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24 January 2007 @ 03:13 pm
File Sharing Ethics  
Ever since the invention of the internet, people have used it to share files. Be it music, movies, video games, and other copyrighted and non-copyrighted electronic material. This has raised some interesting ethical issues. The debate over whether file sharing is legal and right is one of the most important issues dealing with the internet right now, and has sparked many lawsuits. Some of these lawsuits have even reached the United States Supreme Court. Today we’re going to be looking at both sides of the coin, the case for file sharing and the case against file sharing. You may decide yourself which argument you’re going to side with. And hopefully after reading this article you’ll be informed enough to make a decision.
 
The Case For
Many people that do share files over the internet believe that it does not cause anyone any harm, and in fact helps the industry who’s files are being shared. They believe that it allows the consumer to sample the product before purchasing the product, thus gaining the artist exposure that they wouldn’t normally have access to. There’s also the issue of file quality, as most files being traded are compressed and otherwise untrue to the quality of the original content. That and the fact that most of the time you cannot get materials like an instruction manual or DVD bonus features, which forces you to go out and buy the original, if those materials are of interest to you. Another argument for file sharing is that some people believe that CDs are far too expensive, and consumers who only want one or two songs should not have to pay the entire cost of a CD. Plus another justification for file sharing is that the companies from which the intellectual property is being stolen are large and generate high profits, and can thus afford the price of some copies being obtained illegally.

The Case Against
The case against file sharing is pretty simple. Some people believe that the music and other files that are downloaded are the work of the artist who made them, and is not public property. When people share files, one song that someone shares can be downloaded by another person and shared by them, then two copies can be shared and the process repeats to effectively create thousands of digital copies of a song from the one original file. Thus the band that recorded the song does not get paid for any of the thousands of illegal copies that were made. They believe that the effects of file sharing domino down the line and ultimately affect the salaries of all people involved with the production of the media in question.
 
So, in the end, the decision to share or download files online is up to you. Please beware that right now downloading and sharing files is illegal and you can be prosecuted. This being said, most people that share files are not prosecuted, and it seems that the government is looking more towards the actual file sharing networks (P2P) instead of single users. The most noticeable case was when the recording industries brought down Napster in 2001, and since then they continue to pursue the P2P networks.
 
Jason Cole and DiskFaktory Jams offer free downloadable music videos and free webhosting for musicians. Get the information you are seeking now by visiting DFJams.com.
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Current Location: irvine, ca
Current Music: aphex twin - richard d james album
 
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14 December 2006 @ 03:55 pm
Podcasting – What Is It And How Can You Benefit From It?  
Traditional radio is slowly becoming obsolete as technology in modern times grows in leaps and bounds. We last discussed internet radio, which is basically audio files streamed over the internet to whomever chooses to listen to it. And in this article we’ll be discussing podcasting. Which is very similar to internet radio, yet has its differences. Basically it is an updated version of streaming internet radio, and then some.

What is podcasting?
A podcast is amultimedia file that is distributed by subscription over the Internet using different syndication feeds. Podcasting is an automatic mechanism whereby multimedia computer files are transferred from a server to a client, which pulls down XML files containing the Internet addresses of the media files. In general, these files contain audio or video, but also could be images, text, PDF, or any file type. You can playback these files on mobile devices such as iPods, and personal computers. These podcast subscriptions can be both paid and unpaid, allowing the podcasters (author of the podcast) to be compensated. One of the big differences between podcasting and internet radio, is that with podcasting you have the ability to download the podcast automatically using software capable of reading feed formats such as RSS or Atom. The feed is a list of the URLs by which episodes of the show may be accessed. This list is usually published in RSS format, which provides other information, such as publish date, titles, and accompanying text descriptions of the series and each of its episodes. Standard podcasts consist of a feed from one author. More recently multiple authors have been able to contribute episodes to a single podcast feed using concepts such as public podcasting and social podcasting.

