Facebook and Music - "The times they are a changin"

This week there were rumors that facebook would be launching as a music platform to compete with iTunes.

Facebook has radically reinvented itself and continues to accelerate changes to keep the members it has attracted. Having worked closely with the music industry in my early career at NBC Radio (at 30 Rock) and at Warner-Amex when MTV was less than a year old, I have seen these radical changes before. facebook and other social networks are rapidly reinventing the music and recording industry.

facebook seems as if it is a perfect platform to now launch a music platform. Music has always been something which can bring people together and allow people to share their feelings and emotions with others. How wonderful is it when you find another person who likes the same band, performer or music genre. There is a lot to share --- and "Share" is a major part of the DNA of facebook.

Prior to these rumored announcements, I had already been working in this direction in a few ways. I have set up a group or what I call a "class" on facebook called

Facebook 501 - Entertainment - Promoting Books. Music, Movies and TV

I also have been in discussions a record company and manager with deep roots in the record industry about how we can leverage facebook and social media marketing to promote their groups. These acts are varied from Punk Rock (x-games) type to Motown.
Each appeals to a different demographic.

Some of these groups have already been touring in Europe and Asia and we wondered what would happen if we could create a viral or word of mouth marketing campaign along with the ability for the facebook members to purchase or download their music. Some of the groups appeal to an older demographic (34+ years old) which is where facebook seems to be growing rapidly as well

There is already an application in facebook called iLike which is one of my favorites. So facebook comes at a time when their really is an evolution on how we find out about music, buy our music and share our music.

The traditional record companies do not seem to have targeted facebook yet, but the independent artists who I am connected with on facebook, such as Samantha Murphy and David Usher seem to have figured out how to leverage facebook and other social networking platforms as well.

As my favorite artist Bob Dylan wrote in the lyrics 'Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.

If you are a music lover, independent musician/band, or an executive with traditional recording industry background, please share your thoughts and vision as well and feel free to join the Marketing Music facebook group.