walmart music downloads

Wal-Mart Music DownloadsWriten by John Rivers

Wal-Mart music downloads site is one of the easiest services available. Every song on the Wal-mart music downloads site has the same Always Low Price of .88 cents.

This easy to use site offers new releases, top songs, and classic favorites all priced the same. Album pricing varies depending on the number of songs available for download. In almost all cases, buying an album will be less expensive than buying the individual songs that make up an album.

Before I go on any further, sorry Mac users this program is only available for PCs and Windows operating systems.

OK, back to the good stuff.. Each title has a 30 second clip so that you can preview the song (just to make sure its the right one). It also comes with a free song storage program that helps you list your new songs in playlists ready for listening or burning to CD.

Bottom line.just as their ad says .88 cents Every Song. Every Day.

There is no monthly subscription fee with Wal-mart music downloads or any other additional charges. You pay for only the price of the songs or albums you want and (of course) any applicable sales tax, with no other fees. And its all legal, licensed, and free of viruses. A great program especially if you are a diehard Wal-mart fan.

Oh, I almost forgot they also offer a Wal-mart Music Downloads Gift Card. Perfect for those special people who love music, but you really dont know what they like. You can purchase any amount between $10 and $2,500.(guaranteed they wont return this gift).

John Rivers has been involved with music for over 30 years as a student, performer and teacher. His site The-NetGuide-for-MusicDownloads.com helps individuals to find safe and legal Music and Movie download sites. Subscribe to NetMusic News and receive Free music downloads each month.

More Music Related Sites : http://www.learntoplaydrum.com/

create produce and sell your music 10 reasons you can do this from the comfort of your home

Create, Produce, and Sell Your Music - 10 Reasons You Can do this from the Comfort of Your HomeWriten by Traci Crowley

1. You don't have to be an expert.

Create music the best you can, just get it recorded and polish it up later. Rough tracks are not always a bad thing. They can be an excellent starting point for a great song. Many people can appreciate raw music and may even want to collaborate with you to make your music even better. Putting together music that isn't perfect is better than keeping the music inside of you and not sharing your creativity and talents with others.

2. You can create quality recordings without going to a professional recording studio.

There is excellent home recording software and recording devices available. Reading a manual, contacting customer support, and visiting chat rooms can go a long ways in helping you improve your recording skills. Don't be intimidated. Play around with your recording device, or recording software. If you are patient with yourself, you can have a lot of fun, learn a lot, and your recordings can really start to come together.

Also consider hanging out in a music store occasionally to learn some great tips from other musicians. Sales reps are normally more than happy to help you out and even share their personal experiences they have had with a product. If they don't have experience with the product you are looking for, chances are they can find someone in the store who has experience, or can direct you to the right place.

3. Home is your sanctuary, when you relax get your inspiration from your environment then capture your creativity in your recording. When you create music from the comfort of your home your creativity can be limitless.

You can create, record, and sell music from home while you're in your pajamas. Nothing wrong with that! A lot of good creativity can happen at homechannel that into a cool new song, and record it so you'll remember it for years to come. You can mess up a thousand times, and no one has to know. Practice to your hearts content, then record your tunes as many times as you need to until you get the sound that makes you happy.

You may also be able to tune out negative influences at home, so that's a good place to foster your creativity. Your home is a great place to kick back and relax, and when you're relaxed and feeling good, or bad, this is a great time to go play some music and/or lay down a couple of tracks of music. You are free to work at your own pace with no one looking over your shoulder, so that can be great time to be creative and come up with some music ideas. Work in the comfort of your home, be comfortable and relaxed, be creative and show how unique you can be through your music.

4. You can create music as fast or slow as you wantgo at your own pace.

There doesn't have to be anyone pressuring you to lay down your tracks at warp speed. You can record a track, go eat some lunch, workout, then record another track if you choose. You can lock yourself in your music room for as long as you want if that works for you, and really make some great progress on working out some licks, writing some tunes, or even recording music. You don't have to pay for an expensive recording studio, so you can take your time creating your music.

5. Home recording trends are growing, and you can easily take advantage of new technologies developed for musicians just like you who want to record their music at home.