How do I create a podcast?
The process of creating your podcast is almost identical to the process of creating content for an internet radio station. If you haven’t read my article titled “Setting Up Your Own Internet Radio Station”, I suggest that you go back and read that for a primer on what gear you’ll need to create your final podcast (most likely) MP3 file. When you do have your final content in hand, you’ll need to submit it to different podcast listing sites. One very visible podcast site you should look into is Yahoo podcasts, and also check out this massive list of podcasting site links. http://www.podcasting-tools.com/submit-podcasts.htm
This is a simple description of what a podcast is, and very basic directions on how to record and distribute your own cast. With the popularity of iPods and other portable media players, podcasting seems to be the next step in the evolution of standard radio. With the large amount of people utilizing this media outlet, it stands to be something that has yet to display its full potential of use and useability. If you have something to say, say it via podcast.

Jason Cole and DiskFaktory Jams offer free downloadable music videos and music lyrics. Get the information you are seeking now by visiting DFJams.com.
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Current Location: irvine, ca
Current Mood: awake
Current Music: del tha funkee homosapien - jaw gymnastics
 
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15 November 2006 @ 10:42 am
Setting Up Your Own Internet Radio Station  
Radio has been lagging for some years now, seeming to be a dinosaur compared to streaming internet radio, podcasting, XM satellite radio, and the plethora of other technologies that have reared their heads in the past 10 years. One of these new technologies is basically the same thing as old-school AM/FM radio, and that is internet radio. They both serve the same basic function, except with internet radio, you can set up your own station and play the music you want to play. I find this to be really exciting. So, with this knowledge in hand, how would one go about setting up an internet radio station?
 
Internet radio stations use streaming audio technology to deliver audio content to your listeners. Basically, streaming audio is a more efficient and effective solution for delivering audio content. Instead of someone having to download the full audio file to listen to it, it is “streamed” off of a server so the end user can listen to the content live instead of having the file’s data stored on their computer. There are special servers that deliver streaming media, and most ISPs have streaming media abilities, so you need to ask your internet provider first to make sure that you’ll be able to do so.
 
This tutorial is concerned with setting up and working a internet radio station utilizing pre-recorded content. (You can also broadcast live, but that’s another tutorial in itself.) So, let’s jump right into what hardware you’ll need to get going.
 
Gear you’ll need to get going:
 
1.        CD Player – You’ll most likely be using and audio player on your computer, such as Real Player. You can set-up your playlist as you see fit. Some ISPs offer streaming radio services that utilize your media player playlist to figure out what you want played, and when to play it. You will need to check with your ISP to find out the details, as every one is different.
 
2.        CD ripping software (To gather your audio files) – I personally use Windows Media Player to rip my audio cds, it seems to be the easiest I’ve come across. Please keep in mind that there are special rules for broadcasting copyrighted content, and you will be liable if you broadcast any copyrighted content.
 
3.        Audio editing software – If you decide to record anything yourself, station identification bits and the like, you’ll need a microphone too. I use Sony Soundforge for any audio editing, as it’s a very simple, intuitive program. This will also benefit you if you’d like to censor any of the songs, or add anything to them. It also helps out if you want to cut down on the song’s file sizes. You can pull a .wav file into Soundforge and output a compressed MP3 file in seconds.
 
4.        A standard hosting account with an ISP – Every ISP is different, so you’ll have to check with yours. All you really need to ask is if they support streaming internet radio, and if they do, you’re good to go.
 
This is a very simplified guide to setting up and internet radio station, but it should be an adequate primer if you have no knowledge of streaming internet radio. There are many programs out there, free and paid, that will help you get the job done too. There is a great repository of resources over at http://www.webdevelopersjournal.com/software/multimedia_goodies.html that I suggest you check out. Anyways, I learned a lot writing this article, I hope you learned just as much reading it.
 
Jason Cole and DiskFaktory Jams offer free downloadable music videos and music lyrics. Get the information you are seeking now by visiting DFJams.com.
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Current Location: Irvine, CA
Current Mood: content
Current Music: Seals and Croft
 
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05 October 2006 @ 12:46 pm
The History of the MP3 File Format  
If you have listened to music on your computer, then there’s no doubt that you have come into contact with an MP3 file or two. Most people do not know much about MP3s besides that they are files used to store music data on. Basically that’s all they are, a way to store audio data on a computer. Well, let me tell you, MP3s are that, but there’s a bit more to them. Today I will be taking you through a tour of the history and the ins and outs of the MP3 file format.
 
