Acidhedz

Many arguments can be made for how to set up a band’s website. Flash is popular with some bands, it looks cool. Thats fine for a band with a following and money to burn. What about indie bands looking for online popularity?
Myspace is a popular option. After all, it is free. Plus with a little work, you can make a Myspace page look as good as any pro-built page. Problem is that there are probably a few hundred thousand other bands doing the same thing as you.

Here are two fairly inexpensive ways to create a website for your band.

The first is the base for the second. It is cheaper, but has less potential for exposure than the second.

The way to start is to buy a domain name. If you can, get your band name .com. Remember people that hear about you will start looking by typing the groups name into a search engine. If the actual name of the band is unavailable, try adding band to it and see if that works. If you still cant get it, you might have accidentally been using a name someonelse is already using. In that case, you should consider coming up with a new name.

Once you have your domain, start by setting up a Wordpress blog. I have found it to be the best way to set up a new site. It has a lot smoother learning curve, plus search engines love blogs. The basic way to set it up, is having a band bio page, a store, and a catagory for each band member’s posts, a seperate catagory for shows, etc.

If you can only afford one website thats a great place to start.

If you can afford one for the band, and one for each member, there is a more powerful way to do this.

Set up a Blog for the Band. Use that one for the Bio page, Show dates, Events, the Store, member songs, etc. Then set up a blog for each Band member and link all the sites together. The band members can use their blog’s to post about whatever they want, and the main band blog, is used as a business site. Each member can then act to promote both themselves and the band. This helps build a strong fan base, and more rapidly builds site exposure.

As im sure you can see there is vast potential to having your own band Website. If you would like to learn step-by-step how to build and promote your site, check out my free guide.
Step by Step on setting up your bands website using a Wordpress Blog.
Including all the settings, plugins and tricks I use for Better Search Engine Traffic.
Myspace Promotion, Video Promotion, Quick and easy Logo Design, How to get your Site in the Search Engines without ever needing to submit them.
How to explode your traffic using a day by day planner.
All the insider information of getting lasting traffic to your bands site.
Anyone can use this guide!

All this information plus more for only: NOW FREE!!!!!

You can now receive this Guide completely free! Just sign up!
You will be taken to a page with some ads. Ignore those, unless you really want to look at them.
Verify and hit next. You will receive a confirmation Email.
I know its a hassle, but spam is a pain, and I want to cover the angles.
Beside, its free info:)

All you need is 10$ per song and you’re covered for a whole year. There is no better way to start selling your music. Like they say: Sell your Music, Not your soul.

They get you on Itunes, shockhound.com, rhapsody, emusic, lala.com, amazonmp3, napster, amiest, and groupie tunes. All of those site for 10$ a song. You can get whole CD’s up online at a reasonable cost.

AND YOU KEEP ALL YOUR ROYALTIES YOURSELF!

Musician MasterMind:
A Five Month Program That Teaches Musicians How To set up Their Own Website, Set Up A Marketing System And Make Music Sales From Their Website. Ive been using his system for awhile now, and have gotten some good results from it. If you want to get your sounds out there and dont want to get ripped off by corp-rats, this is the way to go. Its rather pricey but this will teach you everything you need to go from 0 to Big Fucking Star.
Musician MasterMind

Self Promotion Resources to Boost your Music Career:
Myspace guide.
201 Self-Promotion Tips For Songwriters, Musicians And Bands On A Budget.
Lots more about getting your music out there to potential fans.
Musician MasterMind is High end, this is Bargain. Dont get me wrong, the tips in here can take you a long way down the road. If you cant afford MasterMind, these guides will let you pick a subject and master it. The Myspace Promo guide is kickass.
Self Promotion Resources

Concert Promotion Guide:
Getting a concert organized can be a big problem if you dont know what youre doing. This book gives you step-by-step how to go about putting your gig together right.
Something every band is going to need. When get the chance to throw a big ass throw down concert the tips in here can save you some major headaches.
Concert Promotion Guide

SonicBids is Ebay for Musicians and Bands. They helped book over 60,000 gigs last year alone.
The way it works is pretty simple. You Put together an Electronic Press Kit (advertising yourself),
then you submit it to promoters looking for your kind of Band (Show). Its membership based, with a 30 day free trial period. There are over 10,000 Promoters in their community. Ive heard some big Corporations use it to find new bands. Personally I would rather avoid the corporations, but if you want to try that road SonicBids Might be able to take you closer than anything else.

