I bought my first MP3 player in 2000, which I gleefully filled with tracks from Napster. I listened to bands that I hadn't heard in years, and found even more that were fresh to my ears. If only the music business had embraced the digital wave, then they might have been part of the New Music Industry, where talent, drive and some internet savvy are more important than a record contract. In what has been a milestone year for new music models, indie musicians are better placed than ever to make a living.I bought my first MP3 player in 2000, which I gleefully filled with tracks from Napster. I listened to bands that I hadn't heard in years, and found even more that were fresh to my ears. If only the music business had embraced the digital wave, then they might have been part of the New Music Industry, where talent, drive and some internet savvy are more important than a record contract. In what has been a milestone year for new music models, indie musicians are better placed than ever to make a living.The release of Radiohead's new album In Rainbows has been heralded by the industry as an 'insult' by some music executives. Available as a digital download from this week the album can be obtained for free, or you can donate as much as you think it's worth. It's a digital honesty box approach that is making record execs wince, but Radiohead are currently indie and without a record contract. Though many will no doubt take the free offer, some fans are donating over the usual album prices to support their favourite act - proving that people will pay if they know the money is going direct to the artist. After all, it's the middle men and record executives who are trying to sue fans to prevent downloading and not the bands themselves.

As well as pocketing the lion's share of sales, there are huge advantages to staying independent. Not least the control of your own style and sound. Kiwi band Fat Freddy's Drop have built an international reputation independently with their awesome seven-piece live act. They release Based on a True Story through their own indie label The Drop and believe indie is the only way to go now. Christchurch producer Tom Cosm has taken an open source approach. He gives his music away for free as well as free video tutorials.

So what approach should you take as an indie musician? Do you release your music for free off your own site, take donations or digitally distribute? I'd recommend a mix of all three, having real life experience in running an NZ Indie Label. We released an album in 2002 through an amazing online service called CD Baby. It was established in 1998 by a musician called Derek Sivers and is now the biggest independent record store in the world.

CD Baby will place your music into all the online stores that count, passing on the proceeds for a 9% cut through their Digital Distribution Service. Currently iTunes accounts for 82.8% of the total combined and the service will place you in all of the international iTunes stores. Kiwi artists can also release their tracks and albums through Amplifier.co.nz, who launched were first into the digital music arena in New Zealand. Amplifier's artist services includes video streaming.

So what about making it? The music that is. Mashable has provided a fantastic list of digital media resources such as 90+ Essential Music Music and Audio Websites with Social Music Networks, Music Sharing, Jamming, Remixing and Audio Tools. There are some great audio resources of public domain sounds to put in your mix such as Soundsnap.com, The Freesound Project and ccMixter which are released under Creative Commons License. The Struggling Musicians Toolkit contains plenty of tools and tips, and you should definitely put Andrew Dubber's ebook, New Music Strategies, on your new music mogul reading list. To promote your work you could get your music in an indie film, or score a short for the 48HOURS Furious Filmmaking Competition.

It's our unique geography and cultural mix that creates the Kiwi soundscapes. Now local musos can be world famous from New Zealand, rather than having to go offshore to make a name for themselves. If you're not lucky enough to be based in our Pacific paradise, you can enjoy 100% New Zealand music anytime online from our friends at Kiwi FM. Thanks, Kiwi!

11/10/07

As well as being TBI's strategist, Helen Baxter a.k.a. MsBehaviour runs dance-music label TMet Recordings, 3D animation company Mohawk Media and has a fortnightly slot on National Radio called 'Virtual World'.