1st Piano

Looking For Music Without Lyrics? Here's A Short Guide To Different Kinds Of Music Without Lyrics

2009-11-26T07:32:00.000-08:00

By Andrew Gavin Webber

Who's searching for music without lyrics, and why?

Some people are looking for backing music they can sing to, usually of songs that they're familiar with. There are three kinds of music without lyrics that spring to mind, catering for this need.

1.) Karaoke - This usually comes on a CD or DVD, where the backing music is played while the lyrics, along with a video of some arbitrary scenery, are displayed.
The lyrics are usually highlighted at the appropriate time for them to be sung. While this form of music without lyrics is great for parties and pubs, it leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to serious vocal performances.
Technically speaking, this is actually music with lyrics, but the music and the lyrics have been separated so that you can sing them.

2.) Backing tracks - These are sometimes called "Backtracks". Professional backing tracks are a step up from karaoke tracks, however, they don't display the lyrics on a screen.
Professional backing tracks should contain as much live instrumentation as possible, or otherwise feature sound samples that are a very convincing substitute. You'll find that a lot of quality backing tracks will only be available on audio CD or in mp3 format. The reason for this is that a lot of expensive audio samples and live recordings are used in this type of music without lyrics, making each backing track a unique production that can only be correctly reproduced either on the studio engineers own equipment, or as a final audio mix-down.

3.) Midi - Midi is short for "Musical instrument digital interface". I'm sure you are familiar with the term "Midi file". This is a music file that contains the note information as if it was played on a keyboard (Not the computer keyboard).
All of the instrumentation for a song can be reproduced via a computers sound card or other external keyboard sound modules.
Although midi is used extensively in recording studios, getting a midi file to sing along to is probably the poorest choice when looking for music without lyrics to compliment your vocal talent.
The audio samples used in general midi reproduction lack the tonal nuances that make up a convincing instrumental performance.

A brief summary of these three kinds of music without lyrics and their best uses

1.) Karaoke - Great for pubs and home entertainment.

2.) Backing tracks - For serious vocal performers.

3.) Midi - Great for one or two man bands who can supplement the fake sounding instruments with real live ones.

Other forms of music without lyrics.

I mention these only for the sake of completeness, but seeing as they are so obvious, I'll make this short.

Classical music, Instrumental music (some people confuse this for backing tracks), Trance music and music for healing, which should also be music without lyrics and drums.

I hope this gives you a clearer picture of what to look for in music without lyrics.

Andrew Webber is a music producer and arranger who has spent the last ten years creating backing tracks and doing original recordings for many people in the music industry. His website Music without lyrics features his backing tracks and a convenient instrumental music store. Pay a visit

How to Make Money in the Music Industry - Simple, Yet, Effective Tips

2009-11-20T07:51:00.000-08:00

By Davis Carter

How to make money in the music industry is a lot easier than you think, however, people often complicate it till this very day. Too many people make the common mistake of beginning and never finishing in any venture that they try. I feel that when it comes to music, this mistake is too common. I'm going to briefly help you lessen your mistakes and make the most out of your music venture.

Sign Up for as Many Social Networking Sites as You Can
This is a very important step that many people fail to take because they feel as if they only need one website to market their self. You need to have as many social networking pages as possible because this creates maximum exposure. If I were to sell 10 CDs a day in front of my house, I would possibly make decent money. If I were to get 10 people selling 10 CDs a day in front of their house also, I will more than likely be more successful in the music industry. The same thing applies to social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, and more. For one, it's less work that you have to do in the long run and two, more pages equals more people, meaning more money in your pocket. Another trick you can do is sign up for Myxer.com and Soundstation.com. You can use Soundstation to sell your albums directly to your fans and use Myxer to sell ring tones right on any of your social networking sites by embedding the code's onto your pages. So many people struggle trying to figure out how to make money in the music industry and one of the answers is as simple as the above.

An Extra Street Marketing Tip
As I said before, the more people you have to sell for you, the less work you have to do. Too often I run into people who have fans that are so into them, they feel it not robbery to enthusiastically tell the artist as if they were in love with the musician and the response the artists will give the fan is "thank you very much." This is the worst response you can give someone with that much enthusiasm from listening to your music. If you offer to pay them a percentage of sales for the number of records they promote and sell for you, they will more than likely take it because they love you that much. This is a trick that many musicians don't follow, therefore, now that you know about it, you have an edge on them.

Selling music online can be a great way to earn extra income, as long as you know what you're doing. If you're looking for fast and simple ways to get radio play, produce videos, build a music website, bring thousands of qualified "buyers" to your site daily, while getting music contacts, and expanding your record label, click here: Make Money in the Music Industry

For even more information on Internet music promotion, click here: Music Promotion Online

No worrying about shipping costs and when it will come, everything is available instantly.

Where To Send Your Music For Placement In Film and Television

2009-11-18T07:54:00.000-08:00

By Aaron Davison

There are literally thousands of different opportunities for places to submit your music for potential placements in film and television. Let's look at two different approaches you can take:

1) The direct route:

One way to get started in this business is to directly contact music supervisors who place music in TV shows and Films. Music Supervisors make their living by selecting the music that is used in the productions they are involved in. They are ultimately the people who make the decision as to what music is used. The upside of this approach is that when you operate this way you are essentially acting as your own publisher and you will receive both a writer's and publisher's royalty if your music gets used. The downside is that you probably don't have any relationships established with music supervisors and although it's certainly possible to establish relationships and "break in" this way, it's going to take a lot of leg work!

2)The indirect route:

This is the way I got started and I suggest you try this approach first. In addition to music supervisors there are also music publishers whose job it is to screen music and present music to music supervisors for potential placement. These people typically have established relationships (if they're established publishers) and they make their living by "shopping" music to supervisors. They typically work hand in hand with supervisors and help them find the right type of music for their project. For example, let's say a music supervisor is working on a film and they need a song that sounds something like the latest White Stripes song. Since they can't actually afford to license the latest White Stripes song they will then contact a publisher, or several publishers, and put the word out that they are looking for songs in the vein of The White Stripes. These publishers will then scour their catalogs looking for songs that are a match and they'll present these songs to the supervisor.

The downside of working with a publisher is that they typically receive half of all royalties generated. This is what's called a publisher's royalty, and it's how publishers make their living. Publishers typically also split licensing fees with writers, which is a one time fee paid for the use of whatever song is being used.

Unless you already have connections in the music industry, I suggest starting with a publisher that is established in the business. Usually they have established relationships that have taken them years to establish. Splitting your royalties is a fair trade off when you consider how helpful they can be in getting your music into the right hands.

