The League is designed for 1,000 smart proactive musicians who want to learn the insider tips and secrets on music promotion and developing a music career. Each email is themed around a certain theme e.g. music industry law, getting gigs, blogging for musicians etc. and includes various free gifts such as free music contracts, lists of contacts, and much more.

My aim with The League of Musicians is to produce a newsletter for musicians that’s not about sales or any of the usual BS you receive in your inbox – I hate spam, but I love awesome useful information, and I know that’s what my best readers like too, so I wanted to produce something that you will love, for free.

Why Only 1,000 Spaces?
When you write a newsletter for 10,000′s or 100,000′s musicians you have to be very careful in how you present information. One minor misunderstanding can result in thousands of responses asking for clarification. The end result being a poor response and thousands of unhappy musicians. I want The League to be personal so that I can respond to anyone who has a question, and get to know the artists in The League. I think one thousand is a good balance between keeping it personal and exclusive, whilst still helping enough musicians to not make it *too* exclusive.

To Join The League of Musicians or to learn more, click here

Image credit: nicoletbn

Over the past few months I’ve been experimenting a lot with Google+ and keeping on top of things from within the social media and search industry, and I can safely say now that Google+ is going to become important – not for the amount of users it gains, but for the data it gives Google and related services such as YouTube. For musicians, there are huge benefits to adopting Google+ early on so I recommend heading over and signing up.

As an incentive, I thought I’d run a little competition to give away £30 worth of marketing supplies from Vistaprint (you can pick from business cards, stickers, calendars, banners, and all sorts of other things) to promote your music with – hey, it can’t be 100% online marketing!

Circle The Musician’s Guide on Google+ to Enter

All you have to do to enter is to +1 / Circle The Musician’s Guide on Google+ using the buttons in the right-hand sidebar and this time next week (Jan 11th) I’ll pick one person at random who circled us in the past week and tweet the names from @themusicguide.

Circle The Musician’s Guide on Google+

Image Credit: 28288673

Here are a few ideas along with the contact information you need to get it booked!

1: Enjoy the Beauty of the New Forest
Full of monuments and home to some of the oldest woodland in the United Kingdom, the New Forest is a beautiful environment that would be a great setting for a music video. To get started, contact the New Forest National Park Authority, Lymington Town Hall, Avenue Road, Lymington, SO41 9ZG.
Tel: 01590 646600.

2: Have Some Fun at a Skatepark
Check out Stockwell Skatepark in South London or Harrow Skatepark. Both of these outdoor skateparks are run by the local councils. The communities of skaters and BMXers will likely be willing and eager to appear as extras. Lambeth Council, Town Hall, London SW2 1RW, Tel: 020 7926 1000.
Harrow Council, Civic Centre, Station Road, Harrow, HA1 2XY, Tel: 020 8863 5611.

3: Shoot in a Science Park
Check out the Harwell Oxford science park in central Oxfordshire. The location couldn’t be better – both London and two airports can be reached within an hour. The Diamond Light Source is a unique and beautiful building that will certainly make your music video stand out. Get in Touch with the Park Management and Marketing Office, The Library, Eighth St., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Oxfordshire, OX11 0RL
Tel: +44 (0)1235 742 100.

4: Try to Cross the Giant’s Causeway
A UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most popular tourist sights in the UK, the Giant’s causeway in Northern Ireland features distinctive hexagonal black columns of basalt. According to Legends the causeway was built to facilitate a fight between Fionn Mac Cumhaill and the Scottish giant Benandonner. The causeway is managed by the National Trust, 32 Queen Anne’s Gate, London, SW1H 9AB. Tel: 01793 817400.

5: The Smallest House in Great Britain
Located in Conwy, Wales, this tiny house measures only 10 feet by six feet. The last resident was a 6ft 3 inch fisherman, named Robert Jones,who moved out in 1900. Contact Robert Jones’ descendants at Britain’s Smallest House, Quayside, Conwy, LL32 8BB. Tel: 01492 593484.

6: Film in a Chocolate Factory
Iconic UK chocolate manufacturer’s Cadbury’s have a chocolate-based tour on their Bournville manufacturing site. While not strictly a factory tour, the chocolatey environs could serve as great inspiration for a music video director. Get in touch with Sales & Marketing Department, Cadbury World, Linden Rd, Bournville, Birmingham B30 2LU. Tel: 0121 458 2000.

7: Enjoy The Sights of a Butterfly Park
Who doesn’t like butterflies? Set your music video in one of the UK’s beautiful butterfly parks. The Butterfly and Wildlife Park in Long Sutton has a Tropical house with many beautiful butterflies, as well as reptiles and other inscets. There is also a Bird of Prey display for some added excitement. The Butterfly & Wildlife Park Long Sutton, Spalding, Lincolnshire PE12 9LE. Tel: 01406 363833.

