Home | Orchard Moontoast 7 Alternatives to Pandora and Last.FM | Mystery Tricycle Whether you are annoyed by the ads on Pandora, the limited number of skips, or the abyss of cruel 30-second song teasers from Last.FM, many online listeners are growing weary of mainstream methods of hearing new music. While the Pandora algorithm is strong, and the Last.FM related artists tool is pretty useful, don’t fool yourself in to thinking that there aren’t other great ways to expose yourself to new music in the depths of cyberspace. Here are 7 alternatives to Pandora and Last.FM that will infuse your day with an uninterrupted stream of music that large record companies haven’t managed to squash under their thumbs yet. StumbleAudio StumbleAudio has a killer recommendation engine that works better for me than Pandora’s. Songza Songza uses a recommendation engine that runs for each ‘channel’, but unlike Pandora, channels are not tied to specific listeners and rather are community property. Musicovery Stereomood Ah, the power of the ‘tag cloud’. 8tracks Grooveshark The Hype Machine
My Album is Finished– Now What? Ten cardboard boxes arrive in the mail containing a thousand shrink-wrapped CDs. You’re feeling pretty proud. All those precious hours writing, practicing, scrimping & saving, recording… All for NOTHING!!! … unless, of course, you can get other folks to take an interest in your music and actually LISTEN. The DIY Musician’s Post-Recording Checklist When your album is finished, your work is only half done; and oftentimes, that first half is the easy part. Radio promotion, PR, booking, web maintenance, and all the other “business” elements of a music career generally don’t come naturally to artists. So, here goes: 1) Make sure you have 3 or 4 great band/artist photos- Promotion goes in waves, and it’ll help “keeps things fresh” to have a few options in the band photo department. Then 3-6 months later when the initial buzz from your release wears off, you can update your site with the next batch of photos (perhaps from a different location, with different outfits, different vibe, etc.).
3 Must-Read Articles on Writing a Band Bio or Press Release April 6, 2012 Critics, bookers, and bloggers don’t have the time to listen to every CD or MP3 they receive. Sometimes your music only gets to speak for itself AFTER you’ve spoken on its behalf. How do you do that effectively? Well, over the past few months our pals at the Echoes Blog have posted some informative articles on the art of crafting your artist bio, press kit materials, and press releases. (There was a lot of “art” in that last sentence, huh?) Press Kit Fundamentals- How to Write a Compelling Artist Bio Press Kit Fundamentals- More Band Bio Writing Tips Press Kit Fundamentals- Press Release Writing Tips Chris Robley's Author Bio
NashvilleEar Learn something new – your brain will thank you Editor's note: Gary Marcus is a cognitive psychologist and author of the book "Guitar Zero." He is the director of the New York University Center for Language And Music. The idea that learning a new skill - say juggling, cooking, or playing guitar - can be like an addiction is no joke. I should know. As a college professor/scientist, who has written about the dynamics of narcotics and self-control, I have spent the last 3 1/2 years all but addicted to learning to play guitar. Even listening to music can be a little like a drug. Shortcuts like drugs, however are fleeting. Learning new things is a lot safer, and ultimately a lot more satisfying. There is a myth that children (and for that matter adults) don’t really enjoy learning new things, but as every video game maker has realized, the truth is just the opposite. The trouble, though, with most video games lies in what they teach, which often stays with the game when the game is complete.
How Gotye 'Somebody That I Used To Know' Became an Unlikely No. 1 Dance Hit Nothing says "dance music" more than a xylophone. As previously reported, Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know," featuring Kimbra, ascended to No. 1 on the Billboard's Dance Club Songs and Dance/Mix Show Airplay charts dated May 19. The track also led the Billboard Hot 100 the past four weeks and Alternative for 10 and is the first to top all four tallies. Gotye's 'Somebody' Makes History -- First Song to Top Hot 100, Alternative and Dance Club Songs In the 23 years that the Hot 100, Dance Club Songs and Alternative have co-existed (the lattermost list is the youngest of the three, having premiered the week of Sept. 10, 1988), "Somebody" is the first song to score a No. 1 hat trick, while only two titles had reached the top of even Dance Play and Alternative: U2's "Discotheque" (1997) and New Order's "Regret" (1993). How did a song known for its sparse, rock-based production become a No. 1 dance hit? "That's perhaps the best evidence of the song's appeal," he says. "The takeaway?
