Mystery Guitar Man

The Record Industry Continues Battle Against Free Music Downloads

by: Tim Somers

Movie and record producers alike are saying file-sharing networks that permit its users the ability to make copies from other network member�s computers are infringing on the copyright laws and costing billions of dollars in lost revenue.

The recording industry claims to have lost 25% of it�s revenues since computer, so called thieves, have been using peer-to-peer file-sharing networks to obtain free music downloads.

The two latest file-sharing companies to be targeted by these copyright lawsuits are Grokster Ltd, known for its Grokster file-sharing software and StreamCast Networks Inc. from which the Morpheus free music downloading software is distributed.

Unlike Napster, Grokster and Morpheus put a spin on the popular file-sharing phenomenon. Instead of indexing the shared files like Napster did, these file-sharing products enables it�s network members to build their own indexes � thus allowing others within the network to download free music and movie files.

While some musicians are protesting they are being cheated by these illegal free music downloads � others are speaking out backing how music, movies, pictures and copy are being shared over the Internet.

Some music lovers actually use the file-sharing networks to check out an artists latest release before paying up to $18 for a CD that may only have one good song on it. You still will have those that will never make a purchase and continue to take advantage of the free music download networks.

Many file-sharing network users have said that using these networks is good for the music industry. File-sharing can bring listeners to smaller, independent bands that they may not otherwise hear on radio or in the mainstream.

With the likes of Apple�s iTunes store many have turned their backs on file-sharing networks paying 99 cents per song � Apple claims to sell more than 1 millions songs everyday. Although iTunes is limited still, thus giving file sharing networks a void to fill the unlimited access to music and movies that may otherwise not be able from iTunes.

In late 2003 record companies started suing individuals that were downloading free music. With file-sharing networks like Grokster and Morpheus it will be much harder for the recording industry to track down files that are uploaded by individual users.

With the Supreme Court now involved they are expected to make some type of ruling in June 2005 on what if any action should be taken against the makers of file-sharing network software.

The wrong decision could discourage the future development of products like the iPod or other file-sharing software programs that could be used for legal purposes.


Since Grokster and Morpheus do not monitor or have any knowledge of who or what is being downloaded, a federal judge in Los Angeles and the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the copyright infringement charges against both these file-sharing networks.

Based on the 1984 ruling of the Supreme Court that stated the use of Sony Betamax, which allowed users to make copies at home of copyrighted TV programs, was legal.

The recording industries angle last week was that the approach companies like Grokster and Morpheus are making by advertising their software will provide access to free copies of copyrighted materials should allow them to be sued and shut down.

While the jury may be out on this one for sometime � file sharing networks and free music downloads will continue with most users not really worrying about getting sued, since most do not download free music in excess of a few files per month.

How Do You Write Songs?

by: Larry Ford

There was an interesting post today on a message board that I go to. It was about a guy that just started a new band and he wanted to know if anyone could give him some songwriting tips.

First off, there isn't a wrong way to write songs. But after you've done it for a while, you'll find out that some ways to go about it are easier than others.

This is how I do it.

1. Music and Melody Come First

I never fit a melody to pre-existing lyrics. It�s forced and it doesn�t sound good to me. When you write the words before the melody, you�re trying to force the melody to fit your lyrics. The result is it doesn�t sound natural.

A lot of songwriters start with an idea. It's just easier for me to know what angle I'm coming from. Usually how it happens with me is the music comes first and the melody comes right after that.

Why do I write the melody first before my lyrics?

If I don't know how many notes are in the melody, how do I know how many syllables need to be in my lines? I don�t.

If there�s 8 notes in the first part of the melody and 6 notes in the second part , you�ll have to have 8 syllables in the first line and 6 in the second.

Let�s say you want to put 4 lines in each of your verses, You�ll have 8 syllables in the first and third lines and six in the second and fourth.

Here�s an example:

In the song "I want you to want me" the lead singer for Cheap Trick wrote a four line melody that had six notes in the first three lines and seven in the last line. He knew that there had to be six syllables in the first three lines and seven syllables in the fourth.

