The number one site for musicians and bands to promote themselves has to be MySpace. With over 100 million members, it is easy to see why it would be attractive: easy set-up, streaming music, large network of music fans, and ability to give instant blog updates.
But the MySpace brand is becoming tainted. It is spam heaven and is constantly mocked as a site for child predators. While it offers free promotion, the features are somewhat bland and don't offer bands a way to monetize their efforts.
Modlife is a revolutionary website for musicians.
It launched November 1st of 2007 with the online release of Angels & Airwaves album "I-Empire." Currently, the site boasts an impressive amount of features:
- Podcasting (Modcasts)
- Live chats/video chats with the bands (Modblast) and (Modcam)
- Tour videos
- Meet and Greet opportunities
- Streaming Music
- Video blogs
- News updates
- And a few other features
Below is a screenshot of the homepage.
How does it work?
The catch is that the content isn't free. The band that started Modlife.com (Angels & Airwaves) charge $6.99 a month for a subscription to their site. While this doesn't please some people, if a band you truly enjoy is on Modlife, the $6.99 is well worth it (it is 2 drinks at Starbucks a month).
I've been a member since the day the website launched and have had the privilege of: meeting AVA twice, enjoying daily content (either blog/videos/podcasts/video chats), and have watched Tom DeLonge take requests via "Modcam" and sing songs with his acoustic guitar.
Screen shot of blog below
The future of Modlife:
While only a few bands exist on Modlife at the moment, future plans are underway. According to blogs and Modcams, eventually Modlife will be open to the public. This means that anyone will be able to create a page and charge whatever they want for a subscription.
For the DIY bands, Modlife has to be very appealing. You have all the outlets for distribution right in front of you, condensed into one site. You control the content and set the prices; very appealing to bands.
While the launch of Modlife has been slow, keep in mind that all great brands and campaigns have had slow starts (Microsoft, Wal-Mart, Red Bull, etc.). The brands and campaigns that have been the most successful have taken off like an airplane, not a big bang (idea taken from Laura Ries).
Screenshot of Modblast below
Check out Modlife.com. At the moment, there is no other site like it.
Tom DeLonges introduction to Modlife: