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www.BlankTV.com – The White Stripes – “Fell in Love with a Girl” -Like this video? Come see thousands more at the Net’s biggest, uncensored, completely diy punk, hardcore, indie and alternative music video site, BlankTV.com! We’ve got News, Games, Contests and the stuff that we can’t show on YouTube! Free! Uncensored! Retarded! BlankTV.com! Director: Michel Gondry

Throughout the history of modern music, there hasn’t been a musical artist/band who doesn’t think that their songs are all #1 hits just waiting to be discovered. Many of these artists have been correct and have stood by grinning as their tunes screeched up the charts. This inspires a new crop of musicians every year to feverishly pen their potential hits in hopes of making it big.

Musicians write. They rehearse. They play clubs and hope that one day they’ll encounter that special A&R guy (or gal) that will, see them, dig them, sign them, and make them stars. But surprisingly enough, many of these bands never complete what is probably the most important tool for any musician signed or unsigned…they never record a CD.

It cannot be stressed enough that the CD is at the heart of any musical project. It is the physical embodiment of the song, the combination of writing and performing. It’s any musician’s skeleton key for: club gigs, reviews, and radio play. CDs enable you to draw the attention of fans and industry at the same time. Whether containing one song or twenty, the possibilities of the unsigned artist’s CD are endless. Post them on the web. Get them to the press. Give them to your friends. Sell them at your shows. Send them to the record labels. Your CD lets the world know who you are and what you sound like and gives anyone who digs your music the opportunity to listen to it again and again.

So, how can you make sure that you’re CD does your music justice while appealing to fans and industry alike? While there is not one set way to record a CD, there are certain key elements that every professional CD should possess.

The following are a few tips that may help you to make sure that your CD will help your band instead of hindering it:

1.) It’s Not The Size, It’s What You Do With It—It doesn’t matter how long your CD is, only that it accurately portrays your sound and vibe. If you don’t have a lot of time or money to spend in the studio then record for quality instead of quantity. It’s better to have one really kick ass tune recorded then a full length CD that sounds like it was recorded on a boom box in your basement. But that doesn’t mean that your CD needs to be expensive or time consuming. The advanced technology of digital recordings has afforded musicians/bands the opportunity to record in smaller home studios and still come away with professional sounding recordings. It’s now all about finding an engineer with a fantastic ear and the mastery of his/her own gear regardless of how inexpensive it may be.

2.) Record And Mix For The Song—Remember a song is a collaboration. Even if you’re the sole musician and engineer of your CD, recording a song is still an ensemble project. Instruments, voices and effects must all work together as a team to produce the best possible finished project. If a guitar line is too busy, a kick drive is too loud, or a voice is perpetually off key, the overall quality of the finished product is compromised. There is a delicate balance of creativity and technology, of art and electronics that comes together to produce the wonder that is your CD. Treat that balance with respect. Put your ego aside and record with the songs as your absolute priority.

3.) Less Talk And More Action—Certainly there is a great deal of preparation that is required before recording. Mapping out the arrangements of your tunes can be an arduous process usually much more complicated than the live performance of the song. One guitar part becomes three, or five or ten, a basic drum part now includes percussion and electronic beats, two backing tracks can become twenty. Sometimes you feel as if your brain will certainly explode from the mapping out of all of the musical and vocal parts required to give your song a professionally recorded sound. But don’t get so lost in the charting and practicing of various parts and forget that time is of the essence here. It’s all well and good to tell those who inquire that you’re “in the studio” or “currently recording” but if a CD does not materialize in a reasonable amount of time both fans and industry will grow disinterested and move on to someone who has a finished product.

4.) If It Sounds Good, Make It Look Good—After the time and energy you’ve spent to make your CD sound amazing, don’t scribble on it with a blunt sharpie, throw it in a used envelope and expect a record label to be impressed with it. If your CD looks unprofessional, it will be dismissed as such and will probably spend its days unlistened to, lining the bottom of some A&R intern’s birdcage. Simple packaging is certainly acceptable but make sure your CD’s first impression a good one…your graphics are high quality, your text is neat, your paper stock is professional and all materials are unused. Even the most poorly recorded CD will get a listen, if it comes in a pretty package.

Now that you have a professional CD recorded, your possibilities are endless. Send it to anyone and everyone! Get your name out there! Make new fans! Grab some press! Get a record deal! Stand back and grin as your single goes screaming up the charts. Anything is possible if you have a good CD and can share your music with the world.

