Ariel Publicity

Indie on Air! & Music in Action w/ host “Classic”
The Voice of Independent Music featuring industry professionals & great indie music.
Indie on Air! broadcasts live every Friday 12:30pm CST from Chicago via the BlogTalkRadio platform
Music in Action broadcasts live every other Wednesday 2:00pm CST from Chicago via the BlogTalkRadio platform
Both shows are available 24/7 as an archive immediately following the live broadcasts.

www.blogtalkradio.com/indieonair
www.indieonair.com

Q) Tell us a little bit about your Internet radio show. What inspired you to start it?

A) I actually host 2 Internet music shows under the Indie on Air! banner. The original Indie on Air! is a weekly 1 hr show that features an interview with an industry professional and also great indie music from various artists within different genres. My second show is Music in Action, which is live bi-monthly and is also a 1 hr program. However, on this show I feature indie artists who are using their God-given talent to help others & increase awareness of specific social causes. This is a more in-depth interview where I play only the music of my guest and discuss their personal involvement in the issue at hand.

My inspiration to start both these programs came from following my heart & doing what I love. Plus, I believe it is a natural progression of my career path as I have managed venues as well as produced music events for many years. I have a degree in Restaurant, Hotel & Institutional Management from Purdue University.

Q) Why do you believe new media resources (i.e. blogs, podcasts, Internet radio stations) have become so popular? How have they been beneficial to artists? How have they been detrimental?

A) I liken new media resources to On-Demand TV. People want to read, watch & listen to what they want, when they want. Specifically most Internet radio shows are archived and available 24/7. This, obviously, allows greater flexibility for the listener.

The Internet itself has opened the entire globe as a potential target market for artists. A few of my guests have developed a niche for themselves overseas after being heard on the net. My shows themselves have a pretty decent fan base from the UK & Eastern Europe though I broadcast from Chicago. Therefore, my industry contacts have increased greatly since the inception of the shows.

The only detriment I can see is you may have to weed through unprofessional blogs, shows, music, etc. to find quality material. However, in my mind, the hunt is half the fun.

Q) Media 2.0 has changed the way artists communicate with fans. Where do you envision online communication going next? Any thoughts on what Media “3.0” will look like?

A) The “I Want it Now” reality in which we live leads me to believe that internet TV & live events broadcast via the internet will flourish. Also, mobile phone applications will improve to view & listen to events. This will allow one to sit on the beaches of Southern California & watch or listen to a live event in New York, London or wherever. It is all about convenience for the consumer.

I truly feel that Media 3.0 will reflect the aforementioned capabilities but in a more global & socially responsible sense. I envision communications being instantly translated to allow immediate & direct responses between individuals from different countries & cultures. Media 3.0 will help break down communication barriers & usher in a new global cohesiveness & understanding. With that in mind, I feel all the people of this planet will come to realize we are not that different. Then, we can focus on addressing social concerns & natural disasters in a more “globally aware” sense. People will learn that they need not rely on their governments or mainstream media so much. Entertainment, music & technology will be the bridge that brings the world together as one. In fact, it is already happening.

Q) What does an artist have to do to get your attention? Are their specific characteristics that you look for?

A) I tend to look for artists who are professional, polite & hard working. They must be timely with their responses to inquiries but also do as requested. If I ask for mp3’s, don’t send me mp4’s. However, I am just as apt to play music from a new teen band as a touring band. Excitement, enthusiasm & common courtesy go a long way. Another strong factor is a song needs to grab my attention quickly. I listen to so much new music it can be overwhelming at times. But, overall I am very easy to contact. Interested artists should submit “mp3’s” (lol) to me @: greenplanet219@yahoo.com.

Q) What do you ultimately hope to accomplish with your show?

A) Number 1, I hope to make people smile. I love to introduce my listeners to new artists they would probably never hear otherwise. There is nothing I like more than one of my listeners thanking me for introducing them to someone new.

Number 2, I hope my shows inspire others to follow their hearts & do whatever they love. Specifically, I hope Music in Action inspires artists to use their creativity to help others.

Personally, I hope the shows lead me to a larger platform, so I can reach even more people around the world. I also would like to work directly with an indie label or network that shares my visions & thoughts on music & where the industry is headed. We need more positive messages & programming in our On-Demand world.

