When my alternative-pop band, Escape Directors, set out in early 2011 to use the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter to raise money for our new EP, we spent a lot of time researching tips and suggestions from those who had successfully set out to accomplish the same goal. There are a few articles out there giving the basics, but I figured I would share experiences from our successful campaign now that we’ve been through the trenches. I sought out additional advice from a few other Kickstarter-successful artists — Idgy Dean and Case In Theory — to get a more in-depth view of how other indie artists made it happen as well.
A Musical Moment of A.D.D. – “Suzy Banyon Blues” by Oholics
And now, for a moment of trippy Swedish awesomeness.
Rdio Finally Launches Free Music Streaming (…kind of)
Man, this bunch really has a hard time giving away their service. I guess you’ve got to commend a company with such tenacity and idealism, right? Being idealistic myself, I normally would applaud such behavior, but I think Rdio is taking an enormous risk by only offerring part of their service for free.
So How About Them Recent Facebook Changes…
I’m terrified, awestruck, and excited by the changes Facebook has brought about over the past couple of weeks. A beta version of the Open Graph has been released. Tons of amazing partners like Rdio and Netflix are now deeply integrated with the social networking giant. Profile pages have completely transformed into a timeline that chronicles your life. An additional news ticker now follows you down the page. And subscriptions…?
Is This Where We’re Headed?
Right now, I am in the middle of reading a fantastic article by Scott Jenson called “The Zombie Apocalypse.” But this article isn’t about the worldwide invasion of flesh-eating undead humans. It’s about the imminent “zombie apocalypse” of electronics that have been invading our lives over the past few years.
This short blurb really caught my attention:
Here is an imagined scenario that would push this concept further: while I’m working out, I’m listening to some exotic, crowdsourced playlist on my wireless headphones that is being streamed via my phone. When I get into my car, the music automatically transfers to my car stereo. When I get home, the music pauses while I walk into my house but once I dock my phone, it transfers into the house stereo system, which will play on the speakers nearest to me, and will follow me as I move around the house.
It seems as though this is where technology is headed. What do you think? Do you find this to be as exciting as I do, or are you looking for your baseball bat?
[Image credit: click here]
MOG Re-Launches Its Music Service: Free but Ad-Supported
I used to run the MOG affiliate ads on this blog before they got all busy, intense, and homogenous. I haven’t unsubscribed yet, so I still get their newsletter, and it seems that they have decided to re-launch their music service. Following suit of its overshadowing competitor Spotify, MOG is now offering free streaming supported by (you guessed it) advertisements.
Music on the Move: 3 New Music Technology Developments for Vehicles in 2012 [GUEST POST]
This post was written by Helen Pritchard, who writes for both Netcars.com, a used car classified website and Car Finance 247 who specialises in helping people obtain car finance deals.
When you are buying a car it can pay to make sure that the entertainment system is either advanced enough to incorporate into your life or easily replaceable so that you can adapt it to suit your requirements. In 2012 there will be a number of new gadgets entering the in-car audio market to make sure you can enjoy music on the move in a modern manner. Here are just three of the top devices to consider over the coming year.
UK Music Festivals See a Significant Increase in Thefts [GUEST POST]
This post was written by Stefan Mustieles. Stefan splits his time writing for his own website and writing for the UK price comparison website MoneySupermarket.com on all aspects of insurance products.
The UK festival circuit has booked some pretty incredible talent this year. Kings of Leon, Foo Fighters, and Kasabian rocked the Isle of Wight, whilst Def Leppard, System of a Down, and Linkin Park destroyed the Download Festival.
One of the top two UK festivals, V Festival, played host to the likes of Eminem, Rihanna, Plan B and The Arctic Monkeys, whilst Glastonbury was yet again a huge success with U2, Coldplay, Beyonce, and countless others.
Unfortunately it is on the fields of Glastonbury where this article takes a sinister turn. It was reported by The Telegraph that the most popular and largest festival in the UK also had the highest number of thefts.
Why Digital Music Services Reward Better Music [GUEST POST]
This post was written by Jesse Langley, who lives near Chicago. He divides his time among work, writing and family life. He has a keen interest in blogging and social media and also advocates for online education. Mr. Langley writes for Professional Intern.
When I was on a university fellowship in Europe, I found the time to take the ferry over to Belfast and traveled by train down to Dublin. After some time in Dublin I hitchhiked around and ended up in Dingle, County Kerry. I happened upon a great local musician — Eoin Duignan — who was playing the Uilleann pipes and the low whistle in a small pub. We chatted for a long time later that evening about music over a pint and he gave me his album Coumineol on compact disc. I listened to that album constantly over countless miles of railroad from the far north of Scotland’s craggy coasts to the beaches in the south of France near Montpellier. I listened to the Uillean pipes in the majestic magnificence of Westminster Abbey and while climbing Arthur’s Seat overlooking Edinburgh. But sometime the next summer, while trekking in the mountains near Suchitoto in El Salvador, I lost the disc.