Let me start by explaining what a sample is. Technically a sample is any piece of sound. A drum hit, a guitar strum, a bus going down the street and every other noise you can imagine, and some you can’t. These are all samples. You can use them to piece together music of your own.

However I; personally, separate sounds you have bought or recorded yourself, from what is typically thought of as sampling. Probably born from early hip-hop artists, the act of sampling is taking parts of other peoples songs and using them to construct your own. There are several reasons to do this, the most obvious is that if you have no way to make your own songs, sampling lets you get around it. Another reason is that all recordings have a unique character, depending on the instruments used, and where they were recorded. Sampling lets you get a piece of that character.

Near as I can tell, those are the pro’s of sampling other peoples work. The con of sampling; in my opinion, far outweighs the pro’s. It’s copyright infringement. If you want an idea of how that can cause you trouble look up Vanilla Ice, and The Verve. In the case of The verve they had permission to use the sample, but the owner decided they had used too much of it, after the song became a hit (Bittersweet Symphony) of course.
The Verve had a top ten song, and because they used a sample the owner(s) saw an opportunity to get more money, and took it. They won the lawsuit and The Verve never saw a dime of the money from the song. So even if you have permission you can still get fucked over.

This is why I distinguish between anything you buy, or record yourself and Sampling. I just call the first loops, and anything taken from someone else’s song is a sample. For obvious reasons I don’t ever use samples. Unless it’s something in the public domain, and even then I don’t make it available for sale.

So now you know more about sampling and why you might want to do it, but really shouldn’t. There is a whole world of sounds around you to explore, so why risk the potential trouble of a copyright lawsuit.

My latest foray into Ambient Electronica Music. Its a bit spacey and has some elements of trance.

If you enjoy the Video Don’t forget to Stumble, and Digg it!

If you enjoy the Song you can download it; and the rest of the Ambient Anarchy Album, from my online store.

OK listen to the part 4 audio first.

Then Watch the last video. This one is about wrapping up a project.

Ok you’ve got your song done. Now What? Heres a video all about how you finish things up for a track. Acid Music Studio Makes it easy to render (code a track into a file format like Mp3 or wma) a song into the most widely used file formats.

The types I use are .wma (Windows Media Audio file), .Mp3(Most widely used audio file type), .wav (standard file for raw sounds and loops),

Ok you will also see the template selector, this tells you what quality you will end up with:

.wav files are high quality, high diskspace files.

When you convert audio to mp3 or any other low space file type you are cutting out extreme frequencies, and other less hear-able portions of the music. Plus side, they arent super important if you dont mind a little less quality. Down side, if you do the portions of audio removed do affect the way the music sounds and more so, how it feels.

.wav files keep all of that information.

.mp3 files are the best as far as lowering quality vs lowering file size is concerned, at least in mainstream use.

.wma dont work as well as mp3’s but they get the files smaller. That makes them good for websites.

You will also see kbps at 64, 96, 128, 160, 192, 256 and 320. kbps stands for kilobytes per second. Meaning the number is how many kilobytes the file will take up per second of the file. 128 is lower CD quality, anything higher just leaves in more of those bits I was talking about.

Acid Music Studio is nice enough to tell you right next to each one, what kind of quality it is.

Now listen to the finished product.

And there you go, I have walked you through the basics of creating a track.

I have heard that everyone wants to be President, A Music Star or a A movie Star when they grow up, and secretly even movies stars and the president want to be Music Stars. I don’t know if that’s true, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was.

Most people have music in their souls, aside from the rare person that is completely tone deaf. It is the universal language. A way anyone can communicate. I don’t need to speak German to understand Beethoven, his music speaks to me.

I love to make music of my own, and while I don’t think I will ever have the ability to speak the way the great composers did, I still have a voice. That is a wonderful feeling. To be able to make something all on my own, that I can give to anyone form any country and they will hear me. No need for words, just the pure soul and wonder of music.

Is there any wonder why I consider making music to be the greatest hobby?

The best part is that modern software and affordable loops make it obtainable for anyone. If you have a computer, and can afford to spend a months worth of fast food stops, on your software and sound loops, you can make any kind of music you want. It doesn’t matter if the only one that hears it is you. The ability to sit down and make something beautiful is worth the effort it takes.

