Just to pitch an idea here, on the table for discussion.
Example: On myspace, the music can sometimes be downloaded, sometimes not.

Should we have the choice on here? Some people (I notice puppetxeno) have music they want to sell, and posting it here means that it's free for the taking. If someone has music they plan to sell, and want the community opinion of bandamp (or a little self promotion), but don't want free distribution of their music, then they might find it quite useful. On the other hand, someone starting out, and who would use the assistance of other members to bring a fresh take on their music (or other members collabing and what not) can allow the track to be downloaded.

On the other hand there will be a restriction to people's ability to work with eachother if they just decide to disallow their music for download.

Don't know how hard it is to program this sort of thing, and don't know what people would like, just pitching an idea.

WB

you have music your selling you may not want to have it downloaded for free but as your writing the song you may want input from bandampers  so you may want to put it up for review without having it downloaded.
 I think I read somwhere that some members or member , have songs for sale but we don't get to hear them because of that reason. 

 I think it would be a good option ...i feel there are a lot of talented musicians looking at the site but don't join for that reason that there music would be downloaded for free.  I could be wrong though

Here's another voice to that! Members only areas, or members only songs.

And......sorry for taking it further again......what about a 'pay for music' forum , so you wouldn't loose the talented musicians
So the forums could be :

- Audio Review

- Music Market

- Lyric Review

- Collaboration Forum

As I said I'm taking it a bit far, but I suppose it's good to know what is possible!

God I was SOOO happy when I saw the 'Lyrics' tab  , and soooo sad when I didn't any more!  Gutted!

I didn't even notice the lyrics tab at first till you mentioned it. I thought cool now I'll take all the lyrics to the songs from my music tab  post them on there. I had even started writing some to copy and paste. I was going to paste the hellhounds lyrics and it was gone . oh well they must have something theyre doing cause they put that up there once.  I like your idea kings I was thinkin that the page that comes up when you click on a song would have the icon  for download and  not downloadable  then the button wouldn't work or if you didn't want the free download in could be a link to your store or link to a site that has your stuff for sale..  as far as the market goes I think a tab like the links tab  but to the sites that you have your stuff for sale on (itunes or cdbaby or whatever). you can blog them now and have links to it in the links page.



oh well it's still a great site

 

If the site gets to that stage, it could be the whole package right here. Learning how to play/write/record, to selling the final product.

Also, TG, in your first post, "i feel there are a lot of talented musicians looking at the site but don't join for that reason that there music would be downloaded for free." I know. If they bothered to stay, maybe we could learn a lot from them.

Kings: "Members only areas, or members only songs." interesting idea. Adds another incentive for signing up. Maybe, if the music market idea goes through, a members discount? (although it might be hard if it's just linking to the music shops though...)

I'd really like to see some pros here (not saying none of us are), but with their music that they sell, that would be cool.

Yet again some excellent ideas come out in the wash, or the mix, which ever you prefer!
But before any of this can happen we need a Mr Mud on the scene.
We can plan and formulate as much of the idea as possible, and all that we think it involves, but he has to say yea or nee!
Because he is the one who must see the worth in such an idea, I don't suppose slasherx is doing the laundry for nothing is he?

TG : "you can blog them now and have links to it in the links page" - How many people actually visit other peoples 'Links Page'?

It's quite frustrating being a 'User' of a site, seeing the things that could be done, being in agreement with other 'users' but yet all of us are powerless to do any thing!!! But talk about it!

I really like the idea of the Market, the script would have to be implemented through out most of the sites pages I'd say. But it would be a way forwards for the bandAmp site.

I was hoping, while thinking about this, that it could be done with as little change to the sites 'format' as possible, but I don't think it can.
It is possible to implement members only 'song downloads', where 'none members' could get either the artists home page or shop page.
But I don't think that would be enough, I believe 'bandAmp the site' must be able to offer the ability for artists to sell  their songs, through the site. The inevitable is that bandAmp would become a 'money making organization'! aaa! run away!  run away! ( scuse sarcasm! ) because some one needs to keep shop!

WB I still think its an excellent way for the site to grow, "And out of Mud comes the fruit of all being"!

Interestingly enough , this week youtube announced payment for content negotiations

http://pantagraph.com/articles/2006/10/10/money/doc452a61fe963c9816263842.txt

Till now content suppliers were not paid anything by utube  ,  the site owneres make the money.

I know this is all top end stuff ,,CBS, SONY Google etc but the the speed at which this has all taken place   encourages one to think that something similar might happen here on our little band amp.


We've just finished our 1st album .
Completley indie..mailed out copies to radio stations and anybody we could think of.
Actually its fun , addressing a cd to Peter Garret , lead singer with Midnight Oil and current Federal Shadow Minister for the Arts and Evvironment..

The thing is all the 12 songs on the album are already on Bandamp.
Workshop versions , 1st demo mix etc in the main , but some are final masters.
Ahhh now the dilema ,do we leave them up on the site...     these  obviously can be downloaded free ,to members and non members alike.
We have no problem with members downloading our material.
The amp has proved to be  valuable and instrumental in the growth of our band courtesy of members reviews and constructive comments .Class people too , not like some of the trailer trash dumping on other sites.
Hats off to the moderators ,

We can only move forward.
There's more money in mud than dust