Posts Tagged: recording labels

Career — Comments Off
5
Nov 10

What you Really Need to Know About Picking the Best Mp3 Music Download Site

Now that you’ve purchased that hot new mp3 player, have you thought about what type of mp3 music download site you will use to get your music from? Your options boil down to basically two (2) choices. Legal music download sites or mp3 file sharing programs that facilitate unlimited downloads of music files. But which one is the best option for you? To help you answer that question, this article will explore the pros and cons of getting your favorite music from legal mp3 music sites versus p2p file sharing programs.

Music Downloads From Legal MP3 Music Download Sites

Legal mp3 music download sites are an excellent way for you to get the music you want. These online music stores offer CD quality music files that are free of any adware, spyware or viruses. The music has been legally licensed from the record labels that own the copyrights to the songs and albums, so you don’t have to worry about any copyright infringement issues when you download the music. Popular digital music services like Rhapsody and Yahoo! Music Unlimited provide members with monthly membership subscriptions that give you a choice between downloading music to your PC or to your mp3 player. Also, some legal mp3 music download sites such as iTunes Store and Wal-Mart Music Downloads now offer music tracks that are free of any digital rights restrictions.

But as cool as it is to get very high quality, spyware free, DRM free songs or albums that you can play on your PC or your mp3 player, legal music download sites do have a few drawbacks. The biggest drawback is DRM (digital rights management or digital rights restrictions). DRM can limit what you can do with your mp3 music downloads and basically makes you a renter of the music even though you’ve bought it. But as I mentioned previously, online music stores and major recording labels are banding together to bring you music that’s free of digital rights restrictions. Outside of DRM, the biggest drawback is the cost if you pay for your music on a per download basis. However, music download sites like Rhapsody and Yahoo! Music Unlimited offer discounts on purchased music tracks to their membership subscribers. Wal-Mart Music Downloads is also very competitive price wise when compared to iTunes.

MP3 Music Downloads From P2P File Sharing Programs

Thanks to today’s technology, p2p file sharing programs all you to download, upload and share mp3 music files online. Also known as p2p (peer–to-peer), these freeware programs enable you to download music from the shared file folders of other users within the p2p network for free. Getting lighting fast, unlimited downloads of mp3 music can provide you with a naughty thrill (you can get all the music you want for free). But as thrilling as that might be, getting your favorite tunes this way can be a risky proposition.

As you read in the previous paragraph, many p2p file sharing programs are available as freeware downloads. As freeware or shareware, they often come bundled with hidden spyware or adware programs. Additional spyware risks come from the shared files of other users in the p2p network. But with the help of a good spyware remover tool, you can pretty much eliminate this spyware threat. The biggest risk in downloading mp3 music from file sharing programs comes from the exposure to getting sued for copyright infringement. The RIAA aggressively pursues lawsuits against people who use file sharing to download copyrighted music from RIAA members. The recent TorrentSpy ruling doesn’t make things any easier for you to stay under the RIAA’s radar. However, it is possible for you to anonymously download mp3 music from file sharing programs using IP cloaking software or anonymous surfing service.

By now it should be clear that both legal mp3 music download sites and p2p file sharing programs present online music lovers with opportunities and challenges. Which one is right for you? With legal music sites, you have to ask yourself if DRM and the costs are that big of a deal for you to get legitimate, near CD quality music. With p2p file sharing programs, you have to ask yourself if getting unlimited free music is worth the spyware and legal risks. Ultimately the choice of which mp3 music download site boils down to you and the option you feel most comfortable with.

Ray Harris is a music loving iPod enthusiast. Still not sure which mp3 music download site is right for you? You can get the real low down on the best file sharing programs for mp3 downloadable music by visiting my unlimited mp3 music download guide, or you can check out the top legal mp3 music sites from my legal mp3 music download sites guide.

Basic Types Of Music — Comments Off
26
Aug 10

How to expand your viral presence

In the modern age of marketing, creating an online persona is the most essential step to getting your message heard.  Without this online presence, you can go years being virtually unnoticed by anyone in the recording industry.  Unfortunately, there are thousands of other musicians who are trying to find their big break in this business and the competition makes it very difficult to get recognized in the crowd.  Even with a fair amount of online presence, reaching the right people can be difficult.

Luckily, there are things that will assist you to increase your chances of getting noticed by large recording labels and talent scouts.  One of these things is viral content.