Resources are available to easily record music at home at a very reasonable price, so no more excuses. Thousands of people are recording their own music from home. They have all different skill levels. There is a place for you out there toogo get yours!

6. What you don't know you can learn from home using your computer and some great online resources.

You can instantly download music lessons and work at your own pace. You can join forums full of people just like you, who are working on making their own music from home, and you can share tips with each other. There are resources where you get video demonstrations that walk you through different processes e.g. playing a guitarstep by step.

7. The internet has endless possibilities and reaches millions of peopleget your good music in front of more people on the internet and you can have more music sales.

You can sell your music right off of your website. You can sell your music from an online music store. There are free advertising resources available where you can get your music in front of other musicians and prospective customers. There are online communities for musicians who want to get their music heard by othersyou can offer support for other musicians, and they can do the same for you. This can lead to more CD and MP3 sales too. You can get your own online radio station to play your music, or get your music played on other online radio stations to increase your exposure. The possibilities for getting your music heard are endless if you take advantage of the power of the internet.

8. You have full control over how your music turns out.

You are creating, producing, and selling your own music. No one should stand in your way. You can keep 100% of your hard earned profits if you choose.

9. You can have a huge sense of accomplishments by creating your music from scratch, producing it, and selling your own music.

You are responsible for the music you create. A lot of satisfaction can come with thattaking action will show you that you can do it, like you always knew you could!

10. Don't underestimate your abilities. You may be a better musician than you think. You can get your music out to the public to let others experience your unique creativity.

You may not think your good enough to sell your own music, but how do you know if you don't even try? Get your music in front of others and let them appreciate all of your creativity and efforts. For every person you think won't like your music, there may be 10 others that do. Fear is natural, but don't let it stand in the way of you achieving greatness that may be within you.

There are some great recordings, and a lot of rough recordings out there that may get some great buzz because they are getting their music out there. Why can't you do the same? Taking action is the first step. You may be a better musician than you think.

Your music may sound pretty good to you, but get your music in front of others, and they may be amazed on what you can do. That interest, and/or amazement with your music can be a great tool for fostering your motivation and creativity too! Remember, you never know what you can do until you try. No more excusesyou CAN Create, Produce, and Sell your music from home. You have nothing to lose, so get started today!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Traci Crowley provides resources that help you Create, Produce, and Sell your music from home. Visit her website at: http://www.indie-musicnetwork.com

More Guitar Learning Site : http://www.guitarready.com/

music business contacts music business registry connects artists managers publishers producers amp

Music Business Contacts: Music Business Registry connects artists, managers, publishers, producers &Writen by Scott G

The difference between success and failure is information, notes Ritch Esra, and he should know. Along with his partner, Stephen Trumbull, Esra is a leading part of the number one most-reliable source of information on who's who and who does what in the music business. Best of all, they can tell you where everybody is located.

FIVE VOLUMES OF DATA.

The Music Business Registry (http://www.musicregistry.com) publishes five directories: the A&R Registry, the Music Publisher Registry, the Music Business Attorney Registry the Film and Television Music Guide, and the Record Producer and Recording Engineer Directory. For many in the business, these are indispensable reference works.

The directories give everyone vital, accurate and the most up-to-date information they need to contact the entire A&R, music publishing, legal and film/TV music communities, Esra states. From comparing notes with dozens of professionals in all of these areas of expertise, I can tell you that no one disputes his claim.

More than one music industry executive has told me that the Music Business Registry publications are worth their weight in platinum. Tess Taylor, president of NARIP (National Association of Record Industry Professionals), says I couldn't get through one day without the directories from the Music Business Registry. These publications are the finest in the business.

Each directory tells you how to reach industry professionals by regular mail, e-mail, direct dial telephone and fax. The books provide each person's exact title, street address, the name of their assistant and the styles of music in which each executive specializes. Web sites are also included.

UPDATES? YOU WANT UPDATES?

The world of the A&R executive is exciting but ever-changing. Which is to say, there's a lot of turnover in this part of the industry. So much turnover, in fact, that the A&R Registry is completely updated and reprinted every eight weeks, whereas the publisher volume is biannual and the other books come out yearly.