For a comprehensive directory of publishers, supervisor and more working in the TV and Film industry, click here.

Aaron Davison is a Berklee College Of Music Alumnus who has been working in the music business for over ten years. His songs have been heard on a variety of television shows and he has performed live throughout the midwest. Visit http://www.aarondavison.com for more information on getting your songs placed in TV and Film

How to Sell Music - Learn How to Sell Your Music on & Offline

2009-11-11T08:29:00.000-08:00

By Davis Carter

Learning how to sell music just got easier since you last clicked your mouse. Whether you choose to market your music to an Internet audience or on the street out of your car, the same principles apply. No matter what, everything is a numbers game. The more records you make, the more money you make, so the more people you have selling for you, also the more money you make.

High Volume - Faster Sales

The Street
The people who enjoy your music will more than likely be willing to promote it for you. This will come in handy if your fans happen to have more enthusiasm than you do about selling. If I sell a couple CDs to a few kids on the street, they come back to me hours later and tell me how much they liked it, I would ask them if they would like to help me sell it. There is a good chance that they will accept if I offer to pay them a percentage of my revenue from my sales. If you do this to enough people, you can generate income fairly fast as opposed to you and your 1 friend just selling CDs 1 at a time. I recommend this technique over selling straight to a record shop because, the record shop will not promote as well as your fans will.

The Internet
You can do the same exact thing with the Internet by asking people to add your banner, music, and pics to their site. If you've ever been on MySpace, Facebook, or YouTube and received a message from someone telling you they enjoy your music, the next time it happens, ask them if they would like to promote it. This is where many people lose out because they fail to respond to messages they receive over the Internet from their fans. Everyone needs a job, so most of these people will be willing to promote your music and get paid for it.

Moreover
This is all very simple to do, now all you have to do is do it. You don't want to keep putting off till tomorrow what should have been done last year. If you're shy about promoting, follow these techniques and everyone else will be promoting for you while you all get paid. Anyone who seriously wants to know how to sell music can do these tips easily.

For even more information on Internet music promotion, click here: How to Sell Music Online

No worrying about shipping costs and when it will come, everything is available instantly.

How to Market Your Music - Learn How to Have the Edge Over Competition

2009-11-07T09:03:00.000-08:00

By Davis Carter

How to market your music can be an issue if you don't have the right training. The problem most people have with marketing their music in general is they have the wrong approach, and once they realize that approach doesn't work, they stop. I want to briefly help you with executing your strategies and perfecting them as you go along.

The Internet
The Internet is a great place to begin marketing your music because of so many different ways of marketing through the Internet. You can use social network sites such as MySpace, YouTube, Facebook, and many others. You can sign-up for websites like Myxer to sell your ringtones and Soundstation to sell your albums. Both of these websites allow you to embed your material directly on your social network pages and websites. A trick you can do that is very uncommonly done, is linking all of your social network sites back to a main website. This will make your website rank higher in search engines when people search for a specific genre. The reason this is uncommonly done is because people think all they need is one MySpace page or Facebook page and they'll be all set. If you want people to take you and your music seriously, you want to have a website and if you don't have a website, you will need an abundance of social network pages.

Out of Your Car
At first blush you may frown, but this is how many famous people began their career in the music industry. Moreover, back in the day they didn't have the Internet at their exposure as we do today, so, I would advise you to make use of both. If you're very timid about marketing your music in public and you go about it very bashfully, keep in mind that small actions create small results. Luckily for you, there is something called "smart work" that I prefer over "hard work." If one of your fans approach you and explain how much they enjoyed your music, they will more than likely be willing to help you promote it if you offer them a percentage of sales revenue. Having your fans work for you as affiliates is a great way of getting your music out strategically and fast.

Bonus Help
You don't want to continue putting off till tomorrow what should have been done three years ago. The problem with most people today, is that they're excellent at beginning something and horrible the finishing. They feel that if something doesn't work the first time around, they've failed. They have failed temporarily and short-term, therefore, this short-term failure should be a sign of what not to do the next time they try. Many people fail to see opportunities over their obstacles because they don't realize most opportunity comes in the form of obstacles. Now that you know this information in addition to how to market your music more effectively, take this opportunity now and run with it.

For even more information on Internet music promotion, click here: Internet Music Marketing

No worrying about shipping costs and when it will come, everything is available instantly.

CD Alarm Clocks - the Way to Wake Up With Music

2009-10-26T18:12:00.000-07:00

By Peter S. Smith

Unfortunately, if you're not a billionaire, and maybe even so, you still have to get out of bed in the morning and start your day. This can be either a pleasant experience or not, depending solely on the thing that will awaken you. A rough buzzer can be something that can make you want to keep staying in bed, while a song that you like on the radio can really jumpstart your day.

A good start in the morning is really important, since, statistically, it will define how you will feel during the day. As said before, a good song on the radio is a lot more pleasant than a rough buzz. However, the chances that a song you like will play when you wake up are really slim, and a song that you don't like will have the same frustrating effect as the buzzer. A good option would be to program what song you want to play when you wake up.

For those of you that like to hear a certain song when you wake up, then the answer is simple: just buy a CD alarm clock. This will allow you to start your mornings in listening your favorite tune, and will make your day better.

The only question is which CD Alarm Clock to choose. Well, needless to say, this is something that you and only you can decide, since it depends on both your taste and on your budget. However, there are certain features that every device that calls itself CD alarm clock needs to have, and you should check for those when purchasing one.

First of all, you should choose a brand new device, since, if there are any problems with it, you have your guarantee. Another thing, most CD alarm clocks have AM FM radio, which can be a really useful feature if you like to keep informed with all the latest news and trends in music. Also, the CD alarm clock should have the option of waking up with the CD player, besides the radio or the buzzer; if it doesn't, you pretty much risk wasting your money. Other features that the device should have are programmable memory, and playback features like shuffle or random, repeat one or all, besides the play pause stop rewind and fast forward. One more thing you should check when you buy a CD alarm clock, is that the devices comes with an AC power supply cord and manual, and also, a 30 day money back guarantee is always nice and handy.

Please click on link for more information - CD Alarm Clocks

Top Tips For Becoming a Digital DJ Master - The Software - Part 1

2009-10-23T19:50:00.000-07:00

By Mark Hawley

There is a huge range of weird and wonderful DJ software on the market at the moment. Today I'll introduce you to one of the more popular software programs, OtsAV DJ.

OtsAV DJ Is one of the cheaper solutions on the market, but do not be fooled by the price tag. At around £100, it has some fantastic features and is certainly value for money.