Facebook.com – Become a Fan! Twitter.com – Follow Us! You should get all shook up, Elvis! Because Glee just broke a record of yours. Stay tuned for the deets! Hi Gleeks! I’m Dana Ward at our studio. Thanks for coming back to ClevverTV, and thanks for purchasing all of those Glee songs. Seriously, it’s thanks to show fans who are responsible for putting the McKinley High kids and crew in a number one Billboard spot. Glee has broken the record for most tracks on the Billboard Hot 100 list EVER. Well, at least since the chart’s start 52 years ago. That’s right, Elvis held the record for a long time with 108 songs on the list, but then Glee since its Billboard debut about a year and a half ago has overrun King of Rock n’ Roll with an impressive 113 songs on the Hot 100 chart as of right now. Of course, we can only guess how many more songs will make it onto the list since Glee is, without a doubt, still going very strong. That’s the latest from the Gleek camp. I’m Dana Ward in Hollywood reminding you to hit us up at Facebook.com/clevvertv, click LIKE and then get all of the details you need to know about all of your fave tv shows. See you later, bye!

The ultimate goal of most musicians who use MySpace is to attract a record label. Earning a contract to record an album can be a musician way into the music business. But what can you do to attract record labels? Creating a profile page and uploading music is a good start, but by no means is it the end of your marketing efforts. Below you will find a few tips on attracting a record label and getting them to take notice of your talent.

Tip#1: Upload a Variety of Songs

Just because you have to list the genre of music you perform does not mean you have to upload songs that only reflect that genre! Show record labels and fans that you have other musical interests by uploading songs that are different from one another. This will show your range, ability to attract fans from other genres, which increases your marketability, and prove to record labels you are worth investing in.

Tip#2: Fuel the Fan Fires

Record labels conduct searches on MySpace everyday looking for talented musicians. One way to get them to stop on your profile page is by showing them you have a strong fan base. The more people who visit your site, the more popular your page becomes on MySpace. Use the marketing tools available in order to gain fan interest.

Record labels want to sign those who are already experienced in working crowds during shows and who have a strong online presence because it makes promoting the music much easier. Having a strong fan base will make selling records and make promoting concert tours and other public appearances much easier.

Create a buzz on MySpace by attracting more fans to your page. Join MySpace forums, list upcoming events, and advertise your page on fliers, business cards, and other marketing materials as this will prompt fans who have seen your live shows to visit and download your songs.

Tip#3: Contacting Record Labels

Finding information about record labels is easy because of the internet. Instead of sending a copy of your latest CD or a few of your tunes, you can send record labels the link to your MySpace profile page. Music executives will appreciate this much more than strange pieces of mail showing up at their offices. Sending a quick email with your contact information may be enough to get you noticed. Research record companies to see which ones cater to your genre, and which ones accept email from musicians.

Tip#4: Selling Your Album on MySpace

If you release an album on your own, sell it on MySpace in order to generate buzz and also catch the attention of record labels. Being able to show record labels that you are a professional musician who is passionate about music will set you apart from the rest.

Attracting record labels will require you to remain diligent about marketing your music on MySpace. Uploading songs, using marketing tools such as blogs, video, and photos will help record labels get a better idea of what your sound. Use these marketing tools and others offered on MySpace go showcase your musical talents.

There are varying opinions about how much money (if any) a person or group can earn by starting an independent record label. The truth is that there is real money to be made, but you definitely earn it through hard work. Believe it or not, sometimes the artist ends up making more money through a small indie label than he or she would signing with one of the “big boys.” Now, that’s what we like to hear!

It’s true that the return on investment can be higher for an independently released album than for one that goes through the more traditional channels. The explanation for this revolves around the amount of money spent to get the album into circulation. Plus, indie labels are more likely to work equally for all of their artists. The bigger labels choose which artists to back with the most support. This is a bit of a catch-22, though, because the more money they spend promoting the music, the more sales have to be made to break even. The artist won’t see any money until those costs are recouped.

The independent record label is going to spend a lot less when promoting their artists, which may seem unfortunate, but they also have to sell significantly less copies before they start making a profit. If the indie label spends $1,500 producing and distributing an album, they only need to sell 100 copies at $15.00 each before they start profiting. On the other hand, if a larger label spent $30,000 promoting an album, they would need to sell 2,000 copies before breaking even. You may also be able to offer the artist a higher royalty rate, too, as the overhead expenses for your business are probably much smaller than those of a big label.

Because the small, independent labels have less funds to contribute to promotion, they often become masters at finding free and low-cost ways to do the job. Of course, one of the first orders of business is to create a web site so fans can order the music online or purchase any merchandise that may be promoting an artist or the label. Including that address on every item sold ensures that anyone who listens to someone else’s copy of a CD has the information they need to go online and buy one themselves. Live performances are also a great way to make sales. Often the band manager or even the artists themselves will set up a table at performances and sell copies of the CD. It’s even possible to set up CD signings at local music stores.