I Want You To Want Me

I want you to want me =six syllables

I need you to need me =six syllables

I�d love you to love me =six syllables

I�m begging� you to beg me =seven syllables

2. Figure Out An Idea To Work From

Ideas are everywhere. You can write about what a friend of yours is going through. You can write about what you're going through.

I keep a journal just for this and make daily installments. I write down everything that I can think of that happened that day. And after a few months of that, I'll go through the journal harvest my ideas.

I treat my journal like the garden it is. Most every song I write comes directly from my journals.

3. Put the idea into one to two sentences

The best way to show you this is to give you an example. Keeping with "I Want You To Want Me", here�s the basic idea:

"I want you to want me as bad as I want you."

You only want one idea for each song. If you have any more, your song is going to last too long. And you're listeners won't be able to keep up.

Believe me, nobody but you will understand them. I know from very bad experience.

4. Write The Lyrics To Fit The Melody

Once you have the idea, you start to explain the idea in the verses with the number of syllables you have in the melody. The chorus is just the overall idea in a summed up fashion.

How to Make Money on a Music Website through Affiliate Programs?

by: Jeff Schuman II
Do you find yourself looking for a way to make some extra money?
How about creating a website on something that everyone includes
in their life, Music? The opportunities are endless and what�s
great about it is that you can make money on it while you�re
eating, sleeping, or just sitting around watching TV.

Don�t get me wrong, it is a lot of work in the beginning to get
everything started. Once you get your website built the way you
want it though, all that is left is maintaining it to keep it at
tip top shape. From there you�ll be making money off of it
24/7. So, how do you get started and how do you make money off
of it you may be wondering?

To start off you need to purchase a domain name, which is your
website URL. You can do this at GoDaddy.com for a cheap price
of $9.20 per year. Now you have your website name, the next
step is to pick a host for your website. This is where you will
build your website. You can do this at GoDaddy.com starting at
$3.95 per month, or choose to go to another hosting company as
there are many out there.

From there you are set to build your website, now how do you
begin making money off of it?

There are many ways to make money off of your website. One way
is to join affiliate programs through companies around the
world. How an affiliate program works is you join under that
company and refer people through your website to their website.
Then, as people go to the companies website through yours,
whatever the person buy�s you get a certain amount of money off
of their purchase.

The amount made varies from company to company and it even
varies among the different products sold. The big name
companies you�ll often make less money off of, such as Best Buy
and Circuit City you�ll make approximately 3-7% on all sales.
Smaller companies some times offer more through their affiliate
programs, but people sometimes will opt to go to the well known
companies instead.

For a music website you�ll obviously want to join affiliate
programs dealing with entertainment of some sort. Bestbuy.com
and CircuitCity.com are good ones to join, but can be difficult
to get into when you�re just starting out.
Clickbank.com is an affiliate network that is extremely good to
join as you instantly gain access to you choice of over 10,000
digital products to sell on your website. There are nine
categories associated with clickbank.com, but categories to
focus on with a music website through clickbank.com would be fun
and entertainment and sports and recreation.

Where you find the registration form for the affiliate programs
is on the companies� homepage, and it is usually listed on the
bottom of their homepage as affiliate program. When doing a
music website you don�t have to just stick with music affiliate
programs either. You can focus on entertainment as a whole that
way you can join affiliate programs for games, movies, posters
and more.

Another way you can make money through affiliate programs is
two-tier programs. Two-tier programs are programs that you make
money off of people signing up for the affiliate program through
you. Not all affiliate programs offer two-tier programs, but
they are out there and signing up to affiliate programs with
two-tier programs is to your benefit. A few entertainment
two-tier programs that I have joined include;

The best thing with affiliate programs is that they are free.
You make money off of selling companies� products and it doesn�t
cost you a thing to register under the company. Another bonus
to affiliate programs is that there is no limit as to how many
you are allowed to join and put on your website. The sky is the
limit with affiliate programs and money can be made 24/7 on your
music website today at the cost of nothing.

 

The Power of Music

by: Gerald David Greene

S6N8ADAMUXFP 

as it influences the human spirit and emotions should not be underestimated. Music has a great influence in all cultures and religions. Who has not had the experience of suddenly humming or moving to the rhythm of a tune heard for the first time long ago?