Why you should buy OtsAV DJ

"No delay" promise - I have used OTS for around 2-3 years now and not one song has 'skipped' during playback. Not one! You can stop worrying about an embarrassing track skip and get on with what you're good at.
Good Playback Compatibility - OTS will play back a lot of the more common compressed and uncompressed audio file formats, such as MP3, WAV and many others.
VJ support - OTS has the ability to play back video files, which means you can be a VJ with this program too.
Save Playlist - With OTS you have the option to save entire playlists to bring up at a later date. Of course, this is editable, but sometimes if you are having a difficult gig it's reassuring to know you have a few killer tunes already stacked so you can think ahead of the game.
Instant song search function - Find songs instantly, just by typing in the song name or artist name. Perfect when you're in a hurry!

Why you shouldn't buy OtsAV DJ

Beat matching - OK, so you should be doing all your own beat matching if you're a superstar DJ, right? Well, yes. But this program hardly does you any favours. If you are DJing anything like Garage, House or other styles of music where beat matching is essential, it is hard to achieve consistently using this software.
Incomplete track information - This, for me, is the biggest problem with OTS. Often when you are playing a set and you search for a song in your song database, instead of seeing the artist, it may display other information (often the track number) instead. This can be very annoying, as song titles tend not to be unique, and knowing the artist therefore becomes essential for playing the right song! For instance, the song title 'Rhythm of the night' has been used by both Debarge and Corona. Same song title, totally different songs! As you can imagine, this is a big problem when the pressure is on.

Overview

On the whole, OtsAV DJ is a good program to use, and great value for money. It is reliable, will play without skipping, and it'll even auto-fade for you when necessary. While I would not recommend this piece of software for a budding club DJ, I would certainly recommend it to mobile DJ's on a tight budget. It has a great mix of features and once you are used to it, it is a very powerful tool in your DJ arsenal.

Rating: 7/10

Mark Hawley is a Music Producer, Musician, Mastering Engineer and Professional DJ, With over 10 years experience. He also runs his own DJ agency, where you can book a Wedding DJ, Club DJ or Kids DJ in the South East of England.

Thanks for reading, we'll see you again soon.

Ringtone Making Software - How to Make Your Own Ringtones

2009-10-18T18:54:00.000-07:00

By James Preston

Ringtones are very popular. Just by walking through a store you can hear a variety of different ringtones that are out there. Phones usually come with a small sample of different ones, but they are always boring and half the world probably uses them. That is why you want to be unique and have brand new ringtones that nobody else has. You can choose from several different options when it comes to getting different and unique ringtones.

You can buy new ones. There are lots of websites where you can buy them or you can get new ones from your ringtone provider, but you will rarely find what you actually want, and they aren't cheap. If you decide to change yours over and over, it will cost you a fortune. You could just live with the same boring ringtone day in and day out, but fortunately, there is another choice for you. Fortunately, this choice is easier, cheaper, more fun, more unique, and the best option available.

If you really want to personalize your phone, you need to make your own ringtones. You can do just that with a ringtone making software program. You can learn how to make your own ringtones with software. It's easy, you don't have to buy each one you make, and you can do it all with a simple piece of software.

To start, you must download the software. This isn't any harder than downloading any other kind of software. Next, you need to choose your songs. You can browse your music library to choose any songs you want to use. Usually, they will need to be in mp3 format. Now you need to run it through the software. You can make the ringtone any length of time between 5 and 30 seconds in most cases.

This is a great way to show off your personality because you can turn your own music into a ringtone. Are you a musician yourself? If you have your own songs as an mp3, you can transform your own music into a ringtone, too. That way, every time you get a call, you can show off your musical talent to those around you. If you want something new, get your own ringtone making software program and start converting your own music into fun new ringtones.

Read In-Depth Reviews of the Best iPhone, Blackberry & MP3 Ringtone Software at the Ringtone Review Center at http://ringtonesoftwarereviews.com

Music Lesson Scheduling Software - Your Innovative Music Teaching Assistant

2009-10-16T01:18:00.000-07:00

By Earl Marsden

Have you heard about the latest and the most reliable music lesson
scheduling software that can make you save time, money, efforts and other
resources? Well, read on and realize how important, interactive, effective
and convenient music lesson scheduling software can be.

As teaching has become both the passion and the profession of many music
teachers and all the other educators around the globe, music education and
music enthusiasts along with computer experts, consistently come up with
innovations and new technologies that can take teaching to the next level.
As the use of the Internet and the integration of technology to music
education curriculum have been widely adopted and used all over the world,
the levels of students' curiosity, interest and motivation have been
abruptly increased and achieved.

Scheduling requires focus, attention and awareness. One must be alert,
organized and systematic enough not to miss any scheduled activity, event or
appointment. Whether it is personal, professional or social commitment, it
has to be given priority, attendance and participation. Through resolve this
conflict on missing appointments, music lesson scheduling software have been
widely available over the Internet. Computer program experts and enthusiasts
have made time and workload management, scheduling, planning and preparation
a lot easier, more convenient and fun.

Many music lesson scheduling software have been considered to be one of the
must-haves of any music teachers, private studio owners and manager out
there. As a music teacher, your profession may demand a lot of time, effort
and resources that music teaching seems to be a difficult and challenging
task.

However, if you have the passion for teaching, you'll probably take all the
necessary actions in order to make you work at your best. You will either
visit music teachers' websites to get relevant information and details
related to music teaching or you invest into various helpful and reliable
music teacher software.

If you teach music in a private studio, you may be aware that scheduling,
lesson planning and preparation can all be complex and tough. Struggling
with your daily schedule, you have to make sure that you are able to
schedule all your students - giving them a specific date and time of music
classes, and you have to be assured that each session doesn't overlap with
the others. Conflict of schedules shall never happen.

On the other hand, cancellation of classes as well as the student's request
for re-scheduling is inevitable; thus, you have to be sure that each is
being met accordingly. This innovation, the music lesson scheduling software
has been introduced in the academe along with all the other private music
studios to help music teachers and classroom and school managers organize
and systematize music lesson, class schedules and the likes.

As this web-based tool aims to empower music teachers as well as their
students to schedule private lessons online and stay connected despite of
their busy schedules. Many music lesson scheduling software automatically
keeps the schedule updated as it notifies you new appointments,
cancellations or re-scheduling requests.

So, if you wish to free yourself from worries and hassles brought by time
management, scheduling, planning and preparation, learn more about the
latest and the most effective music lesson scheduling software available
online. Check them out only on the most reliable music teachers' website
today. Happy teaching!

This music lesson scheduling software can help you manage your music
studio. Visit this music teacher blog to learn more. - Earl Marsden

Earl Marsden started developing a passion for music at the early age
of twelve. He first learned to play the guitar at thirteen, and from there
he pursued the study other instruments including the violin, piano and
flute. Currently, he devotes some of his spare time to writing articles
about music teaching while managing his own music studio.