NEED A PRODUCER? HERE ARE 1,700 OF THEM!

Created in partnership with RPM Direct, the Record Producer & Recording Engineer Directory presents 1,700 of today's leading Record Producers, Recording Engineers & Remixers throughout the US, Canada and Europe in every genre of music. Included in the book are:

(1) Complete contact information for every Producer, Remixer & Recording Engineer along with a list of their credits.

(2) Producer/Engineer/Remixer Management Companies including a complete staff listing as well as full client rosters.

(3) A Complete Index to easily locate any producer.

(4) Several Interviews and articles with today's leading Producers & Engineers.

No wonder you can find the Music Business Registry's publications in the offices of top record company executives, music publishers, artist managers, agents, music attorneys, recording artists, studios and other music business professionals everywhere from Los Angeles to London, New York to Nashville, Chicago to Copenhagen, Toronto to Tokyo, Stockholm to Sydney and Minneapolis to Munich.

YOUR SEARCH BEGINS HERE.

The Music Business Registry is located at 7510 Sunset Blvd #1041, Los Angeles, CA 90046-3400. Phone: 800-377-7411 or 818-995-7458. Fax: 800-228-9411 or 818-995-7459. E-mail: ritch@musicregistry.com.

Scott G (The G-Man) writes and produces radio commercials from G-Man Music & Radical Radio. With albums on Delvian Records, iTunes, Amazon, and many other online stores, he also composes music that is played in clubs, on college radio stations, and on commercials. A member of NARAS (the Grammy organization) and NARIP (National Association of Record Industry Professionals), he writes about music, advertising, marketing, communications, advertainment, and digital distribution for the Immedia Wire Service and MusicDish.com. Samples of his songs and commercials are on his site at: http://www.gmanmusic.com

More Guitar Learning Site : http://www.guitarready.com/

american indian music keeping the tradition alive

American Indian Music: Keeping the Tradition AliveWriten by Edward Charkow

American Indians are well-known for their sense of tradition. It is hard to keep American Indian traditions alive, especially in todays society. Despite being difficult to do, a large number of American Indians have done just that. One of the ways that they are able to keep the traditions that their ancestors started alive is through music.

American Indian music is famous for its simple, yet amazing music. Unlike most modern music, American Indian music does not typically comprise of a wide variety of instruments. Many times, music is only performed with a flute and singing. Additional instruments can be used, but the flute is the most common instrument used in American Indian history. If an additional instrument is used it is likely a drum or a whistle.

As previously mentioned, it is difficult for many American Indian families to keep traditions alive and strong today. A large number of Indian tribes have created private schools on their reservations; however, not all American Indian children are able to attend them. Placing children in a private or public school puts them at risk for becoming interested in non-traditional activities that are not approved by American Indians.

To prevent traditions from dying, many American Indians have taken extra steps to ensure that American Indian music continues to live on in the heart and soul of newer generations. One of those steps includes teaching children how to play American Indian music and educating them on the history that surrounds the music they are playing. Many parents are working to teach their young to play and others have urged their children to take American Indian music lessons.

American Indian music lessons are usually offered for free or for a small fee on most Indian reservations. The individual teaching the lessons is usually an older tribal member who is experienced and considered educated in the subject of music. In addition to teaching students to play the flute, drums, or whistle, they teach the history and importance of American Indian music.

In todays society, a large number of children are more focused on the present than they are the past. This has caused many children to not even know their decent or the history behind their existence. This thinking has many American Indian leaders fearful for their future. That is why American Indian music and other traditions are important to all American Indians.

American Indian music, like most other American Indian traditions, has significance to those who believe in it. American Indian tradition states that Indian chiefs used music as a way to communicate with spiritual leaders. In addition to communicating with supernatural spirits, American Indian music was also believed to heal the ill or bring luck to those that need it. Medicine songs were often sung to tribal members who fell ill.

The purpose behind American Indian music is important in understanding the role that it played in the past and will continue to play in the future. While transitions have been difficult, a large number of American Indians were able keep their beliefs while making the transition into todays society. With the ability to do so, it is likely that American Indian music and other traditions will continue to shine for years to come.

