Recording Music Without the Recording Industry 234
hephaist0s writes "The 2008 RPM Challenge — to write and record an original album in February, just because you can — is about to begin. Hundreds of musicians from around the world have already signed up. Last year, more than 850 albums were recorded as part of the challenge, a testament to what can be done by independent musicians without a label, without the RIAA, and often without a professional studio. The efforts ranged from an album made entirely on a Nintendo Game Boy to a Speed Racer rock opera, produced by both experienced bands and novice musicians, often in continent-spanning online collaborations. Last year's challenge generated one of the largest free jukeboxes of original music available online, built to stream on-demand all 8500-plus original, artist-owned songs. Imagine if grassroots, independent systems like this foretold the future of recorded music and its distribution."
Material can be written beforehand (Score:2, Informative)
Nope. You don't have to write the material in the month of February, only record it in February.
Another good source: (Score:5, Informative)
Re:All Joking Aside... (Score:1, Informative)
If the band are great, the audience buy the CDs, go to the web site and tell their friends. The advertising takes care of itself.
People forget that a really kick ass band can excite an audience. Most bands simply are not very good. Instruments and amplifiers have got cheaper, people have more free time and venues can get as many bands as they like for free by putting on a 'talent night'. So there are lots of mediocre bands out there.
Average songwriting with average quality home recording equals a whole lot of average.
The nice thing about the old record company system was that the recording, production and distribution was handled for the artist. They could get on with the hard part, writing the music.
...and the new (non-commercial) kid (Score:2, Informative)
http://alonetone.com/ [alonetone.com]
(disclaimer: i made this app!)
Access to retail (Score:3, Informative)
Want to get your CD in Wal-Mart, Target, or any other large meatspace retailer? You've got to play ball with the RIAA content cartel.
Re:What? No way. (Score:2, Informative)
These guys [triplejunearthed.com] did and do. There is no competition involved, they just want their music to be out there. Hey, they don't even have to pay for hosting, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation [abc.net.au] does.
Stream away. Better still, visit Triple J [triplej.net.au] or even the catch of the day [abc.net.au], where they've even found the best stuff for you.
There's also an annual "Triple J Unearthed CD" which is a compiliation of the top ten listeners' choices for the year. Unearthed #4 contains (track 3) Relapse by Endorphin [01-mp3search.com]. I loved it the moment I heard it. On the the strength of that one home-made track, when he brought out an album (yes he fell into the hands of the recording industry and is now making that pittance in royalties The Industry likes to refer to as "Big Money"), I bought it. That Unearthed entry was created using two walkmans in his bedroom.
Keep spending, mate, there are others who are simply getting on with it.
C:\>Re:on "Free" music... (Score:2, Informative)
I think the first rule of recording outside of a studio (speaking as an audio engineer who works in a studio) is to accept that your recordings will not sound like they were made in a studio. I think the second rule is there's nothing wrong with that. Though the majority of great recordings thus far have been made in a studio environment, I am periodically surprised by recordings made in less than stellar conditions that sound fantastic. This is a subjective art. You probably won't be making Steely Dan or Alan Parsons records, but Jason Falkner [jasonfalkner.net], Jack White [whitestripes.com] and even Bruce Springsteen [wikipedia.org] have made some great sounding stuff under less than ideal recording conditions and environments.
Here's some starter ideas.
Software: REAPER [reaper.fm] = $50 (Free until you can afford to pay for it, basically)
Interface: M-Audio FastTrack USB [m-audio.com] = about $100
Microphone: Shure SM58 [shure.com] = about $100. If you don't have any room treatment (loosely "soundproofing") then this mic will be your friend. It sounds pretty good on most things from voice to instruments, too.
Subscription: TapeOp [tapeop.com] - Free one year subscription (trust me...you'll want this)
Don't forget a couple cables for your mic and instrument if necessary. Plug in your instrument of choice and have fun. Experiment with where you put the mic until you like the sound of it (and DON'T LET YOUR METERS GO INTO THE RED!) Pay close attention to how your choice affects the sound of the overall mix as you add tracks. Don't be afraid to experiment with software, sound or equipment. Remember, though there are good techniques, the only right techniques are the ones that sound good to you.
Also get onboard a good site like Gearslutz [gearslutz.com] and read, ask and engage.
Most importantly, use your ears, pay attention, try to mimic things you like from other people's recordings and LEARN from doing it. We're all geeks, damnit. Isn't that how we learn to do everything?
That'll be 5 cents, please.