Slashdot Mirror
Playing the World From a Basement
Albanach writes "Singer songwriter Sandi Thom is one of a growing band of new musicians using the internet to circumvent the traditional and traditionally expensive tour circuit. Thom described her free online concerts as a Web Tour, saying 'A web tour is basically what you do when you have a lack of money and no car.' Services such as The Streaming Tank have grown to satisfy the need for broadcast services and the figures are impressive. Just 74 people watched Thom's first concert on February 24th. The concert on March 2nd drew 62,138 viewers."
Will there be some drunkard in front of me spilling beer on my shoes? Or better yet, one on stage spilling beer on the computer so that the feed fizzles out in the middle of the show? If so, then they're certainly a good ways to capturing that live concert feeling...
Just 74 people watched Thom's first concert on February 24th. The concert on March 2nd drew 62,138 viewers.
I guess that, at that rate, I won't be saying "who?" in a week or 2.
.. different is it (live webcast) from a recorded viewing? Live concerts have the euphoria that is multiplied by the crowd unlike in thsi case (making no difference). But yes, it does give them some publicity and help them test waters before actually launching a tour.
I don't know... sitting alone in front of my computer with my lighter just isn't the same...
Remember... A boomerang IS NOT the best way to deliver a bomb.
http://www.sandithom.com/
I'm kinda thankful they aren't trying out the traditional bathroom-singing business model. Granted, the acoustics are nice, but the visuals suck...except for female musicians, ofcourse.
An Indian-American Hindu committed to non-violent thought/speech/action alarmed by the global explosion of radical Islam
scratchy vocals and music. ... too many people logged on....&$@*(*$#^^^[NO CARRIER]
Sounds like fun.
Just 74 people watched Thom's first concert on February 24th. The concert on March 2nd drew 62,138 viewers.So, are there 62,064 people now sifting through the piracy sites for a torrent of an Xvid rip of the first one?
Slashdot Burying Stories About Slashdot Media Owned
http://www.licktheblade.com/
Your margins on the merch are way better, and the beer is free.
hang brain.
As a musician, I think this is very exciting. The 'alternative' conventional wisdom of late has been that marketing your band/music online is the wave of the future, but I'm not aware of a concerted (heh) streaming approach that includes performances. Most articles I've read push distribution and marketing in the traditional mp3 sort of sense.
.
This reminds me of the time when bands were experimenting with slide shows (pre-automation) run by a 'stealth' band member alla early Human League to give a multimedia edge to their presentation. With current technology, why not have a web presence with streaming concert video 'events' as the center piece to the normal mp3 / wallpaper / avant design elements.
Heck, why not have interative art featuring music and graphics based on the old quaint notion of a 'concept album' . .
-[joke removed for your safety]-
Concert attendees didn't have to pay $5 to get a beer from the fridge.
Ceci n'est pas une signature.
I run toqerTV, the only live streaming broadcast of karaoke in the world. You may not like karaoke and terrible singing, but if you like seeing drunk girls jump up and down then we're for you.
I did try to do real musicians one sunday. For about 5 hours we broadcasted various local rap artists. Ratings online sucked, and everyone that came to the show just ordered water.
I thought this article was going to be a slam at the standard /. meme; a loaner living in his parents basement playing World of Warcraft all hours of the night!
As it stands, it's a nice idea to try and spread music/art this way, but it will *never* come close to providing the atomosphere/feeling that one gets at a concert or art gallery.
fak3r.com
I think this is an excellent opportunity for an upcoming musician/band. It gets you some publicity, people can check you out, and maybe they'll remember your name once you actually play in a club somewhere. Perhaps you could even sell your music this way - and you'd cut out the middle man and actually get more than the measly 16cents or so. It's going to be word-of-mouth, but that works often enough.
Nothing like being in the mosh pit by yourself in front of the computer. And my mom wonders why I keep breaking all my stuff!
What? I Don't Know...
