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More improvements to DigABand!

We have been hard at work at DigABand, making the service sing for you. I wanted to take a few moments to highlight some of the features that we are developing that we think will have a significant impact for our clients.

When we originally conceived of DigABand, we wanted to give you the ability to share some of your favorite [DigABand networked] bands from your main website. Some of your best fans will come from other bands that you play and tour with, and DigABand now allows you to feature these and other bands from your website. This will give you increased exposure (thereby increasing your fan base) and perhaps more importantly, improve your site's search engine optimization.

One of the primary reasons bands join DigABand is the ability to network with other band and musicians. We have poured a lot of resources into the Gig Exchange to ensure this is a valuable networking tool for working musicians. We have significantly improved the usability, added better filters, and most importantly we have added band ratings. A key part of our strategy is to let the community build and monitor itself and we are enjoying seeing bands start to use the system to get more gigs!

Tags: DigABand , D.I.Y. , gig exchange

Happy New Year

Hello DigABand Friends!

It is a brand new year and also brand new decade. I am so very excited about 2010 and anticipating a wonderful year for both DigABand and the artists we serve. Since launching our Private Beta in late October, we have had an overwhelming response from our users and I am very happy to announce that we continue to get very positive feedback.

Our development team has been working hard to address all of the comments that we have received and we have already delivered several iterative releases. Some of the highlights include:

- better blog tracking
- blog comments
- ability to update statuses on Facebook, MySpace and Twitter
- ability to upload blogs to the social networks
- ability to upload events

These steps forward represent a huge time savings for our users and allow them to focus more time on making music!

Over the coming weeks look for even more improvements. The next batch of users just received their logins and we are so excited to welcome them aboard!

Have a great year!

Peter

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Why Bands Need Their Own Website…

The recent purchase of imeem.com by MySpace left users out in the cold. I personally had grown to enjoy imeem's features, my playlists, and the recommendations that imeem gave. Though the web content and functionality was great, the mobile application certainly lacked some of the features (for the iphone anyway), and the library wasn't quite complete. In spite of these shortcomings, the service was one of the better ones of this type.

So, while users may have been left in the cold, the treatment of indie bands is straight-up disgraceful. A recent article in hypebot.com noted that imeem's obligations to 110,000 indie bands would not be carried over to MySpace. The original article notes that since imeem was purchased in a foreclosure process (similar to a bankruptcy),this allowed MySpace to ignore certain of imeem’s obligations after purchase. In this case, MySpace is ignoring the unpaid obligations of Snocap – the digital storefront used by some indie bands sites within imeem (Note: Bands can also sell through Snocap within MySpace). It is likely that most of these bands were owed less than $20 but it highlights the need for bands to have their own website- their own URL rather than a profile page.

At DigABand we plan to offer both: bands can use a URL of their choosing, while we also plan to offer a digital storefront where bands will be able to sell albums or individual tracks, while also setting prices for these offerings. We plan to use Paypal to handle the commercial end of the transactions. If a music fan purchases songs from a band using a DigABand website, the money will be deposited directly into the band's Paypal account. Independent musicians have been taken for a ride and it has to stop. We are doing everything we can to stem the tide.

Tags: DigABand , imeem , paypal , band websites , myspace

Music Industry In Trouble... But artists are doing just fine thank you...

Great article recently in the UK's Times online, highlighting the ongoing changes in the music industry. Some have gone so far as to call it "the Chart the Record Industry Doesn't Want you to See". Check it out here. It smashes two commonly held misconceptions. First, it demonstrates that overall music industry revenue is actually growing. The loss in revenue from record sales is more than being made up by increases in revenue from live events. Second, it shows that while online file sharing has dramatically reduced the record companies profits due to reduced record sales, revenue to the artists themselves has actually increased. This shift is a result of the artists' ability to retain a far greater portion of revenue from live events than they would ever retain from record sales. We predict a growth in revenue to mid level artists- the emerging middle class musician - as there will be fewer middle men (and fewer middling men) demanding a piece of the pie. DigABand is purpose built to help these artists.

The music industry continues to evolve, and while no one can be certain where its going to end up, it appears that live events will continue to play a major role in shaping the future. As people, and indeed as fans, we crave live moments. Happily for the artists, those live moments cannot be duplicated.

Michael Goodall, DigABand

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Private Beta Launched!

On October 23rd we launched the Private Beta of DigABand. In the 3 weeks since this huge milestone, we have had 100's of requests to join the program and try out the software. We are working diligently through the requests so, if you applied and have not heard from us, we promise to get to you shortly.

