[Harp-L] last.fm as an alternative to myspace/ youtube for musicians with original material

[Richard Hammersley <rhhammersley@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Some of the recent youtube videos suggested have been really good.
I've been 'up' on last.fm for about three months now. I found it by  
accident looking for internet radio. It is a good system for putting  
up music because
(1) You can upload as many albums as you want, without restrictions,  
as long as you own copyright to the music.
(2)  People listen to it as a radio station and, this seems to truly  
work over time as your stuff gets linked by the software to other  
music. I have had 91 listeners and 362 plays (and only one of those  
people is me)
(3) The site says you get paid per play, although this hasn't happened  
yet.
(4) You can make your music available for download if you want.
(5) The site records who has been listening to you, so you find out  
about your audience.
(6) Listeners can join groups, then tell them about your music - like  
there are several blues groups for instance and harmonica groups (one  
of them has a picture of what looks rather like Howard Levy).
(7) If you use the software as a listener and listen to music on your  
computer then it captures what you listen to and makes intelligent  
guesses about what else you might like

Only downside is you can't put up copyright music. Oh, and the  
sometimes alarming pictures people use of themselves.


Richard Hammersley
Grantshouse, Scottish Borders
http://www.last.fm/music/Richard+Hammersley
http://www.myspace.com/rhammersley
http://www.myspace.com/magpiesittingdown