Edward Charkow is the administrator for American Indian History. For more information please visit: http://www.americanindian-history.com

does reading make music

Does Reading Make Music?Writen by Ron Worthy

When you read music you are deciphering the printed page and transferring the information to the keyboard. You might say that you are decoding what the composer or arranger put on the page . The symbols put on the paper by the composer are the only means he or she has to convey his/her musical ideas to the performer, hence to the listener.

But! Is decoding a page of printed music and transferring those symbols to sound really making music?

Not necessarily. That is only one step. We might say that reading the notes with our eyes and playing them with our fingers is putting the mechanics to work. If we stop studying the piece as soon as we are fairly fluent in playing the notes we have read, we may be good keyboard mechanics, but we may not be considered musicians.

No doubt you have listened to a pianist and come away saying, That performance really carried me away. On the other hand you have also probably heard much so-called music that left you coldthat did nothing for you. Perhaps one reason we enjoy listening to ear players is the fact that they are listening to what they play and are not distracted by the printed page.

Ear players MUST listen to themselves or they would have no idea of what comes next. The music is really speaking to them. Always remember that until music speaks to the player it cannot communicate anything to the listener.

What has all this got to do with reading music? You ask:Is it wrong to try to learn to read? Since I can't play by ear, should I just forget about learning to play?

The first question will take a bit of detail to take us from the printed page to good listening. Don't forget that the performer must be a good listener, if not the most critical of all listeners. If, as you perform, you become so engrossed in the printed notes, their pitch, their time, the touch, the dynamicsthat you forget that all those things must fit together as a whole to make a good tone story, then you are a note reader, not a musician. But you must learn to read fluently if you can't play by ear.

There are comparatively few people who can play from memory or by ear everything that is on the page, fully and accurately. But, you don't hear them falter and fumble over the spots that are rough because they have learned how to fake, how to cover their mistakes so the average listener is not aware of their bloopers.

So go aheadlearn to be a good reader. Not just a good letter reader, be a phrase-wise reader. Be aware of everything printed on the page, but read between the lines. Like a good actor, put yourself in the role and project your feelings to your listeners . Don't let your development stop with just reading pitch and time. Include those little nuances: the delicate shadings of volume, the elasticity of tempo�the phrases that punctuate your musical story. Those are the things that make music from the printed page.

Now you know your answer. It is not wrong to learn to read fluently. Reading, as well as good technique, is a vital part of a musician's craft. And the more automatic your reading and technique become, the easier it will be to learn new music. That, of course, is the one big advantage the fluent reader has over the ear playerthe player who reads can learn new music he or she has never heard.

Perhaps your second question is also answered. Of course, you can enjoy music even if you have to dig out every note phrase by phrase. A few hints may help you decide how to choose your music and how to go about learning it. First:

Choose music that is well within your present level of playing so you won't have to work forever on once piece.

Don't worry about challenging yourself.

Don't dub yourself lazy just because you play easy pieces. Who cares what grade level your music is? Just play the melody so beautifully that everyone wants to hum along.

Keep the beat moving smoothly and with the proper accent so everyone will want to tap their toes.

Put in enough subtle changes of volume to make the phrases speak.

Deviate from the established beat just enough to enhance the natural flow of rhythm to make the music come alive.

Copyright 2005 RAW Productions

Ron Worthy is a Music Educator, Songwriter and Performer. His Web Site, Play Piano Like a PRO, offers Proven Tips, Tool, and Strategies (that anyone can learn) to Play Rock, Pop, Blues and Smooth Jazz Piano. http://www.mrronsmusic.com/playpiano.htm

See Online Music Lessons at > http://www.entertainbox.com/

history of dance music

History of Dance MusicWriten by Tracey Lee

DANCE MUSIC

What is Dance Music? The definition of dance music is quite simply- Music composed/ played specifically for dancing to. Dance music includes a whole variety of music from waltz to tango, disco to rock.From the dawn of mankind humans possessed the desire to danceIn accient times, the first purpose of dance was ritual to the gods of nature. Dancing is proven to make us feel good. Dancing is used in celebrations. In ancient Greece,after harvesting grapes, the occasion was celebrated in honour of the God of wine, Dionysus, where people danced all night long. Although dance and music can be traced back to prehistoric times, it is unclear which came first. As rhythm and sound go hand in hand and inspire movement.The relationship between the two has always been symbiotic.

