Deliver The Goods With Drop.io

These days, most of the people you’ll be pitching your work to prefer being sent links to music rather than MP3 files. However, if they like what they hear, they’ll likely want to have it for permanent download so they can listen to it and/or play it for colleagues more readily. And there are a few people who want to be sent files in the first place.

If someone only wants a few files, you can simply send them via email. But if someone wants an entire album (a common request from music writers who are reviewing you), it can be easier and quicker for everyone if a file sharing service is used.

So, I’m here to bring one such service to your attention: Drop.io.

It was recently used to send me an album download, and it’s one of the best options I’ve seen. You can easily make a full album (along with the cover artwork) available for download in zip format. (For album downloads, I find that zip format is often favored by recipients since it automatically creates a folder of properly-sequenced tracks — fast and organized.) If the download is only meant for certain people (industry people, for example), you can opt to password protect it, an option that’s not given by many other services. If, on the other hand, you want to give an album or song(s) away to fans for free, you can also use this service, but opt to make the download public. However, in the later case, you might want to consider an option like Bandcamp.

The Dropio site should cover all the information you need to get set up, but here’s the introductory video to get you started:



Source: ArtistHouseMusic

What's your take... leave your comments below.

Digital Minded:The Apple Takeover

Apple is preparing to make labels pull out the white flag. Phil Leigh, who is a senior analyst at Inside Digital Media discussed with Billboard about how Apple is going to change the landscape of how music is discovered, shared, and experienced. 


The iPhone and iPad, he says, will transform the nature of media consumption by driving discovery and sharing. These always-connected devices will make their way into consumers’ cars, he predicts, and fill the void left by declining radio listenership.



Most notably, Leigh expects the iPhone and iPad to be the vehicles through which to launch both ad-supported and premium subscription services. Apple’s acquisition of Lala has yet to bear any visible fruit, but Leigh thinks they’re on their way and will be crucial to record labels and publishers because of the sharing and discovery they will enable.


Here is an excerpt from the article:


So you envision the iPhone and/or iTunes eventually replacing radio for a lot of people. Is it going to be based on something similar to Lala now, where there is free streaming or limited free streaming and purchasing? 

The impression I get now is that the service cannot be put on to the iPhone because it’s not authorized by the labels and publishers. They are wary of permitting that because they’re concerned it will adversely impact demand for CDs. But, if they did give their OK, I think you’d ultimately see two types of Lala services and it would be much like it is today except there would be commercials interrupting like there is on radio. But it would be free and it would pay for itself with the commercial advertisements. That would enable people who didn’t want to pay anything to discover new releases and share them with their friends on Facebook, do searches to listen to these new songs and thereby discover new music. Those who want to avoid commercials can pay for a subscription service, which I think does have the opportunity to gain popularity now because of the change in paradigm. Connected online devices like the iPhone and iPad available in the car is like 30 or 40 years ago when HBO became part of the cable network. It was an added premium subscription service that most people didn’t get because they were willing to watch whatever was available on TV that was afforded by advertising. But a few people would pay because they wanted the content and avoidance of the commercials.

You’ve encouraged content owners such as record labels to work with Apple. Does Apple have so much innovation and so much value to provide to content owners that they can’t refuse to say no? 

With radio audiences in decline, I don’t think there’s much choice but to turn to the Internet. So, that’s the clear option. As you decide to turn to the Internet as a medium to popularize new releases, then you have to choose which companies can do that effectively. If you leave Apple out of the picture, then really you’re just shooting yourself in the foot.

Other than video, how do you see the iPad being used for music? 

The iPad is going to be a heavy media consumption device. But it’s not just going to be video. It’s going to be newspapers and music as well. Once consumers get accustomed to using the iPad for consuming music, they’re going to automatically discover that it’s easy to share the music and search for music on Google and get free playbacks. That is going to significantly stimulate the demand for new releases and popularize new releases because it will enable music to get shared in ways it never could. If you think of the iPad or the iPhone as a mutant form of a handheld radio, it’s kind of a radio that enables to say, “I really like that song, let me immediately share it will all my friends.” That’s the way music is popularized. There’s never been a way technically to do that before. Now it’s going to become routine because these devices are affordable, they’re always connected and about 60% of music listening is in the car and they can easily connect to car stereos.

Source: Billboard.biz

What's your take... leave your comments below.