While these methods for selling albums aren’t as glamorous as cardboard cut-outs of the artist at the local music store franchise, they are necessary for the indie label. An event that leads to 20 CDs sold can add up to more money for the artist than having 1,000 sold through a huge record label. Remember that anything sold after recouping the original investment is pure profit!

Do you love music and aspire to start your own independent record label? If so, there are several things to consider, and we’re going to lay them out simply. There are definite steps that need to be taken during the planning phase to ensure that your indie label is a success. You will need to consider the who, what, where, when, why and how of starting your label.

Who:
It is not impossible for one person to start an indie label alone. In fact, it’s been done quite successfully. However, you need to take the time to decide if that is the route you want to take. Perhaps you are thinking of creating a partnership with someone who shares your passion. If that’s the case, take some time to figure out what roles each of you will play. Finally, you may decide to have various professionals and paraprofessionals involved. Plan how you will find and keep those people.

What:
Spend some time determining exactly what it is that you would like to create. For example, one of the most important choices you will need to make regards the type of music you want to promote. While it may seem easier to just take whatever comes along that sounds good to you, it is in fact very important to choose a genre and stick with it. Your label will be taken more seriously, and you won’t split your focus.

Where:
The “headquarters” of indie labels are about as varied as the people who run them. Make an assessment of what you have available. Are you planning to package and mail materials at your kitchen table, or do you have an office space lined up? Even your city might be a consideration. There’s a reason so many country labels are located in Nashville. With access to the internet, some of these issues are easier to address than they were in the past. You can have a virtual “store” online, although you still need to plan for the physical part of the job.

When:
When do you plan to get started? Do you need to save enough money to get the ball rolling? If so, set a deadline for yourself and work as hard as you can to reach it. If other people are involved (partners, investors, etc.) check with them to make sure everyone is on the same page about the timeline.

Why:
Decide what is important to you in this venture. Are you simply interested in promoting your own music, or do you plan to represent other artists? Some people choose to start their own labels in order to share good music with the world, while others see it as an opportunity to make a living doing something they love. This can also help you determine how much time and effort you are willing to devote to the enterprise.

How:
Well, that’s the big question, isn’t it? I hope that reading through these suggestions gives you a little better idea on how to go about starting your own indie label. The key here is to really think it through beforehand so that you are prepared for what needs to be done.

Knowing who will be involved, what you want to create, where you’ll be located, when to get started and why you’re doing it at all are the first steps to creating an independent record label that can sustain itself – and maybe even you along with it. Take these how-to steps and put them to work for you.

AOL Radio offers 350+ Music station, Talk, News and Sports. AOL Radio music includes Classical, Comedy, Country, Hip-hop/Rap, Jazz, Kids, Pop, Rock, World /international music and so on. Have you ever came across some appealing music here? Do you want to record streaming music from AOL radio station? Due to the stream audio, we can not save the radio music to our PC directly.

Wondershare Streaming Audio Recorder is brand new application to record AOL radio music. Record AOL radio music in real time and save as MP3, WMA, WAV, AC3, M4A, AAC, OGG, APE, which are compatible with your iPod, iPhone, PSP, Apple TV, Zune, Pocket PC, etc. Record AOL radio music and enjoy AOL radio music offline.

How to record music from AOL radio station ?It is very easy. Step by step instructon on how to record AOL radio music .

1. Free download and install Wondershare Streaming Audio recorder. It has 15 days full function trail for all user.

2. Launch Streaming Audio recorder. And click “Settings” button to set output music format.Before recording music from AOL radio, you can change the output music format as MP3, WMA, WAV, AC3, M4A, AAC, OGG, APE etc. The default format is MP3.

3.Open Online Radio – Free Internet Radio Stations – AOL Music and select a radio channel which you will record.

And then Click “Record” button and start to record AOL radio music.AOL radio is powered by CBS Radio. It provides many popular, Classical, Comedy music here.4.Click “Track info” button to add ID3 tags to your recorded songs.

Add ID3 tags, you can edit ID3 tags as title, artist, album, genre, etc. to make your own music library as you like. Edit Audio effect, you can customize the output audio effect by adjusting the sample rate, bit rate, and sound channel.

5.Click”Browse” button to check the recorded AOL radio music.

6.Record AOL radio muisc and enjoy anywhere and anytime.

Download the streaming music recorder: http://www.download-streaming-video.com/streaming-audio-recoder/#137

Creating an independent record label can be a dream come true for the right person. Go online and look up “indie record label,” and you will find thousands upon thousands of articles. This means that there are other people out there who share your passion. Of course, it means that there is competition, but most independent labels are narrowly focused, so the majority of other indie labels out there most likely have nothing to do with the genre you choose to pursue.

