Stereogum.com
http://hypem.com/ VS.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013 What does a music blog entail?
• Outlet to organize streaming new music from a wide variety of places • Made for avid music enthusiasts • Incorporates various other social media outlets for sharing and interacting • Includes posts on stories, reviews, and information on numerous artists and bands
Featured in Stereogum.com
Tuesday, April 23, 2013 What/who is Hype Machine?
• “Hypem.com is a top 5,000 site that reaches over 2.0 million monthly visitors, of which 45% are in the U.S. The site is popular among a more male, fairly wealthy, youthful, more educated crowd.” • Independent company based in Brooklyn, NY • A member of Spin Music utilized by Spin magazine Hype Machine’s Lost Control Party http://www.flickr.com/photos/gtmcknight/4464760461/lightbox/ • http://youtu.be/e9RNwdTuJX4
Tuesday, April 23, 2013 The ears behind the keyboard
• Updates and organizes a network of popular MP3 music blogs in one site • Accentuates independent voices from bloggers that write about music • “We think a select group of passionate people can produce more engaging conversation than a huge social mob, or a rigid hierarchy of editors. We amplify their posts and the audio they choose, to help this vibrant culture spread. This is why we wake up.” - Hype Machine Staff
Tuesday, April 23, 2013 Hype Machine Events
Tuesday, April 23, 2013 What is Stereogum?
• One of the first MP3 blogs and is the leading online community for independent and alternative music news, downloads, and videos • AUDIENCE: “Passionate music fans, industry folks, and household names like Kanye West, Ben Gibbard, and Ryan Adams. Regularly features unknown artists who go on to become mainstream sensations such as Vampire Weekend, Arcade Fire, and Fleet Foxes.” • Cited for its commentary and band discovery everywhere from The New Yorker to FOX News • Plug Award for best music blog, Blender‘s Most Influential People in Online Music, Village Voice‘s Music Blog Of The Year, and Entertainment Weekly‘s Best Music Website
• http://stereogum.com/1314491/the-10-best-national-songs/top-stories/lead-story/
Tuesday, April 23, 2013 Modern and creative designs of Stereogum
Tuesday, April 23, 2013 SWOT Strengths: Design and overall layouts are aesthetically pleasing and modern while separate headings • contribute to an organized layout. Hype Machine offers loyalty to their listeners as well as musicians by encouraging purchasing music to support artists. Both blogs give outlets to multiple forms of social media to allow further exploration of other music and frequent updates on music news. Both blogs are relatable to demographic through innovative and engaging ways of presentation and sharing of music discussions and discoveries.
Weaknesses: Hype Machine claims to have a narrow, specific demographic described in their • “About Us” which can sound off-putting and close-minded. Do not use their own, authentic written content on site on Hype Machine and just compile other bloggers thoughts to open up and lead discussion. Stereogum has an overwhelming amount of information that looks cluttered on their page which can lose the reader on top of their multiple headings.
Opportunities: Expand their demographic by making site more simple and user friendly. Must • transition to expand to other social media platforms and technology to keep up with young demographics interests.
Threats: Both blogs are under Spin Media which makes them in competition with each other • fighting for the exposure and attention of the same demographic. There are other quickly emerging sites such as Spotify, which allow a more direct way to share and discover music that focuses purely on the music listening aspect and doesn’t deal with a cluttered website. Demographic and audience could change their interests and attention span in reading lengthy opinion based articles.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013