Entries from October 2008 ↓

We’ve been listening to some very cool sounds this week from underground hip-hop producer Cartel’s new album, Tha Throwback. Universal Indies Records gives fans the choice of either a free download or an enhanced album for $5. You can enter the remix contest if you buy the enhanced version.

Tha Throwback is produced entirely by Cartel and features some of the most promising, upcoming MC’s in the game right now. “I’ve named it Tha Throwback because it’s a throwback to when hip hop artists actually cared about lyrical content.” states Cartel.

All versions of Tha Throwback come with PDF digital art, come as DRM-free 320kbps mp3 files, and there’s also a virtual cd booklet.

MySpace Music expanded to include IODA last week. Techcrunch reported that the addition of IODA “brings music from 6,000 labels and 50,000 indie artists like Cake, Billie Holliday, Ray Charles, The Stills, Tokyo Police Club and Broken Social Scene”.

It’s great to see more independent musicians on MySpace Music but it’s worth remembering that there is the alternative of connecting to your fans in more immediate and direct way. Put up tracks on MySpace, distribute an album through torrent sites, tell people that they can support you if they like your work.

Dave Kusek, co-developer of MIDI and veteran thinker on the future of music, has put the text of his Cycles of Music presentation online. He reminds us that “record labels are a relatively recent phenomenon in the history of music”, and argues that:

Music has always been free in one form or another, throughout history and that the relationship between the artists and their fans - the artists and their patrons is what really matters.

Kusek tracks the history of recorded music, from radio to Napster, and doesn’t hold back when evaluating the record industry:

The record business has never really been good for the vast majority of musicians. A dirty little secret of the music business is that 95% of artists never recouped their royalty advances. Labels have been notoriously unfair to their artists.

Especially relevant to Karmafan is his vision of the future:

Technology has shifted the power base from the record labels to the artists and mangers, and the music fans. Performer and patron are meeting again with direct relationships between artists and their fans enabled by technology.

It’s a very positive and optimistic presentation which should make any musician feel in control.

The Music Ally Weblog had a fascinating and detailed piece last week on the results of Radiohead’s experiment with In Rainbows last year. Despite the fact that the album was released for free, there “were three million purchases of In Rainbows, including physical CDs, box-sets, and all downloads - including those from the band’s own website and from other digital music stores”, which is even more interesting when you consider that “their previous three albums sold in the low hundreds of thousands”.

Sales were probably helped by the extra publicity, but fans felt a very direct connection the band when they realised that they alone were responsible for how they reacted to the free release. And many decided that the music was worth something to them.

One interesting footnote to the experiment was that “BitTorrent downloads did indeed greatly outnumber those from Radiohead’s official site”, which would suggest that bands don’t really need to invest heavily in distribution. Get enough loyal fans willing to distribute an album and the work will find its way to the people who want it.

Not everyone can make a living doing something they really enjoy. As Seth points out:

Today, there are more ways than ever to share your talents and hobbies in public. And if you’re driven, talented and focused, you may discover that the market loves what you do. That people read your blog or click on your cartoons or listen to your mp3s. But, alas, that doesn’t mean you can monetize it, quit your day job and spend all day writing songs.

That’s the dream, but only some people can live the dream. The rest of us have to do what we love in our spare time and hope that one day we’ll be able to devote more time to it.

But there is always the temptation to create according for the market, to change your style or follow the latest trend. Sometimes that might work, but Seth encourages artists not to “wreck your art if it doesn’t lend itself to paying the bills”.

In fact, his advice is to create without concern for commercial value, arguing that the “twist is that as soon as you focus on your art and leave the money behind, you may just discover that this focus turns out to be the secret of actually breaking through and making money”.

Sounds like good advice to us here at Karmafan. If you create something you value then there’s a very good chance that others will value it, too. And they might just be willing to give you a little something in appreciation of your work.

Seth’s Blog

So our new Karmafan MySpace application is now easier to install than the widget - i.e. no more uploading images, no more code to add to your profile, no jive. Just a few clicks and bingo, you’re flying. And we’re quite proud of it, we have to say.

Artists - you’ve made the music, you’ve earned the fans, now all you need to do is add the Karmafan MySpace app and feel the love come your way. What are you waiting for?

Install or view Karmafan MySpace app

Let us know what you think. Email joanne@karmafan.com or add a comment when you’ve tried it out.

The Karmafan Team