What is an MP3?
An MP3 files, also know as an MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3, is a form of digital audio encoding and lossy compression format. It was designed by a team of European engineers to reduce audio file size, while staying as true as possible to the sound quality of the original uncompressed recording. This is achieved by using psychoacoustic models to eliminate parts of the audio that are not audible to the human ear, saving the parts of the audio that we can hear. The MP3 can be saved in different compression modes, allowing flexibility in data size/quality. This is one of the reasons why the MP3 format is the most widely used audio file format.
 
The History of the MP3
The MP3 was developed by the German company Fraunhofer-Gesellshaft, and also hold the patent for MP3 technology, which they license out now. In 1987 the Fraunhofer Institut Integrierte Schaltungen research center, part of Fraunhofer-Gesellshaft, began research on high quality, low bit rate audio encoding. They named this project EUREKA EU147. Dieter Seitzer, professor at the University of Erlangen, helped with the coding. At the time he was working on a way to transfer audio file information over a standard telephone line. The main brain behind the development of the MP3 was Karlheinz Brandenburg; also know as the “father of the MP3”. He was a mathematics and electronics specialist who had been researching compression methods since 1977. Fraunhofer was granted a patent to the technology in April 1989. According to Brandenburg, the MP3 file format almost did not exist. In 1991, during modification test, the encoding did not want to work. But luckily two days before the submission of the first version of the MP3 codec, they identified and solved the compiler error. 1993 saw the publication of the MPEG-1 standard, with the updated MPEG-2 standard developed and published a year later. One small relatively unknown fact is that in 1999, the record label Sub-Pop was the first record label to distribute their music as MP3s online.
 
In this article, I did not go too much into the technical details of the MP3 file format. This was meant to give you a simple history of the MP3 file, where it came from, who was involved in its invention, and where it is now. I hope you all gained at least a little knowledge and understanding into the world of the MP3.
 
Jason Cole and DiskFaktory Jams offer free MP3 downloads and music lyrics. Get the information you are seeking now by visiting DFJams.com.
 
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06 September 2006 @ 11:27 am
A Guide To VST Plugins  
If you have been recording or producing music via a computer, you may have heard the term VST. What is VST and how does it figure in to playing, recording, and editing music?
 
What is VST?
VST, Virtual Studio Technology, is an interface standard for connecting synthesizers and effects to audio editors and recording systems. Invented and developed by Steinberg, makers of the Cubase audio recording programs; VST replaces traditional audio recording hardware with software equivalents. So instead of having to route your audio out of your computer into your hardware effects units and then back into your computer, all the routing is done internally. If you have a powerful enough computer, you can do real time effects processing, utilizing either a MIDI controller or through envelope tweaks using MIDI.
 
There are 2 different types of VST plug-ins, with thousands of different varities, making it the most widely used plug-in type. The 2 main types are:
 
VST instruments – Also know as a VSTi, they take the form of synthesizers and sampler units. They can be played in real time, or also used in conjunction with MIDI for live performance. They are basically a software version of a piece of hardware. I have and use the Master Hammond B3 VST soft synth very often, which is the software version of the Hammond organ. Let me tell you, lugging the soft synth version of the B3 around in my laptop is a whole lot easier than having to carry around the hardware version! 
 
VST effects – VST effects are used to process audio, like any other type of audio effect. These can also be used in real time, most effectively when coupled with an appropriate low-latency soundcard. There are VST equivalents to every type of audio effect available as hardware. I use all of the standard VST effects that come with Cubase SX, plus quite a few standalone units as well. One great VST effects bundle is the WaveLab 6 package offered by Steinberg.
 
VST instruments and effects must be used in conjunction with a VST host to be used at all. A VST host is usually a software application or a hardware device. I use Cubase SX as a host for my VST instruments and effects, and I recommend the program not just for its VST support. As a multi-track recording program that supports MIDI and VST technologies, there aren’t many other programs out there as robust and user-friendly as Cubase SX.
 
