ARTIST FORUM.COM: Here's another "free site" for bands and musicians. ArtistForum.com encourages any band or musician to join and upload their own webpage with as many Real Audio and/or MP3 audio clips as they like. If you choose, you can also sell CDs through the site (for a $50/title yearly fee, plus only $1 per title). The site, heavy on the use of Flash, looks clean and well-designed, although if you have a smaller computer screen you can't possibley fit it all in. The mission page uses a bit too much Flash perhaps, taking forever to get a small bit of information perhaps better suited for plain old HTML text. Another good deal for bands wanting to get on as many websites as possible for no fees, but it does require one of the members to be fairly web and computer savvy to get your page up and updated.
THE MUSICDISH GENOME PROJECT: The MusicDish Genome Project is a map the online music industry. Inspired by the biologist currently mapping the human genome, the site creators realized that there are many strands to what we call the online music industry. To make sense of the tens of thousands of music sites on the Web, the Genome Project will be a work in progress, continuously expanding. They urge any music-related website (full websites, not pages within a site) to take part by submitting your site info.
STEAM WEST, YOUNG MAN: The STREAMING MEDIA WEST '99 Conference & Exhibition will take place on Dec 7-9, 1999 at the San Jose Convention Center, CA. Billed as "The world's largest event ever run about the business, creation & deployment of audio and video on the Internet," it will feature over 200 expert speakers, thousands of attendees, and 6 Keynotes including opening keynote by William H. Gates (Bill's dad?). They kept repeating the phrase "Worlds Largest Exhibition" in the promo email, so it MUST be true. For full information and to register http://www.streamingmedia.net/streamingmedia/s113.html.
Credit Card Sales for Your Music Site: Want to accept credit cards at your site to sell your CDs, but don't want to spend $1000 for your own merchant account? CDstreet.com offers secure Mastercard and Visa ordering for your existing music site with real-time authorization. Serving the independent music industry exclusively, indie record labels, bands, music schools, music stores and publishers in the US and Canada can all use CDstreet.com to e-Commerce enable their own website. There are no setup or yearly fees, they charge 15% of your retail price (similar to other services including GEMM.com), and allow you to do the fulfillment and keep the shipping charges (or let them do it). Just plug their code in your own site and your are ready for secure online sales. Go to the site for signup info; you can also call them at 214-757-7900, or email spindoctor@cdstreet.com.
RUDERADIO: Unsigned bands with self produced CD's can submit material to RudeRadio.com, an online broadcast radio show. All genres of music will be accepted, and a different band will be featured every day. In order to get the feel of a real radio broadcast RudeRadio.com would prefer product over MP3. RudeRadio.com will encode the product for streaming audio so your music will be showcased even when RudeRadio.com is not LIVE on the net. For more information go to http://ruderadio.com or email ffwdcz@ruderadio.com.
ANTAPEX: European trance label Antapex is looking for tracks for their latest compilation. If you have Techno, Trance and Progressive stuff (like Noom Rec. or "der dritte Raum"), go to http://antapex.allewa.net/ or email Steve at wormehole_rec@hotmail.com.
PLAYHEAR: PlayHear.com is a new music "portal," inviting bands to sign up and get listed. They feature reviews, music news, audio clips and forums as part of MagNet, the "first ever global network of independent music publications serving niche-oriented audiences on the web." From hip-hop to country to jazz, PlayHear.com combines traditional e-commerce (like CDNOW) with both mainstream and grassroots music coverage.
LYCOS LISTENING ROOM: Lycos, one of the web's larger search engine "portals," has started a new service for musicians and artists. Called Lycos Listening Room, it allows artists to upload info and MP3 tracks to their site. Started no doubt as their attempt to get into the MP3 frenzy, time will tell if it catches on, but another free place to put your music is just that. Go to http://209.67.247.171/logon/ for info, or email mp3upload@lycos.com.
MEDIATAG: In an effort to come up with technology to protect major artists (and their record companies) from online pirating, Media Tag Limited, an English software company, has deveoped Audio Tag, a watermarking solution that helps to monitor the usage and downloading of MP3 and other audio files. There are Lite and Gold versions (for single use or major label artists with deeper pockets, respectively), as well as their Internet monitoring service, Net-MonIPR. You can check out the spin and tech info at http://www.mediatag.com.
© Music Connection Magazine 1999.
WEBTIPS: Webbands.com
Over the last year I've goten alot of compliments on these articles. Many emails have asked if there is a place online to read the past CyberMusic columns, something the Music Connection's Website does not currently offer. With the co-operation of Music Connection Magazine, all of the CyberMusic articles I have written will now be available at WebBands.com, a site not unlike many of the music sites mentioned and reviewed on these pages. It will take a few weeks to catch up with all of the previous issues worth of articles in an attempt to edit out outdated or no longer available tips and web addresses, so please be patient. The site will also feature resource links for indie musicians, and I welcome any suggestions for links at the site. WebBands.com will showcase worldwide indie bands and artists and give them a place to sell their CDs. Go to http://www.webbands.com, and email at joelp@webbands.com with resource links and suggestions.