Do not go where the path may lead… Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail
Duane Charles Music Entrepreneur, Producer and creator of the startup and independent music network GiGhive. He is an aspiring music artist, who now spends much of his time branding, designing, coding and bootstrapping the network from the ground up.
Who is Duane Charles?
I can say for certain, I am an "independent artist" in the truest sense of the word and on a quest to redefine the independent artist niche in much the same way many new startups are redefining their respective industries.
I am among a growing niche of new artists who come in all flavors, from musicians, to photographers, to writers, to web designers etc;
Duane Charles Who?
Exactly! If you think about it. The independent community is directly responsible for the massive growth of some the most powerful social media networks in the world. A community of content creators churning out media in the form of music, art, photographs, videos, articles, posts or just jotting down day to day events on twitter and facebook. We are the fuel driving traffic, which powers the engines on the web.
But if you haven’t realized it yet, mainstream media outlets, corporate brands/people/artists have gained influence on these networks. Networks once exclusive to independent artists are now home to the biggest brands in the world.
MySpace Moment. The beginning of the end.
Like so many artists, I still have fond memories of the good ole days on the once dominant social network. When it began it was about artist discovery, listening to new indie music, establishing new artist relationships and making connections. Glitter was in and “thanks for the add” was the buzz word.
I remember thinking, how it was such a great forum to discover new and upcoming artists. New acts and bands graced the main pages of the site; a revolving door of who was hot at the moment (How cool was that?). I remember telling a friend, “If mainstream artists ever get wind of this site, it will be the beginning of the end”. Just didn’t think 'the end' would happen so soon.
I am not exactly sure who was among the first (Alicia Keys) but the floodgates opened and eventually indie acts were replaced by mainstream artists. Indie artists were no longer the main draw to the site.
Today the site is social promotional who's who of Hollywood entertainment and corporate music billboards. It would seem... a theme I see repeated over and over again on the web.
The startup
Why am I so passionate about the independent artist community? Well... I don’t care to see the same 1% of artists and brands that once dominated radio, newspapers, magazines and televisions now gain overwhelming influence in areas where independent artist invested much of their time and energy.
I don’t care to see history repeat itself; watching money and influence consolidate the web the way it did with radio and television. If SOPA and PIPA Bills in Congress don’t get your attention as to how much influence the industry holds and what lengths they will go to regain creative control, then nothing will.
If you are an artist and passionate about what is possible on the independent music web...
Support and Follow the Journey
GiG = Music + Hive = Artist + Community + 100% Independent + Network = GiGHiVE
A network for Independent artists, built and supported by Independent artists…