Sure, the intarwebs have been great for bands -- including mine! -- but, for me, the joy, the passion, the reason for doing it is the live shows. I love touring to new towns and clubs and making new fans. People dancing, drinking, having a great time. Playing music FOR people.
I think the advent of easier video will continue to bring great opportunities to indie musicians, but it ain't touring.
The push for hardware based DRM is being financed by the distribution cartels -- the same people who use the force of copyright to earn a buck.
The push for better independent entertainment online may not be strong enough to topple the future DRM schemes, leading to an Internet where these broadcasts may not happen.
I'm anti-copyright in every situation. I strongly believe that artists can now find new ways to earn a living without the need to use government force to protect fictional property. I'm financing a studio in Chicago called No Copyright Studios ( soon to be at http://www.nocopyrightstudios.com/ ) later this year to try out new ways for musicians, podcasters, and artists in general to make money without copyright.
Playing live online is one of our ideas. We figure you can give away the mastered songs to get people to want to come to live shows. We also figure that bands can do fairly well with live acoustic performances online, or maybe even offering people who buy the band's official album a password to see the band practice in the studio, or record.
Artists like the one mentioned are finding new ways to make a living without forcing people to follow ancient laws. In your job, do you get residual payments for past work? Generally not. Neither should artists. Income to me means work -- repeated work over time. If you're lucky enough to produce something that millions want, you should have the drive to go and perform live for them to make your living. Making a 20 cent CD and thinking that the law protects your right to charge $15 per piece for it is ridiculous -- find new ways to sell that CD for $15 by offering value added services and products with every purchase.
My big fear, though, is that we'll see the Internet become cartel-controlled, making it hard or impossible for indy media to break into the system. Right now we have torrents and various new media websites, but how long will that last if Internet 3.0 is back in the hands of those who have abused the power of copyright for decades and decades?
Playing the world is too complicated.
It's easier to just sell it short and buy on the low side.
That's the plan for the ownership society promoted by George W. Bush.
BushCo owns. You rent.
Feloniously yours,
President-VICE Richard B. Cheney
P.S. Defend America: Buy More
1st Show: Unheard of band attracts 74 brave souls. 2nd Show: Word of mouth brings 62,138 happy listeners. 3rd Show: Slashdot effects takes down your server before the show starts. 4th Show: Your still trying to pay all the extra bandwidth charges from Show #3.
Big ones, small ones, some as big as yer 'ead!
Give 'em a twist, a flick o' the wrist...
The problems are all solvable - don't get me wrong - but it takes either a lot of money or someone with a lot of skill to get something like that set up, and the skill option is the only scalable one.
It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
Beers must be cheap at your shows...
Judges and senates have been bought for gold; Esteem and love were never to be sold.
That's why I like to buy DVDs of my favorite bands performing "live" in my living room. It's all the excitement of seeing my favorite band, without having to worry about the microphones not working, and especially without the bother of other people. I can pause the performance and go pee without anyone offering me illicit drugs. If you time it right, you might even get a package deal at the FYE, where you can get a discount on a concert tshirt if you buy the DVD at the same time. AND! And the concert's in 5.1! I don't think most venues are set up to play in 5.1 surround sound yet, they're still only outputting stereo.
No one ever says, Dude, you remember watching that concert at Matt's place in 2002? That was amazing!
I am Leviathant and I approve this message.
if you would RT(F)A, you would have seen that Yes, she is hot. Quite a tasy treat..... might have to tune in one evening.
"Heck, why not have interative art featuring music and graphics based on the old quaint notion of a 'concept album' . . ."
Yay! Something to give my consoles GPU something to do.
I'm a resident of Second Life, an online virtual world. Very different than a MMORPG, it's basically an open-ended place for people to socialize, build, et cetera. Second Life is also unique in that you own the copyright of any content you create in-world. This has lead to some really creative and clever objects.
More to the point though, the phenomenon of live music has really taken hold within Second Life. There are several artist residents (Astrin Few and Flaming Moe are two I can think of) who hold regular concerts, play in virtual taverns, and overall take advantage of the relatively cultured community that exists within the world (the client supports streaming audio via ShoutCast servers). I also know of a Live Music Festival (organized by a resident named Nethermind Bliss) that will be happening this year, with both a true live venue on the east cost and a virtual venue in-world. This hybrid event will be a great opportunity to expose residents to some talented artists.
