KVR Audio

TechNoiZ · Post by **TechNoiZ** » Thu Aug 11, 2005 1:30 am

Hi,

A friend of mine on another forum got a promo webmail from a company called Your Music Network(ie) the independent experience. They plan to stream and broadcast (on an independent channel) unsigned and indie music of all genres 24/7 across the globe. I did a Google on them - they are also asking indie film-makers to subscribe. Nothing detrimental has come up.

It costs $35.00. In some ways it sounds like a glorified mp3 site - only it includes video streams in addition to mp3s - but the inclusion of a co-ordinated TV channel makes it seem at once both well thought out (from a business point of view) and also 'scam-like' - too good an idea to be true.

Has anyone heard anything about this - or got a similar webshot.

Regards,

shamann · Post by **shamann** » Thu Aug 11, 2005 1:50 am

They want to play other people's songs, but first you have to pay them?

I've never heard of them, but such arrangements trigger my 'turn around and run away' impulse.

Hypertone · Post by **Hypertone** » Thu Aug 11, 2005 4:21 am

It's a complete scam, anytime they ask for money it's a scam. Guranteed.

Mr. Tunes · Post by **Mr. Tunes** » Thu Aug 11, 2005 9:35 am

i was once approached by a friend of a friend in a random city to submit music as part of a compilation. but that wasnt the bad part, the guy wanted me to buy a ton of copies of this compilation to sell off on my own. i said he could have my track for free(good promotion), but i didnt want to buy into the compilation cause i'd be stuck with like 1,000 cds of music i didnt care to hear, so why would anyone else i knew care to hear it? those producers got mad at me for not cooperating. they werent concerned about it being a real compilation of similar music, they just wanted people like me to invest in their stupid cd pressing venture. one of my funky tracks could've been squashed between obnoxious trance/punk/metalgoth or something unrelated. all i could say is F--- 'em.

sometimes the scammers are in your own backyard you always gotta be careful

John Vulich · Post by **John Vulich** » Thu Aug 11, 2005 9:47 am

I don't know what it's like elsewhere but in Los Angeles bands have to pay to play in most (high profile) clubs unless of course they're a nationally/internationally known act.

TechNoiZ · Post by **TechNoiZ** » Thu Aug 11, 2005 9:47 am

John Vulich · Post by **John Vulich** » Thu Aug 11, 2005 9:49 am

You can just set up your own Shoutcast station by yourself anyway.

TechNoiZ · Post by **TechNoiZ** » Thu Aug 11, 2005 9:52 am

Its true here in the UK also John. There is a growing feeling amongst unsigned bands that this needs to stop - apart from making a loss when doing a gig - the 'promoter' usually relies on the band bringing the crowd and does no promotion themselves. The band end up playing to their mates who are themselves putting money into the promoter's pocket via the bar.......
The only place you would reasonably expect to pay-to-play would be London if you were doing a showcase and A&R were going to be there .....

TechNoiZ · Post by **TechNoiZ** » Thu Aug 11, 2005 9:54 am

JohnVulich wrote:You can just set up your own Shoutcast station by yourself anyway.

True, and many bands do .... but who, in all seriousness is going to listen except people who already know the band.

herodotus · Post by **herodotus** » Thu Aug 11, 2005 10:10 am

TechNoiZ wrote:Its true here in the UK also John. There is a growing feeling amongst unsigned bands that this needs to stop - apart from making a loss when doing a gig - the 'promoter' usually relies on the band bringing the crowd and does no promotion themselves. The band end up playing to their mates who are themselves putting money into the promoter's pocket via the bar.......
The only place you would reasonably expect to pay-to-play would be London if you were doing a showcase and A&R were going to be there .....

No pay to play here (minneapolis) yet, but 'promoters' are pretty much the same.

Ours is a wretched scene, a ghostly shell of its former self. In years past, when both commercial acts (like Prince or whatever he calls himself these days) and indie acts (like Husker Du and the Replacements) were thriving.....well, I don't know about promotion, but there was a sense of community. And the community did a lot of the advertising and promotion.

That sense of community appears to be missing in other places as well. Perhaps virtual communities like kvr are slowly replacing old fashioned locale based communities.

hmmmm....

TechNoiZ · Post by **TechNoiZ** » Thu Aug 11, 2005 10:17 am

stefancrs · Post by **stefancrs** » Thu Aug 11, 2005 10:29 am

TechNoiZ wrote:Hi,

A friend of mine on another forum got a promo webmail from a company called Your Music Network(ie) the independent experience. They plan to stream and broadcast (on an independent channel) unsigned and indie music of all genres 24/7 across the globe. I did a Google on them - they are also asking indie film-makers to subscribe. Nothing detrimental has come up.

It costs $35.00. In some ways it sounds like a glorified mp3 site - only it includes video streams in addition to mp3s - but the inclusion of a co-ordinated TV channel makes it seem at once both well thought out (from a business point of view) and also 'scam-like' - too good an idea to be true.

Has anyone heard anything about this - or got a similar webshot.

Regards,

Seems to be mainly a bunch of money-seekers.
But DO check these guys out:
http://magnatune.com/

How the artist makes money:

* 50% of the sale price of each album goes directly to the artist.
* 50% of any commercial sub-licensing (ads, web sites, trade shows, films, etc) goes directly to the artist.
* 50% of merchandise profits goes directly to the artist.

Non-exclusive license: you're giving us a license to sell your music, but you can sign agreements with others. This means you can sell your own CDs at concerts, as well as sign with another label.

herodotus · Post by **herodotus** » Thu Aug 11, 2005 10:30 am

TechNoiZ wrote:Back in the Early 90s my band played around North London a lot and there was a great sense of community - when you went out you met other bands you knew - ended up playing with them, supporting them and playing to them. Loads of people knew eachother. I once went into a pub in Stoke Newington and somebody recognised me and remembered seeing me play because of my shoes ...

I think there is still a 'scene' in the UK and it is being bolstered by the internet ..... lots of young bands know eachother ... but they are separated by distance and going to see eachother play must be a problem. It is still the case that the more people you can bring - and anywhere between 20 and 100 is the norm for lots of unsigned bands - the better venues you can play. Once my band got a couple of reviews and we'd stuck fliers all over the place getting a gig was less of a problem 'cos people had heard of you - even if they hadn't heard you .....

In minneapolis you can't post fliers. The city will fine the club you play at if you do.

You can't smoke here either.

Let's see...."hmmmm....nightlife is dying in our city....HEY!! I've got it!!! Let's ban smoking in bars! Because you know how none of the people who go to see live music smoke, right??

The thought processes of such people are a complete mystery to me.

I mean, I don't even smoke and it pisses me off!

Anyone heard of these guys .....YOUR MUSIC NETWORKie