By Invitation Only

The Velvet Rope Effect: Making something seem exclusive can be a good way to make it popular. It’s the velvet rope mentality: “if not everyone is allowed in, it must be a cool place, and I want to be cool, so I want to get in.” It looks like a lot of tech startups are trying out this velvet rope strategy to help create buzz and demand for their new products, platforms and sites. For example, Spotify just launched in the U.S., first with a free invitation-only version, and SocialCam, a mobile app for sharing videos with friends, released invites using a tiered system. The question is whether or not popularity and customer loyalty remain once the allure of exclusivity is gone. NYT

Music Industry Today: Singer/songwriter St. Vincent’s new album Strange Mercy doesn’t come out until September, but fans can tweet using the hashtag #strangemercy to unlock a track and a series of videos on a dedicated website. I like some of her stuff, but I’m not really into these kinds of social media gimmicks.The Digital Age has changed a lot about the music industry, as many struggling musicians will tell you. It’s standard practice nowadays for artists and bands to have a social media presence; well, to be more precise, it’s pretty much necessary (unfortunately). How do you feel about musicians’ social media efforts? Do you like these extras that artists offer via social media sites? Mashable