Helpful resources for artists and listeners who are actively interested (or want to be actively interested) in the new frontier of music distribution.  BY NEIL LEVENS

The internet has afforded musicians and listeners a new plateau. The old model of bands signed by big labels with big wallets for big support is now dying, leaving in its a wake a vague and lawless frontier with no clear guidelines for how artists are destined to proceed. It's now up to the musicians to take matters (and their music) into their own hands, but it's a tough road for even the most motivated of bands. Luckily, there are a wealth of websites out there to help the musician in reaching new listeners, and to assist listeners in finding them.






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Creative Commons: License freedom, expand your reach.

No discussion of contemporary music distribution can happen without first taking a look at alternative licensing. In the past, artists and publishers (primarily publishers) have retained sole control over their recordings, locking them up in a vault away from other musicians and listeners; you can look, but you can't touch.

This worked very well for the old model which relied entirely on album sales and radio airplay to create a career. But for an artist without the backing of a label to solicit radio stations or create buzz, this antiquated paradigm can actually hurt. A lot. What if you want fans to create their own videos to your music that could go viral? What about allowing your fans to distribute your music to their friends, peers, radio stations and family freely to expand your base? Creative Commons licenses can help you do that, and for the modern DIY artist who accepts the modern trends of sharing, these licenses are invaluable.

Beyond that, many of the top music distribution sites either incorporate them heavily (like BandCamp and Soundclick) or rely upon them entirely (Magnatune). Releasing your music under Creative Commons licenses allow more people to hear your craft legally, DRM-free, and when more people know who you are, there is a greater chance that number will include people willing to pay for your art.





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Bandcamp: The first step for the self-signed.

At the top of the list is bandcamp.com, a site which is garnering a lot of attention from the musician community. And for good reason. It's versatile, allows a plethora of download and physical retail options, is aesthetically appealing (a big, overlooked plus) and they have one of the best FAQ's, written in down to earth terms, you're likely to find.

The effort required by the artists to maintain an active presence on Bandcamp means listeners will be more likely to find engaging, dedicated bands than a wild assortment of pale sketches from beginners. The emphasis on providing high-quality song previews also means fans can make informed decisions about spending their money (though there is plenty of great free music there!)

While there are plenty of tools to help artists generate buzz, the site leaves a lot of the grunt-work (like order fulfillment, product design/duplication and pricing) in the hands of artists. This is actually rather advantageous for both moderately known and obscure bands alike, but Bandcamp doesn't discriminate. For artists just starting their journey, willing to put in the elbow grease to get their name and art out there, this is a strong place to make base camp (no pun intended). It's philosophy and fairness to its artists and consumers will guarantee Bandcamp a strong position in the new market.





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Soundclick: A basic toolkit for digital growth.

This could be considered the meat and potatoes option for musicians on the web who are looking for a step up from the MySpace. Some of the strengths lie in its simplicity and larger song capacity. It also allows the sale of mp3 albums and singles, putting it above simply being advertisement for your band. File quality is lower for free users, and the paid VIP account seems to give too little while expecting too much (a monthly fee of $10).

Being only a small step up from some its less sophisticated rivals, Soundclick still suffers from the mass of rough bedroom recordings which makes wading through disposable sketches looking for gems a chore for the listener. However, it provides widgets, mailing list maintenance, banners, and stats, making it ideal for novice indies who are just getting their feet wet and looking for feedback on their work from forums. This being the case, artists and fans will find the Soundclick community smaller but more engaging and constructive than the bustling media hub of MySpace.





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ReverbNation: Strength in an active relationship between the fan & musician.

Without explicitly stating it, ReverbNation seems like the next step for musicians who are starting to accumulate a small following (and modest budget) and want to quickly respond to the growing needs of their art and their audience. The great leap forward with ReverbNation is its emphasis on communication to and resources for fans. Many sites leave you as a somewhat distant phantom to those adorers of your work, and RN fills the gap with press kits, website apps, more focused stats, a stronger mailing list system than its peers and even the ability to recruit street teams from your fan base.

What ReverbNation really excels at is encouraging the local consciousness of its listeners. The aforementioned street team option allows fans to promote their favorite music and get in contact with the bands, as well as become aware of shows in their area from RN artists. If you feel your internet music experience is lacking a bit of community, this may be your godsend.





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Magnatune: A de facto investment in the success of its ”˜curated’ artists.

Magnatune is a bit on its own in this list, and that's probably a good indication of its unique place on the new frontier. In a sense, Magnatune operates like a label, reviewing submissions before publishing. It handles sales through a philosophy predicated on Creative Commons licensing, allowing artists to distribute work that can then be shared freely and even remixed by fans. The site has also made that step into the new marketing approach by offering listeners a monthly subscription fee for specific (but very high numbers of) downloads instead of charging for each one.

For the artist, Magnatune offers the similar features you get from sites like Bandcamp and Soundclick, but with more focus. If they accept you, they now have an investment in your success. But for listeners, the subscription system coupled with Magnatune's high standards for what music they distribute means you will consistently be looking at quality work for a great price.





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Topspin: Not for beginners, an arsenal for truly emerging artists.

If your music has grown with, or outgrown, sites like ReverbNation, the next great leap might be on Topspin. The site makes no pretense about who should be using it (just check out the 'Ready?' section), and beginners or bands with extremely small followings will find Topspin overwhelming and probably unhelpful. If you have those 2,500 e-mails on your mailing-list, though, this is probably the most complete and attractive package you could add to your arsenal. More than any other site (except possibly Magnatune), Topspin is out to help the band who is already helping itself.


Neil Levens is a musician, artist, and frequent contributor to Groovemine. He can be reached for comment here: neil@groovemine.com



CHECK OUR WEB-BASED TOOLS SECTION:
The websites in this section help you find MP3s, assist in promotion for bands/artists, connect you to live music & ticketing, offer place-shifting for your media (PC-to-PC, PC-to-mobile phone), stream music, and offer video discovery. Others, are fantastic recommendation engines or social & sharing platforms.