In our last opinion piece Limeygit took issue with some of the failures of the Internet revolution and its effect on independent musicians. Von Babasin who plays bass for, and utilizes the Internet to promote, ONOFFON, a California based jazz rock band disagreed with several points. So he responded and we are happy to publish his views on the subject here. You can read the original article here, and passages quoted from it are presented in Italics.
If anyone else has any other thoughts on this issue, or wants to write on anything else related to independent music then drop us a line.

Hi there. This is Von Babasin, bassist in the progressive jazz-rock band from California, ONOFFON. I found Limeygit's column about the so-called 'Internet Music Revolution' very interesting, and I felt compelled to respond. Much of what he says is true, but there are many underlying factors that are taking place.
"So has anyone witnessed any of this? The record companies seem to be bigger and fewer, but that is by their own greedy doing rather than anything else. Sure music is huge on the Internet, to prove it recently 'MP3' became the most searched for phrase on the net, overcoming long time ruler 'Sex'. The rapid growth in hard drive space and the phenomenal success of CD burners are directly linked to this. But what is everyone downloading? Is it exciting new bands, unsigned geniuses and self-released prospects. Or is it more simply the same old crap that MTV plays, the Celines, the Mariahs, the Backstreet Boys etc? Are the independent musicians being ignored and swamped in the huge uncontrollable mass the Internet has become."
First, you've got to take look at what you've got to offer.
You have to start with is a truly competitive 'product'. Unfortunately, two guys in a garage in Sweden, or California, are rarely going to produce a product that will really stand up against a major record label production. So, you really have to know what the hell you're doing in a recording studio, and not just throwing together some cool sounding tracks. Now, if you're competent in your recording skills, and you have a GREAT mastering facility, what goes to CD will be worth someone purchasing. And, if you have the extra added plus of having good graphic cover design, you've got a complete package.
Once you have a product that stands up, whether you are totally independent, or the largest major, what you do next is the most important. Promote. He who has the most promotional dollars can most effectively make the public aware of its existence. You can have the greatest CD in independent history, if the people aren't aware you exist, no one's going to know to look for you. So, promotion is the key.
Obviously, since the majors already have the promotional infrastructure in place, they just add an Internet division, and propagate the same old 'status quo'. The key is to get AS MUCH exposure as you possibly can. Traditional forms of media are out of the question. Certainly can't afford that 30-second time slot for SuperBowl advertising. So we have to turn to the Internet, and get our music in as many places, for free, as humanly possible. The cost of the website is about $500.00 annually, so it can't be much cheaper for global exposure. But, again, the people have to know you're there to be found.
"The crutch of the whole revolution was going to be bands selling their CDs online. Avoiding the need for a Distribution deal. To be fair it is now easy for any band to do so. Whether it be on their own site, via the Internet giant Amazon or by our favorite etailer CD Baby, it is now possible for any band to get their CD out there. The problem is they are not selling, not at all. A recently study indicated the average self-released band with a CD available online sells approximately six copies per year. Six, most bands sell more than that out of the trunk of the drummer's battered old Ford after every gig. Six, or half a CD per month. Of course this is an average, a lot of bands sell a lot more, but then that means a lot sell a lot less, and you can't get much less than six a year. So has the revolution failed in its most basic of tasks, helping new and talented musicians find success without having to deal with the corporations of the world?"
Unfortunately, we are still in that category of only selling a handful of CDs a year, by the way, CDBaby is the independent musician's best friend. And we feel, even if you don't particularly like our musical approach, the quality of our production is second to none. We've managed to be promoted and reviewed by over 150 websites around the world, with more coming every day, as well as being linked to more than 600. The last Excite search for 'onoffon' yielded 480 links, while a Dogpile search came up with 615. The point is, if you want to find us, we can be found. We've put music from our first CD into three different film productions, and we're slated to shoot two separate cable access shows for public television, all because of our Internet exposure.
This wasn't possible for a struggling band like ours five years ago. I've always been limited by some shmuck manager who could only get us into 'this' many doors. But now there are no limitations. We've received reviews from the U.K., Sweden, Norway, Finland, Italy, Brazil, Germany, Denmark, not to mention all across the United States. We've received airplay in Latvia, Shanghai, Lanzhou, Macedonia (while bombs were dropping on Serbia), Britain, Italy, and the U.S. I conducted an interview in an underground print mag from the U.K. called LUKE, and review print mags in Sweden and Chile. And the reviews we're receiving are honest reviews. Independent reviewers have nothing to gain by giving some unknown band a great review. It's a different class of review than what the 'majors' pay for from the publications they own.
So, the Internet hasn't effected the music scene as radically as MTV did, but not everyone has had access as readily as with cable TV. It will take time, but as technology improves, as long as what you produce is of true quality, all it will take is time.
"Well it is a little early to tell, but the signs are not that great. That is one of the reasons we started this little website, to help bring attention to those people out there putting out music, to help create interest, and maybe even sales, for them. We are pretty damn proud of what we have done thus far. We hope you are enjoying it as well. Thanks for reading, and do me a favor, buy a CD we recommend, lets help move that figure up from six, because it is just not good enough, is it?"
All I can do is thank reviewers like Limeygit for taking the time to give bands like ours an honest listen. There's a certain a degree of validation with every review we receive, and we post EVERY review we receive, even the BAD ones. The Internet may not be the end all, but it certainly is a new beginning.
A record company would have a division of people to do what I have done, almost single handedly, from my computer at home. Mind you, I'm not belittling or lessening the other band members involvement.
Each of us draws off their own particular forte, mine happens to be computer promotion. Remember, there is no precedence for what we (collectively as independent musicians on the Internet) are trying to do right now, there's no right or wrong. Those who succeed will be the ones to truly innovate and rise above the 'status quo'.