With a little knowledge and heart you can make music a fruitful and rewarding hobby, even a potential career.

The first time you create a really great groove is a wonderful experience. The beats hot, the bass is hooking you in and you cant stop bobbing your head and tapping your foot. I have found a few general rules for getting that Groove to pop.

First, slower is better. There is something wildly hypnotic about a slow drum beat. You can hear and feel every hit, the sounds drive into your head and don’t want to leave. You start bobbing to the beat, and that’s the heart of a great groove.

Second, simple drum beats work better. The trick is getting a beat that doesn’t get on peoples nerves, but is still simple enough to get stuck in their heads. The reason for this, is that the more complicated the rhythm, the easier it is to forget.

Lets consider the Meme right quick. A Meme is a viral thought. A contagious idea. For me the worst one is ‘Hey, mickey you’re so fine’. Even now I must fight my self to not start playing that song in my head. So you may ask, why do songs like that get stuck in our heads. Simplicity. With ‘Hey mickey’, its the claps. A single; very simple repeating, beat. How about ‘Who let the dogs out’. Again you have a fairly simple beat, but the really infectious part is “WHO LET THE DOGS OUT”, with the 5 barks. Its the rhythm of that part that gets stuck in our heads, and is why most people forget it actually has other lyrics.

The reason Meme’s are important, is that they actually spread. Once you hear the song you will find yourself humming and /or singing it. Other people hear it and start in as well. Even if they’ve never heard it before. Then they need to know what that song is. This is very important to making a song a hit.

Third; and most important, finding the right level of repetition. The key to creating a groove that people will keep with them, seems to be making it almost annoying. Making it repetitious, ALMOST to the point of irritation, without crossing the line.

So if you want to make songs people cant stop thinking about, things to try are an often repeating chorus, a driving beat that almost dominates the song, and using simple rhythms to hook them in.

Ok last time we added in some stuff to make the track sound less repetitive. Now we are rally going to add some color to the track. By using Audio FX you can make or break any track, or make one song into many very different songs. Its all in how you use them. From using Reverb to give a music hall effect or using distortion to “crunch up” some Metal bass, its all effects( FX ).

The way you use the audio effects on a track determines a lot about that track. In Acid Music Studio there is a nice simple set of FX. Depending on how you apply the audio effects can seriously change a song, destroy a song or make it the most bad ass track youve ever made.

Vocals for example.

If you use a little bit of reverb on them it makes it sound as if you are in a large space, like a concert hall with a high ceiling. If you use a lot of reverb it can make it sound as if you are in a small space with close walls, and everthing is wildly echoing around you.

A little bit of Delay can make vocals sound important by creating small amounts of repeating words. Large amounts of Delay can make vocals sound distant and creepy, even ghostly.

Here is some basics on using FX in your songs.

For Guitar try duplicating the track and putting the second at a lower volume, with some distortion on it.

Try the stuttering effect of the Phaser, flange and Wah Wah effects, or the depth enhancement of Chorus.

With Bass use Distortion for that nice crunchy Metal Sound, or a bit of delay to create a haunting melody.

With Keyboards and especially Synthesizers, the skys the limit when using effects. Use your imagination, and never let anyone tell you you cant do it.

Making the track part 3 audio

Please Leave Comments. We always look forward to feedback!

There are two truths you can accept about making music. Nothing sounds bad to everyone, and people always want something new.

This is an important thing to remember.

Why that’s important to your band having a website, is the topic of this article.

When you get signed to a major label they market you, they put you out in front of people. Some will hate you, others will love you. The problem is that the Labels always get their pound of flesh and then some. They will bleed you for every penny you’re worth, then when they’ve used you up, they drop you.

This leaves you with a problem. How do you get the kind of exposure a label can give you, without selling your soul? The simple truth is you cant. Not, as quickly. What you need is a place people all over the world can see you, and more importantly hear you. A website. Your website is a store stocking only your music, a worldwide club where you play, and a meet and greet for your fans, all in one place.

If you have a website, suddenly the whole world becomes your audience. You may not have thought about having a site; of your own, in those terms before. Using services to make your music down loadable, your site becomes a Store for your music. By putting up videos it becomes a club where anyone can see you play. By Blogging about your lives, you let your fans get to know you. They might be half way around the world, but they can go to your website and be close to you.

