URLwire - Useful, Unique, and Educational Web Sites: Music

Soundboard.com Audio Sharing Site Is Live and Making Noise

Wed, 28 May 2008 19:34:48 GMT

URL: http://www.soundboard.com Soundboard.com (below) has quickly become one of the Internet’s largest libraries of sound bites and categorized soundboards.

Nicknamed ‘SoundTube’ by its users, after the massively popular video-sharing site, Soundboard.com made its official debut in April after 16 months in BETA. Yet despite its long trial status, Soundboard.com is already one of the Internet’s largest and most popular audio sharing sites and resources.

“It didn’t take long to learn that great audio is sticky and viral,” said Soundboard.com Creative Director Mike Mitchell. “We give users all the tools they need to record, catalog, customize and share their audio worldwide. Before us, you had to either know Flash, graphic design and HTML or hire someone to build a soundboard.”

The idea for Soundboard.com was born three years ago out of frustration with the scattered nature of sound bites, as well as the multitude of formats and players needed to navigate and enjoy audio on the Web. “It was a nightmare,” said Mitchell. “Great sound bites were impossible to locate and even harder to listen to. That’s where Soundboard came from, not YouTube.” Mitchell acknowledges that similarities exist, as YouTube has captured the video market while Soundboard is out to control audio. Originally designed as a software program for personal use, Soundboard has morphed into an online application and service. “While we have not emulated them, we can’t deny that the basic fundamentals are the same,” said Mitchell. “And the objectives are certainly similar as well.”

Mitchell cites Soundboard’s mission to centralize, categorize and standardize audio sound bites as the key to its success, giving its users the ability to share and spread their sound across multiple platforms and sites. And so far, the formula has proven successful. Since its launch date, Soundboard.com users have uploaded more than 120,000 MP3 sound bites for visitors to listen to on nearly 9,000 categorized soundboards, including history, travel, games, movies and sports.

And listen they have, with the Web 2.0 site registering a whopping 16 million downloads in March, up from 11 million in January and 50,000 since its first month. Visitors can listen to clips, download tracks, or embed boards on their site, blog or profile.

“Our growth and success prior to launch was not expected,” said Mitchell. “We haven’t marketed Soundboard.com in any way. It’s all word of mouth.” Mitchell credits this organic popularity to bloggers and social networks like MySpace, as well as social bookmark sites like StumbleUpon and Del.icio.us. Early adopters have included gamers, production studios, voice talent and radio stations. “We’ve made it easy for them to manage and share their audio. Certain sectors and industries are already taking advantage,” Mitchell said.

In other words, they’re learning to utilize audio as another weapon in the marketing arsenal – much as video has come of age in online advertising. Or as Mitchell puts it, “they’ve learned that people spread and share great audio too.”

Tags: Soundboard.com, audio sharing, soundtube, audio library

Music Sharing Mega-Site Ucombo.com Launches Download Store

Thu, 08 May 2008 20:18:54 GMT

http://www.ucombo.com
Ucombo.com, the much-touted music sharing website for professional and budding artists has opened up another opportunity for musicians to market their original tracks, for free. A virtual download store powered by Ucombo.com can be accessed from a link posted on any website, including MySpace and Facebook. This will allow fans to purchase and download MP3's using Paypal technology.

Ucombo.com, founded by Benefito, Inc. in December 2007, began its quest to bring together both musicians and music lovers by providing a free venue where all types of music from different genres could be uploaded by aspiring artists and professional performers, to be enjoyed and downloaded by music enthusiasts.

Now, Ucombo.com is taking this popular music community a step further by allowing musicians to actually sell their original tracks online. This is made possible by virtual stores run by the site which enable artists to incorporate several tools, including providing a short demo of their music for sale. Performers can put up as many tracks as they want on the block and build up a fan base by inviting their friends to sign up to Ucombo.com and vote for their music. The more votes an artist receives, the wider the promotion generated for their music, and the greater the chances they have of selling their work.

From pop, rock and alternative to hip-hop, r&b and classical, plus everything else in between, all of these original music tracks composed and rendered by amazing talents will not go unnoticed at Ucombo.com. The universal appeal of site's slogan, "Share the Music" is further enhanced by this new service. While providing the opportunity to promote innovative and original sounds, the new download store also gives artists the chance to earn money for their music.

Ucombo.com will provide free and user-friendly tools for musicians to operate their own online store, without requiring any programming skills to design or run it. In fact, aspiring and professional musicians can do away with the need for a middleman, instead use a Paypal Premier or Business account to get paid immediately, without having to accumulate a certain amount. As soon as fans purchase an MP3, Paypal will verify payment and Ucombo.com will send the buyer a link to download their chosen track. Artists can withdraw payment as soon as they log on to their Paypal account.

This new service will allow greater proliferation of new sounds by new artists, practically doing away with the need for associating with a big-name record label. This opportunity to promote music for free and earn from it at the same time will benefit musical artists and music lovers alike.

