If you are any sort of professional artist, your livelihood depends on people liking and purchasing whatever it is that you create. Musicians, for instance, rely on people liking their music enough to want to purchase it in the form of albums and tickets to live performances. Cultivating a loyal fan base is very important if you want to become a well-established musician, as is constantly being in a position to reach more people with your music and bring them in as fans as well. There are a number of different ways to grow and maintain a devoted fan base. Obviously, the more exposure you can garner, the better. Today, a lot of exposure happens in the online sphere through artist websites as well as music social networks.

Music social networking sites are hugely popular right now, not just as sites to network with musicians or fans, but also as venues to sell music. In recent years, several major artists have even done online-only album releases. As a performer working in the music industry, having a presence in the online music social network scene is pretty much a necessity. There are several important reasons why, in order to effectively market yourself, you need to have a strong, optimized presence online. First and foremost, having a web presence means that you're getting access to a potentially unlimited scope of exposure; after all, the Internet has no boundaries. Being online means that anyone in that network can come across you or your band, listen to your music, and buy it from you if they so choose. You don't have to rely on stores to carry your music--you can sell it yourself, meaning you get to pocket more of the profits.

When you sell your own music online, either through your website or a music social networking site, you can choose the pricing, as well as how to package your music. You don't have to only sell your album as a package deal or as a hit single, you can also choose to sell individual tracks from the album. Think about how this will help you to still make money from folks who don't want to purchase your album--they just want a song or two. Assuming that you can cover your costs on the recording end, selling your own music rather than selling it through a record label can mean a very substantial increase in your profit percentage, and today's conscious consumers will feel good knowing that they're supporting you--not a ton of other people--when they purchase music from you.

Personal interaction between musicians and fans is another thing that really helps music social networks to thrive online. Let's face it, you simply cannot answer every email, every letter, and every comment ever received from your loyal followers. What you can do is communicate and interact with your fans in the form of a blog or some kind of forum. The more you communicate, the stronger the connection you develop with your fans, who will continue to devote their loyalties for years to come, and therefore keeping you in business as an artist. Show appreciation for the fans in your music social network. Offer them free downloads, early bird ticket specials, and first dibs on insider information about the band to entice them to stay plugged in.