-JT
This twist is new enough that it's going to get her some eyeballs, and some fans - who will hopefully go on to buy the physical merch, such as CDs, tshirts and the like...or better yet, tell their pals.
I can't see this working for everyone - she's really going at it with a show every day. She also is good, which (depending on your tastes, and where you look) is hard to find. I found her to be like something I'd hear on American Idol, but YMMV.
The genius of this is that the whole thing is on her terms, which for a musician/band playing out is rare. Start times are set by the venue, pay is still what it was in the mid-70's (thanks in large part to crappy bands that will play for free, and easily-awed patrons, "Ohhh! It's Brown-Eye Girl!"), and travel, especially in Minnesota, is often a bitch.
I've thought of doing a live stream, but there's only so many hours in a day - I've got enough to do right now with recording, pre-production, and writing. Hell, it's a wonder I can manage to get any show in. Perhaps I'll stop posting to /. for a week, and really get some stuff done...
YES!!!
Donald 'Duck' Dunn: We had a band powerful enough to turn goat piss into gasoline.
I'm sure others have done it as well.
Freebird!
-s
Dude, that's the best part!
When you get to hell -- tell 'em Itchy sent ya!
62,138 came for the concert huh... yeah right, I've seen her pictures.
Wait you mean she was singing too?
I've been looking at a Carnegie Mellon peer-2-peer software to do just this. Check it out at http://esm.cs.cmu.edu./ I like it because it uses peer-2-peer to keep things FREE. Has anyone used anything similar to do free broadcasts?
Paul
I am interested in playing your 'living room' venue, but I have a few questions. What capacity is it? Does the band provide the DVD, or is the recording done 'in house'?
Are food and drink provided in the dressing room, or trailer?
What are your preferred set times, and who do I need to send the stage plot to?
Thanks for your attention,
teamhasnoi - The Schmoejoes
FAP FAP FAP FAP FAP FAP FAP http://www.sandithom.com/ much better...
"The push for hardware based DRM is being financed by the distribution cartels -- the same people who use the force of copyright to earn a buck."
That's OK. I use the force of contract law to earn a living.
"I'm anti-copyright in every situation. I strongly believe that artists can now find new ways to earn a living without the need to use government force to protect fictional property."
And I'm anti-contract law. I too strongly believe that everyone (inncluding you) can earn a living without using government force to protect the fictional results we create.
"My big fear, though, is that we'll see the Internet become cartel-controlled, making it hard or impossible for indy media to break into the system. Right now we have torrents and various new media websites, but how long will that last if Internet 3.0 is back in the hands of those who have abused the power of copyright for decades and decades?"
*rolls eyes*
Give the man a sandwich board and a bell, and let him walk the streets "The world ends tomorrow". Never mind that no one has the courage (let alone remember) to call out the prophets when their gloom and doom doesn't come true.
...one COULD become a rockstar in one's own parent's basement after all!!! Will the technology wonders never cease?! ;P
-"...bad old ideas look confusingly fresh when they are packaged as technology" - Jaron Lanier (Digital Maoism on Edge.o
As opposed to the 30 year old blown speakers in some shitty club, cranked up way past the limits of the system, pumping out more distortion than music? Not that there aren't good sounding systems out there, but it's not likely this band is going to be playing on one, in your area, anytime soon.
I think Chuck Berry's eyes just opened a wide as they can.
..I'm giving a CONCERT!
Heh.. I'll have to remember that one.
I mean, I would have to remember it if I actually lived in my parent's basement, which I don't. I mean, if they had a basement. Uhh.
From tfa..."In the past eight days she has entertained more than 250,000 fans worldwide"
From 70, to 62000, to 250,000 listeners. What an incredible way to build a base before she (and the band) go out and do tours. This is also just what RIAA *does not want to happen*. Young unkown band gets found not by some way over paid agent of musical darkness, but by the people themselves. A great example of what the interent *can* do for the masses and the individual.