Our ears have the fewest sensory cells of any sensory organ--3,500 inner hair cells occupy our ears versus 100 million photoreceptors in our eyes. Yet our mental response to music is amazingly adaptable; even a little study can etune the way the brain handles musical inputs. Its a well known fact that music is good for you, as it builds neuropathways and stimulates the mind. Recently scientists discovered what makes a tune catchy, after locating the brain area where a song's hook gets caught. Its in the auditory cortex,which handles information from ears. Dance Music in particular stimulates our brains, as studies found, thus the popular demand for night clubs. An uplifting melody with an uptembo rhythm increases our stimulation in the auditory complex.

In recent times the term dance music is more familiarly known as club music, electronic musictechno, trance, house, eurodance, breakbeat and trance,drum and bass,hip hop,raga. Electronic dance music evolved in the 1970s. Kraftwerk, Georgio Moroder, Donna Summer and Sylvester are just a few of the artists who started the dance music phenomenon. From 1988, many terms of dance music evolved From Acid House to Techno to ambient wave to trance.

Nowadays we have all sorts of dance music from all over the world. We hear it on our radios, Tvs, in our night clubs. A recent survey found dance music is the most popular genre among music tastes, and is growing in popularity even more each day. I found this interesting web station last week with a nice mix of dance music.

http://www.energywebradio.com

By Tracey Lee

gospel music tracing back its roots

Gospel Music: Tracing Back Its RootsWriten by Robert Langdon

Ever since some cognitive human beings have set foot on Earth, music has greatly taken part of their lives. The folks belonging to the days of yore created their own musical arrangements by plucking strings and hitting things like wood, hide, or stone. The sounds of nature have also served as one pleasant musical sound for them. They undoubtedly took pleasure listening to the sound of the waterfalls, the animals, and even the weather-related reverberations.

Music has then taken a further course. Throughout the passing of time, people have invented creative means of creating music. From the schools to the churches, there is music. The music industry has also created varied genres of music for all occasions.

You will often see or hear people preaching about the word of God. The gospel of the Lord is being delivered through the means of other people who serve as His own instruments. Simply listening to His words enlightens your spirit, right? God has often reminded His people to love one another as he loves everyone. He places every creation he has made under His care. Although every person has been created in His image and likeness, still no one leads a perfect life. To put it in a much simpler term, no one is as perfect as God is.

Ones spirituality and faith can thus be manifested by several means. Reading the bible, following the ten commandments of God, praying, singing gospel music, and attending mass are among the typical ways by which ones spirituality is nourished. They often say that those who sing praise twice. Thus, by singing the gospel music, you are praising twice!

What is gospel music?

Gospel music is a religious music that contains the word of God. Gospel music is at all times used as one medium to praise God Almighty. In varying tunes and arrangements, gospel music can always be heard during the celebration of the mass, praise and worship activities, and healing mass.

There is no limit as to the use of gospel music. You can even make it as your morning praise habit. You can listen to it while driving your car. Or you can let it resound in your house. Some gospel music singers perform the genre in nightclubs and secular settings. These days, more and more gospel music are hence becoming danceable therefore making the enlightening of the spirit more effective.

The Roots of Gospel Music

The gospel music was first popularized by the African-American churches way back in the 1930s. Two styles of the gospel music emerged in those daysthat of the black people and that of the white southerners. Despite the two separate styles, gospel music still traces its roots from the Methodist hymnal. There came a time when the artists from the two separate categories sang the gospel music of each other.

The onset of gospel music has marked a phenomenon in America regardless of the distinction between the while and black churches. Indeed, gospel music has reached Australia that gave birth to the gospel choirs of Jonah and The Whalers and The Elementals plus the beginning of the Australian Gospel Music Festival. Norway also gave rise to both the Oslo Gospel Choir and the Ansgar Gospel Choir.

