Concert List

Online Music Services For Different Type Of Listener-Every music listerner has different needs. What are yours?
There are online music services – from the casual pop lover to the audiobook listener. Which one would you choose?

Some quick Tips:

Mac user or PC user?

Any products by Apple, including the iPod line, are usually solely compatible with the iTunes Music Store, which is available on both Macs and PCs.
Other devices with the “Plays for Sure” logo work well with Windows Media Player – based download services and are PC-only. Check your favorite devices for compatibility before you buy. Like Apple, Sony players will only work with the Sony Connect music service.

iTunes Music Store:

Home of the 99-cent download, the iTunes Music Store (ITMS) features over 1 million songs. Entire albums are available for download but the ITMS only supports iPod devices. The system allows you to burn your tracks to CD for low-tech consumption. Most major labels are represented and ITMS tends to get newer music even before some of the other major players. A partnership with Audible.com also allows you to download audiobooks, allowing you to while away the road miles with a good book.

MusicMatch:

MusicMatch’s On Demand subscription service makes this system stand out. Instead of purchasing individual songs, you pay $5.95 to listen to a selection of songs for a certain period of time. Once you cancel your subscription, however, the music disappears. MusicMatch also offers 99-cent tracks. A special music suggestion engine makes short work of figuring out what you’d like to listen to next.

eMusic:

eMusic is a pioneering MP3 service that offers a number of downloads for a set price. The most expensive offer, for example, costs $19.99 and entitles you to 90 song downloads per month. The tracks will play on any MP3 player in the world and are completely unprotected by any digital rights management. The music is skewed towards the alternative and unknowns but there are thousands of gems in eMusic’s extensive library, from the Pixies to Bloc Party.

Napster:

The original music service has gone legit. Individual tracks are 99 cents and Napster To Go offers unlimited downloads to any MP3 player for $14.95. The To Go service, like MusicMatch’s service, expires once your subscription lapses. You can only burn purchased tracks to CDs, but the catalog is wide and Napster features all of the latest from artists in all genres.

Rhapsody:

Rhapsody offers free downloadable music in trial mode as well as a $9.95 all-you-can eat subscription with 99-cent downloads and Rhapsody To Go which allows you to download content to your MP3 player. Like other Microsoft DRM-based services, music you didn’t pay for is erased when your subscription lapses.

Sony Connect:

Similar to the iTunes Music Store, Sony’s store will only work with Sony players, which use the proprietary ATRAC format for music files. But one of those players is the very hot Play Station Portable game, video and music device. Sony’s store includes music from all the major labels, not just the Sony catalog. Like other music stores you can also burn downloaded music to CDs.

MSN:

A latecomer to the party, the MSN Music Store supports Microsoft’s Janus DRM system, which is bundled with most copies of Windows. Tracks are 99 cents and the service is compatible with most non-Apple MP3 players. Major labels are well represented, but the featured music skews towards less alternative acts.

Online Music Surging-I enjoy downloading music to my computer and portable digital music player. In fact, I cannot remember the last time I was at a music retailer. I’m a convert. I prefer listening to music samples on the Internet and buying only the songs that I want and not wanting to buy an entire disc where I may like only a few song tracks. This is the reason why iPods from Apple Computer Inc. (AAPL) have grown exponentially in popularity to the current cult status. A friend of mine received a 30GB iPod for Christmas and trust me you have never seen someone so excited.

A 30GB iPod can hold up to 7,500 CD quality songs. That is impressive. Apple is a trendsetter in my estimation. From its MAC to the iPod, CEO Steve Jobs has a keen knack for trends. These portable music devices have so much memory because he probably expects a massive shift to CD burning and downloadable music. Apple’s iTunes Music Store is booming.

Just last week, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry released its research into the digital music industry and the results were not a surprise. Just like how online DVD movies have dominated the video rental market, dominated by Netflix Inc. (NFLX), and pushing incumbent Blockbuster Inc. (BBI) to the sidelines, the exponential growth of the online music business has been on an explosive upward path.

According to the research, sales of digital music globally increased by over 300% in 2005 to $1.1 billion. The research said digital music accounts for about 6% of total music sales, up from very little two years back.

The competition in the industry is fierce and expected to ramp up going forward. This could lead to consolidation in the industry down the road and result in lower prices. We could see the bigger and more established players taking out the smaller up and comers.

Besides Apple, there are a slew of online music sites. Probably the most well known is Napster Inc. (NAPS). Napster reported it has over 500,000 subscribers but has yet to turn a profit and is not expected for the time being. But the company has minimal debt and a whopping $128 million or $2.91 per share in cash. Given that the current share price is 3.08, this implies you are paying a mere $0.17 for the company’s asset and potential. This is pretty good and enticing for speculators, but then Napster must deliver profits. Napster could be the dark horse in the digital music business.