Next step for this band and others to follow; produce and deliver an Album (as in collection of songs, not vinyl) that can be offered to those 250,000+ fans and growing without ever burning one CD. TCO to the band, nada for RIAA. The biggest obstacle I would see is they (and any band) would have problems booking gigs in larger venues without greasing the wheels of the venue promoters who are most likely in the pockets of the music industry.
IAOASD (I am only a software developer) so I may only see the rose through my glasses, but this could be the mouse that roared.
Music is not bad either.
Life is a great ride, the vehicle doesn't matter
They're all feeding through macromedia, so if you want to share it with your friends you have send them to the source. It sucks for me, cos you can't always preload that streaming stuff on dialup, it's all jerky and lame.
Thom described her free online concerts as a Web Tour, saying 'A web tour is basically what you do when you have a lack of money and no career.'
feel offended with the title.
And most importantly - can you fit a 60' inflatible pig in the living room?
For that accurate home/festival experience, place your TV at the bottom of the garden, and watch through the kitchen window. If you need to pee, wait for 30 mins at the bathroom door first. Or just do it behind the sofa, everyone else does.
Who?
"Don't Forget to Salt the Fries"
The Future Sound of London did a series of concerts via ISDN in 1994.
Negativland did what they called "teletours" in the 1980s, using a simple circuit to improve the frequency response (much like pre-emphasis on vinyl LPs). Schematics are available.
GCHQ Quantum Insert installed. If only our tongues were made of glass, how much more careful we would be when we speak
Did the line "marketing in the traditional mp3 sort of sense." make anyone else feel old? That MP3s can be considered traditional makes me feel old... my first bought recording was a 12" LP for god's sake!
Yet more nails have been driven into the coffin for the RIAA.
They had planty of time to see the writing on the wall and now all we see are their desparate kicking and screaming as they slowly sink into oblivion.
"You'll pay the price for your lack of vision" indeed. That line certain holds well for the recording industry. Technology has evolved to the point that we don't need them anymore and they are terrified that people will find that out. When they do, and its starts to explode there will be putting the genie back into the bottle. The beginning of the end has come, its Judgement Day for the RIAA.
Michael "TheZorch" Haney
thezorch@gmail.com
http://thezorch.googlepages.com/home
Take a look at peercast as well.
And while you are at it, you may as well check freecast.
http://www.peercast.org/
http://www.freecast.org/
I have used peercast for years. I am still meaning to try freecast. One of the people involved in freecast hangs out in the #rivendell channel on freenode if you have any questions for him.
all the best,
drew
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/111123
A link to "Tings" the first draft of a novel I wrote in November 05 and put under a CC BY-SA licence. (think copyleft)
FreeMusicPush If you want to see more Free Music made, listen to Free
While I'm not sure why this is news and sort of hope she paid someone for the plug -
/.
In meatspace there is the element of risk. Performance comes in real time like sports. If you blow it in the first 10 minutes, you have 45 to get them back. The audience feels the risk and likes it. This is why playing to a prerecorded track inevitably is duller - I call it the hidden hand of the master. They want to see you on a limb, if they know the limb can break, even better.
This is no different than posting to youtube and linking to your myspace page except somehow it made
Physics is like sex: sure, it may give some practical results, but that's not why we do it.
Also, the frame rate appeared to be pretty good and decent image quality - compare to watching paint dry webcam - gotta be a decent webcam - anyone know what is being used.
Hulk SMASH Celiac Disease
welcome to the wonderful world of autism? ;-)
That'd make the attendance really rise.
of the music business.
Now, if only John Hughes, the manager of my favorite band, The Corrs, would get over his Net phobia about downloads and get with the program.
Their Web site is inadequate, they don't stream video, they don't record video of their concerts, they're seriously fucking up. I could probably get them another million album sales in the US if they'd get their act together vis-a-vis the Net.