Marketing Plan Tactics For Independent Musicians - Part 2 of 3: Album Launch The first piece in this 3 part series discussed steps you should take before you start promoting a new album, such as having your online presence all in order. In Part 2, I will go over some basic elements for, yep you guessed it, promoting a new album. Album Pre-Sale A great way to build excitement amongst your fanbase leading up to the release of a new album is to organize a pre-sale campaign. Press Campaign A big component when promoting a new album is the press campaign, working with either a PR company to handle your press outreach or going the DIY route. Pictures Make sure you have at least 3-4 great press shots. Bio I know I said these were all “DIY” tips, but I’d suggest hiring a professional writer to write your bio. Press Outreach The first people to target should be local press and press outlets that have written about you in the past (if applicable). Launch Timeline
5 Things Schools Need to Teach Musicians About the Music Industry | The Musician's Guide The music industry is a business and operates like any other business. Success can take a small amount of luck, but you can increase your chances by heeding a few lessons. Those who are looking at music as a career must understand that the music business is essentially selling a product. There are many books, courses, and resources out there to educate you. Don’t rely on the Hollywood image; there may be hard work and research ahead. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. A bit of merchandise can give something else back to a loyal fan base, but don’t go overboard; stickers, CD’s and maybe a T-Shirt should be enough. In the earliest stages, it is unlikely that you’re going to be making much money, but spend your money wisely; a few beers after the show with another band can go further than hoarding the money for the next shipment of customised plectrums and drum sticks. Your band is your product; your commodity.
Hoy se lanza Bandplify, un sitio pensado para ayudar a bandas emergentes escrito por @efejotaele el Tuesday, 26 de June del 2012 Hace unas semanas Alberto, uno de los creadores detrás de Bandplify, nos contactó para contarnos del inminente lanzamiento su sitio. Inmediatamente nos interesó porque creemos que apunta a los problemas que muchas bandas que nos contactan han sufrido o sufren. Los mismos creadores nos explican de qué va Bandplify en el siguiente video: A continuación algunas preguntas que les hicimos a sus creadores: ¿Quién está detrás de Bandplify? En estos momento el equipo de Bandplify es pequeño, ya que sólo somos dos personas las que dedicamos el 100% de nuestro tiempo al proyecto. ¿Cómo surgió ésta idea de cooperación entre bandas? Conocemos la relación entre bandas desde hace más de diez años porque hemos podido vivirla en primera persona por la experiencia con nuestro propio grupo. ¿Cuál es el panorama actual que viven los grupos emergentes en España y en el mundo?
How To Release Music On Twitter - A Reunited Blur Does It Right Guest post by Eliot Van Buskirk of Evolver.fm. Yes, Twitter is a ridiculously-constrained communications medium — a holdover from the dumb-phone days when text could only be sent from phone to phone in 140-character chunks. And yet, we love it, perhaps due to these constraints. Everywhere else, we’re drowning in words, images, video, and so on, while Twitter remains the same dirt-simple protocol. As such, Twitter doesn’t make for a natural music platform the way, say, YouTube or Spotify does. The seminal ’90s britpop band Blur, which has reformed and appears to have learned a thing or two from frontman Damon Albarn’s experiments with technology in his Gorillaz project as well as his iPad album and instrument app. Next Monday, July 2, Blur will become “the first” band to play a live show on Twitter. This will happen at precisely 6:15pm BST, in the case of the first track, which will be accompanied by an exclusive band interview.