No Man Alive Will Come To You

Researching a specifically chosen area is very much a double-edged sword.

After completing 'Online Music Traps,' my first effort as an author, there was a very small window of reflection. The vast majority of the book is based on my own experiences combined with input from musicians, promoters, D.Js and fans alike.

Combined with this I researched the various areas of the internet music industry only to discover more information than I would care to write in a single ebook. It was too diverse. Suffice it to say there will be another book.

My next effort has barely taken shape; I am still in the research stage. I can tell you that it won't be a 'softened' account of the online music industry. In recent weeks I have been inundated by emails from music sites who are almost going out of their way to support statements made in 'Online Music Traps.' It's bordering on hilarity.

With only a few weeks left before re-subscription to iTunes (I won't be re-subscribing), I thought I'd check how my 15-track 'Catharsis' was faring. I couldn't believe what I saw! There it was selling for $16.99!!! Each single is $1.69!!! Over at Amazon, 'Catharsis' is selling for $8.99 and singles for $0.89. I receive the same royalties from both. Take a guess where most downloads have been from? Hhhmmm.

I shall be re-subscribing at Amazon but purely for reasons of  online 'visibility.' As a recording artist with no interest whatsoever in 'doing the rounds' again, every reasonable online option should be taken....and used wisely. By reasonable I don't mean paying outrageous sums of money for advertising with a site who promise exposure to countless 'somebodys.' One email in particular that I received recently had me in hysterical fits of laughter. The prize? Homepage Exposure on the site involved. The 'requirement'? Spend the most money in their online store!

If that's not a surefire way of finding the most deserving band then I don't know what is(!). I wonder, hypothetically, how The Stones or The Beatles would have fared in this climate were it 1961.

There are then the sites who proclaim in large print, "Get Your Music on iTunes 100% FREE!" The well-seasoned musicians among us rarely open these emails, let alone read them in their entirety, so predictable have they become. Inevitably, towards the bottom of the spiel in not-so-large print it carries on (words to the effect of) "....first 3 months subscription waived." I'm unsure of the rest of the globe but to this writer it's akin to well dodgy mobile phone 'plans.'

This brief insight into my email, dear reader, is the tip of the iceberg. As the potential author of a second ebook I could not have created more tailor-made information had I tried.

Returning to my researching of  late, on a more upbeat note, the discovery of Bandcamp has come as a very pleasant surprise. The ability to speedily upload WAV, aiff and flac files as well as mp3s is a real bonus. Customer downloads, I am advised, are speedy affairs also. This has always been an area that I'm borderline neurotic about.

Another great feature for musicians are real-time statistics. Having always been a great lover of statistics and graphs, I am able to keep unbelievably accurate records of what promotional tactics work best for particular areas of the internet and at what time.

For me the best feature offered by Bandcamp is the ability to offer fans discount vouchers. I opt for what I consider a hefty discount (more than a few cents, folks) due to the fact that on this site musicians  keep all royalties.

Bandcamp almost has a 'sleeping giant' feel about it but from the nature of the site I doubt very much that it will venture into the 'glitzy' side of things. It seems to be doing just fine as it is.

Combining these factors with outstanding promotional support from Haych Storm©, who does an amazing amount of work that goes unseen and largely unrecognised, David Slater, Nana Mex and more recently Nathan Norgel of 'Wasser-Prawda' in Germany who has recently featured numerous Australian-based blues artists.

Then of course is the feedback that I have been receiving regarding "Redemption" since its release on Bandcamp. The ability to provide the album in its entirety to be played as often as the listener chooses combined with, if one decides, very smoothly downloading directly from that page, ideally with your discount code applied.

I am hoping that, in the near future, I will have all of my commercially available material locatable on my website www.scotsbob.com  Additionally, I will be placing a codeword on the relevant page which will apply for all albums and singles.

The code for downloading from this page is: howling