For all the turmoil going on in the realm of commercial music as the big labels struggle to find a place in the 21^st Century, independent music is currently undergoing a renaissance. Modern Internet technologies have allowed online music to explode and for struggling artists to find fans to connect with around the globe.

Cloud storage technologies are becoming an indispensable part of an aspiring musician’s toolbox. It gives you virtually all the space for outreach you could ever want – like having an entire library of demos available to give to someone at a moment’s notice!

And it all lies in moving your material onto the Cloud.

What Is Cloud Storage?

Cloud storage means using online hosts to store your information. Many large websites – like Google or Amazon – have so many computers in use not using all their hard drive space that they can make it available for other uses. Webmail has been doing this for a decade, but now it’s possible to host virtually anything online cheaply and easily.

Access can be managed as well, allowing you to keep works-in-progress away from public areas.

Previously, these cloud storage areas were basically the online equivalent of a rented shed – just empty space for you to fill up. In recent years, however, they’ve become more. Social and cloud have combined, and societies are popping up online around their musical efforts.

Soundcloud – The New Face Of Music?

Soundcloud takes these cloud storage ideas and melds them with social services like Facebook. Aspiring musicians can upload their tracks, create groups of fans, promote upcoming events, and even have people directly comment on their favorite parts of a song! It’s absolutely unprecedented access to new fans and their opinions.

Much like MySpace before it, Soundcloud has become the established hub for online independent music. If you don’t have an account yet, you should get one!

However, if you’d like something a bit less public, plenty of companies from Dropbox to Google offer storage options where you could upload tracks and give others access to them as you wish. Just don’t forget all the social media benefits you’re passing up if you do this.

Getting The Word Out

Of course, there’s still one issue: you still gotta get people’s attention. Cloud music has taken the exciting world of passing CDs out in the street and put it online, but you still have to make that human connection somehow.

Here’s a few ideas!

• eBusiness Cards: There are a huge array of options for having business cards which connect to your online ventures. From simply including your website, to utilizing QR codes, to even potentially embedding chips… a well-made business card still impresses, and it gives anyone you meet a takeaway that sends them straight to your music.
• Comment on others’ tracks: This is a great way to make connections. Find other artists you like and tell them about it. Tell others about your find. Find groups you could hook up with or set up gigs together. It’s an incredible musical commons!
• Manage your tags: When putting your music onto indexed services like Soundcloud, consider your tags carefully. They aren’t just how you want to describe yourself, they’re also how new fans come across you while browsing. What tags would your ideal fan be looking for? They also help get you onto “related music” sidebars, which is another huge boost!

The Cloud has opened up all new opportunities for aspiring new musicians to promote their music online. Make the most of these great new tools, and get yourself heard!