The Influences of Gospel

The trendy pop music had greatly influenced the gospel artists. In turn, gospel music has also influenced the rhythm and blues singers of the 1940s up to the 1950s.

Gospel music has reached the peek of its popularity. Until now, several other gospel musical artists are gaining their own fame for the genre and a lot other patrons are getting drawn on them.

freenetpublishing.com is a free information site that offers articles and resources. If you want to read or share information on Arts-and-Entertainment, you're always welcome!

nurture musical talent as you would care for a new garden

Nurture Musical Talent as You Would Care for a New GardenWriten by Cynthia VanLandingham

The modern world of high speed internet, microwave ovens, fast cars, and Television creates expectations of instant results that are neither realistic nor sustainable when it comes to learning a difficult instrument such as the piano. Children and sometimes parents expect overnight results. This perception of learning is based on what C. Wright Mills calls a Sociological Imagination, or what I call a shared illusion about reality, learned mainly from TV and the movies.

Heres an example. Ever watch the show Friends. This show glorifies people in their 30s who still act like adolescents. Wait a minute, thats not really fair my apologies. I know plenty of adolescents who are more responsible than the cast of characters in Friends. Sure. Its a cute show but think about its content? What message does it send to young people? Certainly not the message that hard work and sacrifice pays off.

Learning to play the piano is more like the sustained effort of planning and growing your own garden, and then sharing your harvest with your family and friends. We have some blueberry plants growing in our back yard. They were very small when we first planted them, producing only a few berries. Now 15 years later, we harvest a freezer full of blueberries every summer! Many times we could have dug them up and planted some more attractive shrubs, but we always believed that one day they would grow into big blueberry trees and give us lots of yummy fruit. And now after years of care, they do.

Nurturing your childs or your own musical talent is a lot like growing a garden. It takes time and patience. As well as attention to the simple things, like coming to lessons each week, attending recitals, developing a practice routine, staying focused on your goals, and believing that one day your dream will come true.

For great home piano activities parents can use to help children ages 5 to 11 develop their musical talent, visit Piano Adventure Bears Music Education Resources Youll find a treasure box filled with piano resources to create an exciting musical adventure for your child - right in your own home! Visit their website and subscribe to their free internet newsletter so you can download free piano sheet music and mp3s of original piano compositions.

These exciting stories, games, piano lessons, and inspirational gifts feature the Piano Adventure Bears, Mrs. Treble Beary and her new piano student, Albeart Littlebud. Young students follow along with Albeart to learn what piano lessons are all about in a fun way that kids readily understand appreciate. Click here to visit PianoAdventureBears.com For a wealth of information about piano lessons, visit tallypiano.com

See Piano Learning Info Here > http://www.learntomasterpiano.com/

building a regional music market the texas model

Building a Regional Music Market - The Texas ModelWriten by Pat Watters

For those of you who have been living under a rock, theres something brewing down in Texas. Actually, it has been for quite some time. It started when Willie grew his hair, rolled his own, moved back to Austin, and brought Waylon with him. Its a revolution- its artists who turn their back on the establishment, and succeed not in spite of it, but because of it. Its a regional country music market where unsigned bands place a higher premium on their music and fans than they do on their money and the size of your heart matters more than the size of your home. And the coolest thing of all- these guys are making a living doing what they love, on their own terms. Fast forward a few decades and the legacy of the men who started it all is being carried on through guys like Pat Green, Jack Ingram, Cory Morrow, Jason Boland, Reckless Kelly, and Cross Canadian Ragweed (although from Oklahoma, its the Texas market theyre working).

When I look at Texas, and all thats happening there, only one question crosses my mind- why Texas? Not just why Texas, but why not Wisconsin, Missouri, Arizona, Maine, Delaware, Nebraska, and the list goes on? Country music is a whole lot bigger than the south. There are rednecks and hillbillies all over the place. So what does Texas have that we dont? I think it comes down to relationships- three very important relationships.

