MTT Open

Fans Are Like Friends – So How Do You Keep Your Friends?

mark knight — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 10:01:00 +0000

One of the biggest challenges for a band or artist is to attract, engage and retain fans. When considering this challenge it appears there are clear parallels with the way we manage the relationships with our friends. So how do we maintain our circle or friends, and how can we apply these principles to attract, engage and retain fans?

MaximalSound Evolves

Laurent Sevestre — Thu, 31 May 2012 10:00:10 +0000

Since 2010, MaximalSound.com offers an online audio optimization service. Based on a proprietary algorithm, this service allows indie productions, labels and musicians to release their tracks complying with the highest industry standard. This processing uses the same pattern as the human hearing. It supports every music genres from metal to hip-hop, from classical to country music.

Music Powered Games Places Marketing Power of Mobile Games In Hands of Indie Artists

Bobby Wells — Wed, 30 May 2012 17:32:53 +0000

By Bobby Wells, CEO Music Powered Games

Music Powered Games announces Music Monsters Academy, the new mobile game app that lets artist entrepreneurs capitalize on the popularity of mobile games to sell their music and create mobile game revenues. The app will allow thousands of indie artists to give their own custom version of the game to all their fans. While playing the game on their iPhone or Android device, fans can buy the artist’s songs, buy the game levels for the songs, and share the artist’s game with their friends. With one-third of people in the U.S. over 13 play mobile games monthly*, Music Monsters will give indie artists affordable access to nearly 100 million US consumers playing mobile games.

Computer Science and Music Technology

Suzanne Muller — Wed, 30 May 2012 10:00:48 +0000

Computer Science and Music Technology

You’re a heavy-duty programming dude or computer grrl, but you also love music. Is there any way to reconcile these two interests? Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that computers and technology play a major role in the 21^st century music scene. Audio sequencers, MIDI and associated laptops are standard operating equipment for performers like Prince, Kraftwerk, OK Go, international deejay Paul Van Dyk or electronic music pioneer Thomas Dolby. Indeed, popular music today – from indie rock to hip-hop to house – would not be the same without innovations in computer science and technology. The following article is an exploration of the pioneering inventions and innovations in music technology that, through the use of computers, continue to define the musical experience of today.

Is remixing the new X-Factor?

Tim Blackburn — Tue, 29 May 2012 10:00:11 +0000

Or Is remixing becoming the new X-Factor? Whatever you want to say about them, tv shows like the X-Factor, Britain’s Got Talent, America’s Got Talent, etc., are becoming the major way for kids to become pop stars. The temptation to audition for one of those shows is often too much for the budding singer, girl band, boy band, or guitarist, and when they finally reach the live shows, there’s the chance to get free publicity, exposure, critique of their style and ability. Even if they don’t make it all the way to the final, there’s always the chance of being signed by a record company, however well they can sing.

Bands - Don't Contact Me, Unless...

Joey Flores — Mon, 28 May 2012 10:00:04 +0000

I would love to take it as a compliment that so many bands send me email asking me to check out their music or come see them live. It should mean I’m important. Instead, I disregard most of it as spam.

Mile-long emails telling me about how so-and-so is the next hot artist blowing up all over my face. New album press releases that assume I have 40 minutes to spend learning all about how some artist “grew up in the poorest regions of such and such area before ‘rising to fame’”. It’s all hype that makes no sense given that you have only 80 fans on Facebook.

What is most annoying about these emails is that they’re not even addressed to me. They’re sent to the Earbits customer support email address, and have clearly bcc’d the rest of the world. Sometimes, they’re not even smart enough to do that, disclosing hundreds of email addresses to everybody else on the list. These untargeted, long-winded marketing pieces are lazy, in some cases costly, and completely pointless. Stop sending them.

Behind Lady Antebellum

Angelo Manreal — Fri, 25 May 2012 10:00:42 +0000

Need You Now, American Honey, Own The Night, Dancin’ Away With My Heart- these famous country songs are some of Lady Antebellum’s greatest hits. Lady Antebellum is an American country music band formed in 2006. This new band is composed by three talented artists namely Hillary Scott, the vocalist, Charles Kelley the background vocals, and Dave Haywood the guitar, piano, or mandolin player. This band was immediately recognized just within a year after performing. Their first recording debut which is a rendition of Jim Brickman’s “Never Alone” reached number 14 in the Billboard’s Adult contemporary chart. The band’s first album was released on April 15, 2008 and had reached number one on Billboard Top Country Music Albums.

Are You A Gigging Musician Aged 55+?

Glen Brown — Thu, 24 May 2012 10:00:10 +0000

Mick Jagger is 69 this year. Will the Stones hit the road once again?

Are aging baby boomers influencing the world of musical performance as they continue to develop their careers and craft well into their sixties and seventies? Do they have special interests and needs that we should identify, understand and cater to?

Suggestions for a Research Project

Jonathan Raz — Wed, 23 May 2012 11:44:51 +0000

Is Real Country Music Dead, Or Just Sleeping?

AD Maclin — Wed, 23 May 2012 10:00:50 +0000

Yes, the face of country music has changed.

Yes, at the moment that face may be 16 years old. And, yes, maybe adolescent dollars have been waging a battle for control of country-music airwaves and concert-tour bookings.

Still, is this proud genre — which probably would try to reject George Jones and Loretta Lynn if they were coming up today — IS traditional country music doomed?