8: Get Dirty at The National Coal Museum
Wales ofers a coal museum which incorporates a real coal mine. In addition there are historic colliery buildings and Pithead baths. Your music video could incororate these above-ground elements and then head underground for 300 feet to the coal face itself. Big Pit is also a World Heritage Site. Big Pit: National Coal Museum, Blaenafon, Torfaen, NP4 9XP. Tel: (01495) 790311

9: Film at a medieval role play event
Live Action Role Playing or LARPing is its own little subculture where people dress up as elves, orcs, wizards and sorcerors in order to battle for supremacy. While it might sound a bit strange, setting your music video at one of these events would give you a ready supply of extras and a very interesting backdrop. Get in touch with Herofest LARP t find out more about LARPing and whether there is a suitable event coming up. Herofest LARP, Unit 6G, Morelands, Trading Estate, Bristol Road, Gloucester, GL15RZ. Tel: 01452504666

10: Break it Down At A Scrapyard.
There is something particularly fascinating about machines that have been abandoned, left to die after they have served our purposes. A scrap yard is an evocatve and interesting setting for your music video, with the work of the machinery allowing for many different atmospheric shots. Try Metro Salvage, 228 Top Waterloo Street, Bolton, BL1 8HU. Tel: 01204 388 488.

11: Ploughing the Ocean Waves on a Tall Ship
The Tall Ship Glenlee in Glasgow was first built in 1896. Located on the River Clyde, the ship is just minutes away from the Centre of Glasgow. The whole ship is already offered for private hire with both the deck and lower levels open for use. The ship is managed by the Clyde Maritime Trust who can be contacted on 0141 357 3699.

These are just some of the more unusual options for music video locations in the UK. Let these locations inspire you to create a work of art that fits with your music.

Image Credit: pumpelche, Timo, USnavy, Ell-R-Brown, Geethmala, SeanHickin, and Colworth Park.

The purpose of this blog post is to clarify several common misconceptions about music industry law that are often discussed amongst musicians on the internet.

MYTH 1: Songs must be registered for the copyright to be protected
Copyright is an automatic right of the author… meaning that as soon as you make a tangible copy of a work (i.e a recording of your song or a transcript of some lyrics) – then you own the copyright.
Although the common practice of posting a copy of your material to yourself has nothing to do with securing copyright, it does however establish the date of when you created the work. This is very important, because should anyone later decide to use your material without permission, then you are protected, as this process is regarded as proof of when the work was written and by whom.

In the US, registering the Copyright grants you certain legal advantages (which you would be missing out on if you don’t register) – including the following:
1. Being able to collect compulsory license royalties
2. Being able to file infringement action for damages and injunctions; you are also able to recover attorney fees (if you win).
3. In the event of an infringement dispute in court the burden of proof is put on the party allegedly infringing your copyright.

MYTH 2. If I write the lyrics in a song I can later on take those lyrics and use them again
This is actually true in the UK – but only when the portion of the work written is sufficiently distinct and identifiable from the other parts of the co-written work with someone else.

In the event that a co-written portion of the work is not distinct from that of the other(s) all of the owners would have to agree to a request if someone wants to copy or use the work or a portion of the work of joint ownership, including the very same authors.

In the US this is not true. According to US copyright law even if two people create separate, distinct parts of a work, they each own and interest in the whole copyright, not just their contribution. For example: if two collaborators get together and one writes the lyrics and the other writes the music, either author can grant non-exclusive licenses for the entire composition (provided they pay each other their share of income) BUT neither is allowed to just pick their bit in the composition and leave the other without continuing to pay their percentage of the song.

MYTH 3. You don’t need to clear a sample if it’s very short
As ruled in Bridgeport Music v Dimension Films (2004) “any sampling of a master, even if it’s unrecognisable is an infringement of copyright”. The sample in question in this case was a two-second guitar chord with the pitch lowered and looped five times. This was all done without the owner’s permission or compensation paid. The court ruled the owner of the copyright on a work had exclusive right to duplicate the work and therefore usage of any section of a work, regardless of length, would be in violation of copyright.

MYTH 4. A group’s name belongs to whoever started using it first
This is only true for unregistered marks for which considerable goodwill and reputation in the market has been built in respect of the brand itself.

If someone is using your unregistered brand name you will have to show that they are trading on your reputation by passing off as you – thus causing confusion in the mind of the public ‘and’ diverting custom. This last part is very important because if there is no loss of income attributable to the unauthorised use the claim is likely to collapse.

Registering a trademark has, on the other hand, clear advantages as it allows you to stop any and all uses considerably quicker and cost-effectively.

MYTH 5. Being offered a five album deal by a record company means the company is committing to record and promote your next five albums
Recording agreement terms are traditionally structured in options periods. A five album deal may in reality be a five options deal (in favour of the label) in which the label gets to decide at their sole discretion whether or not to extend the Term after the end of each period for a further (option) period.