As a computer savvy musician, if you aren’t familiar with VST technology, I suggest that you get acquainted. It will cut down on your equipment costs and potentially streamline your recording and editing processes.
 
Jason Cole and DiskFaktory Jams offer free MP3 downloads and music lyrics. Get the information you are seeking now by visiting DFJams.com.
 
 
Current Music: Squarepusher - Red Hot Car
 
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25 August 2006 @ 03:09 pm
Musicians and Copyrights – What You Need To Know  
As musicians and songwriters, we’ve all wondered what it takes to protect our creative output from theft or plagiarism. That’s the point when copywriting our work becomes a concern. Why would anyone want their hard work to go to waste if we could somehow protect our creative property? The first portion of this article will go into detail on what exactly a copyright is and how it affects musicians and songwriters.
 
What is a copyright?
By definition, a copyright is the exclusive legal right to reproduce, publish, sell, or distribute the matter and form of something, i.e. music, artwork, literary work. Basically it is legal protection for the authors of creative works, ensuring protection and legal authority over their creations. The original purpose that copyrights were invented for was to promote and protect the progress of science and other useful arts by securing the exclusive rights of the creator’s creations, for a set time. This is usually for as long as the author lives, plus 70 years after they die. The 70 year copyright term extension is also known as the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act. These exclusive rights include the following:
               
1.        The right to reproduce said work
2.        The right to distribute said reproductions
3.        The right to prepare derivative works based on the original work
4.        The right to publicly perform the work
5.        The right to display said work
6.        The right to perform the work live via digital audio transmission (applies mainly to sound recordings)
 
How do I copyright my songs?
If you have recorded or written down your song or song lyrics, then basically they’re copyrighted. When someone applies to the U.S. government for a copyright, it means that they want to formally register ownership of their copyrighted material. The first step of this process is with a notice of copyright. This notice informs the public that your work is protected, identifies the owner (you), and shows the year of first publication. Formally securing your copyright will benefit you legally, if there ever is a dispute concerning your copyright, so this is essential. In order to legally secure your copyright, you need to send a few things to the U.S. Copyright office.
 
These 3 things are:
 
1.        Application form. ( You can find the form at http://www.copyright.gov/ )
2.        A $45 filing fee
3.        A non-returnable copy of your work, for inclusion into the U.S. Copyright Office archive
 
Anyone who the author of the work authorizes can register copyrights. In the music industry, most copyrights are registered by a publishing company.
 
This is just a basic primer on copyrights for musicians, but I feel that it should give you the necessary information needed to go ahead and start copyrighting your songs. In conclusion, I feel that every musician, professional and amateur, should take the steps to have their music copyrighted. All in all, it will not hurt you, but it definitely does have the potential to benefit you.
 
Jason Cole and DiskFaktory Jams offer free downloadable music videos and music lyrics. Get the information you are seeking now by visiting DFJams.com.
 
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07 August 2006 @ 11:52 am
D.I.Y Music Video – Do It Yourself!  
With the falling price of digital video cameras and the rise of PC video editing software, producing your own music video is definitely something most every musician can afford to do these days. All you need is a DV (Digital Video) camera, DV tapes, a location to shoot at, a PC, editing software (ala Adobe Premiere), and well, a band! Here’s some info and tips regarding the important pieces of equipment you’ll need.
 
1.       Camera –   You’ll be better off buying a DV (Digital Video) camera, they’re best for digital editing, later on. Decent DV cameras go for anything between $400 and $1200, and the tapes are around $8 a piece. One camera that I have used personally is the Canon GL2 MiniDV Digital Camcorder. I had nothing but good experiences with this camera. There are preset settings for the novice user, and at the same time it was very fine tuneable, for the experts out there. Make sure that your camera will shoot in progressive scan mode. Progressive scan is a particular method for displaying images, in which the lines of each frame are drawn in sequence. This will reduce the amount of flickering and increases resolution of the video you are recording. Most cameras come with microphones attached to them, but you probably don’t want to use the audio that will be recorded by the on-board mic as it will be pretty low quality. I suggest picking up a minidisc recorder, run all your instruments into a mixer that is plugged into said mindisc recorder.
 
