Bands in Demand

Apr 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Tracy Katz

           
 

Community seems to be the keyword in recent music-promotion trends. In an effort to keep music alive, many bands and artists are giving listeners the power to influence anything from the method of distribution to the price of a song or album. Now, through the online promotional service Eventful Demand (www.eventful.com), fans can help choose where their favorite artists will perform. The site generates grassroots-style competitions that allow the most loyal of fans to “demand” that popular performers visit their city.

Like most community sites, Eventful Demand has gained popularity primarily through word of mouth. People search for artists on the Web site, sign in to their geographic location (San Francisco, for example), and then demand that the artist stop there on the next tour. Serious fans then tell their friends to do the same by linking back to Eventful with customized widgets and links, thus increasing the likelihood of a much-desired band visiting their town.

Not all performers, however, may be aware of how popular they are, so in order to view the location and demographics for their demands, they need to sign up for the service (it's free). Signing up also allows artists to communicate with their fans and initiate competitions that encourage people to generate as many demands as possible. After a competition ends, the artist then performs in the cities with the highest number of demands. The service has already been used by bands such as Presidents of the United States of America and National Product.

Eventful Demand provides the ultimate marketing strategy — artists can hype up a new album, connect with people, and perform where they are most wanted. More important, the promotional service gives listeners a pivotal role in determining their favorite band's musical direction.