If the label does not extend the Term for a further option period then the agreement can be terminated and then you, the Artist, can be ‘dropped’.

In general, recording agreements impose the smallest obligation on the label in terms of releasing albums, while keeping the option to get as much content as possible.

1. You MUST Invest in Building Your Network of Contacts
One of the really important things is networking. When you play shows, watch the other bands. It sounds simple, but hang around. Don’t be insincere, but if you like a band, chat to them, tell them you enjoyed their set. Social networking sites like Facebook or Reverbnation can make it easy to build a fan base and to connect with a wider range of people.

2. You Need to be a People Person, as Well as a Great Musician
The same goes for your fans. In the early stages, the people who will come and see you will largely be made up of your friends and the members of the other bands. However, when you begin building a true fan base, be good to them. Keep them well informed of upcoming gigs and always make time to chat to them. It is important that people don’t only see you as top class musicians, but top class people.

3. You have to sound good, but more importantly, you have to be professional
A very simple tip, don’t tick off the tech guys! If the venue provides you with a sound technician, introduce yourself and don’t give him too much grief about the levels. It’s important that you sound right, but this can be done amicably. Sound technicians may recommend you to other promoters, or they may do some promotion/booking themselves.

4. Build Relationships With Promoters
Stay in your promoters good books and you’ll stay on their books full stop. In the early stages of a music career it can be a case of, “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.”

5. Invest in your network and fans, not your gear
Finally, you don’t need to spend a fortune on the best gear. At this stage, nobody cares if you’re playing top-of-the-range DW drum kits or entry level kits, as long as you’re writing good solid music that people like and you’re not too full of yourself to have a beer with the people who paid good money to see you. Greg Rollett wrote a great post on The Musician’s Guide last year suggesting that the order of priority in which your band should spend money is; fan engagement, marketing, products, recording , and finally, gear.

A bit of merchandise can give something else back to a loyal fan base, but don’t go overboard; stickers, CD’s and maybe a T-Shirt should be enough. Sites like BandCamp and Big Cartel make it easy for you to sell merchandise.

In the earliest stages, it is unlikely that you’re going to be making much money, but spend your money wisely; a few beers after the show with another band can go further than hoarding the money for the next shipment of customised plectrums and drum sticks.

Your band is your product; your commodity. You need to invest the time and patience in it. You know it’s excellent, but the skill is convincing everybody else the same.

This is a guest post by Rachel Stanley, who is a musician who discovered her love of music whilst at a boarding school. She’s eager to help budding musicians realise their dream of making it big in the world of music and believes that success begins with good education.

1) Replacements for Breakables
It would be pretty embarrassing to have to take a break in your set while you send someone to find a 24-hour music shop where they could buy a spare pair of drum sticks. Make sure that you’re prepared with spares of everything that could break under the strain of a tour – that’s drum sticks, guitar strings, reeds and other replaceable instrument parts. Don’t forget to add in Gaffa tape for quick repairs and a sewing kit to make last-minute alterations to stage-wear.

2) A Laptop with Portable WiFi
We’re living in the social media age and you want to be able to continue to cater to your fans while you’re on the road. That means you need to be able to blog, tweet and Facebook as usual. Bring along a laptop equipped with portable WiFi and you can update your website and social media profiles as you travel – you can also use it to play games and browse the net if travel boredom starts to take over.

3) A Video Camera
A tour can be a fun, exciting experience and in years to come you’ll want to be able to relive the memories. A video camera lets you capture candid behind-the scene moments for you and your friends to have for the rest of your lives. You can also film small spots for your website, or even use the footage later for a documentary or other publicity vehicle.

4) Noise-Cancelling Headphones
A tour can mean confinement in close quarters with your bandmates and support personnel. After a few days you’re going to be craving time to yourself. Noise-cancelling headphones can let you curl up in the corner, close your eyes and pretend that you’re alone in the world. These moment s of relaxation and privacy will help you to avoid any cabin fever and keep you more emotionally healthy.

5) A Gigging Calendar and Map
It’s easy to lose track of time and space when you’re constantly travelling. A gigging calendar can offer you a visual reminder of where you’ve been and where you’re going. You might also notice a break or too that give you opportunities to take a break or do some sightseeing.

So, what do you think of our picks? Are we on the mark or have we completely missed some indispensable bits and pieces? What are your must have items to take on tour?

Image Credit: Tyello

General Gift Ideas for Musicians

DVDs about musicians As a musician, nothing fuels my motivation to kick ass more than watching an awesome live DVD by my favourite band, or a film about the lives of musicians. I wrote a post several years ago outlining some of the best films about musicians (which are all still classics to this day), but if you don’t want to go down the film route, I recommend getting a live DVD or a virtuoso musician DVD (DVDs of famous drummers / guitarists showing off) – i’ve included a few suggested in the gifts for drummers and gifts for guitarists sections of this post.