If you haven't signed up yet, CLICK HERE to do so now.

We spent the last year getting input from 100's of independent artists. It has been a year of intense learning. Our goal was to create a platform that would allow artists just starting out to easily focus their efforts on building up their fan base. We learned that in order to do so, an artist need to have their own branded presence online, they needed to get out and play more shows, and they needed to build a deep personal connection with their fans.

We assert that there are a few universal truths to the new music business:

1. It is all about the art. Technology has eviscerated the old model where distribution was the key to the kingdom.

2. Consumers of music are spoiled for choice. 20 years ago it would have been hard to imagine the average person having access to the entire history of recorded music for just a few dollars a month. But services are popping up every day that allow them to do this. This means that it is now more important than ever to build a deep and meaningful connection with your fans in order to cut through the noise.

3. There is a renaissance underway that will allow the best artists to rise to the top. As an artist, you are no longer beholden to a single tastemaker or disgruntled A&R rep.

4. Change is constant. Artists need a platform that will grow with them, learn with them, and lead for them and with them. We are here to help.

DigABand is a game changer. Working with other musicians, our platform allows you to proactively build your fan base by working with the bands that can help you, and that you can help. By providing your fans with a home base on line, and by letting you build your brand to your specifications without spending a fortune and without needing to be a web designer, MBA and marketer as well as a great musician.


In the coming weeks, through the beta program we are going to be adding some great functionality as a response to our users comments. Our goal is to rapidly release the most crucial features as soon as we get them done and tested.

We already have a few great ones coming out soon. Look for connections to automatically update Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and more direct-to-fan interaction. Expect an elegant and easy to use interface, and enjoy having more time to focus on your music!

We are privileged to work in such an exciting and evolving space, with incredible users who will continue to help us focus on what is most important and most valuable. Thank you for the privilege of serving you. And please, keep the feedback coming.

Tags: fan management , DigABand , get gigs , new features , private beta , sign up , band websites

You should read Lefsetz!

This quote is from today's Lefsetz letter....

Life is really tough. If you sacrifice all the good parts, you’ve got nothing left.

Check it out here

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Great Hypebot Quote!

This quote comes from the blog: www.hypebot.com written by Bruce Houghton....

"Artists and the music industry must re-ignite their realtionship with fans every single day, and like a teen listening to the his parent's repeated rants, scolding from rich rock stars and executives only ends the conversation."

Read the original article here: http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2009/09/the-high-cost-of-going-negative.html

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Scamming Bands.... artists beware!

This blog post is focused on helping independent musicians easily figure out which solicitations they get is for real and which ones are little more than a scam. It is incredibly frustrating to see the hopes and dreams of independent artists get traded for a small profit.

There is several categories that I will put these ‘scams’ into:
1. Music Placements
2. Compilation CD’s
3. Labels
4. Song writing contests

In 99% of cases, the companies marketing these scams deliver exactly what they promise to, so they are not technically doing anything wrong, but that doesn’t mean that they are not totally ripping you off and giving you no real value. The normal rules of the open market always apply: Buyer Beware.

Music Placements:
I am an independent artist myself, and I can remember how excited I was to hear for the first time that my music was being considered for a Showtime theme song. I was jumping for joy and telling all my friends. It sounded too good to be true, and it was. I quickly discovered that all I would need to do was give this company a couple hundred dollars and they would represent me. I emailed the guy who originally contacted me, and asked him to discuss the business model. I told him I would much rather give a percentage on what I make versus an upfront investment from me with no guarantees. If my music was actually in the running for a Showtime theme song, I think they would have happily taken the commission approach. The point is, they were selling me ‘hope’ versus actually having any placement offerings. They even included a link to their Better Business Bureau ratings where there was over 25 complaints registered against them. It is important to understand that there is some very reputable companies that work in this space. Check out Audiosocket www.audiosocket.com. There is a very reasonable $25 dollar fee to have your music evaluated for consideration.

Compilation CD’s
I was recently invited to participate in a Compilation CD that I had been specially selected for. The deal looked like this:
- Access to a worldwide audience through CDBaby, iTunes, VCast, etc
- A press release on PRWire
- 600 spins on their online radio station which I had never heard of
- 10 CD’s of my own to sell for them
- A custom profile on their website
On top of which, the person who contacted me appeared to be the President of the company, artist relations, and the legal counsel and that was all before I looked up their linked in profile. All of this was offered at a price of $295 dollars. I was given less than 12 hours to respond because the deadline was looming and there was another band interested in the slot. Needless to say I passed. If you haven’t heard of the company and there is a high level of pressure to close the deal, it is probably not a good opportunity.

