We often get questions about how the “Related artists” feature on Spotify actually works. A post on the Spotify blog gives a clear explanation if this feature - we will summarize it here.

Whereas Spotify first used tagging and genre matching from the All Music Guide they a while ago moved over to a more dynamic solution to power the related artists feature.  The current solution incorporates user listening data to power the feature. In practice, if there is data showing that people listening to your music are also listening to “Foster The People” then this band will be one of those in the list of the related artists.

For you as indie artist, knowing what other artists your fans are listening can be valuable information. One example would be when trying to introduce your music to new listeners - if you know your fans are listening to “Foster The People” then there is a high chance that other fans of “Foster The People” will also like your music.

You can then direct marketing efforts towards these fans - such as via music forums/blogs they frequent and other online hangouts. Now, this is pretty grass routes promotion but it is just one illustration how how this knowledge can be used to your advantage. Remember, one new fan who shares music with friends can mean many more.

Notorious contrarians, Tin Pot Operation expound their own brand of anti-establishmentarian alternative indie punk madness. As they admit themselves, it is entirely unlikely that their music will ever be used in a mobile phone advert; something which doesn’t bother them in the slightest.

Forging their sound out from the raw materials of life in native Belfast, their music is honest, perceptive and uncompromising. Describing their music, they say that it is “Sort of the abandoned offspring of Punk getting lucky with Indie after a bottle of Absinthe. Veering between XTC, SLF, Talking Heads and Billy Bragg”.

Their latest much anticipated album “Human Resources” definately does not dissapoint. According to NME this “self-released slab of wax is a beautifully battered sonic manifesto and it sums up their hometown better than any empty-headed politician ever could.” Nicely put, NME.

By now, you must be curious what Tin Pot Operation are all about. Luckily, you check em out on the player to the right, else head over to Spotify for a listen. If you get hooked, you can also find “Human Resources” on most online music stores, such as iTunes and Amazon MP3.

Organisations like the “Montreal Indie Music Network” are the lifeblood of independent music.  They are a concert Promotions Company actively involved in spreading valuable information about gigs going on in their area. Not only involved in promoting concerts, they regularly post information about up and coming artists on their facebook group as well. Like most people dedicated to indie music, they appreciate that some of the best music out there comes from unknown indie bands, as opposed to the “heavily-hyped and advertised major-label megabands”.  As we all know, Independent music does not have the same capital for huge marketing, advertising and promotion schemes as the major record labels, which makes networks like these all the more important. Where would the independent scene be without them?

Beginning as a face book group the network is in the process of creating a website called “Indie Montreal”. We spoke to the creator of the network, Jon Weisz, about the role of his network in today’s music environment. He observes that “95% of pop music fans are too complacent: they listen to whatever Television tells them to listen to without questioning the music’s quality or relevance”. Indeed. Jon understands more than anyone that labels simply don´t have the resources to market most of the great music out there, and that questions of risk often force them invest resources in artists appealing to the “lowest common denominator” (for more on this, see this article). Imagination, that crucial artistic ingredient “doesn’t make money for these companies, who often put millions of dollars into promoting a single artist”. With this in mind, his network

“provides a resource for people who fall within the 5%, who understand that music’s appeal is not cultural and dictated, it’s personal and discovered. Although a lot of popular music is good, I find that the best music is almost always found in indie niches that are not heavily marketed or publicized”.

We at Record Union couldnt agree more! Keep up the good work guys!