Joe pointed this Wired article on starting an mp3 blog out to me today:

Starting a music blog is a mere matter of finding a host for your tracks and posting away. Just one catch: You’ll probably end up breaking the law. Try as you may, you won’t be able to secure permission for every song you want to post. Sean Michaels (creator of Said the Gramophone, one of the first MP3 blogs) knows how to get around this problem. To start with, he says, keep your hosting provider in the dark. Most have a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy regarding MP3s. Also, stay away from prereleased or high-profile tracks. MP3 blogs are often tolerated by music labels, Michaels points out, for their promotional value — but only if the studios don’t end up feeling burned. Finally, post your email address along with a statement saying you’ll respond to takedown requests. Then do so, quickly, should you get a complaint. But don’t get too hung up on bureaucracy: The most important thing is to write about your passions in a way that feels honest. Or, as Michaels says, “Be your own beast.”

On this subject of “Just one catch: You’ll probably end up breaking the law…”, I beg to differ. I’m not interested in listening to music blogs of mainstream “illegal music”. The best music blogs are promoting independent music, often released under a Creative Commons license. Music blogs are about finding new music that you’ve never heard before… all this awesome stuff that people are putting together in their basement, garage or local studio - thanks to the wonders of digital technology. Today’s artists don’t need a major label to be successful anymore, just a little Internet savvy. They can do it all by themselves and music blogs and social networks are how they get the word out. It shouldn’t be dodgy, nor require you to keep “your hosting provider in the dark”. Just don’t post links to illegal music.

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