In addition to Apple and Napster, there is also the growing Rhapsody music service from RealNetworks Inc. (RNWK) and Yahoo Music from Yahoo Inc. (YHOO).

Mounting Popularity of Online Music-Shakespeare said “ He who hath no music in him is fit for treasons and spoils.” True indeed, many generations have passed since the great writer wrote these words, but its passing influence has not seem to fade away till now, even at the threshold of the 21st century. The present music industry is thriving and is making progress in leaps and bounds. There are a number of genres of music today, which would be alien to the great Shakespeare himself. Nevertheless, the music has outshone all the other passions and people from all the generations are going gaga over it.

The online music too has made it presence felt in the contemporary times. A plethora of online music sites are catering to the needs of the users by giving them free online music downloads, or their favourite music CD at the CD store. So the consumer can directly go to any of the music websites and get the music of their choice.

Apart from the increase in the music business, there are various other advantages of the online music that have also been observed. Like ‘not so popular’ songs are also revived by these websites and they also become popular with this medium. Often, there are various songs that we have hardly seen on TV but we love it just by mere listening it from the Internet. In this way, the music is advertised and made popular with the netizens. This ends up in the increase in the sale of the music.

Also, Internet has also made the lyrics of the various songs available to the masses, that makes them more drawn to their favourite songs, with the knowledge of their accurate lyrics. Also, there are some websites that solely deal with playing your favourite song and no downloading it. And there are certain softwares that allow you to transfer your choicest numbers into your MP3 player or mobile phone, giving a mobility to your music.

Thus, online music has indeed paved the way to the popularity of music.

Traveling With Music-All true music lovers will know that access to music is not a luxury but a necessity. When you travel, the availability of your favorite songs become even more important. Like food and water, music becomes a need. Regardless of the way in which you travel, music always adds value and enjoyment to your trip. You can be traveling by bus, train, car or motorbike in your own country – with the right music, it is always better.

On a foreign visit, the presence of music enriches your travels even more. Listening to familiar music while discovering exciting new places transform the experience into something magical. Songs that you might have listened to hundreds of times before add beauty and unique memories to a vacation. They become the soundtrack of your trip. After the holiday, you listen to the same songs again. Immediately it carries you back to the scene where you had listened to the music while traveling. You experience the place again and remember what you had seen, whom you had met, what you were talking about and how you felt. The music gave your journey meaning.

One of the biggest mistakes I made during my first trip abroad was not to take music with me. Even in those days, at the end of ’92, flights from South Africa to Europe were not cheap. I borrowed an old backpack from a friend. Maybe ‘ancient’ is a better word to use, since the pack still had a frame on the outside. However, budget limitations did not allow me to buy a fancy and light new rucksack. My flight was scheduled to leave Johannesburg International Airport on 25 November. It meant that I would arrive in England at the same time the season would finally don the cold coat of late autumn. That knowledge motivated me to buy a new sleeping bag. I decided to use my old hiking boots since the little bit of money I had left I wanted to keep for surviving the European winter. Knowing that my trip would only be for three months I reasoned that I would not need music. If only I had listened to my heart and not my mind. However, once again, the shortage of money did not allow me the luxury of buying a new Walkman.

Not long after the start of my trip, I realized what a mistake I had made to leave my music at home. I coped without music for six weeks. How I lasted that long still remains a mystery to me. Then, in Gdansk in Poland, I could no longer ignore the need for music. I bought a small portable radio and tape player. Tapes were cheap. I stocked up on a dozen tapes, from U2 and Marillion to the Doors and the Rolling Stones. Even though the quality of the radio’s one speaker was poor, it sounded like the best hi-fidelity sound I had heard up to that point in my life.

I did learn my lesson during that trip. Since then I have never traveled without music. I have also promised myself that I never will. Moreover, today, as opposed to those days, you do not need much space to take music with you wherever you go. With mp3 players, you can take all your favorite albums along. You can even make your own compilations and have your personal soundtrack ready for the journey. So, don’t wait, just go.

Keep Music Live-Music is a serious subject. Good music has a hardwired direct line to our souls. Music can bypass the analytical aspects of our humanity and dig deep right into the emotional core of our very being. Live music is even more powerful. Live music is the creative expression of the soul made manifest. This is a precious luxury that makes people feel valued and valuable. It makes us feel human. Also, it is fun to dance to.

Here are some really great reasons for booking live acts when you next organise a social event such as a wedding or party.

Live acts are more interesting than recorded music. The truth is that no matter how good a musical recording may be, every time you play it you will hear exactly the same thing. Music is so complex and subtle, that only ever hearing the same version of a song is limiting to the listener. But when a live band play a song, they play it slightly differently each time they perform. The result is tension, excitement and the frisson that the ‘unknown’ creates for the listener. These are more versatile. While these days DJs carry thousands of songs on digital discs, only live musicians can alter the mood in the room, second by second, in response to the audience reaction.