Labels
Most labels are quite reputable and in spite of some bad deals and a lot of negative press, they are not typically full on scammers. That said, there is sometimes small time labels in the local community that prey on the most unseasoned bands. The key to finding the right independent label is to participate in your local community, talk to other bands, network and ask lots of questions. You will quickly find the difference between the good ones and the bad ones.

Song Writing Contests
This is a tough one, how do you judge which is a real contest that will actually benefit you and one that is a waste of time or resources. For example, the John Lennon Song Writing contest would be a very good contest to win. But how can you tell which ones aren’t? The key cost you need to look into is in what rights you are giving up not just the cost of submission. The overall benefit of a Song Writing Contest should be to provide exposure, access to industry, and if you are lucky, the prizes. The easiest way to tell if a contest is legitimate is to look at who the judges are, who the sponsors are, who the past winners are and ultimately, if the grand prize would truly benefit you. For example, if I win, who is going to hear about it?

It is unfortunate that there are so many vultures preying on the vulnerabilities of wide eyed optimistic artists, but it just takes a little thinking to make sure you are never duped:

1. Ensure you understand exactly what you are paying for and evaluate only the guaranteed outcome. For example, I know that for XX dollars I can send all of my music to iTunes, Amazon, etc through TuneCore. That is a simple value proposition, it makes sense and I can talk to dozens of people who have done it, so I know that they are for real. In fact, if I wanted to, I could go test it by buying my own album on iTunes. Don’t worry, I am not that lame, but it is nice to know I could do that.

2. If it sounds too good to be true, then it is.

3. Your community matters. If you engage with your local music community, then you should be able to easily get a feel for what offers are real and valuable and which ones are just trying to profit off of you.

4. Exposure doesn’t mean that much anymore anyway, so focus on acquiring or using tools that can help you get out and build real connections. You will get real fans and only real fans will pay you. There is too much noise out there for anybody else to.

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Twitter for Music!

An NPD Group 2009 survey has highlighted a strong correlation between twitter and music discovery / enjoyment. COmpared to average web users , Twitter users are much more likely to be engaged in online music activities. The study, which ran for 3 months found that:

• 33% listened to music on a social networking site
• 41% listened to online radio (compared with 22% of all web users)
• 39% watched a music video online (vs. 25% of all Web users)
• Purchased 77% more digital downloads than those not tweeting

Tags: digital music , twitter , NPD

Super smart, Malcolm Gladwell

Malcolm reviews the Wired editors new book: Free.

Some good learnings for musicians!

Check it out for free here!

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Oh, how the mighty fall.Oh, how the mighty fall.

The former number 1 social networking website MySpace will be laying off almost 30% of their workforce, bringing their employee count to just 1,000 people.

According to their press release this is an effort to return to its 'start up' culture in the face of declining pageviews and increased competition.

Wow. If any of the hundreds of people being let go are interested in an exciting opportunity in the independent music technology space, they should give us a call at DigABand!

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3 Strike File Sharing in France

The French National Assembly recently passed a "3 strike" law that requires ISPs to disconnect evil file sharers who ignore repeated warnings to discontinue. ISP's have made a living off of not sensoring their users behaviour. Now is not a good time to start.

A recent vote by the European Union Parliament against so-called "3 strike" laws; and is expected to be challenged in France as unconstitutional as well. What is the point of all this needless politicing? The ISP's are going to not be fans of this.

The passage comes just weeks after the country's Socialist Party almost squashed the bill. The new vote was 296 in favor and 233 opposed. The law now moves to the French Senate.

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ISP's will not act like record labels.

Several months ago, the RIAA announced that is would no longer go after individuals with its vexatious lawsuits. Instead, they were going to work with ISP's to find the culprits.

The idea was that they could warn and shut off the filthy downloaders. The ISP's have kind of supported it. They basically have said they will send warning letters, but here is the best part: the ISP's have been very consistent that they are not in the business of denying service to their customers. An AT&T spokesperson said: "We are treating this as a customer education and deterrence program,"

Apparently the ISP's know that suing customers and denying them access is not good for busines. The RIAA does not seem to have figured that out yet, over four years in.

Thank you ISP's

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