FuseTrade – Social Network For Artists

Name: FuseTrade
URL: http://www.fusetrade.com

When reviewing social networking sites on MusicKO, I usually focus on the ones which are centered on musicians, and that let them interact among themselves or with their fans (or both). These sites let musicians and their punters start building the kind of communication that is necessary for music to become an integral part of everybody’s lives. But something which is every bit as important in order to accomplish that is taking a good look at what the artistic scene around one is like. Which plays are being staged, which exhibitions are being held, which new galleries are opening… A lot of opportunities for further spreading one’s art lie there. Not to mention that visual artists are something every musician ends up working with when releasing an album. Finding those that are in one’s wavelength early can but be a wise move.

That’s exactly what this new social network is all about. It lets artists from all over the world connect with each other, share all that they are doing and promote their creative work collectively. News on events can be spread, and the site has a gallery for uploading original work to. And a forum for conducting organized discussions regarding art and events is likewise featured.

Membership to FuseTrade costs nothing, and registration is quick and painless. And if you already have a Facebook, Twitter, Google or Yahoo! account then you can use that to log in instead, and skip registration altogether.

The 15 Best Music Startups To Be Highlighted At MidemNet Lab

The MidemNet Lab Is Taking Place At The MIDEM Music Conference In Cannes, France

The MidemNet Lab Is Taking Place At The MIDEM Music Conference In Cannes, France

The inaugural MidemNet Lab will take place at the MIDEM music conference in Cannes, France (23rd – 27th January 2010).

It will be the spot where the 15 best startups that bring digital innovation into the world of music will be highlighted. These have been voted by some of the key players in the industry – leaders of sites such as MySpace, Spotify and Seesmic opined on which startups should be featured. Continue reading

RockMy Events – Putting Gigs & Events On The Map

RockMyEvents

Name: RockMy Events

URL: http://www.rockmyevents.com

Traditionally, it was always possible to miss on this or the other artist when he or she came to town, even if you were a big fan of music in general. And I am talking about “established” artists. Now, if we were to move into Indie music it was always even harder to know what was going on unless you had some kind of direct connection with the band, or were in their (very) close geographical vicinity.

That is a thing of the past. Now things are far, far removed from that context. I dare say we have gone from one extreme to the other, as services like Twitter ensure that we have access to so much information that picking out which gig to attend can take longer than it took Pete Townshend to present “Lifehouse” to the world as he had originally intended it. Continue reading