Richard Steven Hack - This sig is TOO GODDAMN SHORT TO DO ANYTHING USEFUL WITH! MORONS!
The fact that English speaking singers based anywhere in the world can take advantage of this kind of service or publicity, makes it similarly accesible to any other language speakers. Take for example this guy http://myspace.com/antonioguzman Latin, Spanish singer, just beginning his way in the music business, will he also be able to reach as many people as Sandi Thom? Just time can tell.
This reminds me of the time when bands were experimenting with slide shows (pre-automation) run by a 'stealth' band member alla early Human League to give a multimedia edge to their presentation.
Hellooooo Redmond!
A live concert is about travelling to a venue with a few friends, having a beer or two and enjoying the music and the ambience in the concert hall. It's about believing that when you shout "More" at the end of the concert, the artiste(s) come back out for an encore or two based on how loud everyone shouts.
So by all means go ahead and plant yourself in front of a webcam in a little sterile room somewhere that's completely isolated from the people who buy your music and pay your wages - just don' expect me to pay for it, or even to watch it...
Gentoo Linux - another day, another USE flag.
pulling audiences of over 260K people without the help of radio airplay or any other record company promo, I doubt the band is really going to miss you.
Tech Public Policy stuff
That sounds like they're either economically viable or will be real soon now using an all-Internet business model... this is proof of concept. They've managed the "fastest selling debut album of all time".
That's news.
Most of us have been saying for years that we'd have a breakout album from an unknown without the help of an record industry label sooner or later. Well, this is now, and the beginning of the end for the record industry as we know it. Even if the band signs up with a label, the word is now out there that one can be an economically viable popular musician without the help of a record industry which is now trying to protect itself by trying to stop technology which might be used to make competing products.
If you can't figure out why that's news... you must be new here.
Tech Public Policy stuff
Einstuerzende Neubauten has been using its supporters base to help them produce 2 albums already, and they are in their third round now.
Basically, by prepaying for the album, you get access to webcasts of the band rehearsing, live chat during the rehearsals, a monthly download, an exclusive live concert and access to the band's opinion.
The model is apparently viable with 2000 or more supporters, hence it doesn't need a big marketing hype to produce high quality music.
>Most of us have been saying for years that we'd have a breakout album from an unknown without the help of an record industry label
Does the phrase Dave Mathiews Band ring a bell? Old enough to remember NWA? (first record) Drunk enough to know Black 47? All bands that got deals later.
Pulling over 260k people. To a show? No, to a webcast.
>her live audiences usually total about 200 when she plays in clubs around Britain.
--
>That sounds like they're either economically viable or will be real soon now using an all-Internet business model... this is proof of concept. They've managed the "fastest selling debut album of all time".
You RTFA - that's the Arctic Monkeys, who are from the same general part of the world and released their music off a myspace page. This article wasn't about the Arctic Monkeys. There's a band that predates the Arctic Monkeys with the successful myspace release (can't remember the story - hooked up with Fallout Boy)
>If you can't figure out why that's news... you must be new here.
Well I did actually read the article so I have some catching up to do.
Physics is like sex: sure, it may give some practical results, but that's not why we do it.
which thick headed, humour deprived soul modded this 'Insightful' ?!
62 k 'viewers'?
That's 61 k guys searching 'girl webcam' and tuning in until they realize where it's going. And her 65 friends.
You could always try...
1. Giving away good bitrate copies of albums (people will just rip them anyways)
2. Sell your music on records / LPs / vinyl. There are alot of people willing to shell out $ for some wax. The album artwork is so much better at 12"x12", too.
3. Point out to fans on your site that this is your career, and since you're a starving artist letting your music echo through the ether, they can feel free to toss some donations into the proverbial case
evil.provider.net could also opt to charge a flat fee on the assumption that a typical high-volume multicast might easily reach 10,000+ people.
A third option would be to have the multicast stream start at the ISP, with the broadcaster unicasting to a multicast reflector. The stream would then be encrypted, and decryption keys would be provided on request or at a nominal charge.
It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)