If you are an artist/band trying to get your music "out there" it seems you GOT to use YouTube and MySpace and etc.

But, MY SUGGESTION is that you ONLY use those ubiquitous sites for displays of your "cover tunes" only

YouTube shares its' ad revenue and money with RIAA labels and other big media corporations. It has NO effective revenue sharing model with its' general users.

Folks, YouTube (and the like) does serve a social function, but the corporate interests have moved in and gobbled that function up.

Sure, your vid of your kid hitting your dad in the nuts with the bat while playing baseball in the backyard is cool and all... but, YOU are not making the $$$ from sharing it with the world.

Mp3.com had the SAME business model as YouTube:

Built the site on SUBMITTED content ...and enriched the Big Media corporates

...without ANY concern or thought for the rights of the "users"

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I know I have no chance in hell of influencing the vast majority of folks who have content they want "seen/heard" on YouTube (and the like)

...but, I just want you to THINK about it before you submit your video/content to any of those "ubiquitous must" sites.

They are SCREWING you.
They are SCREWING us all.

They aren't screwing me. The videos I post may lead to employment for me. That's why I post them. Nobody is making money off my stuff. Nobody.

Shmoo -- like anything else, YouTube serves both and good and bad purpose. If you are looking to attract more visitors to your website then it is a good means of free advertising if you have such videos to toss up there. Now of course if your an independent artist, sticking your music up there is allowing the RIAA to profit off of your stuff while you get zero. If anything -- you should only put short clips of your stuff on there with a link back to your own site for the full download. This way, your site is getting the hits traffic which you benefit from.

YouTube is kind of like a turkey in the oven. Don't pull the turkey out with your bare hands, or your gonna get burned.

-Dave

YouTube is a part of that wierd gray area. It shouldn't be banned, nor should it be trusted. Proceed with caution.

-Dave