part of my life, I’ve observed all of the adjustments in the way in which info has been disseminated through the years. Clearly social media has taken over as the way in which to get the phrase out about who’s performing. IMO, there’s a rising downside with that.

Every musician, every membership, every occasion that solely makes use of its personal social media, has arrange its personal social media silo of knowledge that limits publicity to a a lot wider viewers of potential music shoppers. If you happen to’re not following a specific band or membership on social media, then you definitely may miss out on figuring out about some nice new music…perhaps some that’s incredible however you’ll by no means find out about since you solely get your efficiency “information” by one or two sources.

I’ve heard numerous venues complain about how dangerous enterprise is. There appear to be fewer and fewer individuals going out to hearken to dwell music, in the event that they dwell in NOLA. After all, one of many causes for that is that there’s additionally been a giant demographic change in audiences. Older audiences are inclined to exit greater than youthful ones. Why? It was the opposite approach round.

Most venues and musicians at the moment use their very own social media channels to achieve their audiences. Why? As a result of, whereas it really works to a sure extent, there are nonetheless numerous potential viewers members who is probably not on that individual social media platform. I fail to know why of us don’t benefit of different communication channels to get the phrase out.

Staying in your silo of information doesn’t develop your viewers. You’re preaching to the choir.

It’s really fascinating to know that even whereas social media has ostensibly made communication a lot simpler, in actuality its created silos of knowledge the place individuals don’t talk with one another in any respect. So sarcastically, social media has decreased free communication amongst all of us.

This mentality additionally applies to sharing info so that each one of us—particularly in native music—can find out about what’s occurring locally. New Orleans is a spot the place there are organizations (non-profit in addition to for-profit) who won’t share info that may very well be useful to everybody. For instance, when the New Orleans Music Census was being designed, there have been a number of companions who dedicated to make use of their contacts as a solution to get the phrase out to encourage as a lot participation as doable (OffBeat being one among them). One associate dropped out comparatively late within the sport as a result of they refused to share information concerning the census  with their contacts. Who misplaced out? All of us did.

It’s not scenario for us to be in. Wanting past music and publicity, it’s additionally fairly clear that these silos have constructed virtually impenetrable partitions round sectors of the inhabitants’s mentality, making a extreme dearth of opinions, promotional info, widespread pursuits, and most clearly, political discourse.

I say “cease the silos” nonsense and open up communications and data to as many individuals as you possibly can. Social media has its limitations, too—and it’s to their profit to maintain you in their silo. That doesn’t assist you.