Tags: Ucombo.com, music sharing, musicians, music

Noted Jazz Author Ted Gioia Launches Jazz.com With 3,000 Pages of Unique Jazz Content

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 17:23:45 GMT

URL: http://www.jazz.com
Jazz.com recently announced the launch of its website at www.jazz.com -- a comprehensive jazz portal with thousands of pages of reviews, interviews, features, discographies and photos. A team of more than thirty writers, photographers and artists has been working for almost two years in preparation for this launch. Under the direction of Ted Gioia, author of The History of Jazz and West Coast Jazz, this team has prepared more than 1,000 new reviews, a comprehensive jazz encyclopedia, and other exciting content of interest to the global jazz community. Key features of the site include... • The largest collection of track reviews – focusing on individual songs, not entire CDs – available anywhere. This unique resource provides in-depth assessment, rankings and recording details for a comprehensive range of tracks, covering the full history of the music from its New Orleans origins to the present day • New reviews published every day. All reviews come with links for purchase or downloading • The Jazz.com Jazz Blog, updated daily and covering the latest and greatest happenings in the jazz world • Interviews with leading figures in the jazz world, including Billy Taylor, Manfred Eicher, Ron Carter, Maria Schneider, Stefon Harris and others • Visual Jazz galleries featuring the work of the greatest jazz photographers and artists, including Ray Avery, Herb Snitzer, Michael Symonds, Jos Knaepen and Suzanne Cerny • The Dozens: a regular column in which jazz.com selects twelve must-have tracks...click to read more

Tags: Ted Gioia , Jazz, jazz.com, jazz reviews, jazz interviews, jazz encyclopedia, jazz community

New Site Seeks Actors for SHREK The Musical on Broadway

Wed, 16 May 2007 14:27:03 GMT

URL: http://IWantToBeShrek.com
SHREK, the new Broadway-bound Musical, with music by Jeanine Tesori, book and lyrics by Pulitzer-Prize-winner David Lindsay-Abaire, and directed by Jason Moore, is looking for a Shrek and Donkey to star on Broadway.

Produced by DreamWorks Animation and Neal Street Productions, Ltd., the SHREK creative team is planning a two-week reading this Summer in New York which will be followed by a Broadway opening in 2008. Anyone, no matter how Far Far Away, can try and audition for these roles! If you or a friend think you have what it takes to play Shrek or Donkey, follow the directions on how to submit audition DVD's available on the site, located at IWantToBe Shrek.com,
Tags: shrek, broadway, audition

Classical Music UK - Online Celebrity Interview Magazine Launches

Tue, 01 May 2007 15:10:12 GMT

URL: http://www.classicalmusic.org.uk
An online magazine has launched in the United Kingdom, featuring weekly interviews with some of the world's top classical music stars. Classical Music UK (http://www.classicalmusic.org.uk) features contributions from performers such as cellist Julian Lloyd Webber and percussionist Evelyn Glennie, and is set to become one of the world's leading online Classical Music destinations. The website was launched in January, and immediately gained a following from UK musicians because of its comprehensive free listings of UK classical music jobs. Since April, it has also featured high-profile interviews with the movers and shakers of the Classical Music world. Major opinion-formers in Classical Music contribute guest columns to the site, making it a must-read resource for anyone with an interest in Classical Music. Editor Rob Wilson said: “We wanted to create a website that would really provoke people to think about and discuss the future of Classical Music, one of the greatest art forms ever. more...

VIBE.com Site Features James Brown Tribute

Thu, 28 Dec 2006 20:36:19 GMT

URL: http://www.vibe.com
VIBE.com is currently honoring James Brown with music, video, and photographic tributes on the VIBE web site. Said VIBE Editor-in-Chief Danyel Smith, "James Brown is an American original. A king of soul and rock 'n' roll, Brown is one of the most influential musical artists of the last fifty years, and perhaps the most sampled artist in hip hop history. At VIBE we are saddened by his death, but take comfort in his amazing, relentless legacy." more...

Tags: james brown, vibe, tribute

ClassicRockCentral.com Launches Featuring Exclusive Artist Interviews and Radio On Demand

Fri, 22 Dec 2006 17:38:32 GMT

URL: http://ClassicRockCentral.com
ClassicRockCentral.com launched today in beta form. The Network will feature historic artist interviews, vintage network programming, a streaming radio station, blogs and user generated content dedicated to classic rock. The site features interviews with The Beatles, Pete Townshend, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin and members of Pink Floyd. The site is also presenting Radio On Demand with streaming network radio programs such as a 4-hour special celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the release of Pink Floyd’s historic album Wish You Were Here which ran on network radio in 2000. more...

Tags: classic rock, music, radio

Student.com Introduces Online Radio Station

Tue, 11 Jul 2006 14:50:50 GMT

Student.com Introduces Online Radio Station
http://www.student.com/radio
Student.com, a leading community and social networking site for high school and college-age students has launched Student.com Radio, a commercial free, 24/7 online music station. Student.com Radio brings a new dimension to the social networking of the Student.com website. Already an interactive destination, Student.com users can now be active participants in the radio station. DJs who hail from a variety of colleges serve up a blend of modern rock, alternative, and classic rock during prime time hours, with site users providing an added, integral element to the operation of the station. ( more )

Tags: social networking radio high school college student urlwire
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souwannabe.com Helps Musicians Enter Recording Industry In Two Hours

Tue, 14 Feb 2006 22:49:57 GMT

souwannabe.com Helps Musicians Enter Recording Industry In Two Hours
http://www.souwannabe.com

The first ever UK DVD has been released detailing how people interested in a future in the recording industry can now enter the often closed scene. The DVD is available at http://www.souwannabe.com and showcases a plethora of job positions from Singers, Artist Management, Production, Promotion etc. (More...)
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URLwire - News of Unique, Useful and Educational Web Content Since 1994
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gRock Records Uses Web To Connect With Top Talent

Fri, 09 Sep 2005 17:22:14 GMT

gRock Records Uses Web To Connect With Top Talent

http://www.grockrecords.com

Said CEO Femi Olu about the site, "We are always on the lookout for new or seasoned talents, and our web site helps us reach out and connect with producers, directors and the artists themselves. The web facilitates the process such that we can go from first introduction to recording in less than one month."

Announcement URL: http://www.urlwire.com/news/090705.html

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