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http://www.astralaudio.net

Q: How can contemporary artists make more money on the internet?

A: Models like what Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails, and Mark Mosher have given potential buyers a choice of what a particular song or album should be priced at. Their success along with keeping things drm free encourages fans to obtain works from the artists. Perhaps if artists gave fans the chance to rate individual songs or the entire album as a whole, then a higher rating could mean that fans are more likely to purchase the work. An option would be to cap the price at around $15.00 for the CD and $5.00 for the digital download. If the rating goes down, the cap should be lowered along side this.

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Q. What are your favorite blogs/audio blogs featuring new music do you like to visit?

A. Believe it or not I love BlogCatalogue.com. Blog Catalogue is a directory of just about every blog mentionable..  I usually go to the music section of blog catalogue and just enjoy the array of music blogs.   When it comes down to the nuts and blots of getting the latest on what’s happening in quality music blogs it’s the Hype Machine (hypem.com)

Q. What inspired you to start site?

A. WSF Radio is sponsored by AWM Records, Inc. The inspiration behind WSF Radio was the demand from independent artists who were looking for outlets, and platforms to be heard from.   Many may not know WSF Radio started out as a sports program which played indies music in between breaks..   It was not long before artists began to contact the station asking for reviews, and their music to be played on the station. The more I listened to music from the independent artists the more passionate I became for playing their music. I was totally floored at the sea of talent that was not being heard. WSF Radio actually stands for Worldwide Sports Fanatics. Moreover, the more I listed to the music the passionate and love to promote and support independent music just grew, in the midst of promoting independent music WSF Radio recognized the shows format needed to be completed revamped to the station which supports independent artists.

Q. What do you think is the impact of blogs, internet radio, and podcasts on independent music?

A. Blogs, internet radio, and podcasts on independent music really are the wave of the 21st century. I really believe internet radio and podcasts have a positive impact on independent music.   These vehicles such as blogs, and podcasts, and internet radio have really created a media to propel independent music into the spotlight versus in years past podcasting was rare. However, these instruments became popular, and gave independent artists a stronger sense of control over their destiny. With the changes in how the music industry has changed I tend to believe more consumers want an alternative music source such as independent music.   Every artist should have a blog, fans love blogs, and blogs is the connection between the artist and their fans. Independent musicians should go after every internet radio station that’s on the web. Internet radio is taking over, and more people are using, listening, and love internet radio more than ever before.

Q. When you started your station, did you anticipate that blogs would have such an upscale trend as it does now?

A. When the station first started the trend of blogs were growing, and we could see the direction of were blogs were headed, but we did not anticipate how quickly blogging would skyrocket, and literally become a household word.

Q. What are the ultimate goals you wish to achieve through your site?

A. Our ultimate goal for WSF Radio is to have our own independent network channel on Blogtalkradio.   Although having our own station to serve independent music does give artists exposure; moreover by having our own network channel it will create greater exposure for artists by having a permanent front page ad on the Blogtalkradio website. We foresee our site as the place where new artists become discovered.   We are working hard on branding our site as the platform where independent artists are pushed to the next level in their music career.

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New Media Pioneer

Todd (Racer) and John (Pope JTE) of The Ripple Effect

http://ripplemusic.blogspot.com

The best music you’re not listening to.™  Reviews of lost classics and obscure titles.  Unheralded bands and songwriters. New bands deserving of greater attention. It’s all here, on The Ripple Effect. The Ripple Effect is a top 100 music site, dedicated to spreading the word on new, unheralded and lost classic artists.   The Ripple Radio show puts our money where our mouth is, playing all the great music that’s going unheard.

Q: What has to be done in the technological sense to monetize music to a greater degree on the internet?

A: A great question and one that far greater minds than ours are trying to figure out.  The answer of course is as multi-faceted as the problem.  First and foremost, bands have to put out quality material.  The days of filler songs stuffed in between two killer cuts on an album are long gone.  With each song now having a downloadable monetary value, those filler songs are a waste of everyone’s time and energy.  If the product is good, it still sells.  iTunes numbers for top singles shows that people are willing to pay for music they feel to be of good value.   So the problem to us isn’t how to get people to buy music on the internet, they already are, the problem is how to get them to buy more.

