How To Get Your Music on Your Website

Many people wonder how to get their music onto their own personal music websites. Here are a few methods I've tried. There are essentially three ways: 1. By direct html/java web programming; 2. By using an application that basically programs a music player for you; 3. Buy using a third party "widget."

We don't have the room here to explain HTML web programming. And what musician wants to learn? It's a lot of work and you should be concentrating on your music. So, we will concentrate on the two other simpler options:

2. Applications for Putting Music on your Website

One program I would recommend is called "Impact Web Audio." It's cheap and easy to use for single songs. One main advantage is that there is no advertising or linking to other websites, you keep all the traffic at your own site. Buy Impact Web Audio Here. It comes with easy setup instructions on how to put it onw your own website.

Here is another option: http://musicplayer.sourceforge.net/ The big advantage is that it is free and I've used it with success on a couple of websites, but it's a little trickier to setup. It plays more of a "playlist" which is nice. So it's more configurable and takes some work but again no "other site" branding and little programming knowledge needed.

3. Third Party Widgets

There are many third party options out there for putting music on your own website. The process is simple: You sign-up and load your songs onto the third party website and then copy HTML code to paste into your own website. Here are two free options that are very easy to use: Reverb Nation http://www.reverbnation.com or Nimbit Free found here: http://www.nimbit.com/ . Nimbit has the added value of being able to sell your music through the widget as well. Instant music store!

Hope that helps you get your music on your website. Through the internet you are open to the world and now is the time to get your music out there for them to hear.

Top 5 Dangers of Twitter for Musicians

I've been reading a lot about how Twitter is the latest godsend for indie musicians. I am immediately suspicious of anything coming down the pipe with these kinds of expectations. I admit I use twitter both for my store www.twitter.com/revaudio and for my own personal music www.twitter.com/jasonjohnston and love the simplicity of the communication and interactivity.

Perhaps Twitter will change your life, shoot you to stardom and repair your relationships, but since everyone else is blogging about these aspects, I'm here with what I see as the top dangers of twitter for musicians.

1. Don't Lose Your Focus. This is the big one: allowing Twitter taking your focus off the main thing. Twitter is just a tool for communication and promotion. Make sure you are spending the majority of your time offline working on your music: writing, practicing, recording, & gigging. These are the tried and true methods of musical success.

2. Don't Believe the Hype. Remember how Myspace was going to shoot you to stardom a few years back? How did that work out for you? I'm not talking about virtual friends. We all have virtual friends. I'm talking about making dedicated followers who will pay for your music. It can happen, but if you remember it was not all we had hoped it to be. There are many bands with a million myspace friends and no career.

3. The Danger of Over Exposure. It is easy to overdo it on twitter. Let's say you're a new band and have some followers and so you want to tell them everything, so you tweet: "Hey, I just got a Coke." "Hey, I'm walking down the street." "Hey I'm back at my computer now." Even your close friends will get tired of the mundane and stop following. If you are going to fill up the inbox, make it count. If you don't, people will grow weary of you.

4. The Numbers Game. Again, in the early days of Myspace, musicians felt like the more virtual friends they could get, the more successful they would become. But success is certainly not measured in virtual friends. Check out some artists on myspace with a million friends. You'll see what I'm saying. Make sure your idea of success is properly placed. From an artist standpoint: music that you can stand behind. If you had time to make one album before you died, what would it be? Make it now. Allow the other successes like album sales to follow your own personal success.

5. Getting the Cart before the Horse. Unless you have a product to sell, a CD to push or a tour to promote, don't bother spending much or any time on Twitter. Sure, everyone should sign up and get their unique name before everything short of XYHUIEGFU is taken. But think about your purpose there. Remember it is just a tool, a servant to the music itself. If you are on Twitter to promote your band, but don't have a CD or gigs, get thee to the studio or practice room and off the computer!

In the end, I'm not against Twitter, but as musicians we need to keep our focus. Use twitter as a tool but always remember that it's about the music. Now stop tweeting about it and go play your guitar!

Cubase 5 iPhone app

This is the best thing I didn't see at NAMM. A remote for Cubase 5 to use on your iPhone or iTouch. Available through the iTunes store in Q2 of this year. More details below from Steinberg Steinberg Announces iPhone Remote Control Application Today Steinberg is showcasing the development of a remote control application for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch products at Winter NAMM 2009. The Cubase RC application runs on both handheld devices to provide comprehensive control for Steinberg’s Cubase 5 Advanced Music Production System. Owners of these two Apple products will be able to control Cubase for an interactive and enjoyable mobile controller experience, including functions like activating recording while playing an instrument or performing and remixing a song live on stage using the Arranger Track. Cubase RC will be available free of charge exclusively through the Apple iTunes Store from Q2 2009.