Send instant messages to your online friends http://asia.messenger.yahoo.com

Music Creation Software Can Help You Become a Musical Genius

2009-10-12T17:35:00.001-07:00

By Cheryl Forbes

You may have all of this creative energy around you and you need to channel it but you do not know how. Well, a music creation software will be able to help you with that. You do not even have to learn how to play a musical instrument because the software will be able to take care of it for you. So you can discover your inner musical genius by using the software. You can make children's music, romantic music, hip hop, rap and so many others. You can make your own beats; you can create your own sound. The great thing about it is you can make it at your own home or wherever you want.

A music creation software is very easy to use. You can make, perform, record and create music by using virtual instruments. Beginners and skilled musicians find it very useful to have. So you can now make your own digital music. You will never know how satisfying it is to hear your own first piece of music. Plus, you are not the only one who will hear of it. You can upload it on any social networking site such as YouTube and share what you have created. There are already a number of artists who were discovered with this medium and they are so thankful with Music Creation Software.

So what are you waiting for? Make your music and share it to the world. Let us become witnesses to how great a musician you are.

Cheryl Forbes owns and operates the website http://www.software-concert.com.

IRiver MP3 Players - Preferred Choice

2009-10-09T17:56:00.000-07:00

By Jamie Gram

iRiver Mp3 Players have enjoyed considerable popularity among music lovers who are buying digital audio players, and one does not have to look far for the reason this is so. The very first reason for the preference is that they are trendy. One can make this out from the names of their models like iRiver Spinn, iRiver Clixx etc. The consumer segment that iRiver caters to is the youth and they are in love with their music and like to keep up with the latest trends. It is a small wonder that the iRiver MP3 players enjoy the popularity that they do. They are named well and they are sleek and shiny.

The qualities of the iRiver MP3 player are not just superficial. They not only look good but they perform well too. The manufacturers have kept the functional qualities high too. They have great sound quality, are simple to use and practical too.

iRiver MP3 players come with an excellent file support system. They can read and support a wide variety of audio files and are not just limited to MP3 format. The sound quality is remarkably superior which is, if compared to other players in the range, a very good reason to opt for iRiver.

It has a great design. By this one does not only mean the looks which are definitely very superior. A less looked into area in the MP3 designing has always been the placement of the buttons, which are, quite frankly inconveniently placed. The iRiver scores well in this area too, as the button placement is very user friendly. iRiver, for its compact size, has a huge touch screen. This makes using any button apart from the on-off one, quite unnecessary. This is another very convenient and user friendly feature that makes iRiver a winner. The big screen is by far the best thing about the iRiver, since one can watch MP3 videos, and even, if one has a video clipping it can be watched in comfort.

For the valuable features that this MP3 player comes with, the price is quite economical. Of course there are many cheaper MP3 players in the market but consider this, would you not want quality music and the touch screen all in a small trendy and attractive player? Moreover this player even allows you to upload music in a variety of formats without any problems. For the price it comes at - this is excellent value.

Read reviews of iriver mp3 players and of other mp3 players only at Minidisc.com.au

Music Software - Computer Music Resources

2009-10-06T17:28:00.001-07:00

By Chris JW Adams

When choosing music software from the array of computer music resources available there are two programs that stand out and have become the industry standard.

These are Cubase and cakewalk. I prefer Cubase but this is because I have always used Cubase and before Cubase it was pro24, things have come along way since pro24 I can tell you.

Either of these music software programs will be more than enough for any music recording project, it is important to realise though that the results using this software will only be as good as the soundcard you have installed on your system.

The soundcard is the hub of your recording setup.

You need to check the spec of any soundcard you are thinking of using.

There are a lot to choose from as the computer music resources are ever growing.

You will be looking for a soundcard that has a very low noise to signal ratio and a full band width 20hz-20khz.
A sampling rate of 44.1 or greater and 16 bit or greater.

Also you want to consider how many channels you will need to record at the same time, many will only allow two.

The PC minimum spec should be Pentium 4 1500ghz 512mb ram the harddrive needs to spin at 7200rpm and be at least 80 gig.

A combination of these components will give you a recording system that is capable of producing world class results.

There are is also an array of music software plugins available to provide effects and processing.

Computer music resources are now fairly low cost so you can produce recordings that a few years ago would have cost tens of thousands of pounds.

See my article on recording tips and methods for more detailed information on how to use your medium cost computer to create world class recordings.

Chris Adams has been making music 30 years and has had 12 number ones in various download charts including amazon.com and mp3.com.

Chris Adams website.
http://chrisadams.tv

Overview of Cowon MP3 Players

2009-10-03T19:26:00.000-07:00

By Jamie Gram

Cowon MP3 player has in a short duration of time captured a sizable chunk of the MP3 market, and is now one of the most highly regarded MP3 player. This has happened because it has several features that make it the preferred choice of music lovers.

It is sleek, and very attractive. In fact its curved looks gave it a lot of hype and set it apart among other MP3 players. The curves make it fit well into the palm and make it extremely comfortable to use. The compactness (1.3 inches width and 0.7 inches thickness) make is small convenient and easy to carry on the person. It is very lightweight and one can even forget that one is carrying an MP3 player until the time comes to use it.

It has a touch screen interface, which is very nice. It makes it easy to navigate the functions of the MP3 player. Of course buttons are also provided for people who prefer the old style way of functioning; all major functions are given on buttons like volume, play/pause, forward/reverse, hold. Most of the buttons are convenient, apart from the power one, which is right next to the headphone jack, making it uncomfortable, particularly when one is using headphones.

The library browser is fast, you can navigate easily, zoom in or out on the screen. Moreover, users have come up with nice modifications that can be downloaded for the upper range models, even if they are not provided with the MP3 player at the time of purchase. But, thanks to the internet, it is not too much of bother.

The playback interface gives a lot of information like bit rate, file type and even displays the cover art. It has bookmarking which means that it remembers where you were and pulls out the playlist. It does not yet allow you to make dynamic playlists, but perhaps some talented user will make this modification for downloading too.

It has a strong and stable file support function. It supports a wide variety of music formats. Since MP3 users download a lot of music from the net, one does not need to check the file format, and simply download the music without hesitation.

The screen is simply awesome. It is a AMOLED screen with sharp colors and contrast. It can rotate and flip and do a whole lot of things that conventional MP3 screens cannot. If one was to choose the best feature of the MP3 player, it would be the AMOLED screen. It is big, has touch screen features and the images are sharp and clear.