This becomes complicated on a couple of fronts.  One, bands frequently give their music away to build a fanbase.  This is a good strategy for new up-and-coming bands to get their music into the hands of listeners, but then it sets a precedent that music has no inherent value and should be free to access.  Obviously, that isn’t a sustainable business model.  The other problem, besides filesharing, is the ready access to free music on sites from AOL to YouTube.  The consumer today has an infinite amount of resources to hear music.  A far cry from when AM radio was the only choice.

So what’s the answer?  We think that as people spend more and more time on the internet, the value of social networking sites will continue to gain in importance.  Music social networking already exists, like Imeem or Last.fm, but these sites don’t allow real-time social networking to the extent that Facebook does. We think a model that uses music as a subscription service or business enhancement will be the answer.  One new site, Jango, is a cross between an Internet radio station and social network.  The business proposition is to license the ability to stream the music as an online radio station (as opposed to striking deals with individual recording companies), build a social network around that streaming music, and then sell targeted ads. This type of model may work.  Get people gathered together, talking about the music, listening to streaming music of their common choice, actively engaging in social networking.  We think this sort of model will gather more steam– using music as an enhancement to another business model, then paying for the music with subscription or ad revenue..

Q. Where do you see the next trend in social media? What else can be done in terms of having an online conversation? What is the next “What are you doing?” question?

A: As far as music social media, we’re going to stick with some version of the Jango model, building true social networking sites around music.  Music is still something that excites people, builds passions, and stimulates conversations.  But we don’t think that’s the real question.  The real question is,  “How can bands use social media to better build their fanbase and listening audience.”

With the advent of Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter (and whatever comes next) the relationship between band and fan has never been more important.   Fans don’t want the aloof rock star, standing on a pedestal, handing down their next album from Mt. Sinai.  They want –rather they demand– a personal interaction with the band.  Random updates shot across a Twitter screen isn’t going to cut it anymore.  The fans want a personal relationship, not a promo post.  They want to feel that they are as important to the band as the band is to them.  Any way a band can accomplish this, or work towards satisfying this mentality, is going to place them head and shoulders above the rest.   At the Ripple Effect, we’re constantly trying to come up with new ways for bands to do just this, like promoting exclusive video content or exclusive giveaways.

Q. What inspired you to start broadcasting/blogging? It that still your source of motivation?

A: That’s an easy one –the music.  For years, we’ve been addicted to digging through discount bins in record store’s CD and vinyl racks, searching, mining for that great unheard band.  And we’d found tons of them.  Hundreds.  Bands that became our favorite artists, bands of unequaled talent.  These bands weren’t in the cut out bin because they were horrible, they were there because no one had ever heard of them.  The label failed them.  The marketing machine failed them.  And, in truth, it physically hurt us that no one else was hearing what we heard.

With that, we decided we had to tell the world about all this great, unheard music, and The Ripple Effect was born.  Our mission statement says it all, “The Best Music You’re Not Listening to.”  Reviews of lost classics, unheralded singer/songwriters, new bands deserving of greater attention.  That’s The Ripple Effect. 

Initially, The Ripple Effect started out as a blog, a site for us to rave about all the great music people should know about.  We’re not hip and trendy, we’re honest.   Within about a year, the site became so popular that we were ranked as one of the Top 100 Music sites.  From there, it only seemed natural that we start broadcasting the music we were writing about and the Ripple Radio show was born on Blogtalkradio.  Again, initially, our modest goal was to hang out, play some Ripple music, and describe to folks what we were hearing, but things started to grow and grow.  Soon we started getting calls from bands wanting to be on the show, then guests like Marky Ramone, Fee Waybill, and Cy Curnin starting popping in.  It’s been great fun.  Now our radio shows are available as podcasts on our webpage and iTunes.

Having done this for two years now, we can safely say that we’re more motivated now than ever.  Through the Ripple, every day, we continue to get submissions of great music that we’d never heard.  Fantastic bands from around the world, all genre’s.  With the prominence of the internet making it possible for any band to claim a piece of cyberspace, more than ever, it’s important for us to find those bands that really have something to offer and do everything we can to spread the word.  Great music should never go unheard.

