Musicians Connecting With Fans Using Pay-Per-Minute Phonesites?

WWith the explosive growth of online social networking in recent years, musicians now have several ways to communicate with their fans online. But broadcasting the minutiae of everyday life via tweets and updates is not for everyone – be it the fan, or the musician.

However, those with a following can now connect anonymously with their fans via a ubiquitous device with which everyone is familiar – the phone. Thanks to cloud based VoIP technology, a new form of phone chat now is possible that allows those involved in the entertainment industry to easily create their own pay-per-minute ‘hotline’.

Whilst the internet has eroded the music industry’s historic business model, it has also facilitated new ones – this being one of them. After all, phone-ins are a live-event – and the revenue they produce will be music to the ears of both CFO’s and individuals within the industry.

This new form of pay-per-minute billing differentiates itself from traditional premium rate in a number of ways.

Photo credit: kristapalmu on Flickr

First off, the caller does not dial a premium rate number: rather, he or she enters their phone number into the phonesite and, funds permitting, the system will then call back the caller and connect to the host.

Secondly, the caller does not pay their phone company. Instead, they use their credit or debit card to pre-pay minutes. This means that the musician offering the service will not have to wait the typical 45 days or more associated with the old-style numbers for their money.

In keeping with the freemium economy, those interested in operating their own phonesite need not part with any money. Thanks to VoIP, set-up fees and monthly number rentals can now also be consigned to the history books.

Furthermore, phonesite owners can also charge what they like per minute and are not constrained by the fixed rate tariffs that were previously available.

But perhaps the biggest advantage of all afforded by this new form of pay-per-minute phone platform is that users can reach out to a global audience and not just a national one. Thus UK artistes can make money ‘made in USA’. And vice versa.

In an era of increasing information overload, it is reassuring to know that celebrities within the music space can adopt a back-to-basics approach by connecting with their fans away from all that web clutter via a device that we all have. A genuine value-added experience which, correctly priced, eager callers will only be too happy to pay for.

Finally, by tweeting the time and date of their availability, musicians can easily promote the event to their receptive followers.

This way, musicians can benefit from a device dating back to the pre-web era, whilst capitalising on the technology and free advertising opportunities afforded by social networks today.

Courtesy of IdeaMarketers, you can find more information regarding free pay-per-minute phone websites at Myphonesite.co.uk.

Marc Jarrett has been working as a consultant in the pay-per-call industry since 1994, and was first-to-market with cellphone ringtones in 2000.