International Law

Top 10 Ways to Feature & Flaunt Your Music Online

By wjg_ti

Exposing your music to the masses is getting easier.  With free or inexpensive digital distribution sites you can raise your musical integrity from basement band or bedroom dj to a position of indie rocker or electronic prodigy in a matter of clicks n? scrolls.  Sites like Myspace are putting control back into the hands of musicians and in doing so, are effectively disarming the corporate money making machine we have all grown to accept as the music industry.

1. MySpace.com. An international social networking website that provides its users with personal mail, a forum for posting public messages, digital community or group affiliations, video posting potential and weblog space.  One of its primary uses is found in the self promoting potential of its platform; musicians can easily get the attention of their peers and people in the music industry.  This is a fully interactive realm, designed and proliferated via user content.

2. TuneCore.com came to be in 2005 when the makers of YourTunes (a Brooklyn based company), realized the demand for this digital music distribution outlet.  As a refreshing alternative to tradition music distribution sites, TuneCore refrains from take percentages from their users? sales, or asking for the rights to their music.  It allows for musicians and other rights holders to put their music up for sale with multiple, digital, music stores including iTunes, Rhapsody, AmazonMP3, eMusic and more.

3. Last.fm. Said to be the world’s largest social music platform.  Last.fm is and online radio station that allows for both music streaming, and music sharing.  Users are able to create a digital profile in which they may express their musical preferences and share their own music.  Based out of the UK, beginning in 2002, this internet-radio and music community has more than 21 million active users around the world. 

4. FaceBook.com. Like Myspace, Facebook is an international social networking website that provides its users with personal mail, a forum for posting public messages, digital community or group affiliations, video posting potential and facilitates highly interactive user discourse.  According to ComScore, in June 2008 Facebook had more that 132.1 million visitors!

5. Bebo.com is an entertainment oriented social networking site which allows users to post and share photos, music, personal blogs, and interact with one another via individual profiles.  It is a popular spot to promote and sell ones music and has in the past, linked up with corporate music leaders including Apple. 

6. CdBaby.net. CD Baby is an online music store specializing in the sale of physical compact discs and digital music downloads from independent musicians directly to consumers.  Additionally, the company has become a digital aggregator of independent music recordings, distributing content to several online digital music retailers (www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CD_Baby).

7. IndabaMusic.com is a social networking site that specializes in connecting musicians who may be interested in collaborating in online music projects.  It is free to sign up, and as a user you can personalize your profile, post and receive feedback on your own music and that of your peers.  Similar to other music collaboration sites such as Jamglue, Splice, WeMix, eJamming, Mix2r, NinJam and YourSpins, Indaba Music is a globally accessible site.  Members of Indaba Music create profile pages, similar to profiles on Facebook or Myspace.  Indaba Music profiles provide users with the ability to represent themselves within the music community.

8. YouTube.com. Perhaps music exposure isn?t the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of Youtube.com, yet once one disregards the video emphasis which has made this site a tremendous success, it becomes apparent that it contains all the key ingredients for getting ones music successfully heard by masses upon masses of people.

9. MusicFreedom.com is a social networking site that maintains a focus on the distribution, promotion, and sale of digital music.  This site lets you listen to Podcasts, and purchase MP3?s from up and coming artists, as well as providing an opportunity for users to network, and share their personal profile with others. 

10. TaxiMusic.com is an online music hosting site.  It provides a space in which unsigned bands, artists and songwriters with major record labels, publishers and film and TV music supervisors can network.  This is an online A&R company, helping to get artists heard, and albums sold.

For more ideas, familiarize yourself with these other popular musically-oriented sites:  Blogspot, CloudTrade, Hype Machine, IVideoSongs, MOG, Muxtape, Omnifone, Pandora, Qtrax, RCRD LBL, SeeqPod, Slacker, Jamglue, Splice, WeMix, eJamming, Mix2r, NinJam, YourSpins.

Full post as published by GenereuxLaw on December 03, 2008 (boomark / email).