Music & Social Networking: What's After Facebook? 1200dreams Makes It A Reality

The writing is on the wall. The irony of that is that it isn’t. Not any longer. With all of the changes that are sweeping through Facebook: restrictions in event invites, tagging of pictures, timeline changes and all the other things that are making Facebook look more and more like MySpace, the writing has been pushed off the wall for artists, DJs, event coordinators, event promoters, and venue owners.

In this society where paper flyers are found more on the floor than in people’s hands and all of the social networks are geared to be mobile and on the move, how does one evolve and adapt to keep up with the ever-expanding mobile platform and still connect with your target audience?

Personally, I have a stack of flyers. Yeah, I keep them. Odd, right? One day they will be a thing of the past, like calligraphy, Latin and penmanship. The event flyers will eventually all go in frames and decorate my studio walls. Like family vacation photos. Music family vacation photos, not jpgs. Sometimes it’s just time to move on to what works in this ever-changing medium.

As an artist, performer, event coordinator, promoter and writer it occurs to me that the platform for those changes in event information, photo albums, writing about what we love about this industry, building a social network, are all right where we are: 1200dreams.com!

1200dreams.com was founded in 2007 by Inti Rodriguez. It was a dream that started when he was running around with comic books and wheeling and dealing at a young age. It’s a dream that hasn’t stopped evolving since I was fortunate enough to meet him in person at Winter Music Conference in 2010. Here is some information about 1200dreams, taken directly from the sites About section:

Mission
1200Dreams mission is to become the leading social network and news/information source for artists, professional individuals, and companies involved in the nightlife (nitelife) entertainment industry.

Concept
1200Dreams.com is a social network for and about the nitelife entertainment industry, we provide DJs, artists, promoters, venue owners, record labels, and anyone involved in the nitelife industry with a social network where they can communicate and connect with their peers.

1200Dreams is also a full fledged news source. If our core concept could be compared to a LinkedIn for the nitelife industry, our editorial component can be compared to the Huffington Post of the same scene. Call it a blog if you will or a news portal, we prefer to call it an online magazine, but our goals are just as ambitious here.

In our editorial section, which we call SPOTLITE, you will find our growing coverage on the latest industry news, fashion, technology, events such as award shows, conferences, festivals – you name it – and let’s not forget our one on one interviews with the movers and shakers of the scene. SPOTLITE is not just an add on feature; besides it being a potentially lucrative revenue stream on its own (Huffington Post is doing quite well for itself), more importantly, it helps us in our ultimate mission behind 1200Dreams, which is not about following a trend, but about creating and cementing a brand as the authority and gateway of a culture.

I’ve been on the site for three years. The social network component is solid. The event creation page is solid. The sharing of links and pictures etc., is solid. There are even plug-ins to other social media platforms, such as Twitter and Facebook. I’ve created events, written articles, posted links, made friends, commented on other profiles. Solid.

There’s something to be said about the “underground” feel of the site. If Facebook were to be compared to the biggest club in town (more like bowling alley), 1200Dreams is that after-hours joint only the initiated know about. If you are, or know someone who is, always talking about “keeping it real” and “keeping it underground,” then this is the site for you.

I’m not inclined to abandon Facebook. I’ve invested too much into it as it is. However, instead of banging my head about the changes and restrictions, I will focus on a social networking platform that is designed to meet the needs of the music industry. If you’re interested in learning more and experiencing 1200Dreams for yourself, feel free to join (you can use your FB or Twitter credentials); poke around, read a few articles, navigate your way through this beautifully designed social network geared toward the music Industry and its many components. Come on, the dance floor is now open!