Shameless Plug: Ban this sick filth!

Indulge me if you will whilst i add a shameless plug to a new remix by one of my alter egos:  Ban This Sick Filth.

I've worked with AbandcalledQuinn before under the pseudonym Celebrity Murder Party - first under their single, the aptly named, "DIY".

ABCQ are self releasing their new single "Here's to Us" and their latest album "The Beggars Opera" on their own label Tromolo records.

A Band Called Quinn - Here's to Us - Ban this sick filth remix by banthissickfilth

This remix mashes together influences from The Specials,  Classical Composer Steve Reich and the heavy dubstep bass sound of Caspa - all with Louise's Debbie Harry-esque vocals on top.

Check out the interview and download the mp3 here:

http://peenko.blogspot.com/2010/08/scots-way-hay-30-band-called-quinn.html

By Jez with No comments

"How we get thousands of real facebook fans for artists":

Peter Tanham of Amp Music Marketing writes:

IntroductionWhen we start working with any new musician, two of the most important goals we start with are:

1.Build a strong mailing list

2.Build a popular Facebook page

From experience, these to platforms are where fans feel most comfortable interacting with musicians. They’re also the two that drive the most sales. So ahead of looking to drive YouTube views, Myspace friends, website hits, Twitter followers or Last FM plays, we look to develop email subscriptions and Facebook fans.

He makes some great points about recommendation systems and managing email lists.  Read more here:

http://www.ampmusicmarketing.com/social-media/how-we-get-thousands-of-real-facebook-fans-for-new-artists/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=blog

By Jez with No comments

Seven Simple Steps for more followers on Soundcloud

Beantown boogiedown have a great article on how to get more followers on Soundcloud which can be summed up in one simple sentence:  Get involved in the community.  There's a bit more to that, but they have a good point in that the more contacts you make online the more people are likely to follow your work.

I remember in a recent Beatport remix contest where the most successful (ie had the most spins) were often those who took the time to listen to other people's tracks and comment on them.  Social capital and mutual feedback is without doubt the driving force in online transactions. 

Seven Simple Steps For Getting More Listeners & Followers on Soundcloud

If you are a DJ or producer, I’m willing to wager that if you have been on the Internet any time over the past two years, you have heard of Soundcloud. As the company who promises to “move audio”, the service sounds like a lucrative bet for any budding musician. I mean, all you need to do is sign up for an account, upload a couple of your best mixes or original tracks, and hundreds of listeners or “fans” will flock to you, right?

Hate to say it, but it isn’t quite that easy.

Similar to many other online services fueled by social media, including YouTube and Twitter, the benefits you get out of Soundcloud are entirely based on the effort you put into it. Gaining the attention of listeners and followers actually requires a bit of dedication and engagement, and requires bringing more to the table than just having good musical content.

Read his tips here:

http://www.beantownboogiedown.com/beantown-boogie-down-beat-bo/2010/8/12/seven-simple-steps-for-getting-more-listeners-followers-on-s.html

By Jez with 19 comments

An Ode to the CD from CD Baby

Peter Kirn writes:

Can music as a physical object have value and meaning again? For many music enthusiasts, that affection has turned back to the vinyl record, not the CD. (How many artists have we seen lately offering vinyl as the “premium” package for listeners?) At an extreme, there’s Alessandro Cortini’s SuONOIO, an album that has its own accompanying custom synthesizer.

But while we ponder this question, the one that seems the perpetual topic for music conferences and industry pundits, I turn instead to this (tongue-in-cheek) description of CD shipping. Given the record sales for many independent artists, maybe this parody isn’t actually so far-fetched.

If you’ve never ordered a physical CD Baby CD, you may not have seen it before. I can tell you it amused and delighted the person who got it, though (it wasn’t me), so never underestimate the value of caring for your musical customer.

Read More Here:  http://createdigitalmusic.com/2010/08/10/an-ode-to-the-cd-by-cd-baby-could-you-really-love-music-buyers-this-much/

By Jez with No comments

Dirty Tricks - Part 2: Snakes and Adders

 In our last post about Nicky Kallongis' book Myspace Music profit Monster we investigated  Myspace as a hosting solution and method for reaching more listeners.  Nicky talked about using Friend Adders as a way of generating more "faans" annd exposure on myspace.

We decided we would give it a go for a short while and report back with our results.  Myspace has some strict rules about using Friend adders - specifically you cannot invite more than 350-400 a day or they will delete your profile.  In practice about 50-75 a day is the safe limit for friend adding.

Additionally some myspace profiles don't accept invitations from bands- or their profiles are private. You can't do anything about this - just move along and look at the next person in the queue.

In order not to jeopardize any of our legitimate accounts we used an alias that i set up to release some jokey Old Skool electro tracks - Trollingforlulz. 

We did a cursory search for myspace friend adders.  When approaching these sites you have to be careful as some of the sites feature adverts which are far from work safe. The biggest Google hit was for Friendfrost - which appeared to be an online repository for people to post their ID's rather than a friend adder per se.

By Jez with No comments

A New Low for Music

This one video has commentators and bloggers split.  The Reclusive Barclay Brothers are gaining lots of publicity by promising to give away £27 to 100 people who listen to their music.  Unfortunately for them, and assuming it's not an internet practical joke, most of the people who've actually heard their single "lonely together" complete with glossy video are commenting on how bad the song is. 

Only time will tell whether this turns out to be a viral scam for a tv show or a genuinely deluded band.  Check out their site and sign up for a chance to be one of the lucky 100 here:  http://www.newlowformusic.com/

By Jez with No comments

Myspace Makeover - Is it Dead or due for Resurrection?

Website redesigns are a bit like haircuts. Chop 6 inches, and people will definitely notice. Trim the bangs and add a few highlights, and some never know the difference.

And so it is with MySpace Music, which overhauled its front door back in September. That was a much-needed facelift that was obvious to users. Now, the group is tweaking and pruning its look.


On Monday, MySpace Music will refresh to encourage more community (through activity streams) and greater discovery. The cleaner look enables easy access to "My Stuff," as well as a consolidated recommendations area.


Check it out below, complete with annotations (supplied by MySpace) to highlight the different areas (a full-size spread here).

Read more here:

http://digitalmusicnews.com/stories/081110myspacemakeover

By Jez with No comments