Independent Artists: Sell your music on iTunes!

I’m still busy as hell. Bossman is very serious about having a disaster recovery plan, and I agree so I’m not complaining. Meanwhile, I still have my regular workload to keep up with and my normal duty of fixing stuff in the office when it breaks. Waking hours=working hours these days. Things will get better soon.

I’d like to start featuring indy music from Japan. That’ll make it easier to put out shows since I can fill ’em up with content I don’t have to make myself. So far I’ve only played three bands, and you can’t buy their music online from overseas.

I want that to change. If I’m going to play music, ya’ll out there should be able to buy it and the money should go into the artists’ pockets.

Apple is accepting applications from indy artists so their music can be bought via iTunes. (Let’s hope the system works better than that for submitting podcasts. I’ve had absolutely no luck getting HFJ into the directory.) Problem is, the application form is in English only.

Ideally, I’d like 1) to help Japanese bands with the language barrier so they can get their music onto iTunes and 2) become an iTunes affiliate to make it worth my while. Knowing Apple, it’ll be a bitch to set up, so we’ll have to start any way we can.

First step: Is there an independent artist out there who’d like to fill out the iTunes application? Please let me do it for you. I’ll make a Flash tutorial as I fill it out, like I did to show how to subscribe podcasts in iTunes. I’ll make the tutorial available here in both English and Japanese, and also let anyone post them whevever they like. It would be nice if people who benefit from the tutorials would let me know so I can feature their music on my podcast and link to their music in the shownotes as an iTunes affiliate. But even if I can’t make any money, I’ll still make the tutorials and play their music with permission.

Sorry for the lack of updates. Busy busy busy.