- Musicians to Follow on Twitter - Photo Courtesy of keiyac on Flickr.com
One of the most important decisions when first signing up is who to follow on Twitter. Most people who are interested in music will have at least a few musicians on their list, among their friends, family and other interests.
Other people use Twitter for more professional purposes and follow musicians to keep up with the latest music news. Regardless of whom each user chooses to follow, or why, musicians provide some great entertainment and make for an interesting experience on the social networking site.
Why Musicians Use Twitter
Musicians can sign up to social networking site Twitter for various reasons. It is a perfect way to keep fans in the loop of album news, tours, television and radio interviews in quick short news bites, known as ‘tweets’.
It is also a great way for fans to have a sneak peek into the personal lives of these celebrities, as they normally update their own accounts. Some musicians have their publicist or manager update their ‘tweets’, and other times it is a mix. Bands such as Sonic Youth normally initial at the end of the update to let fans know who is speaking.
Music News on Twitter
There are several musicians and bands on Twitter who use the site to promote their latest albums, tours and other news. Alternative rock band Sonic Youth (username thesonicyouth) have taken to using Twitter, which is extremely beneficial to fans since mainstream media coverage for the band has dwindled over the years. The band has been known to give great insight into the recording process of their album.
Nine Inch Nails front man Trent Reznor (username trent_reznor) regularly updates his Twitter account with recording and touring news. It is also a great way for fans to keep up to date whether the band is actually together or not, and Reznor also using the site to communicate with his fans directly to get feedback about shows.
Amanda Palmer (username amandapalmer) is a well known Twitter addict, known to tweet up to 20 times a day. The Dresden Dolls singer/pianist really does know how to keep her fans updated, constantly writing about her tours, album recordings and other publicity.
Entertaining Musicians to Follow on Twitter
John Mayer (username johncmayer) is probably one of the best known musicians to utilise Twitter. A self confessed Twitter addict, his posts are often more personal than they are about his music career.
Mainly updated with ‘twitpics’ (simply pictures with captions uploaded through the site), Ben Folds (username benjaminfolds) has some very interesting and insightful updates. He mainly tweets interesting and insightful ideas, but also uploads some very personal photos of his family.
Billy Corgan (username billy) of Smashing Pumpkins fame rarely ever writes about where he is taking his music career. Most often Corgan publishes spiritual and existential quotes, with some other thought provoking ideas.
How to Find Musicians on Twitter
There are several different ways to find musicians to follow on Twitter. The best place to start is to utilise the ‘find people’ tool at the top of the site, go to ‘browse suggestions’ and follow the link to the music section. The list contains some of the most active and popular musicians on Twitter.
Another great way to find musicians to follow on Twitter is by looking at who other people are following. If in doubt simply go to Google and type in the musician’s name to find a list of musicians who use the site.
Using Twitter is a great way to keep up with general music news, as well as particularly musician’s information. It won’t take long to build up a collection of artists to follow.
Bianca Martin - Bianca Martin is a freelance writer and self confessed music snob, currently residing in Brisbane Australia. She completed a Bachelor ...
