With the recent launch of Topspin GoDirect comes an array of great artist pages. We’ve combed through hundreds of them and chosen a few below to highlight creative uses of the platform’s easy interface, providing ALL of the following:

• Get more fans with free downloads. Collect Emails, Twitter followers and Facebook Likes. The first 250 fans are FREE.
• Get more exposure with streaming audio & video players that work on Facebook, your site, blogs and all mobile devices. The first 250 plays are FREE.
• Get access to promotion across MTV. Get heard by music supervisors. Submit your video for on-air and online video rotation. Get considered for live performance series like Unplugged or Crossroads, and considered for selection for emerging artist franchises like Push (MTV), You Oughta Know (VH1), Listen Up (CMT), and First Take (Hive).

Check out all these pages with artists reaching new fans, publishing tracks and videos, replacing their bio, and uploading images for their Artists.MTV pages:

Amon Tobin

The Offspring

The Henry Millers

The Technicolors

The Mother Hips

Dangermaker

TRICIL

Otherness

Elena Faye

Vacant Windows

Topspin Creative Services can build your GoDirect page for you. Find out more here: http://labs.topspin.net/creativeservices/contact/

Middle Tennessee State University’s Recording Industry Department teaches a nine week class revolving around social media, PR, and online marketing. Ariel Hyatt’s Cyber PR, Next Big Sound, and Topspin are among the music-tech companies that contribute their knowledge and software. The subject for the Fall 2011 students was Dove Awards and at the completion of the class, they collected a great amount of data. Before going straight to the Case Study of their results, check out the students’ initial observations and goals for Dove Awards, as detailed below: 

• Twitter - consolidate several identical accounts and increase followers from 1900 to 5000 by Dove Award broadcast on the Gospel Music Channel (GMCTV).
• Facebook - consolidate several identical accounts. Brand page as the permanent “Dove Awards” page as several accounts list the previous years (i.e. “Dove Awards 2010).
• Email List - The GMAs have a mailing list for members, but not one for the general public. Create a fan mailing list using Topspin’s Email for Media widget. GMA to solicit several artists and labels to donate a track. Goal = 500 emails.
• Website - Add Email for Media widget at both Dove Awards and GMA websites.

One result was a 200% Twitter following jump! Check out the coverage on Hypebot, see the entire Case Study as a PDF download here and learn more about the class taught by Charlie Dahan by visiting the MTSU website.

Alright, another batch of fresh free tracks here! Welcome to the (early) weekend!

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Who doesn’t love both David Byrne AND St. Vincent? ‘Love This Giant’drops on September 10th in the UK, 11th in the U.S. (Obvious) prediction it ends up on many year-end favorites lists and we’re excited to be part of it! Keep up to date with these musical geniuses by hopping on their mailing list and getting the (GREAT) free track.

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In the spirit of the Drafthouse motto: ”share the movies we love with the widest audience possible,” they launched another badass campaign this week with “Drafthouse Alliance”, a custom membership product.  If you are an Indie Film buff, there is no better place to get such a huge value. Free soundtrack tunes right above, too.

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You may recognize Matthew Koma from his most recent work with Zedd on “Spectrum”. The singer-songwriter from Seaford, NY recently released his own track “Neon Red,” and it should be a great addition to your weekend playlist or next trip down to the beach. If you can, check him out on tour with LMFAO on their “Sorry for Party Rocking” Tour.

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The yet-to-be-released new album from Canadian troubadour Jeremy Fisher is now streaming via an email gated iFrame Anywhere widget. There will be an exciting announcement surrounding this product as well as our suite of other Topspin Labs products very soon. Keep your eyes peeled (and of course, we’ll alert you once it’s finished cooking)!

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We hope your first weekend of summer is filled with all the good things in life, and most importantly… MUSIC!