The Bluetooth is good and one does not lose sound quality. The best thing about Cowon MP3 player equipped with the best of features is that during these trying economic times, it comes at a reasonable price.

Browse through extensive collection of cowon mp3 players and other digital products of Cowon at Minidisc.com.au

Music Producing Software - "Sonic Producer" Review

2009-09-30T18:00:00.000-07:00

By Brian E Taylor

Anyone who is looking to make music on their computer knows that finding a good music producing software can be rather challenging. There are literally hundreds upon hundreds of music producing software on the market that all claim to be worthy of your time and hard earned money. The truth is, many of these types of software are not worth your time or money. There is one particular music producing software that has been getting a lot of buzz as of late. "Sonic Producer" is a new music making software created that is supposed to give any level music producer the ability to produce high quality beats with ease. This article is a real review of "Sonic Producer". Hopefully after reading this article you will have a better understanding of what this software is all about.

First off, let me tell you why I decided to try out and review "Sonic Producer". I have been producing hip-hop beats for over 10 years now via keyboards and drum machines. This past year I finally decided that I would like to start using my computer to make some of my beats. I wanted to find some music producing software that was inexpensive, easy to use and was good quality. After searching online for a couple of months, I found "Sonic Producer". Since their sales letter looked pretty good and the price wasn't to bad I decided to try it out. So, after using this software for a few months this is what I discovered.

The Pros

I was pleasantly surprised with several aspects of the software. Once you are officially a member of the "Sonic Producer" site you are given access to all of the tools needed to make beats on your computer. The members area is very user friendly allowing you to start making beats right away. Another thing that I personally found very helpful is their learning tutorials. Whenever I got stuck with something I usually could find the answer to my problem by just referring back to one of the video tutorials. One of the biggest fears I had about using this software was that the sounds that came with the software would be garbage, but I was wrong. Many of the sounds that comes with "Sonic Producer" can easily be compared to some of those from top brand keyboards and expensive music software that is being sold for much more. I was very impressed with the sounds that I could use to make my beats with.

The Cons

I must say that there wasn't to much bad to say about this music producing software, but since this is a honest review I must express my 2 minor complaints about the program. The first was I thought the tutorial videos could have been produced a little better. What I mean by this is the instructors are obviously great music producers not video producers. The only other thing that I can say is that I wish that they offered phone support instead of email support. To some people it doesn't matter, I personally like to talk to my support via the phone, but I must say their email support is pretty fast when it comes to fixing any problems.

Overall, "Sonic Producer" is definitely worth a try. For the price you are getting a lot and really can start making high quality beats. So, if you are looking for a legit music producing software, "Sonic Producer" may be worth a look.

Good Luck,

For More Information On "Sonic Producer" Go To http://www.squidoo.com/New-Music-Producing-Software

A Music Library - Mp3 Player

2009-09-28T17:27:00.000-07:00

By Sarah Nabila

Mp3 player is also known as digital audio player. It is an electronic tool that is used for storing and playing audio files. This device is available in many different sizes and storage capacities.

Mp3 player has several types. These types depend upon the choice of people who are carrying these. The choice is based on many different factors like how an individual wants to use it and the amount of music that he wants to carry. Some important types primarily includes,

Flash memory players: it is the lightest and the smallest mp3 player and typically it stores fewer songs. It is ideal for casual handling for those who wants little music. Advantage of this type includes that its battery lasts longer because of its small size.

Hard drive players: these are bigger than flash memory players. These have more storage space and ideal for those individual who wants more music collection in mp3 players. It has moving parts as well. Moreover, if the battery is fully charged, it may last for more than 20 hours.

Mp3 CD players: this CD player is able to play mp3 and other sound files. Typically, this CD player is cheaper than hard drive players and flash memory players. A drawback involved in this device is that these are very large in size. So, it is not convenient to carry these anywhere.

Hybrid players: mp3 is not a separate technology. In the present day world, many technology corporations are offering mp3 in other products such as DVD players or in many other accessories.

So, mp3 offers a great range of music that can be stored easily at one place. It acts as a music library. On the other hand with advantages the great threat associated with this device is the risk of hearing damage.

However, it depends on the habit of listeners. Some listeners prefer loud volumes and enjoy music for many hours. That results in harmful effects. So, time and sound intensity can be controlled with efficient use of the device.

Come visit the author latest websites on Pink Mp3 Players and Saltwater Fishing Tackle

An Honest Review on Sonic Producer Software - Music Beats Making Software

2009-09-26T01:14:00.000-07:00

By Hans Alexander

Is it true that anybody can create music beats without any professional experience?

Well, it sounds more hype than true but the latest Sonic Producer has proved the fact that it's not a mere talk and become a buzz in the music industry. This software is jammed packed with thousand of sounds that helps you to produce beats with ease. The only limitation is your imagination.

I like the sounds that it produces as it's doesn't sound factory made but rather professional sound beats that are comparable to those produced by expensive music production softwares. Imagine being able to produce such high quality music beats with software that cost only $29.95.

Sonic Producer is in fact a breakthrough invention to the music production community be it for the experienced or newbie. One of the great features of this software is its prebuilt tunes that help you to skip boring music sessions. And you can make any music beats types that you want from jazz to rap. You can even create your own music note easily with this software.

The software also comes with an MP3 export capability that you can use to convert all music beats made to MP3 format. Its detailed video tutorial covers not only about the software but also various instruments that you can use to produce even more high quality beats. Rest assured that the software is compatible with all operating system. So, you don't have to worry if you're using MAC or PC.

Generally speaking, Sonic Producer is an incredible music sequencer that helps you to produce beats with your computer. It is made so user friendly that it doesn't matter of age or experience level to still be able to make hip hop beats in matter of a few minutes.

I must confess that Sonic Producer is by far, the best music production software on the market in terms of value, usability and quality that helps you to create own beats. And please don't forget that all beats that you made with Sonic Producer are Royalty Free. In other words, if you wish to sell the beats that you have made; no worry about that. It's another opportunity in addition to building your own music library. This is an awesome product and get my 5 stars rating.

Check out Sonic Producer private members area to access the chord charts, rhythm exercises, video lessons, music tutorials and the exclusive software. This is awesome music production software that is fairly priced. You can watch the sample video at http://sonic-producer-software.blogspot.com/

Sonic Producer Software Review - Make Your Own Music Beats Library

2009-09-23T17:16:00.000-07:00

By Hans Alexander

I am going to give you an insightful Sonic Producer software review in this article. Well, if you have been searching for a music production software, you're literally on a challenging task if you don't get Sonic Producer because this is one of the software that work just as it said. You might come across a lot more but not all perform as they claimed to.