2.       Shooting – You can shoot your video anywhere, and hopefully you will take advantage of that fact! When editing your video, you will be telling a story. So varied locations would be excellent. If you can, storyboard your video out before you begin scouting locations or shooting. It makes thing 1,000,000 times easier, trust me. One other thing I would recommend would be to make sure that you have adequate lighting. Normal indoor lighting is not picked up by the camera the same way your eye picks it up. I would suggest picking up a book about the basics of video lighting, if you can. But if that is not a possibility, remember one thing, more is better.
 
3.       Editing –You’re going to need to pull your video footage off of your camera onto your computer. Most DV cameras come with a USB cord which will allow you to do just that. You can use the proprietary software that comes with your computer to do that, or you can buy editing software which will do the same thing. Most PCs that have Window XP installed come with Windows Movie Maker. This is a great program for beginners, it allows you to pull footage off of your camera, and then edit said footage. But it doesn’t come with very many editing features. So the more advanced editors might want to plunk down some cash and buy Adobe Premiere, which is a super flexible video editing program with a very steep learning curve. The advanced Mac users out there might want to check out Final Cut Pro.
 
Now that you have your edited footage, you’ll want to output it onto tape or disc. The easiest thing to do is to burn it to DVD, which most editing programs will have a feature to do this. Once you have your video on DVD, the possibilities are limitless! I hope this article helped understand that music videos are now not just for the pros, anyone can do it yourself!
 
Jason Cole and DiskFaktory Jams offer free MP3 downloads and music lyrics. Get the information you are seeking now by visiting DFJams.com.
 
 
Current Location: Irvine, CA
Current Mood: working
Current Music: Ornette Coleman, Song X
 
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31 July 2006 @ 11:25 am
Audio File Formats Explained – For Computer Savvy Musicians  

Welcome to Audio File Formats 101! If you’ve used a computer to listen to music you probably have had some experience dealing with MP3 and WAV files before. And if you have spent a bit of time on the computer recording or editing audio, you’ve probably dealt with many of the other audio file formats. Such as AIFF, WMA, OGG, etc. What’s the deal with all these different forms of digital audio?

 

1.       WAV –   Although WAV files can be compressed, most WAV files are usually consist of uncompressed audio, also know as lossless audio files. They are a variant on the RIFF bitstream format method for storing data in chunks. Since these files are usually uncompressed and of high quality, most professional audio experts use the WAV file, which is the universally accepted source audio file format recognized in all audio editing software.

2.       MP3 – MP3s are encoded digital audio files that use a lossy compression format. Lossy compression is a method that when the file is decompressed, the data retrieved  may be different from the original but is close enough to be usable. With an MP3 the parts of the audio that are discarded in the compression are considered less important to human hearing, (i.e. any sounds below 20HZ, and any sounds above 20KHz). MP3 files are great for the internet because of their small size. You can think of an MP3 as an audio version of a JPEG file.

3.       WMA – WMA stand for Windows Media Audio, and is a proprietary audio file format developed by Microsoft, and was introduced as a competitor to the MP3 files format. Although it hasn’t overtaken the popularity of the MP3 format, it is in second place in terms of the number of consumer products that support the playback of the WMA file. One thing that the WMA file format offers exclusively is the ability for the files to be DRM (Digital Rights Management) encoded, which is popular with both music and film corporations.

4.       OGG Vorbis – The OGG Vorbis file format is an audio codec that is both open source and free, which was developed in 1998 after word of plans to start charging licensing fees on MP3 files were spread. So, essentially the OGG Vorbis file format is very similar to the MP3 file format, which are both lossy file formats. The OGG Vorbis file format is widely used in video games, saving time and money for the developers, since it is not patented.

 

All of us listen to MP3s, and probably have encountered the 3 other formats discussed at one time or another. This is definitely not an exhaustive list of all audio file formats, and only covers some of the more popular formats. But this should give you a little more insight on some of the file formats that you use on a daily basis.

 

Jason Cole and DiskFaktory Jams offer free MP3 downloads and music lyrics. Get the information you are seeking now by visiting DFJams.com.

