Boston Online
Interactive Promotions
An interview with Harry Gold
by Kerry Joyce
As president of Interactive Promotions, Harry Gold is one of the pioneers in adapting all this new information technology for the benefit of musicians, clubs, and fans. In the dog eat dog world of the local music scene, Harry is one of those rare individuals for whom almost everyone has a kind word. We figured we’d ask him about music on the Internet, because we figured he’d know, and we figured he’d tell us.
What is Interactive Promotions’ involvement with the World Wide Web?
Interactive Promotions has a web site on CITYPOST.COM. It provides complete club listings sorted by date or area. Bands with web pages will appear as hot words in our listings. Our site also includes a listing of other sites with music information.
Interactive Promotions is most well known for the 232-CITY music access telephone service. Did you always have your eye on the Internet as well?
The Internet is a natural home for the body of information we gather and disseminate at 232-CITY. We’ve always had plans for incorporating the web, and will implement other emerging technologies, like interactive TV, as they become available.
Are regular fans downloading sound clips already, or is it mostly just reviewers, booking agents, and other industry “insiders?”
I think the biggest group surfing the World Wide Web isn’t busy music “insiders,” but teenagers. They have the time and the know-how. I think fans are the largest group using the Internet. Half the people buying web pages in the music industry have hardly spent 10 minutes on the web. They’re putting their faith in the hype. That’s not to say professionals aren’t on the web, just not as much as you might think. Few real pros have time to surf.
In general, do you see music professionals who are currently using the web as a marketing tool getting an edge on their competitors, or is this still in the potential phase?
If a web page is used properly in promotions, it can definitely give you an edge, but it depends on the composition of your clients or audience. I don’t think it’s still in the potential phase, but it has a way to go.
Do you think the World Wide Web will revolutionize, or alter the music industry, and if so, how?
Yes. Music buyers can make more informed purchases. It should free up a lot of information for the public, assuming they can sort through it all. Bands will also be able to get world wide exposure, and play on a more even playing field with the majors.
Do you think the Internet and other interactive services have already changed which bands emerge, and the extent of their success?
The Web won’t replace radio air time or a good CD. However, it does give a band, not receiving tons of air-time, a medium where they can present their material to the public. The trick is getting people to access it.
Will the kind of individualized music sampling offered by companies like Interactive Promotions spell the end of hype?
Yes. The public can actually hear a band now on the telephone or on the Web first, before they invest time and money into checking out a live show or buying a CD. So hype will lose some of its effectiveness. It can also counteract negative hype by bypassing subjective reviews and reviewers, allowing the public to hear bands directly and judge for themselves.