Artist/Artist Relationships
The first thing that makes the Texas music market successful is the good old fashioned principle of teamwork. What is good for one is good for all. Often times, in a regional market, there is 1-3 lead horses. And damn, dont they feel good? They are the band that the radio stations call when they need an opener. They are the band that headlines every county fair, rodeo, pig roast, corn broil, and keg party in the state. Then theres everybody else. They play shows here and there, and book what they can, wherever they can. If we as local musicians recognized our opportunities and learned to work together, we could do so much more together than we can as individuals. The artists in Texas look out for each other. Imagine the power that a union of 5-10 bands could hold. They could do so much. They could host their own independent musical festivals. They could pool their resources to bring national acts to the area, and they could all have an opening gig. They could fund an indy label and recording studio where they all have the opportunity to affordably produce and market their music. They could develop a referral network and help each other find jobs.

Theres really no limit to the possibilities. And arrogance is the only thing in the way. Look, you may be the most popular country band in the state, but what does that really mean? Wouldnt it mean more if your state was known for great country music? I think youll agree that it means a lot more to be even on the bottom rung in a place with Texas reputation than it does to be on the top rung in any other regional market.

Artist/Radio Relationship
Artists and radio need to meet in the middle somewhere. Heres a reality check for independent country artists: Radio is annoyed to shit by you and your relatives constant calls to play your song. And heres a reality check for radio: If you guys would throw us a god damn bone once in a while, we wouldnt always be on your ass. Were both in this industry, so why dont we work together? For a regional music market to work, the fans have to be exposed to the music. Its plain and simple. And the best way to expose them to the music is to mix it in with the regular radio play list. For the most part, indy artists dont want a freakin royalty check. They want a NAME check. They want their song to be sandwiched between Kenny Chesneys latest hit and a classic from Alabama. They just want to be heard. But as artists, we need to understand the stations position as well. They are responsible to their advertisers and listeners. And just because your grandma wants to hear your latest song, that dont make it good. HONESTLY assess your music. If what you are about to send does not stand head and shoulders with or above whats currently on the radio, dont send it. Dont waste their time. Why should they play a half-assed song by an artist nobody knows? You have to give them a reason to play your stuff. And it better be good. So focus on your VERY best material.

In Texas, not only do the regional artists get regular airplay, but they even have a Texas music chart where regional artists chart their latest singles. I realize that some stations are owned by the evil conglomerate drones like Clear Channel, and their hands are tied. But every station could all be doing something to help their local bands and expose their listeners to some great local music. Maybe it is a weekly 1 hr. program on the local scene, or maybe it is a daily featured song from a local artist. But damnit, do something! Were more than willing to work with you! Indy artists, focus your attention more on independently owned stations. They typically have more freedom with their play lists.

Artist/Fan Relationships
This is the single most important relationship in the equation. For a regional country music market to thrive, there has to be demand for it. And only the fans can create the demand. It cant be faked or manufactured. It has to be real. There has to be a commitment from the artists to stay true to themselves and their music. And there has to be a commitment from the fans to go to the shows, buy the music, and help promote the artist. See, thats what so many musicians forget. The only difference between an artist and his fans is which side of the microphone they are standing on. The sooner we all realize that, the better off well be. Fans dont want some phony ass wanna be up there. They want someone real. Someone who will be true to the music, true to himself, and true to them. If they want an arrogant jackass to feed them bullshit, they can get that from plenty of major label egomaniacs. They dont need us.

So I guess Van Zants got it right. If you want to build a regional music market, damnit, help somebody if you can. Oh, and a little sip now and then dont hurt either.

Pat Watters is a St. Louis-based singer/songwriter/honky tonker. He also runs The Man in the Middle, a blog that looks at the country music industry from the perspective of an independent artist.

More articles are available at http://www.patwatters.blogspot.com

Visit Pat's virtual Honky Tonk at http://www.patwatters.com

Check him out on MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/patwatters

free music downloads

Free Music DownloadsWriten by Sam Watkins

Free music downloads? Is there really such a thing?

I remember back in the 90s, this really existed. There was such a thing as completely free music. You could go online and get as much music as you wanted, any time, for absolutely nothing.

Nowadays, I think there's something new...

Computer adware and and viruses! And, well, basically...just a bunch of low quality files.

It's sad but true.

Back in the oaring Napster era, there were millions of people waiting online, at any given hour of the day, waiting to exchange files with you. Now, you'll be lucky if there are several thousand.

