Ragamuffin Ramblings

"A great record is its own best marketing tool." Those words from singer/songwriter Derek Webb echo the motivation of NoiseTrade.com, a new website by which artists can supply their music directly to their fans. After the enormous success of Webb's FreeDerekWebb.com experiment, Webb sought to create a platform for artists and fans to interact.

Here's how it works. An artist uploads his/her music to NoiseTrade.com. You (the consumer) hear about this magnificent website and check it out. Soon, you find an album that you wish to own. No problem. You can download the album after you 1) email three friends about the site or 2) pay what you want. Yes, that's right. Pay what you want. It can be as little as $1 or as much as $25.

Now, you may be asking yourself, "Why are these artists doing this? Don't they realize that they will lose money if people pay what they want?"

But remember the wise words of Derek Webb, "A great record is its own best marketing tool."

Honestly, when it's all said and done, the majority of an artist's income doesn't come from record sales; it comes from ticket sales. You see, a musician's album is a vehicle for getting his/her name out there. The more people know of you, the more opportunities will arise for you. That's what NoiseTrade is all about, allowing artists the chance to get their music out in the marketplace.

Personally, I think it's the greatest thing since sliced bread. One of the best albums available for download in my opinion is Derek Webb's "The Ringing Bell." You can download it below if you'd like. Believe me, you won't regret giving NoiseTrade a look. But don't take my word for it... see for yourself!