Amazon have recently launched a new service called Artist Central which is designed to help artists and labels promote their music on the Amazon store. As an artist or label you are now able to add extra content to your artist page(s), such as a biography, pictures and even upload MP3s to offer as free downloads and full length streaming. Other cool features include customizable store banners, a twitter feed and a space to embed your videos. Check the profile for Band of Horses for to see these in action.

Getting set up is pretty straightforward. It just a matter of claiming your profile, which you can do by signing in to Artist Central with your Amazon account. If you don’t already have an Amazon account, you can go ahead and create one for free. Claims are usually approved within a matter of days. Once the claim has gone through you can go ahead and use these new features to jazz up your profile. All in all, we think Amazon have provided a valuable set of tools which help you connect to listeners in a more dimensional way, ultimately helping you increase your sales and exposure via the Amazon Store. We wish you the best of luck.

Yes, it can! If your goal as an artist or band is to sign with a Record Label, then having a good online sales record will definitely increase your chances of securing a deal. Many Record Labels, especially the majors, are prone to calculating the risk involved with investing their resources into making an artist or band successful, which makes sense. Most labels aren’t going to throw money at a band which they don´t think has a chance of succeeding (i.e. making money). With this in mind, showing potential labels that you have been able to achieve a good amount of online sales will make you a more attractive prospect. In addition, having a good online following and a large mailing list will earn you brownie points too, as it shows that you have an existing fan base to build on.

The possibilities which have beeen ushered in by the digital music revolution has led many to believe that it is now possible to enjoy a successful career in music without signing to a Record Label, and this may well be true. But the online environment can just as well help artists looking to sign to a Record Label by giving them a platform from which they can develop their music.

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The people behind the Meadow mp3 blog are well aware of how the online music environment is changing the way people form their opinions about music. The authority and influence of the traditional channels such as Record Labels, TV channels, Radio, and management companies are dwindling with the onset of the collaborative possibilities which underpin the digital music revolution. With this in mind, the orientation of Meadow Music is absolutely spot-on. They are an expanding a network of listeners, musicians, artists, producers, song writers, film producers, authors and just about anyone else with a love for music to fill the void created by the decline of the previous authorities. “Together we can create the world of music that we want to have”, that is the guiding vision of Meadow Music. Combining the shared wisdom of individuals, their experiences, their dreams, visions and personalities they believe we can create a different kind of music environment which will benefit us all. We at Record Union couldnt agree more. Meadow music is dedicated to the Swedish independent scene but the blog is available in both Swedish and English. It is updated daily and provides reviews and commentary on a diverse repetoir of artists and bands, providing you with all the relevant links and posting numerous clips to view at your pleasure. This blog is definitely something to put in your favorites; it is already in ours.