So what happened?

Basically, the major music labels decided they were sick and tired of losing billions of dollars to people who chose to rip off their artist's music. Musical piracy is just not cool, and people started to catch on to this new idea.

Lawsuits started, aimed at getting high profile news attention to hopefully discourage young people to stop using peer to peer services. And the efforts paid off.

Today, itunes and other legal places to download free music thrive and make a profit at selling high quality, relatively inexpensive downloads.

What about the rest? Have all the free music download sites really disappeared?

Check around the internet, and you will soon see the answer before you.

Sam Watkins goes to Free Music Downloads for great music and MP3's.

rhapsody music downloads part ii a pleasant experience

Rhapsody Music Downloads Part II - A Pleasant Experience?Writen by Patrick C. Martinez

Welcome back to Part II of Rhapsody Music Downloads! I hope you took an opportunity to enjoy the first week of your two-week trial. Must have been a joy to stream and download online music by the truckloads. Now...you did take the liberty to utilize the free trial, didn't you??

In my last article, I summarized the history surrounding the service which allows you to download and/or stream tens of 1000's of songs quickly with superior quality (at 160Kbps WMA, you can't go wrong...). Also covered were some of the elegant features in the new Rhapsody 3 version.

This article will be more practical in scope, covering the experience you may expect when encountering the fully-featured service. For more information, though, you may read the full Rhapsody music downloads review here.

If you compare the software to that of Napster or iTunes, you will find that for some reason the Rhapsody Music Downloads software takes a bit longer to download. The interface, as I've stated, is magnificent, although it looks less current than that of Napster or iTunes.

You will find that the songs are quite easy to find even though you will generally have an additional screen or two to click through compared with Napster and iTunes in order to get to your favorite song.

I.e., whereas Napster lists the most popular songs first, then conveniently lists the catalog underneath, the interface associated with the Rhapsody music downloads service will first list the five most popular songs on the first page. If, for example, your favorite hit doesn't show up there, you just click on more, and more tracks list, which will list more of the popular songs.

How about albums? The list of albums, not to mention single releases, will portray on a window to the left of the popular track list.

With Rhapsody music downloads, the track selection is not present immediately on the same page that the album list is on. You'll have to click on the album cover or name in order to check out the track selection before you stream or download online music.

iTunes and Napster on the other hand will not only list the albums but it immediately lists the songs available for downloading online music on each album. And... they both also maintain the option of clicking on the album in order to navigate its track content.

The Rhapsody music downloads service does make up for this though. Unlike Napster, where you'll have to click to an extra page if you don't find your favorite album, all album, singles and even compilation albums where your favorite artists' songs may abound, come all on one page - the first page you arrive when you type in the artist's name.

Also as for Napster, when you actually come to the next page (by clicking on more), the releases are arranged in a haphazard fashion that makes finding what you want a bit more difficult before you download online music.

The situation is even more of a challenge with iTunes which does not immediately spoon-feed you with all album releases in its list.

So in short, Rhapsody wins bigtime with album/single release navigation; Napster and iTunes win slightly with track navigation. Oh... with the Rhapsody music downloads service, you'll also find tracks on the album that aren't available for download.

Looking for artists similar to the one you typed in? Rhapsody provides this conveniently on the right of the screen. You'll also find influential artists to your searched artist, and also followers (artists that your searched artist influenced). Spin-offs and precursors to the artist, if any, are listed too. No other digital music downloads service entertains these options.

For example, Napster will only list similar artists, whereas iTunes won't even go that far (I suppose they can get away with it though - at least for now).

I discussed Rhapsody's My Library search tool in my last article. But how elegant is the music store search tool? Is it better than iTunes? Napster? Wal-mart (yes, they offer downloads as well)?

I'll cover these, as well as how the Rhapsody music downloads service can be the cheapest for you out of all the legitimate digital music services (spending pennies on the dollar), and other odds and ends in a future article.

So, stay tuned. While you're waiting, don't forget to read the full Rhapsody music downloads review here.

Copyright 2005. download-latest-online-music.com

Patrick Chris Martinez

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