For the longest time, many have been afraid that technology will begin to replace people in terms of function. In a way, it already has for the music industry. With the tough cash situation that most people face nowadays, an increasing number of artists are taking to doing promotion themselves. And they’re discovering that free MP3 downloads – once seen as a scourge of the industry – could be one of the best ways to do it.
The Anti-Agent Argument
Agents have been part of the entertainment industry since its establishment. They’re the ones who are supposed to know the right people, talk to the right contacts and get you the right gigs. Traditional wisdom is that having a smart and snappy agent is as good as an express lane to music industry fame.
Yet hiring an agent to manage you or your band can get costly. Not only do you have to pay a retainer in most cases, but you’ll also have to split an artist’s already meager income with yet another person. It’s thus no surprise that more and more artists are gravitating towards the nontraditional method – offering MP3 downloads to interested listeners.
Why Free MP3 Downloads?
First and foremost, they’re free. That makes people more open to listening to new music and discovering new artists. Although 99 cents – the standard online retailer price of a paid MP3 download – isn’t far off from free, it’s a huge obstacle for listeners. Not only do they have to pay, but they also have to go through the motions of buying something online. They have to do so many things just to try listening to some unheard-of artist.
At the same time, your music is likelier to get spread around. Because you’re not tying the listener to the copyright laws typical of big recording companies, there’s a better chance that your stuff will get played at big events. Even individual transfers from one person to the next are facilitated by the fact that there’s no big corporation or agency looming over everyone’s shoulders with an infringement suit.
Downloads and Agents: Same Difference
When you think about it, your agent and a bunch of free MP3 downloads can end up with the same results. Like an agent, the whole point of offering MP3 downloads is to get new listeners for your music. You also hope that all that music going around and getting played will attract enough attention among the record labels, or at least among the crowd that’s willing to pay you for your music.
Free MP3 downloads and agents do have the same goals and functions, especially for fledgling musical acts that are yet to break into the mainstream. The only difference is that the latter costs more money and takes away a bit of control from the ones who make the music. No matter what naysayers might argue, look into the option of offering free music: it might just be your ticket into the big league.
Who needs an agent or promoter when Bearshare is around? With one of the largest and most secure networks in the field, it’s no wonder that gigabytes of free MP3 downloads are shared between users. On Bearshare, it’s just a matter of time before your music is heard by the people who should be hearing it.
