Getting The Word Out:
How Do I Get My Music Online?
Part 1 of 3
Steve Swart

It sounds like a simple enough questions but the answer may not be obvious. To find the answer, you have to get the question right. Ten to fifteen years ago, people wanted to learn about getting their music onto CD. Before that, the home studio was a cassette tape-only outlet. Or you could spend the money to have vinyl pressings made. The question once was worded "How do I get a record contract" or maybe people asked "How do I get CDs made". Now they ask "How do I get my music online?" But the real question that cuts through the technology of the day, the real question that encompasses all the others is, "How Do I Get My Music Into Ears".

In the "good ol' days" the answer was clear: You made a cassette tape. Barring the resources of a record label, you either paid to have multiple copies of your songs run off on cassettes, or you did it yourself. You used a 4-track, an 8-track or a boom box (if you were poor and had no friends of means) to make the original, then you went to work hawking copies of your tape. From there, the music went into people's ears. Hopefully, some of the people to whom you gave tapes liked what they heard. If they liked it enough and were music industry people you might have gotten a shot at a professional recording career. Maybe some people copied your tape and sent it to friends. Of course, a copy of a copy of a copy starts to result in some really really grody sound quality so hopefully eventually you got letters from people asking to buy a copy of your tape. (You did put your contact info on the tape, didn't you?)

In more recent times, soon to be the "o.k. ol' days", you got a CD-burner and sent out demos to record labels and friends and other takers in fully digital quality music format. Or you had your own CD's pressed professionally for as little as $1 per copy. Not a huge risk - except in countries that have NO respect for personal copyright. Who knows, maybe you had a huge hit song in Spain and never even knew about it? After all, if you sent them a digital copy, or even a high-enough quality analog copy, unscrupulous persons could get away with making a career for you without bothering to involve you - or pay you.

In modern times (the bad ol' days - which in ten years will be the "o.k." ol' days and in twenty years will be the "good" ol' days), you are almost expected to use digital distribution. You have three outlets:

1. CD demo for professional submissions or private distribution.

2. Sound samples of your CD on the internet.

3. Distribution of your entire album or select songs via the internet; no CD's required.

When these days become the "o.k. ol' days", only option number 3 will remain. Sure, people may archive their music collections on compact discs (they will be on DVD or whatever has replaced that of course. Within ten years the compact disc as we know it will most likely be on its way out.)

The next two installments of this column will examine the issues involved with publishing your songs or samples of songs on the internet including choosing a file format, affiliating with a record label and getting paid for your creations. Also, as hard media is phased out and music distribution becomes electronic only, there will be serious financial considerations. The record companies are going to save billions of dollars. But will consumers and musicians see any of that money coming back to them? Not if we don't fight for it.

Coming in two weeks: