Starting a band takes a lot of work. Staying in a band takes even more work. Then finding a replacement musician/studio musician is a daunting task. Posting ads in newspaper classifieds and posting fliers on telephone poles looking for a bassist just doesn’t cut it anymore. And we all know how creepy Craigslist can sometimes be; but that’s where Fandalism steps in.
Created in January of 2012 by co-founder of Blippy and iSchool alum Philip Kaplan, aka @Pud on Twitter, Fandalism is a place for any and all musicians. Musicians can have a Fandalism account in order to search for and interact with other musicians. Videos can be posted displaying a user’s talents and achievements, and other users can then give “props,” comment, share, or even private message the musician.
Musician profiles and videos are the new newspaper classifieds. Videos are hosted through Youtube on the user’s Fandalism profile and can be viewed right then and there, with direct contact to the musician available. Whether or not you’re looking for someone to start a band with, a DJ for your event, or a studio musician, Fandalism and its 350,000 users (a number that continues to grow rapidly) more than likely have an answer for you. Of course, not only is it good to find musicians, it’s also a great tool to promote your musicianship. Creating a profile asks for genres and influences, both of which are searchable through Fandalism’s homepage, as well as pretty awesome questions like, “If you could jam with anyone, who would it be,” and “You’re stuck on a desert island and only get to bring one album with you. What do you pick?”
Although only online for less than 6 months, Fandalism is continuing to grow, with 350k users and 52k+ likes on Facebook. Musicians and non-musicians alike are joining Fandalism for many different uses, but for one ultimate reason; they all love music. And Pud, being a musician and music-lover himself, obviously knew that and went on to create one of the simplest and most effective social networks I’ve seen in recent history.