Music Profile Online
In the same way music formats have evolved so have the distribution/playback mediums; from live, to radio airwaves, to record stores and now to another non-physical medium called the web. With the amount of people you can reach in seconds worldwide, the web is one of the quickest methods to keep your fanclub captivated at all times, as a musician.
So what is all this online business about? The prefix of most website address, www, stands for World Wide Web, a graphical interface for the Internet like Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, Safari, etc. Accessible 24hrs a day, 7 days a week, an international source of information (like sharing music and film), connection between websites, today’s shopping portal, monitoring the traffic to and from your site and the ultimate networking experience for pleasure and work. The web makes searching effortless; an ideal promotional tool, it’s educational (always something to learn), distribution is in bulk and costs are low, compare competitors, fast updates of technology. All that is needed is a computer, modem, internet account, relevant software and hardware, a website or space online so you can create an online presence. Essentials to include on your website is an ‘about me’ biography, upload good quality media representing your skills as a male or female singer or drummer and how to make contact for relevant musician jobs (very important).
Whatever media you are placing on the web, you do need to make sure that you have the right format. The most used formats today are MP3 (Napster uses this), MPEG (Quicktime) and AAC (Apple’s iTunes and iPod). Media includes anything such as sound, graphics, video, animation, midi files, CD-Rom and Laser Disk Control, text, virtual reality sensors, communications and some form of hypertext database control. All media types have a certain format they were and are produced in. For instance, in the earlier days music was recorded onto vinyl – a large, round disc but easily scratched, which needs a record player for it to be heard. All formats need a device to play or view the work created. By 1988, record companies and their distributors had convinced consumers that CD-Rom was by far superior by exceeding LP sales. The CD-Rom is a more convenient, smaller round disc with exceptional audio sound, known as digital reproduction, lasting format, flexible track and most upgraded their music collection and playback equipment accordingly. This shift has driven innovators towards a non-physical format, which record companies have only later embraced especially with the delayed launch of the digital download chart. The MP3, officially known as the MPEG Audio Layer-3, has taken the industry by storm, as you store 150 of songs on a blank CD-Rom or alternatively load 15,0000 songs onto an iPod or portable media player.
There are two methods of delivering media online – (how to in other words uploading your music!):
Embedding: This website is hosted with a service provider which is paid according to the term and size of the website required. The website has been built by a developer/yourself who has coding (like html and meta-tags) to make the site live, which is accessible to the public. The service provider supplies an administration site at the backend for the website to be uploaded. All the media is embedded in the website, for example an MP3 player where the songs are sitting in a database, so that when the play button is clicked the web connects to the database and plays the track.
Linking: Whereas here you have a company who provides space to musicians for them profile their music and photo’s. It’s based on a free subscription whereby they provide a user-friendly system to upload your material. There is a restriction on the size, format and number of types of media you can upload, so be prepared for this. When you have uploaded your material you can view and check your profile. The media you provide is stored on their server, so as soon as the page is launched it links directly to the file to play it back. An example of such a website is MySpace and the Arctic Monkeys used this online delivery tool which drove them to number 1 in the charts as an unsigned band.
For your online audience, to view or play your media there are three ways to receive this:
Progressive Download: This is the combination of downloading and streaming. As you click on the file it begins to download the track to your designated source and 15 seconds later begins to playback the track or video in real-time. The BBC have an online archive of all their media, from music to TV to radio, called IMP (Interactive Media Player) which they provide to all their users. It includes a remarkable feature, it gives the user a remote control to move back and forth in time, so you can attain a TV programme for instance from the 80’s or you can select a programme due to be shown only in two weeks time. All media the BBC produce is now created in the format for their online archive library for all of it’s users to have direct access at just a mere click.
There are always boundaries which technology faces, until the next invention is revealed. Until then, for the delivery of downloading, you’ll need a server to store your media – depending on the amount of media you have will also depend on the cost of your site. Streaming is slightly different as it deals with bandwidth; upstream (you deliver the media online), and downstream (you’re provided with the media online). Home users are limited in comparison to large companies, which can upload far more media faster but it does cost them ten times more than the standard home Broadband connection.
Remember:
* Copyright your music works, check out the symbols used for publishing/copyright. When you have recorded your media, either register it with the relevant association to copyright your works or send it to yourself recorded delivery and don’t open it when it arrives – this could save you a lot of money in the long run.
* Keep it slick and professional; delete spam or comments from your friends saying what they did on the weekend. Ensure your photo’s are professionally taken whether portfolio or live photo’s.
* Space, connectivity and convenience are vital ingredients in delivering your media online. Keep it simple – your site should be easy to use, keep the customers happy as you are providing a service.
* There is always a ‘right’ format issue – you need to ensure you have the right programme for the right format and it needs to be user-friendly, so try and choose something you know your audience will find easy to use.
* Sign up with PayPal or any other online distributors like HMV Digital or MusoBank – as much as it’s your showcase, it’s also your business, so maximize this.
* Promote your site as much as possible to increase your traffic and fanbase by building your business through communication – your fans are who will buy and continue to buy your music. Using twitter for news updates, tour dates or press releases is a proven industry standard online medium to keep your fans interested.
* Back-up your files, site and server…lost data=lost data!
* Fans are your clients, so always deliver the goods you promise and treat them like gold-dust.
The author is a music band owner which offers its services to a variety of class especially five star hotels in Asia. There are several music bands which performs live shows six days a week. The band offers Music Jobs and Band Job across the world.
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