(Online) Jukebox Hero
Used to be a promising local band could plug in and play on in the comfort of their drummer's garage. Their hope was to get a gig somewhere in town, get noticed, and then get a gig somewhere in a town that was just a little bit bigger than the last place. This was the struggle of the would-be rockstar, and for most it was a struggle that couldn't be overcome. In some cases, this was probably for the best, as every band is not quite ready for the big time. But many a great act has gone under appreciated simply because they couldn't be heard and they were never given the chance to develop a fan base.
Well, the times they are a changin'. New marketing and recording techniques have developed that are allowing bands to take their music to the people, and while musicians still face challenges, they are finally getting a chance to be heard. Add in the benefits and features of VoIP to the new marketing mix and your band can have a leg up on all those other bands competing for exposure.
MySpace has been a major source for helping musicians in every genre reach curious potential fans. As the site continues to grow in popularity, bands are finding it to be the perfect spot to attract listeners from all over the country in a relatively short period of time. South by Southwest in Austin, one of the largest music festivals in the world, featured a number of bands that have found a following on My Space, and the trend continues at festivals around the country. The labels are taking notice, and some have even engaged in "questionable" practices, utilizing various software tools to generate more buzz for their bands on My Space:
"Eek Records says its uses the technology to boost its artists on MySpace. With a high 'friend' ranking, bands stand a greater chance at getting discovered and making it big in the offline world..." (from News.com)
Even without the help of shady technology and the omnipresent record label, bands can get their music made. They can also link up with other like-minded artists to collaborate, record, or just jam online:
"...this new cross-platform software, which remains for now under Beta testing, allows you to plug any MIDI-enabled instrument into your computer, start-up the virtual jamming software and immediately connect to your preferred music partners online, no matter where they are located...eJamming also provides an integral VoIP channel allowing you and your music friends to talk to each other in real-time (by pressing the space bar on your keyboard) as if you were in the same physical space." (From Robin Good)
VoIP goes even one step further in helping the guitar heroes or singer/songwriters of tomorrow reach a crowd. If you have VoIP, you can use a number of services to create easy audio blogs and podcasts for your band. People can listen to your music, or they can hear you talk about your influences, upcoming projects, and anything else about your band that you'd like to say.