Engaging the Empowered Fan

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The mechanics of writing, planning, recording and marketing music have been in place for years. Recently, though, another component has come into the picture and is rapidly making itself an indispensible part of the representation, particularly in the realm of Country Music.

That component is the fan base. Record labels have increasingly been looking toward fans for input into everything from song selection to album cover art.

Reasons for fans’ ascension into the creative process are many and complex, but John Gusty, Digital Strategist with the Black River Music Group (BRMG), dates it to one milestone moment. “The traditional drivers have always been radio and retail,” said Gusty, who developed his insights into this phenomenon …