You don't want to waste your money on a music making software that does only half of what it said on the sales page don't you? "But where can I find a reliable and easy to use software to create and mix music on my computer?". Well, look no further before you try Sonic Producer.

Sonic Producer - Best Music Production Software

The main feature of this software is to create high quality music beats quickly and easily with a built in MP3 export capability. You'll find it very useful to make your own beats whether you are already an experienced or an amateur music producer.

Prior to the invention of micro processor and sophisticated software, most music production were made using keyboards and drum machine. But nowadays, you can make high quality music beats with your computer by just installing Sonic Producer software in it. Moreover, this is perhaps the only software that is inexpensive but still capable of producing high quality beats. And it has a user friendly interface that you can learn even without the tutorial. But if you were stuck somewhere, just watch the video tutorials that explain everything in great details.

Also note that your Sonic Producer purchase which is a one time fee also give you access to its private member area where you can download thousand of royalty free sounds and beats to get you started. Besides, you can learn various other ways to make your beats unique with its music production tutorials such as chord charts, rhythm exercises and more throughout the members area.

Don't worry if your computer is running on Mac as Sonic producer works on both Mac and PC. Check this video out to see the software in action and sample beats it produces at http://sonic-producer-software.blogspot.com/

Thinking About a Child's Electic Guitar? Here's Some Good Advice

2009-09-21T19:07:00.000-07:00

By Steve Murray

If your child is under the age of 10 and would like to learn how to play an electric guitar then the size of instrument you purchase is crucial. Remember when you are thinking of buying a child's electric guitar the one you purchase shouldn't be too large because they will find it difficult to play. But also it shouldn't be too small otherwise they could outgrow it very quickly.

Many of the world's guitar makers today now produce smaller sized guitars that are suitable for children to play. If your child is aged between 6 and 10 years then going for a ¾ size guitar that measures around 30 inches is going to be the best option. Whereas for children aged between 3 and 6 years a ½ size guitar is going to be the best one for them.

However, it isn't just your child's age which will determine the size of electric guitar that you purchase for them. Your child's height is also going to be a factor in what size instrument that you purchase for your son or daughter. The taller your child is the larger size instrument that they will need. For example if your son at the age of 9 is nearly 5 ft tall it would be much wiser to invest in a full size rather than a child's size electric guitar.

Along with the child's age and height being taken into consideration when it comes to you investing money in an electric guitar how much are you willing to spend. Unfortunately when it comes to electric guitars the more you spend the much better quality instrument you will get. In fact if you want to ensure that your childs electric guitar lasts for a number of years to come, sounds good and is easy to learn on then it is worth spending that little extra on a good quality instrument.

Want To Learn More?
Click here: Childs Electric Guitar

Free information, tips and buying guides:
http://childrenselectricguitars.com/

How Do You Extract a Groove From a Drum Loop?

2009-09-19T23:59:00.000-07:00

By Eddie Bazil

While we are on this subject, wouldn't it be great if you could extract quantise templates from other sources and use them in your own music? What if I told you that you could extract a groove quantise template from an audio loop? Would that excite you a touch?

Most decent audio/sequencing packages like Cubase will offer you an 'Extract Groove or Create Groove Quantise from Hitpoints'. Hitpoints are the same as markers. You apply these hitpoints to the peaks in the audio file and then use 'Create Groove Quantise from Hitpoints' in the audio menu. Of course, the software you are using will have different terminology or tools, but they all do the same thing.

You can then use this quantise groove template exactly as you would any other groove template within the quantise menu option.

This tool is extremely effective when dealing with drum loops as drum loops have distinct peak points (where the kick, snare, hi hats etc peak), so it makes it easier to extract grooves and create templates.

Additionally, you can import groove templates from other sources and use them as exactly the same as using a pre defined template. There are many companies that now offer groove templates of your favourite quantise templates. MPC drum quantise templates spring to mind.

Here is an example of how to extract and create a groove template from a piece of audio. The principles are the same for most software so try to transcribe the tools and terminology across to your software. I am using a very famous piece of audio; a drum loop from Missy E.

Eddie Bazil (Zukan) http://www.samplecraze.com

Choosing the Right DJ Speakers

2009-09-17T11:02:00.000-07:00

By Ethan Ribb

Are you a new DJ, or just need some new DJ speakers? There are a few things that you should know before buying DJ speakers. Gathering all the information that you can get about speakers that you are considering is essential to buying the right DJ speakers for your needs. But what information should you know? There are different kinds of speakers out there with different specifications that all make a difference to the sound you are looking to produce. If you're looking for a DJ speaker or speakers that can fill a stadium full of 12,000 people, then you will probably want to consider buying more than two speakers. But if your main venue will be at a club in front of 150 people, then two speakers will probably suit your needs.

After you find out where your gigs are going to be and how many speakers you will need, now you need to figure out what kind of music you will be playing the most. If you're going to be playing rock 'n roll or alternative music, speakers with a mid range and a tweeter will probably be fine for you. If you're going to be playing rap, R&B, hip-hop, or pop music, than you'll probably want to consider buying a subwoofer. A subwoofer will give you all the low frequencies and "bassy" tones that normal speakers will not give you. Subwoofers are also great for dance clubs.

Now lets get to the good stuff, the brands and pricing. There are many good brands out there that make DJ speakers, if you don't have the money to buy some good quality speakers, I recommend that you wait, save up the money, and then go ahead and buy some speakers. Buying cheap DJ speakers can be a huge mistake. If you're really serious about being a DJ, and you know that it's not just going be a hobby, then you shouldn't skimp on the speakers. If you do, it will surely bite you in the butt later down the road, either the speakers will blow out, or they will snap, crackle, and pop, which I know the crowd doesn't like.

Good companies out there that make DJ speakers are JBL, EV, Peavey, American DJ, Fender, Gemini, and many many more. These are the most popular and well-trusted DJ speakers on the market, you really cannot go wrong buying one of these brands. Make sure you read some reviews before you go out and purchase anything, and then go to the store and test out the sound. If it's got a solid review and it sounds good to you, then try to bargain with the seller and buy yourself Some speakers.

Read other things you should know about DJ speakers and also read about kinds of speakers for your home, such as surround sound speakers

The Secrets to Making a Great Live Band Video

2009-09-14T18:21:00.000-07:00

By Bobby Owsinski

There are basically two things that you need to make a great live band video (assuming that you play great and put on a great show) - great audio and a tripod. Forget about camera quality, resolution, format, or any kind of specs. If your video sounds bad or is shaking like crazy - it's just a bad video although there are a few exceptions that we'll touch on in a minute. Let's look at the audio first.

