Reach

Some people say social media makes it easier to reach people as an artist. But this is not true. To talk from my own experience. Before the days of social media and youtube etc. When I had my first vinyl out on Blut Records. That already put me on the map in the scene. A few weeks later I had my first gig at the Fuckparade, and was already approached by people who had heard it and asked me about it. I played it to Scud and Society Suckers and lots of other people. I don't say this to boast, but to make a point: would a first release by an artist on a netlabel posted on Facebook put him or her "on the map" in the Hardcore scene? It could happen. But it is very unlikely... It might just get ignored, or seen as just another release and passed by.
The truth about social networks is that it works for artists that build their position *outside* the social networks. There are two major groups for this: artists who had a "career" before the social media hype, and even better, before the internet spread. All those 80s and early 90s artists, maybe even 70s and 50s. These people *can* reach a lot of people with the social media. And artists that have the backing of big music industry, once again something that exists outside of Facebook and Instagram etc., all the Lady Gagas and Adeles etc.

To this day, half the feedback I get to my sound is based on my vinyl releases I did over 15 years ago, before the rise of social media. Even though I had hundreds of digital releases since then!
And I avoided Facebook for a long time. People told me I could spread my music on Facebook more easily. But the truth is that by spreading it outside of Facebook, I made it clear I'm not a "Facebook Artist" and that gave a boost to my output, so I reached much more people when I finally came onto Facebook than if I'd already been earlier. And the longer I'm on Facebook the less feedback positive and negative (and interest?) I get to my sound. Again, not to boast, but to make this point.
Social Media is a very two-edged sword especially for artists and it can be hard to walk this edge successfully.