Live music is more inclusive. People can feel much more a part of a live music event than is possible when listening to recorded music. The interactions between band members and audience are far more versatile and inclusive. It is generally better for the economy. Yes, it is. When we buy a CD the money goes to multinational record companies who take their cut. When you hire a local band, the money we spend on them is far more likely to stay in the community.

“Sometimes you might find you get what you need” sang Mick Jagger and while you might want to hear a particular song RIGHT NOW, the band might not know it. This is true, but the band are experienced at finding the right song to play depending on the audience mood and reaction. So let the band lead you from the safe and pedestrian to new pastures of pleasure.

Whether it’s your wedding, party, corporate event or special occasion, After Dark Entertainments have the entertainment for you.

Setting It To Music-I know some people like to write while their favourite music is playing, and others prefer silence. I’m a silence person myself but there are special cases.

For example, if the kids are home and making a racket, music through headphones is a great way to isolate myself for an hour or two. I don’t mean I wander round the house 24/7 in a musical daze, but if I need a couple of quiet hours of writing time to finish off my word count this is the way to get it.

Second, if I’m writing an important scene I find the right music can really help to set my own mood, and therefore the mood of the piece I’m writing.

And that’s really the reason for this blog post.

You see, although you might listen to music while writing, how carefully do you select the pieces? I use my own yPlay software which allows 100 named playlists, but anything else with similar features should do. And here’s what you need: a playlist for each mood and style of writing. Have a Romance playlist with gentle love songs, an Action playlist with heavy drumming and wild electric guitars, perhaps a Classical playlist for a bit of culture – something to listen to while you’re writing about a visit to a posh hotel or restaurant, forexample.

What you don’t want to do is have one playlist with all your faves mixed up. It’s very hard to write a touching romantic scene when heavy metal is hammering your ears one minute and Cliff Richard is going on about his walking talking doll the next.

Live Music!-”Live music.” That common saying may contain some truth, but these days the word “live” is having less and less to do with music. For many people, a dj is their form of live music. Despite what dj’s would like to have you believe, musicians make excellent entertainment.

In the first place, people enjoy human performance. Many musicians like great athletes are multi-talented. They will croon on the tenor saxophone right to your soul, then turn around and chunk out a funky rhythm on a Fender Stratocaster. Can a dj play a turntable behind his head or with his teeth? Professional musicians love to sing and groove on just about any style of music from a Frank Sinatra to Outkast. They especially enjoy playing when the audience is responding to their performance.

In the second place, musicians are students of the arts. Musicians do not merely “push buttons.” They’ve had years of practice in their homes, and they do their thing on stage. Unlike dj’s musicians do not try to sing over or add other loud or strange noises to program music. Once a song starts it flows to the end and in the unfortunate event of a power shortage musicians can continue to entertain acoustically until power is restored. Even non-professional musicians usually understand “the show must go on” concept.

Lastly, one of the most attractive features of bands as entertainment is the affinity between them and their audience. Watching a great drummer is never boring because they’re constantly moving…feeling. An animated solo violinist playing an old wooden Stradivarius violin has a much greater chance of reaching into your soul and stirring your emotions than a dj with an array of magnetic speakers and digital amplifiers no matter how great his system sounds. It’s an apple trying to be an orange. It’s the difference between human blood and electricity.

Contrary to popular opinion, bands can be affordable. Just like with a dj, finding a band well in advance and securing them with a low down payment, the price can be negotiated to avoid costly or inadequate entertainment. Bands will even throw in a free cocktail hour or an extra half hour at the end to secure a date! Many bands are now offering “dj time.” This is when the musician hat comes off and the dj hat is put on to play the Techno, House, Hip-Hop, etc…Genres of today. People who have small parties should appreciate these characteristics of bands. However, many people who have large parties opt to have bands because they love the musician personality. In many ways, musicians are the ideal entertainers.

Online Music – Let’s Groove!-If music is food for life, then let it play on and on and on….. I hope all the music lovers would love to listen to these lines time and again. Music has proved to be a mediator between the spiritual and sensual life. For a music addict, it is beautiful and soothing. Today, the craze of music is on an extreme. There are numerous websites that offers downloads for free. One can find the latest and the most happening music, playing online. From the Beetles to Bon Jovi, it’s all about soothing your senses. There are so many online stores that provide your favorite music over Internet, with a nominal charge or at times totally free.

