Web Hosting Blog

Google is constantly developing nifty applications and technologies to enhance the way we communicate and work online.  Because Google survives on advertising revenues these products are all offered at the amazingly low low price of FREE.  As a musician in a rather competitive market, it’s important to know and use tools that increase the efficiency of your marketing, managing, and networking efforts.  The goal is less time pulling your hair out in front of the computer screen and more time making beautiful music!

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There is a lot of confusion surrounding the terms “search engine” and “browser”. Many people do not know what either term means and mistakenly use the terms interchangeably. Google did a sidewalk interview of people revealing this confusion. This article will explain the difference between the two and explain when you should use a search engine and when you should not.
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Why Be Social?

Selling music online can be tough without first developing a loyal fan base.  How does one go about developing and engaging people online you ask?  Well,  lets start with the basics.

If you use your social networking tools properly, you can easily keep your fans up to date on your new albums, performances, and promotions.  Getting your fans involved with your music career is a great way to get even more fans.  Take this scenario for example:

Joe Schmo follows you on Twitter and learned about your upcoming  show Friday night.   He attended and loved your show.  When he’s at the show he tweets to his friends about how great the show is.  A few of Joe’s buddies, in turn, follow you on Twitter, and decide to check out your website.  They tell more friends about you, THOSE friends follow you as well — you see where this leads.

So, let’s talk about a the two most popular social Networks of the day and provide some examples of how to use them to generate more followers (Twitter) and likes (Facebook).
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Ever start out the day feeling glum, only to pop on your headphones and discover moments later that you’ve acquired a skip in your step and a smile on your lips?

The results are in – the music you’re listening to is creating your mood, helping you to lift your spirits or wallow in despair. Most of you probably already knew this, but now the science backs this age-old idea that “Sad Songs Say So Much”! The folks at How Stuff Works put together a great article explaining how music impacts our moods, how we process music, and why certain songs stay with us forever.   In studies music has even proven to increase health benefits.

” . . .music has been found to boost the immune systems of patients after surgeries, lower stress in pregnant women and decrease the blood pressure and heart rate in cardiac patients . . .” (Is there a link between Music and Happiness by Molly Edmonds)

So the next time you’re writing a tune for your band, or plucking strings on stage, keep in mind that you have influence over your audiences’ emotions! Isn’t that cool?! ^_^

References:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/05/11/music.heart/index.html
http://health.howstuffworks.com/mental-health/human-nature/happiness/music-and-happiness.htm
http://generallythinking.com/blog/happiness-music/

Not everyone has room for a nice black satin baby grand piano in their home studio, but most of us have a computer with more than a few gigabytes of harddrive space.  These days you can buy a midi keyboard for under a hundred bucks.  So what’s stopping you . . .the sound?

Musicians are often skeptical of synth sounds and are wary of creating music that sounds artificial–and rightfully so.  Luckily today’s midi sounds are not your Dad’s midi sounds.  Infact, some must  be heard to be believed.

Whether you are a composer, songwriter, recording artist, or all of the above, a midi keyboard and a good sound library can help you reach new levels in music production.

While sampled piano is not 100% realistic, nowadays it’s quite close. Many sample developers have been increasing the standard of virtual instrument libraries in the last few years.

Piano is one of those instruments that has taken decades to perfect.

When some of the first high quality sampled piano libraries came out, they weren’t cheap. But thankfully today there are a few options out there, some more expensive than others.

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In a perfect world, everything would just work correctly all the time. But sometimes they don’t and you will want to contact us for a little help. Here are some tips to help us help you faster.

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Music recording technology has advanced considerably in the past few years. As a result, there are a lot of options for assembling your own recording studio without breaking the bank.  In fact, our sister blog Echoes shows how you can get started for just under a 1000.00 dollars.

Now before you get out your credit card, it’s important to know what elements to consider when building your home studio. Certain aspects are often overlooked.  Many people will end up buying the cheaper gear, thinking it’s all the same quality unless they spend thousands of dollars. However, this is not the case! Many renowned equipment manufacturers have altered their product line to focus towards low budget studios.

So let’s get started with the key elements!

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Years ago a student burst into my office brandishing a floppy disk and blurting out, “I lost my whole thesis off this disk and it is due this Monday!!!” I asked, “did you make a backup?” and he answered, “uh…no…I’ve never needed one until now!” I could only imagine someone with a flat tire on the interstate saying, “well, I’ve never needed a spare tire until now!”

Regardless of the cause, data loss is inevitable. The best protection is to make backups of any data you would prefer not to lose. This article explains how to back up your web site content, your email, and contacts.

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So you sent out a hundred or two press packs to various newspapers, blogs, podcasts and internet radio stations. Now what? Well, following up is certainly in your best interest, but you might be surprised at how many people will start reviewing your album or playing it on their show without letting you know first. The best way to make sure you catch every press write-up or album review (or even just fans talking about you online) is to use Google Alerts. With Google Alerts, you’ll receive an email any time Google indexes a new instance or mention of your band or artist name on the web. (You can adjust your settings to specify how often you get emailed.) Here are some of the things you can use Google alerts to track . . .

Read more at the DIY Musician Blog

Selling Music: MP3 power!

With emerging technologies like smart phones, portable MP3 players, and WiFi hot-spots sprouting up everywhere, it’s no surprise that digital music sales are on the rise.  In fact, the extremely popular iTunes store  now sells 28% of all music in the US, and holds 80% of the download market.  So if you’re not selling on iTunes your missing out on potential sales.

How much money can an artist make from selling downloads?  An interesting study compares the sales a musician would need to make in order to reach a minimum wage income: check it out HERE.  CD Baby revenue structure compares favorably with many other companies.

As a reminder, HostBaby is offering a great deal for our customers.  CD Baby, as you well know, is a great company for selling and distributing your CDs and Mp3s.  As a HostBaby customer, you’re allowed 5 free album submissions to CD Baby per year (account must be in good standing).  This includes singles.  Check out the details HERE. Getting your music online for sale is easier than ever!