Biorock: AU Music Mag on SwarmTribes
17 Oct 2008
BIOROCK
SWARMTRIBES ALLOWS FANS IN ON THE BAND BUZZ
AU Magazine, October 2008
For any self-respecting music fan, there’s nothing quite like the thrill
of discovery, of being the first to unearth a new act or nugget of band
news. In an age of information excess, it can often seem impossible
to get through the guff and reach the gold. AU aside, for many of
us personal recommendation and word of mouth remains the most
persuasive and trusted means of finding out about music. However,
SwarmTribes, a new form of communicating band information and
building buzz based on scientific principles, could benefit both fans and
artists alike.
Drawing on the theory of organizational biomimetics (aka bioteams)
– the process by which information is disseminated in nature –
SwarmTribes allows bands to grow a committed fanbase via mobile and
online messaging. The premise is simple: the bands and labels interact
directly with a core team of the act’s biggest fans. Each of these ‘Alpha
Fans’ in turn communicates with their own ‘swarm’ of other fans and
so on and so on like the ripples of the proverbial pebble dropped in
the ocean. It’s a mutually beneficial deal too, as fans receive access to
privileged and early information on everything from gigs to releases.
Ken Thompson, SwarmTribes founder elaborates: “Yes, it is a bit
counter-intuitive – to build up a really big fan base you need to create
a very small group of passionate supporters who are equipped and
motivated to create the big fan base for you. You just have to look at the
history of major religious and political movements to see how well this
works!”
Perhaps those who stand to gain most from SwarmTribes are unsigned
acts. The music industry is in a state of flux the likes of which we
haven’t seen since Elvis Presley first thrust his hips in an unmistakably
suggestive manner back in the Fifties. With a legal to illegal record
ratio of 1 to 40, the major labels and indie brethren alike are taking
a battering. In this climate, the majors are increasingly focused on
exploiting and licensing their existing recordings rather than risking
investment in new talent. All told, it’s never been tougher to make the
transition from hopeful to fully-fledged music star.
However, by using SwarmTribes bands can bolster their chances by
recruiting a fanbase and thereby increase the buzz around them. It
might not appeal to the romantic who believes that talent will always
win through, but in the tougher than ever reality of today’s industry,
SwarmTribes might just provide that crucial advantage.
What’s more, SwarmTribes is not just about bands – anything that
attracts fans can use it, be it a music venue, dance club or big music
festival. So in the spirit of investigative journalism we are testing
SwarmTribes out here in AU Magazine to see how it works with our
AU Mobile Army.
You too can get involved. SwarmTribes already
has 80 UK indie bands signed up for the system for free thanks to
the sponsorship of NESTA (The National Endowment for Science
Technology and the Arts) and can continue to give out free licenses
(including up to 25,000 free texts) for suitable acts till the end of the year.
“Most of our bands are London-based,” said Ken. “As a native of
Belfast I would dearly love to see more local bands, venues or promoters
taking advantage of the NESTA scheme before it runs out.” FJ
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