With the recent Napster decision and the implications that it will have for those who thought they would never buy a CD again, one would think that online music sites would get a lot more attention.
Enter mp3.com, a free site that offers a little bit of Napster in the way of downloading music and also has other interesting services.
Although mp3.com does not allow the user to copy whole CDs with the ease of Napster, it does have free downloading services. The Web site gives local and unsigned bands and artists a place to showcase their music.
One of the main bonuses that mp3.com offers is the ability for artists to make money by uploading their music onto the site.
Users can then listen and download songs that are featured on the page or buy a CD of the music made by mp3.
Once the band/artist gets 15 listens or downloads of a song in one day, that band or artist gets a percentage of a pot of money for the day split with the other qualifying bands and artists.
Each band or artist then receives recognition of earnings on their page.
David Wilson, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate and staff member of the Nebraska Sports Information Department, has a page on the site and has now earned over $100.
The page offers information and features songs he has available for downloading.
At one point, Wilson’s song “Hang Around” reached No. 8 on the overall country song list, a feat which is remarkable considering there are about 5,000 songs on the daily list, Wilson said.
Although he was impressed with that days results, Wilson said that he looks forward to the reaction of the listeners most.
“The best part is getting feedback from people; it just really makes you want to keep going,” he said. “It’s just neat to see how many people have logged on and listened to my song.”
Another service that mp3.com offers is its music licensing program, which allows artists to upload their music into a database that is accessible to those with interest in finding songs for commercial use.
Wilson also said that the ability to collaborate and make music with someone halfway around the world is enhanced with sites like mp3.com.
“It’s amazing how easy it is. It’s almost scary,” Wilson said.
Wilson said that with mp3 files and wave files, he can record music tracks that have been sent via e-mail or someone could record music on something he has e-mailed.
“You look at albums that are being recorded by major recording labels, and a lot of times, the artists who sing the songs never even meet or see the person that plays guitar, or the guy that plays the bass and the drums are recording in Kansas City and they send that to Nashville,” he said.
“And now it’s pretty neat that the unsigned musicians can have a chance to do a similar thing,” Wilson said.
James Passolt, a UNL junior business and philosophy major and the artist behind the Lincoln band Trinity Sound System, an act that makes $50 to $75 a month on the site, said he likes mp3.com because it’s free and a great way for people to get their music out.
“I get e-mails every day from people all over the world that listen to my songs, and they like them,” he said.
Passolt also said that one of the differences between mp3.com and Napster is that although people say they visit Napster to find new music, they probably don’t. But with mp3.com, new music is always featured.
“You don’t go there to look for Metallica or bands you’ve heard of before,” he said. “If you go in there, you are looking for new music.”
Copyright Daily Nebraskan Online
New artists put foot in door with Web site
Daily Emerald
February 22, 2001
Courtesy photo
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