So, who are these people? Most of the people who start indie labels do so because they truly love the music and want to share it with the largest audience possible. Many of those who get involved in this business are musicians themselves, and they have created a label to produce and distribute their own work. Others are fans of a particular band or type of music and decide to use their enthusiasm to spread the love. It’s not unusual for a small indie label to only have a handful of artists, but others have built relative empires.

With the amazing marketing power provided by the internet, indie labels have a whole new avenue to promote their products. These two enterprises have become incredibly intertwined with the advent of online music dissemination. It is very helpful if the independent record label entrepreneur is computer savvy, as it will speed up most aspects of the business and will make the music available to a much broader audience.

One of the best indicators of who will create a successful record label is the person’s tenacity and stick-to-itiveness. He or she should be willing to do some research so that things are done right the first time. Go online and read up on others’ mistakes and take their advice. There are a lot of “how-to” type articles on the internet. Plan ahead to ensure that your label is setting and reaching its goals. It’s impossible to reach goals that were never created!

Finally, the person who starts an independent label is probably less concerned about making money than in supporting the music. That’s not to say that there is no money to be made in the indie realm, because there certainly is. However, it takes hard work and dedication to see a profit. In general, folks are more interested in sharing their music or helping a band they appreciate. In addition to recording and distributing music, some labels will also help bands tour and may even sell merchandise. Again, here’s an area where being online will be a big help.

So, do you see yourself in this description of an indie label “mogul?” If so, then you may just have what it takes. Spend some time planning for your enterprise. Use online sources to gather as much information as you can, or maybe consider checking out a how-to book (or three). One of the best ways to prepare yourself for this type of venture is to do an internship at another independent record label. You will have the opportunity to see what is required to run the label, and you’ll even get some hands-on training that will be invaluable when you start your own.

In the mid 70s, punk music emerged in the UK as a social and cultural phenomenon. Reflecting the hopelessness of an uncompromisingly modern, young audience with a common revolutionary mentality, punk music articulated political views, opposition and controversy as a response to the over-romanticizing of flower-power rock of the early 70s. Moreover, punk rock music was the means for the colossal social attack on the British monarchy and nationalism. Being exceedingly irritated by the British system and highly-politicized, UK Punk groups influenced a whole generation with their effortlessly contagious outbreak of violence and impassiveness against commercialism and political correctness. 

Promoting nonconformist ground-breaking sounds with minimal instrumentation, anchored by explosive guitar riffs, military drum tempo and chaotic lyrics, punk groups quickly became a massive cultural fact which greatly impacted the young generations. Through punk rock music, young people found a way to express themselves. The Do It Yourself (DIY) ethic was mainly reflected in distinctive clothing, hairstyle and artwork to convey a new radical ethos generated from punk groups. By opposing to the production values of pop music, punk rock soon became something that anyone could do. People did not have to be pretty, neat and trendy in order to perform punk music. The important thing was to be able to get up on stage and play punk rock. 

Soon, the hardcore punk music produced the US punk scene in the East and the West Coast. US punk groups were less controversial than their UK peers, but they satisfied the need of a substantial audience in the States for unusually hard, not easily absorbed and utterly anti-mainstream music. The underground punk movement of the 70s in the United States produced scenes that either evolved from punk or applied its DIY ethics to an utterly dissimilar music, sheltering punk’s legacy in the alternative rock and Indie scenes. 

Indie music is the abbreviation of the term “independent music”, which was used to describe autonomy from commercial record labels and a DIY approach to recording and publishing. Opposed to the definition of commercial record labels, which own their own distribution channels, independent record labels do not rely their financing on international licensing deals and distribution agreements. 

The punk rock era produced a turning point for independent labels and the DIY ethos considering the emergence of a plethora of independent labels. Indie music evolved in the garages of the US and the UK, where young people were figuring out what they really could do with their guitars and electronic equipment. Singing with a pissed-off voice and being focused on the DIY ethic grind that punk music offered, these self-asserted Indie groups transplanted the actions of the proto punk bands into a new kind of music. Separating themselves from their cultural customs through their appearance and music, Indie groups influenced greatly the popular movements of the 70s.

Setting up a page on Facebook, MySpace or any number of other social networking sites can allow your album to be heard and seen by millions. Learn more in this free video series. Expert: Frederick Burchell Bio: Frederick “Ricky B.” Burchell is a rapper/producer. He has had a number one for seven weeks on the Christian Rap Charts and toured the world. Filmmaker: ricky burchell