Q. What are some things bands can do to get your attention to be featured on your broadcast/blog? Do you ever cover a band that you are not particularly fond of musically?

A: There’s only one way to get out attention; play great music.  It doesn’t matter what genre.  We cover everything from Scandanavian Death Metal to acoustic singer/songwriter, African to Reggae and everything in between.  The only common denominator is that the music moves us.  That’s what music is supposed to do.  If you want us to dance, then write something that makes it impossible for us to stay in our chairs.  If you want us to feel your pain, then do it.  Music is emotion.

On top of that, it really does help if the artist is friendly.  We like personal letters and have taken extra time to review an album simply because the band was friendly, nice, or some times, a riot.  Letters that make us laugh are always a plus.  It also helps for bands to understand how busy we are with the Ripple.  Artists can’t expect us to drop everything for their sake.  We have at least a 6 week lead-in from the time a CD gets sent in until review, and only after it’s made the Ripple Effect can it be played on Ripple Radio.  Someone who is pushy, rude, or pompous will probably find their CD continually dropping towards the bottom of the stack.  In this business, like all others, it really does help to be nice. 

Through the process of all the submissions and interaction with the artists, we’ve gone from being fans to friends with the bands. We’ve developed personal relationships with many artists as they’ve asked for our input on new material, development advice, etc.  We come from a place of respect for the musician above anything else.

Having said that, we will never feature a band on the website or the radioshow that doesn’t satisfy these basic requirements.  We’re not critics, we don’t review music.  We’re music lovers and write/talk about the music we love. That’s one of the things that may set us apart from other sites, the passion we have for what we’re doing.  Our goal is to spread the word on the music and the bands we like — make some ripples

Q. Will major labels ever be the gatekeepers again, or have they lost all of their power to the internet forever? Can they somehow return to prominence?

A: The impact of the internet can never be understated and it has definitely altered the playing field, but that doesn’t mean the majors have lost all their power.  It’s true that the majors will probably never be the gatekeepers again, but they will always remain the star makers. 

Any band can now record an album, sell copies, get thousands of Myspace or Youtube hits without major label support.  In fact, small labels are great at being the gatekeepers.  They can recognize talent, promote it, gain an audience, mold a band.  But it still takes big money to make a star.  Touring costs a bundle, and as music becomes exchanged more and more often for free, touring becomes where bands will make their money.  Here’s the problem.  With fewer people buying CD’s who pays for the tour?  A small label can’t afford to spend $200,000 to put a hot new band out on tour when they’ll only sell $10,000 worth of CD’s.  This is where the majors come in with their publicity machines and unlimited budgets.  They can create the demand, they can fill the stadium, they can make the star.

In order to do this, majors are now requiring 360 degree contracts, where the label will get a percentage of every aspect of the band’s business, from CD sales, to tour revenue, to t-shirt sales.  And this is fair, the label is providing a service and they deserve to get paid.

The biggest problem with the majors is the impersonal approach they take towards the music, the bands, and the fans.  This is where small labels have the advantage.  They have the ability to really form the relationships that can make a project a success.

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Green Arrow Radio is an open forehead music show. The show offers a bit of something new with a mixture of world beat and fresh jazz. Also, included is some soulful funk. The entire show is landscaped to change each week.

http://www.greenarrowradio.com
http://www.myspace.com/greenarrowradio

Q: How long have you been broadcasting/blogging?

I have been broadcasting in  community and college setting for over 6 years now and i have been “blogging” for about 4 of those years.

Q: In your opinion, what does a good song need to consist of?

A good song needs to play well with others!

Q: What is your favorite band or favorite genre of music and why?

Such a difficult thing to narrow down since the desired sounds change constantly based on so many uncontrolled factors.  I don’t care much for assigning “genres” to art..either its for me or it isn’t….I guess if my life depended on answering this I would without hesitation say that Club d’Elf would be the band I call my favorite since they mix and blend so many varieties of sound into everything they do live or otherwise.

Q: What changes in content laws, broadcasting rights, etc. have effected you most?

