Is Reverbnation a Waste of Time?

If you’re a musician, then there are two things you need to be successful, at a minimum: talent and creativity. Without them, you’re not likely to get very far.

Realistically, though, you’re going to need a little bit more than that if you’re ever going to get to the level of superstardom that you no doubt desire. You’ll need to be excellent at marketing yourself.

Think about someone like Lady Gaga. Her popularity isn’t just due to her music. It’s also about her ethos, the glitz and glamor that you can expect at one of her shows. She learned how to promote herself, and you’ll need to do the same, regardless of whether your genre is stadium rock or acid jazz.

To that end, you’ll need to use some social media channels. Without them, you won’t stand a chance of reaching the most extensive possible collection of fans and potential fans the world over. That’s why you should look into Reverbnation without delay.

What is Reverbnation?

Reverbnation is a platform that is geared toward music aficionados. That instantly makes it a bit unique, since there aren’t many other social media platforms that exist to draw music fans together.

Reverbnation is for:

• Music fans
• Artists
• Promoters who are looking for their next big signing

In this article, we’re attempting to answer whether Reverbnation is worth it for people to use, so we’re going to approach that topic from the perspective of each of these distinct groups. We’ll start with the fan perspective.

Reverbnation for Fans

There seems little doubt that Reverbnation is a good place for music fans to hang out and socialize. For them, it works in the traditional way that social media is supposed to.

They can congregate there and:

• Talk about upcoming shows
• Meet other like-minded individuals
• Arrange in-person meetups if they live in the same city or near one another

This platform works for them perfectly well, but keep in mind that there’s nothing at stake for fans from a promotional standpoint. They’re primarily on the platform to gush about artists they like. Let’s move on to whether it’s worth it for artists.

Reverbnation for Artists

Let’s say that you’re an artist, and you’ve had a modest amount of success so far. You’ve played some local clubs, and gotten a good reception from your small but dedicated fanbase. Now, you’re ready to expand.

That means trying to arrange a national tour and maybe record distribution. It’s true that these days, you can do a lot of self-promotion, and you don’t necessarily need a record deal to make it big.

Still, it’s in your best interest to attract the attention of new fans, promoters, and possibly similar artists. It’s sometimes to your benefit to hook up with other artists that play similar music to what you do since that makes you more firmly entrenched in your community. You also might try to go on tour with a couple of bands whose music you like.

Attracting Fans Via Reverbnation

If you’re an artist on Reverbnation trying to reach new fans, then there’s no doubt that it’s worth it from that perspective. Additional followers will:

• Buy your music
• Come to your live shows
• Tell others about your music who become fans, widening your influence and network

Like other social media networks, though, it’s hard to attract fans if not many people know who you are yet. You might have a few organic followers, but you need the appearance of having lots of them. Perception is reality.

You can actually buy some fans, though, if you have it in your marketing budget to do so. For Reverbnation fans, all you need is to head to a website to buy them. There are several sites online where you can artificially inflate your fan numbers.

This sounds a little shady, but it’s common practice, and it’s not illegal or unethical. It’s a way of attracting new organic admirers via what’s called the bandwagon effect. When people on the platform see that you have many fans, they’ll perceive that you’re popular. They’ll then check out your music and become fans themselves.

If you have very few followers so far, then platform users will think that no one likes your music, and they probably won’t waste their time on you.

Reverbnation for Promoters and Managers

We’ve covered Reverbnation for artists and fans, but what about for talent managers and promoters? Is it worth it for them too?

You could certainly make the argument that it is. After all, as a manager or concert promoter, you can’t make it to every show to see every act in the musical niche or genre that interests you. That’s particularly true right now since Covid-19 has all but stopped live music events.

As a manager or promoter, though, you know that:

• The pandemic is going to die down someday soon
• You’ll want some fresh acts to sign to your label or book for your club

A social media site like Reverbnation is where you can find some of that fresh, new talent that you crave. You can listen to artists’ music and determine whether they have the sound that you want to represent and promote.

You can also tell by their music how polished they are. Maybe they’re ready for primetime, or perhaps they’re still raw enough that it’s going to take some finessing on your part before they’re prepared for the spotlight. A platform like Reverbnation might be the place to find a diamond in the rough.

Arguments Against Reverbnation

It’s true that not everyone loves the Reverbnation platform, and some think it’s a waste of time. That can be true for music fans, musicians, promoters, managers, or even others who are on the periphery of the music industry in various ways.

What do they find objectionable about this platform? If you converse with them, you’ll often find out that it’s not so much Reverbnation that they don’t like. What they really have an aversion to is social media in general.

They might feel like:

• Social media is a cesspool
• The only real fans are organic ones that come to concerts

Looking at the situation objectively, it is true that there are some problems with social media. There’s a lot of negativity that can exist there, usually from cyberbullying, the proliferation of fake news stories, etc.

What you get out of social media, though, is the same thing that you put into it. If you go on one of these platforms and spout negativity, then that’s probably what you’re going to most notice on there as well.

It becomes like a self-fulfilling prophecy: if you think that this sort of endeavor is worthless, then you’ve made up your mind that is going to be your experience before you ever really give it a chance.

It’s Worth It If You Make It Worth It

Look, as a musician, fan, or anyone else attached to the music industry, there’s no one forcing you to go on social media. That is true of Reverbnation, and it’s also true of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and dozens of other platforms.

You can shun social media entirely. It’s your prerogative. The truth is, though, if you do that, you’re missing out.

You’re missing out on a lot of connections that you could be making. You’re not finding out about new music you might like. You’re not meeting other local artists that could fill in for your sick drummer and maybe become a valuable new member of the group.

The truth is that Reverbnation can be worth it, as can social media in general. If you don’t want to get on board with it, then that’s fine, but it’s probably in your best interest to be open-minded and at least give it a try.