The Vlogging Musician
Kuhlberg, Jonas (2019)
2019
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2019120524786
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2019120524786
Tiivistelmä
The main goal of my thesis is to explore how social media, and explicitly Instagram vlogs, can be used strategically, yet still authentically, as part of the everyday professional life of a touring and recording artist. Specific questions I address are: Can I get my number of followers to grow and what content attracts new followers? Are there any identifiable economical or business-related benefits in it for me as a musician? How can I engage with my fans authentically online?
The material for my thesis consists of vlogs I have published while touring in November and December 2018, and on an album recording vlog I did between January and May 2019. The vlogs differ in the sense that the tour vlog is more about life on the road as an artist whilst the recording vlog is more about me as a musician, playing and using different instruments. The vlogs are recorded using my mobile phone only. Since most of my field work happens online this study has a netnographic approach.
As a result of my project my follower amount increased with 35% and I actually got more contacts and some recording work which I did get paid for. Still I think that my number of followers overall is too small for me to benefit from Instagram
I argue that if I would not have done the vlogs during the tour and the recording process I would not have achieved as many followers in five months that I did but I believe that I would have achieved the same number of followers or more just by being active and posting something every day. The process for me personally was a good thing: I got more knowledge on how to use social media as a marketing tool for myself and my bands, and a better insight into Instagram and how it actually works.
The material for my thesis consists of vlogs I have published while touring in November and December 2018, and on an album recording vlog I did between January and May 2019. The vlogs differ in the sense that the tour vlog is more about life on the road as an artist whilst the recording vlog is more about me as a musician, playing and using different instruments. The vlogs are recorded using my mobile phone only. Since most of my field work happens online this study has a netnographic approach.
As a result of my project my follower amount increased with 35% and I actually got more contacts and some recording work which I did get paid for. Still I think that my number of followers overall is too small for me to benefit from Instagram
I argue that if I would not have done the vlogs during the tour and the recording process I would not have achieved as many followers in five months that I did but I believe that I would have achieved the same number of followers or more just by being active and posting something every day. The process for me personally was a good thing: I got more knowledge on how to use social media as a marketing tool for myself and my bands, and a better insight into Instagram and how it actually works.