The Indie Band's Survival Guide

Hot on the heels of this week's readings is a handy and detailed guide for fledgling indie bands everywhere, written by and based on the experiences of the group Beatnik Turtle, including this bit about the importance of the website:

First and foremost, a website announces to the world that you are a real band. If a person sees you play live, searches on you, and does not find a website, they can only assume that you don't take your band seriously. A website is your tireless ambassador to the world. It is the web that took the decision of whether people should hear your music out of the hands of indifferent music executives and put it back in your own. It distributes your music directly to your fans, no matter where in the world they are. It also promotes, informs, advertises, connects, and has thousands of other possible uses beyond this. It is indispensable.

The guide goes on to deal with topics as varied and crucial as Ticketmaster's virtual extortion racket, the elements that make a good live band, and, of course, the scourge of DRM.

Link. (via MeFi via 43 Folders)