My growing fascination with the obscure ends of the NY Times lead me to this fascinating article about a new middleman in the music industry. The social networking sites theoretically bring fans closer to their idol (I’m friends with M.I.A. but the relationship is so one way and she never calls me back) but lacks any real connection to the person. Enter BuddyLube, the worst named company in America. Either a new addition to Jenna Jameson’s massive porn empire or a service to bring artists “closer” to their fans by making exclusive items available only to them. By being “closer”, you still don’t interact directly with the musician. Instead, you can share your love affair of a particular artist with other fans – which may be more enriching in the long run than simply meeting your idol. Fans love sharing their experiences and competing for the next “one-up” scenario – backstage passes, exclusive memorabilia, unreleased downloads, etc.
This area of the middleman seems to be one of the growing trends in the industry. If the formal label is dying, why not capitolize on the middle area – making the fan and the artist more accessible. There will always be a barrier. Why not take advantage of it and build tiny holes that make it seem less broad.
NYT Magazine – Getting Along Famously