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How do musicians earn a living anymore? It used to be that a recording artist would hit the pavement at every opportunity to play in front of an audience. If the musician had something unique or sellable, he or she might attract the attention of a record company. Then began the real hustle. Getting music broadcast over the airwaves was an expensive and risky endeavor.
Fast forward to the dawn of a new century, a golden shining moment where free internet radio sites sprout across the metaverse like violets in spring. Audiophiles of the world rejoice! No longer do we have to dial (and redial) the local terrestrial station begging to hear one of our favorites. Neither do we need to cramp our fingers searching for the right frequency of long wave transmissions. Now, with internet access, you can pipe or beam in virtually any station from any global territory, at any time.
Social Radio
Some internet radio sites even cater to independent musicians. These sites offer a venue for exposure to a potential global fan base, usually for a reasonable fee. The I-made-this-myself basement musos can now upload their unique brand of audio to the web and get usable metrics on their listeners. A progressive site like www.jango.com makes it easy to build a social network around indie music and established stars alike. The local hero now touches a worldwide audience that was previously only the realm of high profile national and international acts.
There is a trade-off though. Free radio is just that: free. The independent is dreaming if he or she thinks web radio will be an instant boon to sales. Sure, you can get the fans, but you probably still have to sell to them. And with gratis on-demand radio streaming into our homes, we may never need to buy another song again.