Greetings! We’re back today with both the Weekly Webcast at 11AM PST on our Justin.TV channel *and* our frequent Free Music Friday posts. Our webcast, which typically includes Topspin news, feature updates and website reviews, will also include a live performance from Mississippi’s Garrison Starrat 12:30PM. If you are around your computer, be sure to tune in!

There is such great art in this week’s post below, so PLEASE jump on a few mailing lists to keep up to date with these rockstars while earning their free tracks.

And Happy Friday!

Michele

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Welcome to Topspin, Amanda Palmer! Eyes and Ears customized a GREAT email acquisition page in conjunction with the handy Download Anywhere feature built by Topspin Labs. After you get your “Confirm and Download” email, you land right on top of Amanda’s record-setting Kickstarter campaign which has garnered over $743k in 18 days! Badass.

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Beachwood Sparks bring their very chill California vibe back to us with their first album in 11 years. ‘The Tarnished Gold’ comes out on Sub Pop June 26 and you can get a taste with a free download of ‘Forget the Song’ now. The song is simply beautiful and I cannot wait for the album to be released into the world.

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Fitz and The Tantrums are giving away more of their fun, vibrant music, including live tracks and a remix of their groovy “Breakin’ The Chains of Love”. I discovered the giveaway when they posted the link from their Facebook page. It served as a great reminder: if you are giving away tracks, throw the link into your Facebook status, encourage ‘Shares’ and grow your list! It works!

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This smooth pre-order page for the Danko Jones offer by Bad Taste Records is very well-done and worth checking out. Get the free music while you’re at it!

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This beautiful Curtis & Reinhard offer page is produced by 27 Sound. It features thoughtful offers which include a nice way to select t-shirt designs through the purchase flow to avoid using multiple buy buttons. Go look: http://curtisreinhard.com

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One of my favorite parts of working at Topspin is getting to scroll through SO MANY interesting and awesome artist websites. It is so amazing to witness the volume of creative and technical energy it takes to promote the music we fall in love with. Here are some great tracks (and sites) to send you into your weekend!

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I’m a big fan of Best Coast. LOVE the artwork and the page is very beautiful, by Fanfare Media. Check out their pre-order for the album dropping 5/15/12.

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  Become an instant new fan of Ramona Falls, simply from listening to this very nice song — that’s what happened to me! New album is ready 5/01/12. Their splashpage and artwork giving away the track is killer: http://ramonafalls.com/

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Marty Stuart sent a very awesome newsletter this week with a presale set up through our out of the box Spinshop that comes with every Topspin account. They did a stellar job with this Spinshop. See here: http://martystuart.spinshop.com/. New album is available on Sugar Hill Records on 4.24.12.

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I love this very direct splashpage where you can preview this hooky track for a new band ‘The New Pacific’. Great sharing functionality too! See it here: http://www.thenewpacific.com/

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OTEP is a free 4 track EP of bonus tracks previously only available on special Japanese and US editions of Outpost Transmission. Great looking page: http://www.808state.com/

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Keep it rockin’ and have a music-filled weekend :)

So much great music this week, click for yourself!

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Here is a beautiful-sounding high quality live recording. This is for Dead Can Dance fans and also for those not familiar with a single note but who love sweeping landscape sounds, acoustic guitar with dramatic, gorgeous vocals… if you like any of that, you must hear this ASAP. And be sure to check their tour schedule, their first since 2005.

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Garbage’s new album “Not Your Kind of People” is out in the US May 15 and in the rest of the world May 14. For more visit: http://garbage.com/.

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The honesty of Jasmine Ash’s lyrics combined with her often quirky pop melodies have helped her to formulate an infectious sound that is uniquely her own. Jasmine also wears the hat of front woman and songwriter for the indie/rock band Oh Darling.

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So good. Preview this Sub Pop Records tune before you hand over the keys on your email address.

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Rhett Miller’s sixth solo album is ready and due out June 5th. Get a track from it now! Streaming splash page is HERE.

Thanks for checking in here. Wishing you a music-filled weekend!