MySpace

Having a MySpace page for just about any media company is mandatory these days, not that that’s news to anyone.  What people may not know, however, is that you could spend the rest of your life browsing music pages and never buy another song again. 

Any band worth a damn has a page with an embedded music player that plays tons of free tracks the second you enter.  It’s true that bands and musicians have the same feature, for the most part, on their “official” websites, but MySpace pages, as they’ve figured out, are much more fun. 

And whoever designed the URL system at MySpace should get a Nobel Prize.  It makes searching for music and other content a breeze.

XM-Sirius does, indeed, offer great music programming.  But I’d be hard pressed to say it’s better than perusing MySpace, where you can look at a band’s “friends,” which often includes other musicians (not to mention a few decent looking people), and find music that way.  Aside from getting free music, you get a visual glimpse into their lives on the road.

KCRW.com 

The website takes the radio program to a different level, offering podcasts and video downloads of exclusive KCRW performances, and also serves as the LA base for NPR and Warren Olney’s “To the Point.”

Best of all, it’s “listener supported,” which means: NO COMMERCIALS!  Best of all, you can play the role of DJ, serving up thousands of free shows on demand from a list of DJs that would make Germany’s summer Love Parade look bland.

Nic Harcourt has earned a reputation among bands and musicians as the one “must play” show in LA.  He gets his hands on music months before anyone else does…including XM-Sirius.  All the more reason to avoid that monthly fee and simply switch to KCRW instead.

iTunes

Sure, it’s not free, but anyone who uses iTunes has come to rely on it as a pretty useful source of music, information (via podcasts), videos, and, more and more, games.  A large portion of it is exclusive to iTunes as well. 

And it’s on demand…so you don’t have to pay a fee to have someone dictate the content.

Indie1031.com

It’s not yet as dynamic (or organized) as KCRW, and it lacks NPR and substantive news coverage, but for free music and entertainment, it’s hard to compete.

(I’m listening right now, in fact, and Jonesy’s guest, Adam Sandler, is tearing the place apart.  Did I already mention this is free?)

YouTube

When internet connectivity on your phone and television improves, YouTube will be an even larger part of your life than it already is.

Much is made of YouTube’s copyright infringing material, and skeptics are even predicting the online video company’s demise as it loses more and more mainstream content.  But what those people fail to recognize is YouTube’s giant library of music videos and concerts, as well as hidden jazz, classical, and blues clips. 

My prediction for YouTube is that it will become more organized and easier to browse once the copyright issues are dealt with, and the user experience will get better and better. 

And once again, the best part: It’s free!

You might be wondering why YouTube is listed as audio entertainment, but you’re asking the wrong question.  The better question is why XM-Sirius lacks a viewing feature.  If we’re going to add satellite radio to our already long list of bills, should we at least get to see the shows we’re paying for?

StreamingRadioGuide.com

If you haven’t purchased XM or Sirius yet, hold off until you try StreamingRadioGuide.com, which offers a huge menu aggregating 5,192 free internet radio streaming sites. 

And it’s not limited to music, by any means.  It provides links to sports, news, local information, and even religious ministry, and offers over 600 Spanish-language sites for those who want to habla espanol.

Scott Goldberg