Like a garden, a website needs to be tended, pruned and taken care of. Occasionally, things need to be uprooted, and new things planted. It’s not a perfect metaphor. You get the idea. I’m changing stuff around here.
I’ve been thinking a great deal about ways to invigorate New Music Ideas. At present, as you know, it’s a site where one of a handful of music industry types (sometimes it’s me, usually not) reviews a website purporting to be of some help to independent musicians and music industry types like yourself.
But it occurs to me that this under-utilises this site’s greatest asset: its readership. Our opinions on music sites can be instructive and occasionally even accurate. Your opinions combined are authoritative.
The new approach
So here’s how it’s going to work. Every few days, I’ll post a site that you may or may not find helpful. I’ll give you a brief outline as to what it claims to be, and then you can go check it out, or – if you’ve already used it – get straight in and start giving your opinions.
The comments are now the website
That’s where the reviews live. We want to hear what you think.
Be constructive. If a site sucks – tell us why – or how it could improve. If it’s great, be specific about what makes it great.
Let’s try this out
This is how it works. Here’s a screenshot of the website under review. You can click on it to get to the site in question.
Yes, it’s my site. At the risk of being torn to shreds in public – let’s start with (gulp) New Music Strategies.
Now here’s the bit where I tell you a little bit about what the site under consideration claims to be all about:
It’s a site, written by me, that tries to unpick and explain what’s going on in the online music environment – and from that, attempt to develop strategies to help independent musicians and music businesses cope and thrive in a changing media environment.
What would you give it out of 10? How many stars? What’s good about it? What’s wrong with it? Can you suggest ways it could be improved? How would you describe it in order to recommend it to someone, or warn them away from it?
Now here’s the bit where you weigh in with your thoughts…
Download Andrew Dubber's new book Music in the Digital Age - or, if you already have and you've been enjoying it or finding it useful, please consider paying for it here.
1 Trackbacks
You can leave a trackback using this URL: http://newmusicstrategies.com/2008/10/19/new-approach/trackback/
[...] Review this website on New Music Ideas. [...]
15 Comments
Well it’s all good really Andrew – on a few niggly notes, I don’t like the pictures which just scream ‘library photos’. I did a site recently and we used all Creative Commons images marked for commercial use – it unearthed some interesting and varied stuff. I’d like to see you showcasing pictures of real musicians doing stuff – even if it’s not directly related to the story. And I like to see more case studies and links of what musicians are actually doing in practice – this is fascinating to me and makes the theory come alive.
Hi Andrew,
I will start with the “score” out of 10 (with 10 being best I presume). Based on what you claim the site to be about and having frequented the site for some almost two years now I give it a 9.25
The bits that make up that .75 minority keeping it from a perfect 10 would be along the same lines as what Susi commented above.
Overall NMS does exactly what you claim it to. It even goes further than your succinct description by offering much more additional information via the “Newswire” page. As a modestly consistent reader I happen to find the news-wire page a very convenient “one stop” for gleaning the music headlines that are relevant to my interests.
I also like the fairly constant suggestions to musicians that they concentrate on making great songs first, then worry about the details involved in charting stardom (or at least generating income from music).
So 9.25 with minimal percentage off for minor aesthetic infractions and a slight lack of more “case studies” (which could be another page tab in the menu bar?)
Thanks for all you do.
Milton
Hey Dubber just stopping by with two new sites I joined lately. And I’m early majority to the core, I never jump on the latest thing.
First is just for NZ – http://www.getagig.co.nz – this really excited me because it’s the first time I’ve seen a web 2 concept launched for the NZ music market.
Second is Soundcloud.com. Yes because it was on 37 signals, Yes because of the kiwi voiceover, yes because clouds are cool.
Pity I’d already tweeted it out once I found out they were charging to use the service at a usable level.
New Music Strategies has consistently served up thought-provoking relevant content in the year since I started reading it, and I would give it a 9.
I like the basic design of the site. It reminds you that people come back for the articles and the comments, not because it looks cool.
Although the site is at its best when it’s dealing with specifics like the 100 Questions series, NMS isn’t the place for case studies. The stories of actual musicians are sometimes interesting but always frustrating because each musician’s path to success is unique. Imitating your heroes can work wonders when you’re learning your craft, but is bound to hamper your own search for success.
I’m only really giving it less than a 10 so Dubber doesn’t get complacent. Top notch. ;o)
The articles on NMS made me think long and hard about how I was approaching the business side of making music. I can honestly say that I made more money off of my music after I picked up reading NMS than before. I’d say that makes the site pretty valuable… thanks!
Knowing how many other sister sites you run, I’m loathe to make this point in a way, but I’d love to see more regular posts on NMS.
