I believe that the educational component of what NBS and 4Sq are doing (blogging, speaking, case studies, one-on-one conversations etc.) is great but ultimately the ground will fully shift and all that will be left are those that understand the new game (or can hire someone who does).

Quick aside: I do believe that artists should be artists first and foremost. They are all unique and their willingness/interest in the online music world is part of their assets (or liabilities). There also won't be a uniform strategy for all of them. If they are interested in photography they can keep a photoblog, if they like live conversations they can publicize their AIM screen names etc.

One example: I went out on the road with a band called Sing It Loud a year ago and, like most of us, were entirely skeptical on the value of Twitter. I downloaded the client on their phones and reminded them to tweet everyday. At first it was forced but now they each have thousands of followers, love the direct connection with the fans and can see the value to their careers.

However, I see a similar problem you guys may have in evangelizing the importance of these new sites/tech to bands. The gist, they don't give a f@#$ about tech. What are you guys doing to overcome these challenges?

This is a similar problem that a startup like Foursquare is having to convince bars/restaurants to run promotions on the platform. These brick and mortar businesses don't often see the value of emerging tech, it's a tough sell sometimes.

Nice work guys.