Read the companion article, "The
World Wide Open Mic" (A player’s guide to the new world of
online music), by Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers
The best way to get oriented in this new world of music is to plunge
right in. What you’ll need first is a sound-card–equipped, Internet-ready
computer with decent horsepower. Your enjoyment of this whole thing
will be directly proportional to the speed of your Internet connection;
with a 28.8K modem you’ll be able to do a little (especially with lower-fi
streaming, which plays the audio without requiring a file download first).
But unless you have a lot of time on your hands and a special fondness
for hourglass icons, you’ll want to use at least a 56K modem, and audio
surfing is way more fun with a cable modem, DSL, T1, or something speedy
like that.
Once you’re behind the mouse of a suitable rig, your next step is to
get software that’ll play MP3 and other file formats (you may already
have one if your computer is of recent vintage). My recommendation is
to get your instructions and links through a music Web site. The beginner’s
guide on Listen.com is well done and helps you choose and obtain an
appropriate player (Real Jukebox, MusicMatch, Sonique . . .). Get one
of the freebies, and then follow the further instructions on downloading
and playing MP3 files.
Another free player worth checking out is the Liquid Player (www.liquidaudio.com),
which plays MP3s as well as Liquid Audio’s own format. Unlike regular
MP3 files, Liquid Audio files can be copyright protected in various
ways, so record companies often use them for free promotional downloads
(for example, download a Pat Metheny song and it’ll play on your computer
for 30 days, then expire). You’ll find these kinds of promotions on
sites like Amazon.com and CDnow.com. Note that as time passes, software
players are becoming compatible with more formats, so the need for multiple
players for multiple formats is diminishing.
Once you’ve got a player, you’re ready to pull up a chair at the World
Wide Open Mic. Scores of sites are vying for your attention. Here are
a few to try.
www.Listen.com
catalogs and reviews downloadable music from major sites, including
several of those listed below.
www.IUMA.com
(Internet Underground Music Archive) is the groundbreaker in this
field and showcases independent artists. Run from under the same roof,
Emusic.com presents the full range of mainstream and independent
music, with downloads both for free and for a fee (for example, $.99
per track).
www.MP3.com is
a gargantuan collection of songs by, well, anyone who’s taken the time
to create a page for themselves. Along with countless free downloads,
you can buy MP3-manufactured CDs from many of the artists.
www.Garageband.com
aims to set itself apart by dangling the carrot of a $250,000 recording
contract to the band whose songs get the best listener ratings, calculated
by a proprietary formula. Algorithm A&R . . . hmm.
www.Songs.com
is a Nashville-based service for performing professionals that’s
full of acoustic singer-songwriters.
www.Liquidaudio.com,
unlike MP3.com et al., is a professional music-distribution service
that artists/labels need to pay actual money to join, so you’ll find
more familiar names here. More acoustic friendly than many music
sites.
www.Amazon.com
and other CD retailers are offering more and more of the services
of the music-download sites. Through its Advantage program, Amazon will
sell any independent artist’s CD that has a bar code, and now it offers
MP3 downloads to promote indie sales.
If you’re inspired by what you hear and see and want to get your own
music on the Web, read up on these and other sites about how to join,
and compare the services they offer. Not only is it often free to create
your own page, but these sites are so hot for traffic that artist enticements
are being added all the time.
Excerpted from Acoustic Guitar magazine,
June 2000, No. 90.
