You already know the Internet is an incredible resource for musicians, but with the record industry in a tailspin and the economy falling flat, there’s no better time to seek out the Web sites that help guitarists keep doing what they do best. It’s time to update your bookmarks with these indispensable online destinations.
CouchSurfing
Nearly 1,000 bands have become members of this non-profit site that connects financially impaired travelers with available couches around the globe. By putting in a few hours of networking, musicians can save thousands of dollars on potential touring budgets by hooking up free places to stay rather than pouring all their road profits (if any) into pricey hotels. Plus, in recent months write ups in mainstream magazines like Time and SPIN have significantly boosted the site's popularity and member count, making traveling to even the most remote destinations of the globe a possibility. Now there’s really no excuse for delaying that coffeehouse tour of Kyrgyzstan.
CD Baby
Just one of the many Web sites that offers unsigned musicians an outlet to sell their music, this Portland, Oregon based retailer has managed to survive off independent music for more than a decade. Its royalty rates are distinctly artist friendly, promising acts anywhere between $6-$12 per album as opposed to the usual label payout of $1-$2. And checks go out every week. Better still, because CD Baby serves as an aggregator, it also distributes the music to bigger sites such as iTunes, Amazon and eMusic.
Kompoz
Remember the days when putting a band together required taking out a classified in the back pages of the local hair metal magazine and having to jam with the one brain-dead drummer that actually called you back? No more. This social networking site allows you to connect with like-minded musicians from around the world to construct and share original songs online. The simple three-step process makes collaboration a piece of cake and even if you don’t end up with the next “Stairway To Heaven” it’s still a lot more fun than Guitar Hero.
The Velvet Rope Forums
For more than a decade, this is the place the music industry has congregated online to share advice, discuss hot-button topics and let nasty rumors fly. The discussion is always lively in the main forum but musicians may want to look further down the list at the boards that are focused on promotion, production, touring, finding jobs and begging for a record deal.
MySpace
It seems obvious, but there are still loads of independent musicians that have not embraced the powerful marketing potential of this Web titan. To the holdouts, let’s make it simple: MySpace is not just a place for tweens to hookup and share party photos. It offers musicians an incredible array of tools for self-promotion, from sharing their music to connecting with fans to discovering their next potential touring partner. And with Snocap’s embedded music store application, you can also easily upload and sell your own music at your price. If you’re not on here, you don’t exist.