What Is Viral Content?

No, it has nothing to do with H1N1.  Viral content refers to web content of any kind that immediately becomes popular among thousands of people on the Internet.  An example of this type of content would be Susan Boyle’s audition for Britain’s Got Talent.  When the video hit YouTube, it was instantly snapped up by thousands of people who wanted to hear the woman sing.  Within hours, the links to her video was spread around the world via Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and other social media platforms.

In the world of the Internet, that reaction to web content is a gold mine.  It even has its own pet name, Going Viral.  Webmasters and content producers spend thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours trying to find the criteria needed to consistently produce content that will take on a life of its own and go viral.

Making Your Content Into Viral Content

While not everyone will score a direct hit in the viral content field every time, there are things you can do to increase the odds of creating a viral presence for yourself on the Internet.

Promote Yourself -  Yes, it is rude to brag in the real world.  Online, though, it’s a whole new game.  People want to know what you have to offer and they expect you to tell them about it.  Go on music forums that cater to your particular genre and share links to your latest recordings and news.  Use your status messages to share important updates and links.  To put it plainly, be what you want to be.  Portray yourself as a pop icon and people will follow you.  Act like your nothing special and you will be.

Keep it Clean -  You can gain a wider audience if your recordings are something people can share.  If you want content to go viral, try to leave out profanity and references to things that your mother would frown on.  Don’t make it a kids songs, unless that is your target audience, but consider cleaning up the lyrics a bit.  If this goes completely against your grain as a musician, consider making both a clean and a dirty version and labeling them as such.  That way, your listeners can decide what they want to hear and when it is appropriate.  After all, isn’t it hard to share a song with a friend when your mom is screaming turn that off?

On The Flip Side -   If cleaning up your lyrics just rubs you the wrong way, try going to the other extreme.  Just be very careful as this can backfire on you.  Discussing sex, drugs, crime and other controversial issues definitely sells CD’s.  Just ask Snoop Dogg or Ludacris.  But how much is too much?  As a musician, you bear the responsibility for deciding what your fans are willing to listen to.  Unfortunately, you are also the one to pay the price when you cross the line.

Give It Away -  Want to know a secret?  People have a tendency towards greed.  You could ask 100 people to send you a quarter for the privilege of being the first to hear your music and you might get fifty cents.  But give it away and almost all of them will listen.  At least half will even download the song.  If you want your content to go viral, don’t charge people for it.  Let them get a taste for your music by giving it away.  Once your viral following has grown, they will be more than willing to buy future CD’s and song downloads from an artist that has given them something for nothing.

By following these simple suggestions, you can create content that hits the digital ground running and goes viral.

To get more free information on how to sell your music online like crazy visit http://www.SellMusicOnlineLikeCrazy.com and read his blog at http://www.musicbizcenter.com/blog

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/how-to-expand-your-viral-presence-1618708.html

Basic Types Of Music — Comments Off
21
Aug 10

All You Need to Know to Be a Successful Singer

Singers can consider their careers successful when they have landed a contract with the big boys of the recording industry.  Unfortunately, many singers will never see this level of success because they don’t know the simple keys.  If you are an aspiring singer, looking to find your success, there are a few things you just need to know.

Don’t Give Up -

Yes, it is cliche.  That doesn’t make it any less important.  The reason some singers find success and go on to lead long lives in the entertainment industry while others don’t is quite simple actually…  They stay in the game longer.

Imagine the loss the world of music would have suffered if Nina Simone had given up on her talents in the four years of playing piano and singing at the Midtown Bar & Grill before she signed with Colpix Records in  1959, which formed the beginning of a long music career, spanning 34 years and several recording labels, with her last album being recorded in 1993 on the Elektra label. When she died in 2003, she was, and still is, a very influential force for many singers, including Elton John and Patti Labelle.

Don’t Be Shy -

Successful singers usually have one common facet…  Shameless self promotion.  It’s ok to get stage fright on occasion but don’t ever be afraid to promote yourself as a singer if you want to see success.  Luckily, the Internet has made this much easier as anyone can create a vanity site for the purpose. Record your sound and post it all over the Internet and don’t be shy about sharing.   By promoting your name as though you were already at the top of the recording charts, you exhibit a confidence that will attract fans, talent agents and success.

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Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/all-you-need-to-know-to-be-a-successful-singer-1545463.html