[LAU] OT: online music promition/what do you think of bandcamp?

[Der Mickster]

Hey,

2009/11/17 Ken Restivo <ken at restivo.org>:
> On Sun, Nov 15, 2009 at 02:48:18PM +0100, Atte Andr? Jensen wrote:
>> Hi
>>
>> I'm about to release my second (physical) made-with-linux CD, and am
>> starting to think about ways to promote the music online. I'm not gonna
>> get rich of this, I know, but I spend time and money creating the music,
>> and I really think the product is worth actual money.
>
> I agree; your material very much has the production and fit and finish of a product that is sellable.

<...>

Missed it missed it missed it! Kure kure kure, as a certain octopus
used to say (should anyone miss the reference, look up "Kure Kure
Takora" on Youtube, it's bloody hilarious).

> I am one of those obnoxious Linux purists who says "piss off" when I see Flash, makes an obscene gesture at the monitor,
> and leaves the site.

/me wonders about possible ways of squeaking out "me too, me too!" and
doing a little bit of song and dance without making it sound banal and
pointless . . . uh, forget it (but don't forget HTML mail) :)

<...>

> (Regarding "copytition": A friend from Africa was asking me about the strange tendency of American musicians to copy each
> other shamelessly and elbow each other around, hustling for the same business, and to create Gold-Rush-like swarms of
> people all copying each other whilst trying to compete for the same business. As opposed to, say, being original and sincere,
> and striking out in a novel direction.

Can't pass up such a brilliant opportunity to don the crimson halo of
the devil's advocate. Actually, there's another option - let's say
there are about a dozen and a half talented bands hailing from a
similar background, influenced by similar music and by each other,
enough to be lumped together as a single scene, and somewhat similar
to one another stylistically - however, each one of them can be quite
unique, notwithstanding the fact that they follow roughly similar
stylistic canons. Think Seattle in the late 80's/early 90's -
Mudhoney, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Screaming Trees, Alice In Chains,
and, yes, Nirvana (think Bleach rather than Nevermind). And New York
City punk rockers in the late 70's/early 80's (as well as some of
their most lucid West Coast counterparts) - and then NYC
hardcore/crossover in the late 80's/early 90's (but I'll never forgive
Bad Religion for spawning the likes of Green Day and Offspring, urgh).
Still though. Not disputing the point you're making, just
pontificating in a meaninglessly snotty way. But yeah, I suppose the
point I was trying to make is that there's copytition and there are
genuine scenes, and you can tell the difference by the way your body
reacts to the music. If your ears want to puke blood, it's definitely
copytition. If it makes you headbang, or dance, or think, it's music
all right, and a scene is a good thing - I'm very happy that Chris
Cornell and Eddie Vedder are still alive. Shame about Alice in Chains
- a good album, but why use the old name if Layne Staley has joined
the Norwegian Blue a while ago? Cantrell could have released it under
any other bloody name and I would have liked it. As it is - well, it
just bloody well isn't Alice In Chains any more. But give me Mad
Season any day now.

<...>

> With all that said-- and keeping in mind that I have a deeply cynical and bitter view of business and capitalism in general--,
> I'd predict at this point that your main sources of actual royalties will be: 1) iTunes, and 2) iTunes.

I'll definitely keep that, and some of your earlier recommendations,
in mind once I deem my own sonic output marketable. Although live gigs
are where it's at ultimately, methinks.

> Look, Apple is the market-maker in online music; everyone else is just the tail. Apple has-- perhaps unsurprisingly given their
> history-- figured out that the way to get people to pay for stuff that is free, is to engineer the user-friendliness topography such
> that paying is faster, easier, and that it presents fewer hurdles than not-paying. Very clever, actually; good work Steve Jobs.

A hilarious way of putting it. I'll quote you to my girlfriend if you
don't mind, she'll definitely appreciate the sentiment :)

Jah blessings and irie puffinations,

Micksta