You know, I think I just don’t like the meddling of authority on what I am supposed to form my own opinions about.  But as I pay attention to what is going on and follow it to the edges—-I just appreciate the opportunity to introduce people to new sounds that I just play along nicely to be able to share.  But ask me again some other time and I’m sure to have a different answer.

Q: A recent study found blogs to be more effective than MySpace in generating album sales, do you feel that that is a true statement?

Well, I hope that my efforts on greenarrowradio.com help generate listening ears which will turn into trying to find out more about the artist..including purchasing some of their art.  I see myspace for me as a great avenue to get people over to greenarrowradio.com and for me an easier way to check out music with the intention to purchace it…even if it is one tune at a time.  More power to all these ways of supporting that something that does seem to unite many.

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To check out what’s playing on the Chillcast go to AnjiBee.com

Q: How did the Chillcast get its start?

A: I guess you could say The Chillcast got its start with college radio DJ’ing. After 3 years of doing various shows and working in management at a college radio station, I was pretty well hooked. Then I discovered Internet radio, and started creating both live and prerecorded Internet radio content – including interviews with indie bands like Hungry Lucy and Sunburn in Cyprus. Eventually podcasts were invented, and I put 2 and 2 together.

Podcasting was better than radio because listeners could tune in whenever was most convenient for them – which seemed really revolutionary! My first podcast was actually Chillin’ with Lovespirals, which Ryan and I launched to help promote our 2nd album, Free & Easy. Shortly after, I started getting permissions from indie band friends to create a weekly music show podcast – because you have to understand that at this time the podsafe music movement was barely getting started! Adam Curry had just begun his Podsafe Music Network — which is actually how he and I met and became friends, when Lovespirals joined the site. Adam played us on the Daily Source Code, and then we started talking back and forth on his podcast about Creative Commons vs BMI and all those kinds of things.

To make a long story a bit shorter, I put together a few fledgling episodes of The Chillcast, hosting them on the Internet Archive site and C.C. Chapman, who was really active with PodShow at the time, pitched the show to Adam and PodShow management, and I was signed as one of the first group of podcasters to the new PodShow Podcast Network.

Q: What have you learned from operating on both sides of the broadcasting world, as a podcaster and as a musician?

A: Good question. Podcasting is a great way to communicate with your fans, to give them a sense of who you are as a person, as well as to inform them of your latest projects. You can really build a sense of brethrenship, not only with your fans, but fellow indie musicians and fellow podcasters. Podcasts are more intimate than a newsletter, less time consuming than a forum, and both more immediate and long lasting than a personal appearance. I’m surprised more bands aren’t doing podcasts, actually.

Q: With over one million downloads of the Chillcast, what is the top tip you would give aspiring podcasters in terms of building such an impressive listenership?

A: Consistency. Being consistent with the quality, content, and output of your show is really important. Listeners want to know they can rely on you to provide whatever experience it is you’re providing on a regular schedule. If done well, your show becomes a part of your subscriber’s life that they look forward to, and you don’t want to let them down!

Q: Chillin’ with the Lovespirals was one of the earliest band podcasts, what was the impetus behind such inspiration and foresight?

A: Well I mentioned this briefly in your earlier question, but the idea was to share information about the new album we were releasing, and what better way to promote an album than with the music itself? We had shared audio interviews we’d done with radio stations in mp3 format on music sites for years, so I knew people liked to listen to us talk about our music and band experiences. We have all the recording gear here at our disposal, so it just seemed logical to produce our own audio content and make it available via our site. We had fun doing it, too. At that time, iTunes was just launching their podcast directory, so getting listed on that was a real thrill.

Q: Why should a band be PodSafe?

A: Podcasts are a very low cost promotional tool. Unlike radio, it’s very easy to break into the podcasting world. There are still relatively few bands vying for attention on podcasts. If your music is good, you’re bound to get noticed. And podcast subscribers are truly interested in music. These are the cutting edge people who have sought out an alternative form of entertainment; they’re serious. If they like something they hear on a show, they actually go out and buy it. I get email and comments all the time about buying music from my shows — in fact, I got one this week from a guy who was sad that Sun Dula Amen wasn’t on iTunes yet, because he wanted to buy it! And of course, I know for a fact that I sell my own CDs from podcasts, I see the proof from orders on the Lovespirals Webstore.

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