I’ll admit it, I support and have participated in my fair share of online music sharing. I disagree with the RIAA for their overhanded lawsuit tactics in trying to stop it. I bitch about it plenty, but today I decided to do something positive for my fellow musicians, look at me go. The time is clearly here for us to be selling our goods online ourselves. Does this mean the end of the music industry and record labels as we know it…absolutely not, or I don’t really care one way or another. Let’s face it, a major record label probably isn’t going to be remotely interested in signing me, my post rock instrumental band, or any of the oddball country western conglomerates I participate in. That being said, I did a little research on some of the easy ways we can all sell our “product” using this wonderful new tool. First off, you don’t necessarily even need to sell your music online, especially if you are just starting out. Give it away and tour like crazy…people need to know who you are before they will buy your wares, so give them a taste of the product and get them coming back for more, this seems to work in the drug marketplace…of course this is reliant on the fact that you have toiled away long enough and you now have some high grade gold to wet their appetite with. This is not a lecture on you and your music, we will assume that you have already come down that road, and get on with finding our helpful friends. Some of these I’ve personally used some I have not and I will note this as we go. Also, none of these are sponsors of Etherbomb (at the time of this posting in any way).
(more…)