Audio is 50% of the Final Product.

Despite what anyone tells you, audio is always looked down upon as the poor stepchild of picture by video people, mostly because they don't understand it. That being said, if the sound is bad then the picture always seems worse than it really is, so it's really important to pay close attention to the audio when making a video.

Here are some rules of thumb regarding audio for video:

Bad audio + good picture = bad video

Good audio + bad picture = bad video

Good audio + good picture = maybe a good video (still depends upon how you played and looked and how it was edited)

So you see that the only way you stand a chance to get something decent is to make totally sure that the audio is at least on the same quality standard as your picture.

Audio Recording Tips For Video

There are a couple of things that you can do to make sure that the audio quality is a lot better than what you can get with just the mic on the camera.

Use an external mic. You probably have some extra mics laying around already or at least you can borrow a couple, so let's put them to use. The problem is that most consumer cameras have mini-jack mic inputs that won't readily interface to an XLR or phone plug. No problem, buy an XLR to mini-plug adapter. They're cheap and just about any mic you choose is going to be better than the $2 on-board camera mic. It will make a world of difference. Another possibility to to use a feed from the mixing board, or a combination of board feed and microphone that you can balance later.

Turn off the limiter. Most cameras have a built-in audio limiter to try to keep audio overload to a minimum. While this might work OK when shooting those nice vacation movies, it's horrible for band use, squashing and twisting your audio into a heap of crap even on the most expensive professional cameras. In all but the cheapest cameras, you can defeat the limiter by diving into the software menus and finding the Defeat selection in the audio section. You'll hear the benefits of this action immediately.

Turn the input level down. Just about any band will easily overload the audio inputs of a camera since they're usually designed for capturing the noise of a family outing rather than the level of any number of instruments playing. If there's a level control knob on the camera, turn it as low as it will go without turning it off. If it's in a software menu, do the same. If you're still overloading the input (the overload indicators are flickering red), you'll have to get an attenuator pad to lower the microphone's output, but these are pretty inexpensive (less than $20) and can come in handy for some every day audio purposes as well. Remember, it's a lot better to have audio where the level is too low than too high.

Get A Tripod If you're shooting a gig to just see how you're doing or shooting a music video, you'll need a tripod for at least some of the things you shoot. If you're shooting a gig, get a tripod and set it up as high as it will go so you won't see audience heads and people passing in front. A nice stable image will make viewing a lot easier later. If you're shooting something for a music video, hand held shots can look exciting and hip, but you'll need at least some tripod shots for things like B-roll, establishing shots and anything where you need more than a couple of seconds of a steady shot. Although tripods can run as high as a couple of thousand dollars, even a $25 cheapy is better than none at all.

As with most everything, the more you spend the better it will be in that it will last a whole lot longer, be sturdier, and lighter, but anything is better that nothing. Just paying attention to these 2 things will make your band videos so much easier to watch for both you and your audience that you won't believe it.

A long-time veteran of the music industry, Bobby Owsinski has produced and composed for records, motion pictures and television shows along the way. Currently a principle in the DVD production house Surround Associates and content creator 2B Media, Bobby has also penned hundreds of articles for many popular industry trade publications and has authored several books that are now staples in recording programs in colleges around the world including "The Mixing Engineer's Handbook", "The Recording Engineer's Handbook", "The Audio Mastering Handbook", "The Drum Recording Handbook", and "How To Make Your Band Sound Great".

A frequent moderator, panelist and program producer of a variety of industry conferences, Bobby has served as the longtime producer of the annual Surround Music Awards, and is one of the executive producers for the "Guitar Universe" and "Desert Island Music" television programs.

Visit Bobby's Blog at http://bobbyowsinski.blogspot.com/ and his website at http://bobbyowsinski.com

How To Download Music To Iphone - It's Easy When You Know How

2009-09-12T18:23:00.000-07:00

By Jonathan Webster

You will need to learn how to download music to iPhone if you've taken the plunge with Apple's latest. The Apple iPhone is carrying on Apple's great success with the iPod. Now, consumers are able to carry around their music collection on the same machine that they use for texting and telephone calls. I'm sure you will want to avail yourself of this wonderful opportunity to build a portable music collection, so where do you start?

The first consideration is the hardware you need to be able to do the downloading in the first place. As well as your new trusty iPhone, you will need access to a personal computer with an internet connection, and a connecting lead to connect you iPhone to your computer. The final need is for a site from which you can download the music files, and it is here where you need to exercise the most care.

Your computer can be pretty much anything. As long as it wasn't built over a decade ago, it is more than likely to be sufficient for the needs of downloading music. The internet connection is more significant, and if you are lucky enough to have one of the new super fast broadband connections, take full advantage of it. If you are stuck on a slow dial up connection, you can still download music, it will just take longer. At least you only have to download the file once to have it on your hard drive for good.

Finding how to download music to iPhone is not difficult, and hopefully this article will give you the basics to get you started. You first need to download the music files from the internet to your computer, before you transfer them. The hardest part is finding a reliable, trustworthy source for the downloads. In the past, many people would use P2P sites. These sites are now illegal, and you could find yourself with a criminal record just for trying to download a piece of music. These sites are fraught with danger anyway, as the downloads can often contain viruses, which can stop your computer running properly, or create serious data security risks.

A much better choice is to use one of the legal download sites, where you can pay a small one off fee to join, and then have access to unlimited downloads. The fees are just to maintain the servers and keep the listings up to date. Finding a good download site of this type will be the final piece in the puzzle of how to download music to iPhone.

That's pretty much all you need to know. Check out the links below for the most reliable download sites.

Click HERE to get free Iphone downloads-whether you want games or movies it's right here, and it's fast and easy!

If you are looking for the best Iphone download resources on the net, CLICK HERE and we'll tell you where they are-this will save you a fortune!!

Jonathan Webster is the webmaster at http://www.IphoneDownloadsReviews.com!

Quickly Transfer Music to Iphone From Ipod, and the Reverse is Also Possible

2009-09-09T01:20:00.000-07:00

By Bipsa Rawat

iPods are devices meant for listening to songs and watching movies, on the other hand we have iPhones which in addition to above facilities can be used for internet browsing, chatting, making calls, sending emails and SMS. So why not use iPhone instead of iPod? iPhones are now widely used owing to its multifunctional utility. And with this view arose the need of software that has the capability of copying contents from iPhone to iPod as well as systems. The outcome came as iPod to iPhone transfer.

IPod to iPhone transfer is the software capable of transferring music and videos from iPod to iPhone and vice versa without harming previous contents of the device. Use can use this software for transferring music between iPod/ iPhone/ iPod touch.

