Friday, April 6, 2012

Gotta Get My Music Fix! (Legally)

I'm mainlining MP3s!  Music from bands I know/don't know is being put on the Internet in large quantities!  My job (as I currently see it, since I'm looking for real employment as a techno-geek for the first time in x years and x is greater than twenty) is to find what I consider to be great listening and share my findings with you, the reader (or I could be selfish and keep it all to myself, but then you wouldn't read my blog, would you!  Which would have a disastrous effect on the economy! Note: it's up to you to calculate the effect.  Special credit if you use Venn Diagrams!)

I realized I had so many MP3s downloaded, my work computer was running out of room for work stuff!  So, for my birthday I asked for a drive to contain all my MP3 downloads;   I could have purchased one for myself, but my son-in-law is so tech savvy that I knew I would get something nice if he researched it.  And I did!  An iomega eGo drive!  But this is not about the drive, it's about all the music LEGALLY available on the web!

As you can guess, the eGo drive is filling up, but it's going to take a bit of time and music to max it out!  You also can guess I do not like to take music to which I am not entitled.  <soapbox-mode on>  We could argue the pros and cons, but I won't participate.  Unless a musician or band offers the music for download I won't look for ways to acquire it.  Rather than take money away from the musicians, I look for the hotspots where old and new music can be previewed, shared and downloaded for free (and maybe just for an email address).  I'll be happy to stream music, too.  If I like it, I'll buy it! <soapbox-mode off

Meanwhile, back to the LEGAL downloads, one site at a time!  Two of my favorites are RCRD LBL and Noise Trade.

RCRD LBL

RCRD LBL describes itself as follows: "RCRD LBL is the premier online destination for the latest new music and free downloads from the hottest marquee and emergent artists. RCRD LBL delivers curated music directly to readers"  (the italics are mine).  Well, you know, I agree with them!  It seems that every time I look at my email, my Twitter account or my Facebook page, there are one or two notes about well-known or upcoming artists, and a link to the songs that may be streamed and/or downloaded.  In addition, they will personalize emails to your taste in music, sending out notes on RCRD of the Day, RCRD Selections, RCRD LBL Rock, RCRD LBL Dance, RCRD LBL Hip Hop and RCRD Deals.

Let's say you see that a song is being offered as a free download.  When you get to the RCRD LBL page for that song, you'll be able to stream and save the song to disk.  There may also be another player widget to allow you to stream and download other songs!  Also, there may be more songs offered from the same artist!  How can you go wrong!!!!  You get to listen to it, decide whether or not to keep it and find other songs in the process.  As they say, it's a "win win" situation!

Recently I was directed to a song by Fletcher C. Johnson.  I gave it a listen.  I liked it!  I downloaded it!  I shared it (on my Facebook page and via Twitter)!  And now I can blog about it!  As a matter of fact, I can even embed the widget on my page, like so:



So join the fun.  Login to RCRD LBL and reap the rewards of a massive free music source at your fingertips!

NoiseTrade

Musicians love to share their music, right?  Well, actually many do.  Those that can't seem to get airplay need a vehicle to express their musical thoughts.  Well, that's what NoiseTrade is all about!  Well-known and up-and-coming artists can upload their music and offer it free to the public.  You, the consumer, need to create a NoiseTrade account, after which you will receive email notification of new music available to download.  How hard is that to do.

Here's the catch;  there is none.  When you decide to download an artist's music, you will be asked if you want to tweet about it, share on Facebook, send email to others and/or leave a tip!  None of which you are required to do!  Then you get another email with your download code and, as they say in French, "Voila!", you're on you way to grabbing your free music!  
As NoiseTrade says on their site:

Fans get free music.
Artists connect with new fans.
Everybody wins.

 

How true!  A partial list of what I have downloaded and enjoyed:

Amy Ray (one-half of the Indigo Girls)
Andrew Bird
Blitzen Trapper & Dawes
Delta Spirit
Dispatch
Josh Rouse
Josh Ritter
Great Lake Swimmers
The Low Anthem

I recommend this site, highly.  As a matter of fact, I give it two snaps up and a circle (with props to Damon Wayans and David Alan Grier of "In Living Color").

More sites to be covered in the future!

Tell me your faves!

As I used to say on the air, "see you on the flip side"...

BB

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