 
 
Current Location: Irvine, CA
Current Mood: happy
Current Music: Bright Eyes
 
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14 July 2006 @ 12:55 pm
Promoting Your Band – Tips For Musicians  
Hey everyone, 

This new article we're posting today should be interesting. This one concerns band promotion. We've come up with a couple different things the internet offers that bands should be taking advantage of. Please read on, and if you find this interesting, please post a comment to let us know! 

Thanks, 
Jason Cole
DiskFaktory - Webmaster 

Promoting Your Band – Tips For Musicians 

Your band is starting to take shape, finally. You’ve recorded a demo and have had a little airplay on your local college radio station. You’re starting to regularly play shows, and although the band’s not headlining yet, you feel like your playing is solid. Shopping that demo around isn’t doing much for, because none of the labels have ever heard of you. And while you have a close-knit group of people who come out to your shows, most of them are personal friends, or friends of friends. So what’s next? How do you start chipping away at gaining exposure? Here are a couple of tips for promoting your band. 

1. Use online communities - Websites like DFJams.com, SectionZ.com, and Myspace.com are great tools that I think all musicians should be taking advantage of. These musician’s sites allow bands and artists to sign up and basically receive their own free web space. You can post MP3 files, videos, show dates, and sometimes even post blog entries. This allows you to keep your fans up to date on what’s going on with your band, introduce new songs, and basically engage people that you normally wouldn’t be able to. If the musician’s community you utilize has a message board or forum, definitely get on and participate. One of the greatest things that the internet has to offer musicians is the wealth of knowledge other users have, go ahead and tap it! 

2. Maintain a website – In addition to musician’s communities, go ahead and start a website for your band. Start by purchasing a domain name, do a google search for www.yourbandname.com. And if it is not taken, go to itsyourdomain.com and buy it. You can find affordable hosting for your website at networksolutions.com. But if you are not very internet savvy, hire a web designer to do this all for you. You can use your website as a base of operations on the internet. Post sample tracks, music lyrics, photos, and show dates. It’s like using a musician’s community, except the only limit to what you can do, is what you can imagine. 

3. Flyer shows / Pass out business cards – If your band is serious about gaining ground in the music industry, you’ll need to treat it like a business. So, I would definitely recommend having business cards printed up, with your contact info, and your band’s website address. When you go to your local record store, drop a stack off. When you go out to clubs to see bands play, leave some there. Pass them out to people on the street. Do whatever it takes! An alternative to a traditional business card is the CD business card. This is a wallet sized CD that has all of your business card info printed on it, and also contains files. You can place song samples, photos, whatever you want. Most places that manufacture audio CDs also offer CD business cards at affordable prices. 

Getting your band from the garage to a major label is not easy by any means. It is a combination of hard work, dedication, and pure luck. But that doesn’t mean that you should not have a focus and a strategy. Like I said earlier in the article, a successful band is run like a successful business. You know your goal, and to reach this goal you need to use every tool at your dispense. These 3 tips are 3 of the many tools that will help you further your music career. 

Jason Cole and DiskFaktory Jams offer free MP3 downloads and music lyrics. Get the information you are seeking now by visiting DFJams.com.
 
 
Current Location: Irvine, CA
Current Mood: calm
Current Music: Smog - Hit The Ground Running
 
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06 July 2006 @ 05:27 pm
How do I record and create MP3s from home?  
There used to be no substitution for a good recording job done in a professional recording studio. Now with the rising popularity of digital PC recording and the low cost of recording software, many people are re-thinking the idea of home recording. Plus with the ease of MP3 distribution, and the many sites that offer free web hosting and the ability to upload and download free music, the difficulty of promoting and distributing your band’s MP3s has been made very easy. The questions at hand are, what do I need to begin recording at home, how do I turn my recordings into MP3s, and what do I do with said MP3s after I am done creating them?

