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G-Side on Forbes.com 0
Alabama rap upstarts G-Side were recently featured on Forbes.com. The article discussed the group’s use of the website Bandcamp to sell their upcoming album.
The article touches on a number of important issues. First, it is a clear example of how independent artists, are working outside of the traditional avenues to get their product to the masses. They are eschewing the middlemen (Big 4 labels, distributors) and selling their products directly to consumers.
Second, its clear that artists are no longer having to set up shop in New York or L.A. in order to reach larger audiences. G-Side continues to work out of Huntsville, AL, which allows them to nurture their core audience and reduce operational costs, while not sacrificing access to other media markets.
In short, Bandcamp allows G-Side to sell their music out of the trunk of a car travelling along the information superhighway. I wonder what this means, however, for audiences who don’t actively use or aren’t able to access the internet. It seems that this new model is targeted at a particular group of consumers. Ultimately, the Forbes on G-Side article is an excellent example of how indie artists are using new media to gain more control over their product.
-Langston