My other caveats echo those above: kill the stock photos! ;) And a better logo would be great (on that note, I ran a competition over at a site called 99designs.com and got a groovy new logo for fakesensations.com for an extremely reasonable price – any bands reading, it’s a site worth checking out if you’re looking to update your online branding).
Other than that, NMS is a top ten destination for me, and refreshingly free of the “in the future music will be fed straight to your brain by nano technology and bands will pay you to listen!” BS you get on so many other music marketing sites. Heartily recommended.
Score 9/10 and to go against popular opinion (something I seem to manage quite often), I like the photos. They give a good idea of the post – a sort of visual abstract.
Navigation: it works for new users who just want to grab the 20 Things book as well as old hands who know what they want.
Content: I hate scrolling, but a successful blog article will generate lots of comments and that mean scrolling. Any way of operating a triage on comments so only most relevant, less repetitious ones make the cut?
Good idea, sort of peer review system this reviewing of sites.
Top lark.
I’d echo the “more frequent post”. Also, pointing at tutorials & tips for recording, integrating and creating midi- and other backing track techniques, etc. would be great.
Your site, however, is easy to navigate and feels uncluttered. For my use, I give it a 7 out of 10.
Thanks,
Matt
Hi Andrew. First of: congratulations! Very good site and, even more important. very good news letter!
Overall I give it a 9.
I’m not giving it a 10 just because most of your tips seam to be focused on commercial music. I don’t have anything against commercial music. In fact I like a lot of it and I understand how it is important to keep the industry moving… I’m just missing some tips on how to get a specific audience.
In other words: if you play a gender of music that is not mainstream how do you target it to the right audience?
Thank you for all the support. You made me realise that is still possible to have fun and be successful with original music.
Hi Andrew,
I’ve sent a few emails and you or your staff have been kind enough to respond. I’ve been reading your New Music Strategies for a year, give or take. I’m always interested. Asking your readers what they want, is probably the best, smartest thing you could do, as long as you follow thru, and people see it! For initiating this discussion alone, you get a big thumbs up from me.
I find you to be the most well-informed of almost anyone I’ve run across. You get 10 out of 10 for new information delivery, especially with regards to new internet marketing gadgets.
But, we’re talking about the entertainment biz. You could still be more engaging with devoted followers, by offering them more of your personality in videos. Every pic could be a video instead. The sound of passion in your voice, you have for this stuff, will be obvious. And that’s what will help you become even more famous as an EXPERT, on new music strategies.
Take more chances to be bold and opinionated from your unique perspective. Talk about those opinions in video presentations instead of pics and links. Interview other experts, too.
Your sign up box could look a lot sexier. Because you want to maximize your number of fans (that eventually pay you for your dedication to revealing new info). So get that sign-up box to say something more thought-provoking than a simple “subscribe”
Get hooked by “Dubber.”
Good luck, and thank you for everything you do!
Steve
9 out of 10
I’m a new reader and have skimmed around the site, I get that it has useful articles with relevant titles that will be easy to find when I want to come back and use the info (like your social media article). I only notice the photo of you. I’m not bothered about more postings – I like a few – I can’t imagine there are millions of things that are relevant and I don’t have to time to read them anyway. So I like that you seem to do a few things well.
Good idea for the ideas site.
Caroline
Hi Andrew,
Although we don’t always agree, you’re always thought-provoking!
9 out of 10, really like the site design, simple and effective, really like the articles. Now if only you could see things my way more often ;-)
Best,
JB
I don’t want to sound like a flak or anything, but I’d give your site a 9.
I’m another guitarist/singer/songwriter/recording artist looking for a better indie business model.
For years I searched for it. I ingested books on the music business and business & marketing in general, I attended seminars, scoured the web, and tried lots of different things. I learned a lot.
But when I found New Music Strategies, I felt here was finally what seemed like a good, nearly complete ‘answer’ in one place. Answer may be too strong a word, but to me it was like an epiphany.
Now, it’s on me to implement the ideas.
What can I say ?
You write for musicians , you foster the Music itself , you delivery many information for free ….
I’m searching ‘music related words’ and not if that button is yellow or red , if that pic is cool or not . I like the design of the site .
You get 11 out of 10 .
Thanks,
Alex Cebe
PEACE AND LOVE
There are so many sites out there waiting to suck artists’ time and money. I regret every second I’ve wasted on poorly-thought-out social networks and non-functional music distribution systems. NMS is such a tremendous help; I wish every musician I knew were reviewing and reading here! I feel like I won’t make some of the same mistakes again.
I’d give it a 10, but only because I would have given it a 9 and I don’t like to conform. I would like to see you pushing this site on Twitter more, because indie musicians critically need this information. There ought to be plenty more comments coming in, if only because more eyes ought to be scrubbing these reviews. This is one of the biggest timesavers on the web.
I’d love to see a few more sites about cutting costs, a la your Skype review. What else can we get done for cheap-or-free online?