Home recording on a PC requires just a couple of things; a computer, recording software (i.e. Pro Tools, Cakewalk, Cubase), and a digital soundcard. If you will be recording multiple tracks from multiple sources at the same time, you might want to invest in a mixer as well. (This is assuming that your sound card only has one audio input) This will allow you input more than one instrument/microphone to your computer at the same time. Install your recording software and sound card drivers. Plug your mixer into your sound card, plug your instruments into your mixer and you’re ready to begin recording. The recording process may be a little different depending on what software you are using, but most decent software comes with a good instruction manual which you can consult if you are having problems. After recording, you will want to mix all tracks down to a stereo audio .wav file.

Now that we have our recording done and our .wav file in hand, we’ll want to convert it to an MP3 file. If you will be burning your tracks to CD, you won’t need to convert it to an MP3 file. But for distribution for music downloads on the web, the smallest, best quality, most universally accepted format will be an MP3 file. You can take your .wav file and export it as an MP3 through whatever audio recording program you use. Most recording software offers that option, but keep in mind that you might need to mess with the output settings to get the best quality MP3 out of your program. Another option is to use a stand-alone .wav to MP3 converter. If you go to download.com and search for “.wav to .mp3 converter”, you will be presented with a good list of programs that do just that. I have had good results using both methods, so it’s really up to you.

Once you have your MP3 files, you can set-up your own website and offer free music downloads. Or you can go to one of the many sites that offer free web hosting for musicians, so that the musicians will have a place to offer downloadable music MP3s, music videos, and music lyrics. Sites like, DiskFaktory Jams and Section Z are both free and have other tools for musicians to access, like message board forums and internet radio stations. Once you have your recording done, the possibilities are endless!

Jason Cole and http://www.DiskFaktoryJams.com offer great tools and a cool place to hang out for musicians. Get the information you are seeking now by visiting DFJams
 
 
Current Location: Irvine, CA
Current Mood: working
Current Music: Dizzee Rascal
 
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20 June 2006 @ 02:09 pm
Welcome to the official DiskFaktory Jams LiveJournal  
Hi everyone. This is our first livejournal post. Here's a little info about who we are: 

DiskFaktory Jams is an free online musician's community where anyone can come and:

Upload mp3s
Upload music videos
Post blog entries
Set-up a online store through paypal
Post calendar events
Set-up an internet radio station
Post photos

If you are interested, please visit http://www.diskfaktoryjams.com today!

Over the next few weeks we will be posting some very special articles written by our expert musicians. Please feel free to come back and check them out as we post them. FYI, all articles posted are free for you to copy and distribute on the internet.

Thanks for stopping by!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How can online communities benefit musicians?

With the rise of sites like Myspace.com, SectionZ.com, and http://www.diskfaktoryjams.com/, musicians have never had it better on the internet. These sites give you the ability to do things that once would have cost you tons of money. As a musician, how do online communities benefit me?

Hosting music MP3s and music videos
When you sign up for one of these site, most of them give you the ability to post your free mp3 downloads, and music videos on their free web hosting plans. You get a website address where you can post a bio, some band photos, show dates, and mp3s/videos. This allows you to distribute your band’s music for free! All you need to do is create business cards or stickers with your band’s website URL on it, pass them out, and there you go. You can also use message board forums to promote your band’s website, which will get your music MP3s and music videos to even more people.

Gaining experience from others
You may not know a lot about music promotion or the whole industry based around it. But there are tons of people out there that do, and a lot of those people are active in online musician communities. Take time and sign up for one of these communities, become active in the discussions held on their message boards. You stand to gain a lot of experience and knowledge by joining and participating in these communities.

Networking/Promotion
In addition to being places where you can store / distribute MP3s / download free music, and learn from other people. Musician communities are great places to network and promote your band. Need to find a band to open at your next show? These websites often list their bands by region, making it easy for you to get familiar with local bands. Also, many music industry people hang out looking for the next big band to sign. Yours could be next!

These 3 examples do not fully cover all the different reasons for participating in these musicians communities, but should give you a little bit more insight on how they can benefit your band. From free MP3 music downloads, music video downloads, message board conversations and free web hosting, there’s a lot that online musician communities can do to help you out.

Jason Cole and http://www.diskfaktoryjams.com/ offer great tools and a cool place to hang out for musicians. Get the information you are seeking now by visiting DFJams

 
 
Current Location: Irvine, CA
Current Music: Smog - Ambition
 
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