Musicians: Put Yourself On The Map, The Google Street View Map

Though many of us are balking at Google's ongoing drive to connect products, such as the widely attacked, integration of Google+ comments on YouTube, sometimes those connections open up great new possibilities. In this case, Google's connecting their Photo Sphere tech for 360 degree photo creations and Google Maps' Street View to allow you to create tours with some interesting marketing possibilities.

I haven't worked with photo spheres or placed photos on Google Maps but I have checked out Street View quite a bit. When checking out locations that Google has yet to drive through (Uruguay, for example), you'll find dots on the map when you go into Street View that were, at least sometimes, uploaded using Panoramio.

These pictures appear alongside Street View as well but in countries that have yet to be driven such photos become a key tool for getting a sense of what a place is like.

Even with these static images, the possibilities for music marketing always seemed interesting, from sharing cool places you found to pics of your performances on the street.

But creating panoramic images that provide a 360 degree image is clearly even more interesting especially when they can be linked together in a tour for Google Maps and then embedded on your site.

Evan Rapoport, Product Manager, Google Maps & Photo Sphere explains:

"To get started, just create photo spheres using your Android phone or a DSLR and then share them on Views."

'Next, select the photo spheres from your profile and use our new tool to connect them together (as seen in the example above). Once your photo spheres are connected and published, people can navigate between them on Google Maps, just like they can in Street View. Please visit our help center to learn more about connecting photo spheres."

I have to admit this sounds a bit complicated for me but for those doing more with photography, whether a musician or team member, this new development opens up some interesting possibilities including documenting stops on your tour, festival shows, street musicians and fans.

For example, you could document a location featured in one of your songs, get it on the map and then embed it on your official lyrics page for that song.

And, if you do, please be sure to let me know.

[Thumbnail: Detail of Fear Salesman on Google Street View.]

More:

• Marketing Music On Instagram? Try Using Hashtags, Making Friends or Creating Art
• Music Marketing With Facebook's New Shared Photo Albums
• Preempting April Fools: The Case Of The Google Street View Music Video

Hypebot Senior Contributor Clyde Smith (Twitter/Facebook) is building a writing hub at Flux Research. To suggest topics about music tech, DIY music biz or music marketing for Hypebot, contact: clyde(at)fluxresearch(dot)com.