Free MP3 Downloads And The Indie Band
August 25th, 2009
Free MP3 downloads have been the target of flak from the recording industry – that is, the record companies and the CD retailers – ever since they first came out on the Internet. And while it’s quite an advantageous arrangement for those who download music, it can be just as useful for you if you’re the one who makes music. You just have to know how.
Have Website, Will Post
Most bands have some sort of website or online presence that fans can find. Very few, though, take the extra step and offer MP3 downloads; a large number contain just the band’s information and a gig schedule for the next couple of months.
Free MP3 downloads on your site means more than just giving away your music. People who aren’t familiar with your music land on your website will remember you best if they come away with a track or two of yours – a rarity when every track has to be bought.
Multiplying Your Market
On a file sharing service, each track from you has unlimited potential to get to other people. Users of the service have fewer reservations, if any, about listening to a new or unknown artist since they don’t have to pay either way. That makes providing MP3 downloads on file sharing services a good way to get others to discover your music.
This effect, however, doesn’t happen everywhere. Even if you have the highest number of free MP3 downloads available on the Internet, that’s not much use to you unless people can find all that music. It’s a good idea to do a bit of research beforehand to find out which sharing services are most popular among the crowd you’re trying to target. It doesn’t take a PhD; just ask your friends and family for recommendations.
At the end of the day, it’s free MP3 downloads that will attract more fans and make more money for you. Counter-intuitive as it sounds, it’s a much better strategy than charging people at every turn to listen to your music. While you’re at an early stage of your music career, focus first on getting found by the audience. Once you’ve done that, the cash should just start flowing in.