band-to-fan social networking
Stereowagon digs through the noise to connect local bands and music fans
You know there are a ton of great bands in Austin, but scan the schedules at local venues, and chances are you’re unfamiliar with most of the names. With so many options for live music, most people don’t want to take a chance on a band they don’t know, and figuring out what new bands are good can be tough—a frustrating situation for music fans and musicians alike.
Luckily, a local start-up is bridging the gap between musicians and their would-be fans. Stereowagon, a music discovery website created by Austinite Nick Park, helps unsigned bands gain a wider audience—and gives the rest of us opportunities to try out new bands without the cover charge or trying to find parking downtown.
“The music industry has been so changed already by the digital revolution,” says Park. “MP3s allow bands to get their music out to anybody practically for free. Bands are being launched based on successful digital singles. But promotion and discovery have yet to be truly revolutionized, still built on media gatekeepers and radio-like experiences.”
Unlike other sites that either cater to bands looking to promote their music or to music fans interested in discovering new music, Stereowagon combines the two. Bands can upload their music to the site, and easily start to sell the music and gain greater name recognition. Music fans can browse through bands, collecting their favorite artists and songs and supporting musicians by purchasing tracks and sharing music with friends.
For musicians, the downside of the digital revolution is that because it’s now so easy to record an album, there’s a lot more competition for bands trying to gain recognition. “Making recording easier has almost made marketing harder,” says Park.
That’s why sites like Stereowagon can be so valuable. In addition to selling or giving away downloads of their music, bands can share information about themselves and what they’re up to. “Stereowagon helps bands build pages to leverage the social media work they’re already doing,” Park explains. “It pulls in that data automatically and helps people discover more about your band.”
But the site does more than make musical introductions. In some cases, it also helps bands with putting on a show, creating a record or holding an event. After SXSW 2011, Stereowagon offered to release a limited-edition vinyl single for the band that generated the most plays and downloads in the following months. California-based Hello Echo won for their song “Birdbeat,” and the vinyl went on sale in September, featured on the site’s home page for purchase or as a digital download. Park says that "hands-on work like the Birdbeat record are what sets Stereowagon apart from other websites. I want to help bands do something unique that will get them noticed and grow."
Stereowagon currently hosts music from 450 bands from around the world. Thirty of the bands are from Austin, including Dana Falconberry, Monarchs, A Giant Dog, Crooks and The Bright Light Social Hour. Who will you discover next?