Features of iPod to iPhone transfer:

• Trouble free, instant transfer mechanism is followed
• Offers an intuitive interface for moving data
• Shows preview of songs and movies which is to be transmitted
• Allows transfer of entire play list
• Process of transfer becomes easy with drag and drop feature
• Grants searching and filtering capability on the basis of artists and albums
• It's smart enough to detect song missing from iPhone and copies only those which were missing from iphone
• Supports numerous audio and video file formats
• Allows sharing of play lists between users and over network
• Compatible with all iPods and iPhones models
• Allows transfer to multiple iPods from a iPhone at a particular time
• IPod songs can be saved in external drives or within the system, which can be used for backing up files on to the system if required
• Frequent updating is done to make it compatible with newly introduced iPod touch and iPhone 3G

System requirements of iPod to iPhone transfer tool includes-
• Windows OS such as windows vista, XP or windows 2000, 2003
• Preferred RAM capacity is 256 MB
• Pentium processors and it must have more than 1 USB port/slot

In short, software IPod to iphone transfer has the capability of moving data from iPod, iPhone to computer and iTunes.

The above article has been written by Bipsa, a webmaster who is skilled in writing on technical topics as she is having a in-depth knowledge on such topics. This very article on transfer from iPod to iPhone will lead you to a right decision.

How Loud Should We Play?

2009-09-07T01:20:00.000-07:00

By Bobby Owsinski

Ah, the age old question. How loud is too loud for the room? When you're playing a gig and the audience complains about the volume, they might mean the PA speaker volume, guitar volume, the stage sound or a combination of these things. Then again, the problem can lie elsewhere and can not only be easily fixed, but make you sound a lot better in the process.

Usually the audience will complain about the volume if two things happen - the volume is the same level throughout the song and from song to song, and if there's a particular frequency that's so piercing that it feels like an ice pick through the brain. Here's how to play at a level that feels comfortable and still isn't overpowering for the audience.

Dynamics - Not only will playing dynamically make the band sound tighter, but it will control the perceived volume level for the audience as well. If the band plays as loud as it can only at the peaks of songs while it plays at controlled levels in other sections, the audience will almost never complain about the volume. It's the loud same-level din that never stops that usually gets complaints. A band that plays dynamically (soft in the verse and louder in the chorus, for instance) will simply be called"powerful" even when playing as loud as they can, as long as they don't play as loud as they can throughout the entire song.

Play Big Instead of Loud - No matter how small the room, you should play it like it's Madison Square Garden. This means that you're trying to reach the people sitting in the farthest seats from the stage. All motions have to be exaggerated so that guy at the back can see you. Every note has to be clean and precise so it doesn't turn into sonic mud. Every note has to have a meaning, with nothing played that's not supposed to be played. Loud parts get louder while soft parts get quieter. This is a very hard thing to learn, but if you master it, the band will never sound loud regardless of the size of the amps or sound systems. It'll just sound "big."

Even Frequency Balance - Sometimes being perceived as "too loud" means that only one small band of frequencies is the culprit. This is usually from a guitar amp, which can be turned away from the audience if that's the sound that the guitar player really has to have. The other possibility is that's it's coming from the PA system and there's no reason that has to happen, regardless of the brand or size of the system. There's plenty of technology available in even the least sophisticated sound system these days so this problem shouldn't occur. If it does, it usually means that your sound man has lost some portion of his hearing and is trying to compensate by raising those particular frequencies, or he's just a bad or inexperienced. Any way you cut it, he's not going to win you many fans and you have to fix the problems if you want to keep your audience and get another gig.

Complaints about band volume are easier to control than you think. If you follow the above advice, you'll never be called "too loud" again.

---XXX---

Visit Bobby's Blog at http://bobbyowsinski.blogspot.com/ and his website at http://bobbyowsinski.com

Music 2.0 Explained

2009-09-05T00:39:00.000-07:00

By Bobby Owsinski

Can't figure this Music 2.0 thing out? Not sure how to make money without the support of a label? Want more contact with your favorite artist? Well, gather around the screen with the cool blue flame because I'm here to tell you how to do all those things. It's a concept called "Tribal Management".

It's not that I'm that smart to dream something like this up, but I am smart enough to recognize a good idea when I see one and marketing guru Seth Godin seems to have finally cracked the the new business model that the music industry has been so desperately trying to create.

Godin recently gave a presentation to a number of music industry executives and while I'm not so sure they actually got it, a lot of people who really love and care about music took notice big time. So if you haven't yet seen Seth's twelve page PDF (it's racing around the Web like wildfire), let me summarize.

In the Music 1.0 days artists were fairly isolated from their fans, not by design, just by the mechanics of the business. The artist made a record (I'm using that term to mean any kind of recorded media) that the label pressed and marketed and sold to a retailer. The retailer sold the record to the customer, who with any luck became a fan of the artist. The retailer was the only entity that actually had contact with customer/fan (unless you consider fan clubs which, for the most part, were mostly lame).

But we now live in a different world. It's now possible for an artist to know each and every one of his/her fans. It's now easy to communicate with them, to ask for their advice and help, to sell directly to them, and to make them part of the overall artist's brand. The fans and the artist are of the same mind. They are passionate about the same thing (in this case, the music). They are part of the same "tribe".

The tribe wants intimate contact with the artist. They want a personal email telling them there's a tour stop in their town. They want to be asked if they'd like to hear the artist do a Stone's cover. They want to be offered out-takes and different mixes, even if the general public would find these things boring. They want to be offered a chance to buy (or even to pre-buy) the latest release. They want to be as much a part of the artists life as the artist is of theirs. They are of the same tribe!

Trent Reznor knows his tribe. His recent "Ghosts" instrumental album is available with something for everybody. You can download 8 tracks for free, or all 36 for $5, or buy a $10 CD, or a $75 deluxe edition, or even a $300 ultra-deluxe packaging that includes just about everything but a new laptop. He sold out of 2500 of the available $300 packages within 48 hours. Of an INSTRUMENTAL record! The tribe ate it up with a spoon. Trent knows his tribe and his tribe knows him. Trent proves that the tribal concept, loosely defined as Music 2.0, actually works.

If the record labels (any label, major or indie) were smart, they'd get into the business of servicing the tribe. In this they actually might make themselves in a useful and necessary tool for the artist. Many artists just want to make music and either can't focus on or don't have the skills to go beyond that. But if an artist is skilled at communicating with his tribe, then he is cultivating a fan base on a level unlike anything seen before. And his tribe will love him for it!

Visit Bobby's Blog at http://bobbyowsinski.blogspot.com/ and his website at http://bobbyowsinski.com