Things have certainly changed in the industry since the days of posting tapes to the record executives and hoping they’d listen and like it. The ways to connect with music have even transcended merely listening to it in its many forms. The advent of streaming meant that those without a record label could still push their singing talent onto the masses more easily and directly than ever. In fact, there have always been countless ways to connect with artists, musicians, their messages, and the worlds their bands have created without picking up their their music per se - and more and more new ways are getting invented thanks to the internet.
Ed Sheeran made a much-publicised appearance in a small role in Game of Thrones in 2017, and Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac reprised her role as a fictional version of herself in the eighth series of American Horror Story. Britney Spears starred as a potential "mother" in How I Met Your Mother, Bon Jovi starred in the film New Year’s Eve, while City and Color and Fall Out Boy have both performed as themselves on One Tree Hill, while Demi Lovato guest starred on Grey’s Anatomy as a patient. Musicians appearing on TV shows and in films can work on two levels. Firstly it can diversify their offering as a performer and show that they are more than just musicians, but it also helps reach out to those who might not traditionally be fans of theirs. By connecting with a different fanbase, they could soak up some fans of their acting who may move over to their music, and could even repurpose them for a different generation of fan. Musicians appearing in entertainment shows how connected the worlds are.
We have seen bands in video games for some years. 50 Cent has several third person shooter games under his belt developed by Swordfish Studios. Frankie Goes to Hollywood have a video game set in Liverpool and featuring a series of minigames. KISS have not only inspired episodes of Family Guy and comic books, but are the driving force behind KISS: Psycho Circus: Nightmare Child, a video game. Of course, the main way in which you can engage with a band beyond their music is by attempting to follow in their footsteps. Many interactive games exist to allow fans of the bands and artists to attempt to replicate their songs in some way or another. If you are wanting to use their songs direct that would be a problem, unless you are using a royalty free music platform such as
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Browse through selections and select what you like. Because you obtain the license directly from the author (you'll receive license confirmation), you can download music with a clear conscience, knowing that you have permission to do so!
