Amie Street Hints At Future Of Social Music Retail

Amie Street is gaining fans as a fine example of an online retail store mixed with social network or as they phrase it,  “social music retail”. It combines a number of innovative features that signal a new perspective on the retail and social network environments.
First, all the basics - artist sign-up is free.  You go [...]

Why Can’t Social Networks Be Easier For Content Owners?

After filling in yet another social network with discography, photos, biog, events and news, you gotta ask why don’t they make it easier? RSS, XML and ICS all exist to help content owners publish their warez, yet Social Networks expect every artist to login to seperate accounts and repeatedly type in identical info.
Look guys - [...]

Four Ways To Improve Facebook Pages

Facebook have now permitted artists to create a dedicated page. It’s a smooth registration process and enables artists to enter the Facebook network, something previously difficult since ‘non-real’ entities, i.e. not an actual person, were deleted. The actual page set-up is disappointing - there is very little on an Artist Page that is innovative or [...]

Analysis: The Pros of Online Music Advertising

Opportunities In Online Advertising
It’s clear that advertising is going to underpin most new websites, ideas, social networks and music blogs. The recent news that Google has overtaken ITV as the highest earning ad funded publisher marked a watershed in the evolution of the Internet.
And yet, the dark arts of online advertising, particularly for music, are [...]

Soma.fm - how to make online radio even better

Soma.fm is a fine example of a new breed of online radio station. It is constant, programmed streaming, and all paid for through listener donations. If you’re feeling generous, like we do, you can pay a recurring $2.99 p/m. We love it coz the standard of music is so good - Groove Salad is ambient [...]

Sonic Bids Helps Artists Get Gigs

Since I work with a lot of developing musicians and labels, I get to understand first-hand their challenges, aspirations and nightmares. Number One question of course, is how to make money through digital. To which my reply is, you can’t through downloads alone. The next is, so how do we make money? To which my [...]

Dion Continues To Wander

I went to see Dion perform at the Metro Club in London on Thursday. His career has been given a boost by Richard Gottehrer, founder of The Orchard, who suggested to him he record an album of his favourite songs, featuring only himself and his guitar. The resulting album, Bronx In Blue, was critically acclaimed and bought him back in to the public [...]