A Free Music Vacation

That's right folks. I was on a free music vacation from blogging about it. I guess you could say I was listening to a lot of internet radio. It was Labor day weekend and all. What can I say? I'm addicted.

But, I'm back again...Rambling about it.

This blog has been running unedited since 2003 when blogging was brand new. I had no idea it would be such the rage it is today.

When I went on this "free music" freakshow I changed the URL from it's original and lost my page rank. Oh well... But the old posts are still in tact. I suppose from time to time I'll continue to use this blog about my own ramblings and reviews of music and such.

Now... Just for the heck of it I'd like to share a song that my daughter turned me onto recently... The song, seemed a bit of a prophecy as right after I dug it a few times the situation was close to what actually happened.

The song is from Aimee Mann who I discovered was actually the singer of Till Tuesday back in the 80's

"Just one question before I die... When you fuck it up baby do I get my money back?"

The Free Music Download Search

Try searching for free music or free music download on the search engines? You get plenty of places to go. The #1 spot is is probably some file sharing nonsense. Or a music streaming service or web radio. Billions of results. Plenty of silly advertisements too!

But no free music. Why? Because nothing in this world is free. Sure. you can steal it from one of the file sharing programs. Who wouldn't want to have all the songs of the Beatles for free. And plenty of people jump into the risky business of viruses and worms by using those things. And of course the legalities . It's against the law to swap protected files.

But thousands do it everyday. Probably new computer and web users that have heard you can get free music on the web free. It used to be easy and safe. And in some respects it still is but most are trying to earn the big money. And who wouldn't? I want to earn money on the web myself... I have been working at it for years.

So what is the idea behind this free music marketing plan that I am throwing together here? It's a quest of mine for folks to hear MY music that I have done with friends over the years to get heard using the power of the web.

I guess one would have a hard time finding any artists or bands that are simply uploading their tunes to the internet give away for a free download. Sure you can LISTEN to plenty of stuff by checking many websites were folks have their music to hear. MySpace is probably the most used of all of these places to get heard.

Many musicians have websites. They often use CDBaby or something similar to "sell" their tunes online. I have often questioned how much a typical original band can make from a self made CD. I'm sure the cost can be very high to do that. It can cost is high to make your own record. I KNOW that.

I used to believe that would be the wave of the future. Forget the music industry and simply make your own CD's and sell them yourself. It is very simple to do now. I own many records that I have purchased or been given by friends who have done just that. The records sound very good. But its not free music.

So the search for free music goes on. And with billions of searches done monthly I doubt your going to find the deal that I actually offer on my site. I give my songs away for free. Sure this thing I am going after is most likely a silly idea but what can I say? It's a music marketing idea. I need to get myself heard and get some kind of clout from all the years I have been doing music. And I'm not alone! You wanna be heard too right?

So you have songs on myspace and acidplanet and all of these other music sites that you want to get heard? Perhaps you should try to give it away for free too. Join me in this strange free music dream idea.

Get together some old lo-fi or hi-fi recordings. Throw together a site. Talk about the songs. And give them away for free....Free Music Downloads. It's not a another pirate activity. Your offering what people are searching for - Free Music

Where To Go to find Free Music

Finding Free Music on The Internet

Finding free music on the internet is easy... Of course it's illegal...That is not what this article is about...File sharing is morally wrong and unethical. I'm not into that at all.. I am into giving my own music away... This has been my practice since 2003.

Sure you can listen (stream) music all day long. But where do you go to download it? And why would any artist give away his music for free anyways. I mean how could all of these musicians become rich and their record companies even richer if folks are giving away music?

Well that's an understatement... I have made very little money giving it away....But the point of this article is to discuss my brainstorm of a way to market music by simply giving it away to get exposure. Getting your music heard in today's market is like next to impossible.

Tons of Unheard Music

There are tons of bands' with great songs I hear all the time that will never hear the light of day because the competition is so great and everybody is looking for a "record contract. You have a one in a million chance unless you just got that great niche of a song that is gonna catch somebody in the industry that see's the possibility of making money with it...Often at the artist's expense.

Some Musicians Don't Own their Songs!

That's what has been happening for years right? Musicians often don't even "own" their own songs... They are the ones that put the music and words together...But they don't own it... Some record executive cat does... Isn't that strange?

But if new and even established artists were to start giving away free music on the internet wouldn't that throw a wrench in the works. You really wouldn't have to give away full studio versions of the music...But simply "demo"s to promote your true record that you recorded in the studio. But to get that exposure you simply give music away. At no charge.

But What About Getting Paid For My Music?

Then there are those who argue about their work getting "stolen" by another musician. As I have read...All musicians are thief's. It's all been played before...There is nothing new under the sun they say... That's just the way it is...Some things will never change. (see what I mean?)

So you put your songs up on the internet.. Your giving it away for free. Somebody else downloads it and then reworks it and says they wrote it. Take it to a record company and make millions.. You get to hear YOUR song being played by somebody else on the radio and nobody knows the difference. OH the HUMANITY!

Copyright Issues?

But then you know it was you who wrote it...And the fact that you have the music up on a server online is a simple enough copyright for me. Any digital file from a picture to this article is automatically copyrighted.

Want My Music - Go Right Ahead.

If people wanted play or re-record my pitiful little songs...Go right ahead... I'd love to hear what you do with it. And perhaps it would get me more exposure or at least some more visits to my site so I can let folks hear my years of recordings, shows and demo's that I have on miles of tape. The more traffic to my site and blog - The better.
So this is my Free Music marketing plan...

• Talk and blog about my music and songs.
  
• Keep digitizing old lo-fi recording and work on better new versions and new songs.
  
• Record them on my little digital 8 track recorder.
• Offer ALL of it up on the internet for free.
  

So the goal of this free music marketing plan is to simply get my songs some exposure and get some traffic to my websites and blogs..And friends sites too so that we can spread around a better world of more accessible music... All because we love creating it..