Many of the most important events in our lifes are commemorated with music. Those who have served in the military never forget the stirring cadence of a military march. Even decades later the sound of a military band will take the old veteran back to the days when his step was sure and strong and his new found confidence in his ability to defend his country and his buddies from harm knew no bounds.

Tunes often are associated with important events in our lives. Perhaps it is the song that you danced to at the high school prom with the person who later became your lifetime partner that still fans your passions. Perhaps it is the tune that was playing as you danced with your new spouse at your wedding party. It may be a song or two that was sung by a famous entertainer whose performance you were lucky enough to hear on your 30th birthday.

I still vividly remember seeing Elvis Presley perform near the end of his career. It was my friends birthday present to herself. I was her date for the evening and never expected to be so moved by "The King's" performance. But I was, and am still grateful to my friend for asking me to escort her to the live show.I wasn't that much of an Elvis fan prior to his performance but had a far greater appreciation of his talent after seeing the master at work. What a show!

The Internet has created a new important venue for music. Lyrics to just about every song that has ever been written have been archived and can be easily accessed with an Internet search. The sharing of music files has been controversial all be it widespread. Legal means of gaining access to any type of music from Internet sources are under development and have lead to an entirely new growth industry.

The power of music can be a strong unifying force in a world that badly needs unification and cooperation on issues that affect us all. Peoples of the world should rejoice in the rich heritage that music brings to every culture. The sharing of ideas and music over the Internet only adds to the significance of music as a universal medium of communications.

People all over the world love their music. You can bet there is as much enthusiasm for a new Eminem rap song among Eminem fans as there is for classical jazz or a classical piano performance among more conventional music fans. There are different strokes for different folks as they say in Dixie and nowhere is this better illustrated than in the field of music.

However varied musicial tsstes may be amoung individuals we should consider the common thread that music weaves between all peoples and build upon that common ground to achieve a better understanding of how we are connected in our humanity.

People the world over have common basic needs and music is one of them.

Learning Styles Of Music

by: Guy Ames

What genres (music types) are important? Learning styles of music can help you get work, don�t get me wrong; but you need to consider the time and expense involved in knowing a lot of music genre�s, having the goods to do them, and if your locality really wants the specific genre. DJs invariably enter the profession as a part time hobby because they love the music they play and love to see others enjoying it too. Usually DJs have an already significant existing vinyl or CD/DVD collection of music that they enjoy and they use this to mix and play for DJ events for which they are hired. Some DJs like to specialize in a particular genre of music in order to attract a certain type of clientele. This may be because they particularly liked learning styles of music; that genre; or because they know that this will secure regular work. Dance, Indie, acid or house music is particularly popular with DJs who work the club circuit while 60s, 70s and 80s music is more popular with mobile DJs who host private parties and BBQs. It depends on what�s popular in your area, as to whether you should offer Country, HipHop, or the latest cutting edge music genre. To learn more about specific music styles, you may want to read up . Every good DJ experiments with how they will get the crowd moving and different DJs enjoy learning styles of music to do exactly that. In fact, you will probably find that most DJs have a set routine for how the night will play out according to music, sound, lighting and other effects such as bubbles, background buzz, DJ banter and audience participation. This methodology works the world around and is irrespective of what genre the DJ specializes in. Regardless of what music genre a DJ specializes in, the key to the event is not the actual songs themselves but the mix that the DJ puts together. A good DJ will know how to link together a good mix of songs with both the event and the crowd in mind. Good DJs now how to put together songs that ebb and flow according to the crowd response and the timing of the event � the DJ cannot allow the crowd to peak too early or the event will then slowly fizzle out, long before it needs to. When you specialize, it�s much easier to become known for a certain style of music, and a lot cheaper to get a good stock of vinyls or cd�s in that genre since you already have a head start in your favorite style. DJ Equipment is expensive; so save money where you can and specialize in just a few musical genres instead of many! About the author: Learn more about becoming a DJ with tips and tutorials from http://www.DJ-Tips-and-Tricks.com Circulated by Article Emporium

 

---