Do you keep up with the news? Do you know about some of the exciting things happening in the music industry today? Have you given any thought to how trends in the music industry affect your career? As an independent artist it is incredibly important that you keep up with latest developments in the industry so you can determine how you fit into the mix.

So, what is new in music? Here are five exciting things within the past few months that you should know about:

1. Facebook’s Relaunched Music Page (www.facebook.com/music) creates a more robust experience for those interested in music and provides users with best practices information. The new page is a valuable resource for musicians, as well as venue owners and fans.

For musicians, it provides a link to easily create a band-specific Facebook page and provides answers to related questions, and more. For venue owners, it gives information about promoting concerts via Facebook and includes information about advertising. For fans, it includes five tips to best support your favorite act — something all SongCaster’s should share with their fans.

2. Bandsurfing.com helps to ease the (sometimes difficult) booking process by allowing musicians and venues to connect with each other based on their needs and wants. Bands and venues create profiles where they enter bios, pictures, tracks and genres, and note what requirements they meet (over 21, have an album, etc.). Venues enter their information, along with perks they can provide and what they require from a band. Bands and venues can then message each other to book a show. This really helps to cut through the clutter of email and helps bands and venues expedite the booking process. The site also features a reviews section, so users can rate bands and venues, adding another informative element.

3. Google Music is expected to launch this week. The service will allow users to upload their music library to a personal online storage space to then stream and download those files from Internet connected devices. The service is currently available on a limited, invite-only basis to U.S. users. To request an invite, go to google.music.com. The service is free while in beta.

4. The Voice is an unexpected television success. The prime-time reality show features singer/coaches Cee Lo Green, Christina Aguilera, Blake Shelton, and Adam Levine, who blindly choose teams of vocalists and mentor them in a complex singing competition. The interesting thing about The Voice is that contestants are chosen based on their voice alone – not their image– and there are no age restrictions. Some say that the show is helping to shine a light back on true artistry and performance.

5. National Jukebox: A joint venture between Sony and The Library of Congress will give free access to hordes of Sony-controlled recordings long out of circulation because of commercial or copyright issues. Some highlights of The National Jukebox project include the first blues recording, “Livery Stable Blues,” made in 1917 by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band; a comedy skit by the Vaudeville team of Gallagher and Shean; speeches of President Teddy Roosevelt and piano performances by jazz-ragtime pioneer Eubie Blake.

Tell us what you think! What is going on in the music industry that you need to know about?

Up next: A SongCaster Social Media Makeover!

The SongCast Crew