Metallica’s Management Blogger Fail

Let’s tell a little story.

According to Ars Technica, Metallica’s management Q Prime decided to “outreach” to the blogging community by inviting some bloggers to listen to a pre-release version of their upcoming album.

Bestill the heart, bloggers do what bloggers do - and blog about the album and the experience.  And the band management decided it shouldn’t of been released, and then threatened access to the bloggers and whined about it greatly.  Ironically, the reviews were quite positive.

Although the band has come back and issued a statement where they say it was their management and that they have asked that the items get reposted at the various blogs, the damage is done - and a great example of what not to do.

So let’s repeat it for the social media impaired - if you invite bloggers, expect they will blog, and don’t try to take down or control what they write, especially if you don’t make them sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement.

This is total example of old-school folks trying to apply the old conventions to today’s reality.  Maybe take the Jonathan Coulton route and self-publish; unless you’re already established, you’re probably going to make more money yourself.