Never underestimate the power of being able to (potentially) put yourself on every computer on on the web. If your band has a website you will; over time, achieve exposure and fame. And you wont have to give anything up to any corporation.

They get you on Itunes, shockhound.com, rhapsody, emusic, lala.com, amazonmp3, napster, amiest, and groupie tunes. All of those site for 10$ a song. You can get whole CD’s up online at a reasonable cost.

AND YOU KEEP ALL YOUR ROYALTIES YOURSELF!

Free Music and Band Promotion Guide.

Step by Step on setting up your bands website using a Wordpress Blog.
Including all the settings, plugins and tricks I use for Better Search Engine Traffic.
Myspace Promotion, Video Promotion, Quick and easy Logo Design, How to get your Site in the Search Engines without ever needing to submit them.
How to explode your traffic using a day by day planner.
All the insider information of getting lasting traffic to your bands site.
Anyone can use this guide!

All this information plus more for only: NOW FREE!!!!!

You can now receive this Guide completely free! Just sign up!
You will be taken to a page with some ads. Ignore those, unless you really want to look at them.
Verify and hit next. You will receive a confirmation Email.
I know its a hassle, but spam is a pain, and I want to cover the angles.
Beside, its free info:)

Please Leave Comments. We always look forward to feedback!

Ok on the last video we made the track lift and separate. Using pan and volume to break up the “messiness” of the track. Start by listening to the Audio rendering for the first track. You should be able to hear how that little bit of tweaking helped.

Making the track part 2 Audio

Notice how the elements of the track are no longer stumbling over each other to get noticed? By using a little bit of my separation technique in the song you will be able to make any track more easy to listen to.
As a Music Producer; whether just for your songs or someone else’s, that’s your main goal, to make the songs better and easier to listen to.

Ok now that you know something about cleaning up a messy track, heres the next problem. We have a nice little jam there, but its repetitive.
The second biggest sin of using Acid Music Studio and related Software Programs is repetition. Using loops tends to make a song monotonous, and/or repetitive. Some people like music that just keeps going on the same, most dont.

You will need to find ways to break up the repetitive nature of loop based music.

So heres what we can do about that. Keep in mind this is only an example. In reality making a track sound really bad ass can take hours, but dont feel overwhelmed. Thats what Im doing this site for.

By placing odd, or just unique elements into the track you can break things up. I have made a dance track and just thrown 5 or 6 new elements into the track randomly.
The fun part is taking those random elements and making them sound good inside the song.

That is where you can spend hours crafting a track. Its also where things start getting more artistic.
Acid Music Studio makes it easy to go in a craft your songs just the way you want them, or just throw something together in a few minutes for the fun of it.

Please Leave Comments. We always look forward to feedback!

In no Particular Order.

1. Acid Music Studio: My Program Of choice and the best one I have used. Interface is smooth and user friendly. Makes it easy to work with my loops, and third party loops. Acidized loops have Pitch and BPM information directly in them, allowing for incredible precision. I honestly feel its the best bang for your buck. I will use it as my yard stick for the others.

2. Garage Band: Since it comes with most Mac’s you cant beat the price. It has many of the same features as Acid, but lacks some of the better ones. Its also pretty user friendly. The main draw-back is that you need a Mac to use it.
GarageBand Adds

3. MAGIX Music Maker 14. MAGIX has some good products. Its a bit more expensive than Acid music studio, but it has some nice features. Its a bit better for people looking to make their own loops. It has really good built in instruments, and effects.

4. FlexiMusic Kids Composer: A cool program for kids. Its bare bones, but it helps kids compose music with colorful Images and a very easy to use interface.

5. Logic Express: At $199 its a tad pricey. However If you can afford it, and you have a Mac, Apples Logic Express is a prince amongst Home Music Making Software. It has some of the best features, for one of the best prices you will find.

6. Sequel 2: Simple to use and fun. At $99 its affordable for the beginner, and doesn’t have so many features it will set your head spinning. The features it has a perfectly suited to producing music at home. Its particularly good with Electronica styles, and also features a large library of free loops.

7. Sonar Home Studio: At $139 its a bit high for a beginner, but CakeWalk produces some great products. If you want something that gives you incredible features for a great price, Sonar Home Studio is good. I still prefer Acid Music Studio, if for no other reason than the better price.

Please Leave Comments. We always look forward to feedback!