7digital x Blackberry= "Super"Smartphone

Rejoice Blackberry users! A new blackberry application is on the way courtesy of 7digital that should increase business in the American download market.

7digital already operates in 12 European territories and now it is ready to launch today in U.S. stores at us.7digital.com. The company has also announced the launch of its MP3 Music Store application for Blackberry smartphones.

The application is initially compatible with three BlackBerry smartphone models and is available in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Spain, with other models and countries to follow soon. The application enables users to wirelessly browse and purchase DRM-free MP3 tracks from 7digital's music stores.

Standard pricing at 7digital's U.S. operation will undercut iTunes, with single tracks retailing for 77 cents, and albums at $7.77, although variable pricing will be available. All four major labels and most indies are on board, with 7digital now carrying a catalog of 8 million tracks.

7digital also runs a B2B digital media delivery business on behalf of many label, artist, retail and brand partners, including Last.fm and Spotify. The company is now 50% owned by U.K. entertainment retail giant HMV.

It will be interesting to see how they compete with iTunes in the future.

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Utilizing The Podcast

The other day a friend of mine was talking about his new podcast show when I realized I didn't know what that was. Pretty lame of me but I did the knowledge and gotta drop the jewel on you. What is podcasting? You don't have to have an ipod or radio to utilize the technology. Its your alternative to listening to your programmed radio station. Your able to tune into stations all over the world that accommodates even those with the oddest of musical taste. You can use your mp3 player or IPOD and listen to the program simply by download. Don't get it twisted though. If your not on the move then your can listen from your PC as long as you have a sound card and Internet connection. The software that is needed is available via shareware and if you utilize Itunes there is actually a category for you to shop through. Podcasting combines the freedom of blogging with digital audio technology to create an almost endless supply of content. The revolution will not be televised. Its coming through your speakers! Pay ATTENTION! Some say this new technology is democratizing the once corporate-run world of radio.

Unlike Internet radio, users don't have to 'tune in' to a particular broadcast. Instead, they download the podcast on demand or subscribe via an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed, which automatically downloads the podcast to their computers. The technology is similar to that used by TiVo, a ­personal video recorder that lets users set which programs they'd like to record and then automatically records those programs for later viewing.

An MTV video jockey Adam Curry created the podcast in 2004. Curry wrote a program, called iPodder,that enabled him to automatically download Internet radio broadcasts to his iPod. Several developers improved upon his idea, and podcasting was officially born.Right now, podcasting is free from government regulation. Podcasters don't need to buy a license to broadcast their programming, as radio stations do, and they don't pay attention to anything coming from the Federal Communication Commission's (FCC) broadcast decency regulations. Like Digital Underground you can dowhatulike! -- Anything goes down from four-letter words to sexually explicit content. Copyright law does apply to podcasting, though. Podcasters can copyright or license their work -- Creative Commons is just one online resource for copyrights and licenses.

Although several corporations and big broadcast companies have ventured into the medium, many podcasters are amateurs broadcasting from home studios. Because podcasters don't rely on ratings as radio broadcasters do, the subject matter of podcasts can range from the refined to the silly to the extremely ordinary. Podcasters typically cater to a niche group of listeners.

By podcasting consistently on one subject, podcasters not only flex their expertise on the subject matter but also draw a loyal and devoted group of listeners.

Once again the ways to get your music to the masses is unlimited. You make the decision.

ITunes Lives

For the past few days a story has been circulating in groups and the net that The Copyright Royalty Board was going to increase their rates. The C.R.B. is a U.S. system of three copyright judges that oversee the copyright law’s statutory licenses, which permit qualified parties to use multiple copyrighted works without obtaining separate licenses from each copyright owner. Increasing the rates would have raised the price companies such as Itunes, Amazon, and Rhapsody would have to pay the music publishers. Itunes already stated if prices were to go up from .09 cents to 15 cents then the doors would be closing. Funny how the deal was recently closed for Myspace to open up shop and Itunes was on its was to goodbye land? Hmmmm.....With the rates being set, nothing can change for at least another 5 years. The sound you just heard was all Itune fans exhaling. The Itunes store accounts for more than 85% market share and 2.5 billion downloads. On October 7th the CRB will give an in-depth explanation for this dramatic decision that has had the world talking lately. Stay tuned!