One can listen to their favorite music over the World Wide Web whenever and wherever. There are so many music stores, which lead you to your favorite music junction, where not only can you listen to them, you can even download it. Very often we download our favorite music via Internet. One can also listen to his favorite collection over an store, which sells audio files, usually music, on a per-song and/or subscription basis. For this you need to become a member. Once you become the member of the site, you are entitled for free downloads. Like it’s said “there are two sides of the same coin” so is the case with online music. Piracy is becoming a major concern these days. You can get the music online even before it is released. Though, keeping a tab seems difficult, the manufacturers are trying different hard to put a check on piracy. A more recent development allows the instant downloading of radio-songs, as they are broad casted, straight to a mobile phone in less than 60 seconds. This technical innovation from Sweden, called DROPme, represents a different channel and consumer behaviour relative to the online services.

One benefit of music is that you don’t have to go shopping looking for your favourite music. With the advent of the Internet, life has become easy and convenient. You just have to browse the music sites to get your favourite number right on your desktop. Online shopping has given lovers a whole new experience of listening to music. One can also buy CD/DVDs online, which will be delivered right at our doorstep.

Well, if you think that you do not need the complete collection and want to listen just few songs out of many, then you can download and store the songs for future as well. For this, at times you need to be a member. Centralized repository of it makes it easier to find the songs you want. Online music has their own niche of people. From children to adults, everyone can get involved. Like it’s said “If its music on your mind it has to be online”

Information About Music Online-Using the internet to find music you like to listen to and build your music collection in any style of music is an easy and affordable way to add to your music library as you can easily burn your own CD’s or download mp3’s to your iPod or other music player. It is also a great way to find out about current and new artists, new album and single releases, get free lyrics and find free music downloads. The popular free iTunes software and music library allows you to create your own music library, find TV shows, podcasts and get free music downloads and for only $0.99 a song download you cannot really go wrong. Plus there are a lot of websites online where you can find free music videos and mp3 downloads like YouTube, MySpace, Rawkus, CDBaby, Soundclick and so many others.

What does this mean for the future of music? With the everyday consumer buying on average 2 new music albums a month this could have an effect on the music industry but most shops like Virgin, HMV and other well known music retail shops also have online websites which offer even more discounts and sometimes a music community so the music lovers using the internet can only boost music sales.

The internet is also a good place for independent artists without a major record label to upload and promote their music. There are a lot of independent music websites where you can create your own profile, update fans with your news and even sell your own music. The royalty companies like ASCAP, PRS, Harry Fox and BMI also have internet music licenses you can get so that you receive royalties and commissions for all music plays on internet radio stations, and for any music downloads and mp3 or CD sales.

You can even make your own music by buying and downloading music production and creation software you find online to your PC or laptop and if you have a good sound card and microphone you can make and record your own music and beats very easily. In fact, you can find hundreds of free loops and backing tracks you can download and even license for commercial use making it easy for the music producer and songwriter to make their own music.

And if you want to learn about music, study an instrument or get advice on the music industry you can do a search on the internet and find so much free and useful information in articles and on music websites and blogs.

Does this take away the traditional way of making and playing music for the musician? Some think so but you can look at it like this; the internet has opened up the whole globe to us and you can make good music contacts from all over the world and build your own worldwide fan base just by promoting your music online. Music you may never have even heard of has become easily available and the whole music scene and industry has benefited and grown because of internet and satellite communications.

You can see then that using the internet connects music lovers around the world and Cyber Technology has made it easier for the songwriter and musician to create and record their own music. Plus it opens doors for the independent music artist and also increases exposure for major record label artists so that they can build their fan base and sell more of their music.

Online Music – Choice of Youth-They say that music never betrays the heart that loves it. True indeed, music has always made our lives better and it has soothed our senses since time immemorial. The 21st century has seen a revolution in the form of computers that have proved to be instrumental in making our lives better and much convenient as compared to the others. And most definitely it has changed the way you listen to your music.

Contemporary times have witnessed a tremendous upsurge in the Internet marketing which has made music really popular amongst the music freaks all around the world. The users can now listen to the music through the Internet. There are several websites that deal with providing the online music to the music lovers. With an increase in the stiff competition and many players going online, several lucrative offers have cropped up in the recent past. Now the user is free to download the music of his choice, from a particular website, which is purely legalised. So, all of your famous and lesser known tracks are getting revamped in the online arena. All you have to do is to download them at the earliest.

Remember all those overtly insignificant songs that were once anthems for you? If you think that those have been withered away in an eternal limbo, you can easily find all of them lingering in the cyberspace. It certainly ejaculates our senses, even to think about discovering those long lost tracks. In fact, the Internet has particularly been helpful in reviving all the long lost numbers, back in action and going popular all over again.

You could easily download these tracks into your mobile phones and MP3 music players and listen to them whenever you feel like. So, you could easily pep up your life with the music of your choice. Secondly, these websites also give you a lot of exciting offers and cashbacks for your downloads. Therefore it adds on to the profitability of your deals and makes them look more attractive.

So, don’t miss your chance of finding the best online music… because the Internet is surely going to make you find your kind of music!