Thursday, October 3, 2013

7 Music Discovery Tools

Streaming Music Services image
We all have access to millions of songs at our fingertips, yet research has shown that many of us keep on listening to the same small portion. Many just don't have the time to search new tunes or artists out, and for that we need a service that caters to that need. Here are 7 such services that you can check out.

1. MixCloud - This is basically radio shows by DJs, both pro and amateur.

2. This Is My Jam - This lets you share your favorite song or songs with others.

3. Bandcamp - If you're a band or artist, you're already familiar with the multitude of services offered.

4. Last.FM - Here's another service built along radio-like lines that personalizes recommendations for you.

5. Hype Machine - This one has a different twist in that it features all the latest songs featured on blogs.

6. The Vinyl District -Curated by people who work in record stores (or what remains of them).

7. Twitter - No, not Twitter.music, but Twitter itself is a good place to discover what's new and trending.

Thanks to Mashable for the above outline. You can read more about what they think of each here.
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Follow me on Forbes for some insights on the new music business.

You should follow me on Twitter for daily news and updates on production and the music business.

Check out my Big Picture blog for discussion on common music, engineering and production tips and tricks.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Platinum After 46 Years

Gold Record image
There's always been a big injustice in the UK when it comes to issuing gold and platinum record awards. For instance, the 5 original Beatles engineers never received either award for the huge selling records they worked on because no record released before 1973 was eligible. After that point in time, if a record reached silver (60,000), gold (100,000) or platinum (300,000) levels, the awards were only issued if it was requested by the record label, and in many cases they never were (like in the case of Apple Records and The Beatles).

That all changed last month when the BPI (Britain's version of our RIAA) decided to automatically grant these awards regardless if the label requests it or not.

That means that all those who worked on big selling albums from 1973 onward will finally be getting their just due. It's been a long time coming, and it's too late for many who deserve it, but it's finally great that all those who were essential to the big hits from that era that we still love so much will finally be recognized.
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You should follow me on Twitter for daily news and updates on production and the music business.

Check out my Big Picture blog for discussion on common music, engineering and production tips and tricks.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

What Is A Brand?

I've written about branding in various books, now you can see more about it in this short video from Lynda.com. Developing your own personal brand (or your band's brand) is extremely important these days if you want to stick out from the very large musical crowd and this video can set you on that road.

By the way, I've just completed a number of social media courses on Lynda that cover your website, mailing list, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest and a whole lot more. Click here to get a free 7 day subscription that you can use to check out the entire Lynda catalog.


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Follow me on Forbes for some insights on the new music business.

You should follow me on Twitter and Facebook for daily news and updates on production and the music business.

Check out my Big Picture blog for discussion on common music, engineering and production tips and tricks.

Monday, September 30, 2013

The Top 7 Concerns When Choosing A URL

URL Selection image
If you're creating a new website, you know that sometimes the most difficult part is getting the URL first. Here are the 7 things to remember when making that selection.

1. Is the name easy to remember?

2. Is the name easy to read?

3 Is the name easy to spell?

4. Does the name closely resemble another artist, band or brand?

5. Is the ".com" available?

6. Does it read correctly without spaces?

7. Is it too long?

You want a URL that's both easy to read and remember while not being confused with one that's similar. It's not easy to find that anymore and can sometimes take some out of the box thinking, but it's certainly doable if you spend enough time researching what's available.

Thanks to Host Baby for the inspiration for this article.
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Follow me on Forbes for some insights on the new music business.

You should follow me on Twitter and Facebook for daily news and updates on production and the music business.

Check out my Big Picture blog for discussion on common music, engineering and production tips and tricks.

Sunday, September 29, 2013

The Brilliance Of Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus image
Miley Cyrus is brilliant. I know you’re probably thinking “Bobby has lost his mind” right about now but hear me out. We’ve just witnessed one of the most complete marketing makeovers in show business history when it comes to Miley. Let me explain why.

A little more than a month ago, Ms Cyrus was a former teen star struggling to be taken seriously in her new world of adulthood. The efforts to distance herself from her Disney past just made her look like another child star floundering in a grown-up world on the edge of another celebrity burn-out. A month later, near record time, the media world’s perception of her is totally different.


I say this as neither a fan of her or her music (I’m way past the demographic to care about either), but I have to say that over that short period I went from “Not her again” in my newsfeed to admiration of the campaign that she and her handlers created to kill the old Miley Cyrus and invent a new one. Let’s look at a rough chronology of events. Read more on Forbes.
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You should follow me on Twitter and Facebook for daily news and updates on production and the music business.

Check out my Big Picture blog for discussion on common music, engineering and production tips and tricks.

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