Books about Music promotion If you’re gift shopping for a musician who’s playing in a band and is desperate to get their music known, then you might want to consider buying them a book about music marketing. Their are many great titles available – I listed my six favourite books here, all of which I can confirm are amazing books for musicians of any level.

Actual music promotion
If they’re not a reader, you could buy them some actual music promotion. There are sites like Jango, Soundout and Nimbit that allow you to purchase radio airtime or reviews by major industry names, all of which help to promote music. I believe most of these sites offer a gift service – you can see a full list of my recommended music promotion services here.

Gift Ideas for Drummers

Not sure what to get for a drummer as a gift? How about a new drum stick bag that they can carry their loose sticks around in? Or why not a pair of fancy new sticks (us drummers never say no to a nice pair of new sticks… shiny!) no? Alternatively, you could help by investing in their drumming skills by getting them some learning books or DVDs, or even a silent drumming pad to tap out rudiments on when not near a drum kit.

A new drum stick bag
If the drummer you’re buying a present for doesn’t already have a drum stick bag, this is an awesome present. There’s nothing more annoying than having to take five pairs of loose sticks to a gig all rattling around the boot of a car or insane your precious drum case. There are lots of really cool drum stick bag designs to choose from and it’s a great investment for keeping your sticks safe and tidy.

A pair of good drums sticks Nothing beats a good pair of drum sticks as a stocking filler. If your drummer friend is anything like me then they’ll get through a pair every 4 or 5 months, and so a new pair is always welcome. Vic Firth and Pro Mark are my personal recommendations for drum sticks, but Zildjian also make some pretty cool coloured drum sticks, which are a nice change (although the colour does sometimes rub off on the cymbals).

Drumming posters For the drummer who maybe lacks inspiration on the odd occasion (or just has bare walls), a poster of their favourite drummer or drum set might be an ideal gift. I used to have a poster of Mike Portnoy’s monster drum kit in my bedroom and I used to wake up every morning, stare at it (drool a little), and then be desperate to get behind the kit. In a weird way it’s a great way of reminding them that hard work pays off!

Drum practice pad Okay, I know that some people can’t stand us drummers tapping on the kitchen worktops or and the dinner table, fortunately for those people the wonderful drumming manufacturers came up with a solution – rubber drum practice pads! These pads are pretty awesome for practicing when a full kit or snare drum isn’t available. I used to use one of these pads to warm up for twenty minutes before every gig as it’s a great way to loosen the wrists and build up muscle strength. A great gift for any drummer who doesn’t already own one.

Drummer jewellery
When you’re out and about, it’s great to have a little something that tells the world you’re a drummer – maybe some cufflinks, a necklace, or even a ring that tells other drummers that you’re one of them, and helps with others as a bit of a conversation starter.

Drum stick holder
Another great present for a drummer is a stick holder. They’re a handy addition to any drum set and there are plenty of cool design stick holders that can add a nice touch to a kit.

Gift Ideas for Guitarists

If you’re looking to buy a present for a guitarist, you can play it safe and buy them some new breakables – plectrums, guitar cables, guitar string, or guitar cleaning products. If you’re feeling a bit more creative you might want to get them some guitar shaped car scent, or a guitar-shaped clock. If you’re buying for a budding guitarist you may want to help accelerate their progress with some educational guitar books or DVDs.

Guitar scales poster or chord cards
If you want to help the guitarist sharpen up on their scales or chord patterns, then a scale chart or a set of chord cards might be a nice stocking filler. These card packs contain a variety of different chords, helping guitarists to learn the more obscure patterns, and then test themselves.

Guitar car scent
Another great Christmas stocking filler or small birthday gift – a guitar-shaped car scent! Why have a boring tree shaped car scent when you can have an awesome guitar one?! This is a nice little gift that any guitarist who drives will appreciate.

Guitar Pick Pouch
Most guitarists have one of two problems with their plectrums; either they have far too many and thus create an absolute mess by leaving them in places and having them spill out all around them, or they have no plectrums left because they’ve lost them all. Both problems can easily be eradicated with the addition of a pick pouch.

Guitar learning DVDs
If you want to help your guitarist friend brush up on their shredding skills then you might want to get them a DVD about playing guitar, there are plenty of great resources on Amazon or in music shops, categorised by genre and skill level. Another option would be to get a tutorial DVD by their favourite guitarist (if their favourite guitarist has released one, of course).

Guitar-shaped clock
Want to get them something that reminds them of their passion every time they need to know the time? Guitar clocks are an old classic but still a brilliant gift idea. Simple and sweet!

Personalised plectrums
Nothing makes a guitarist feel more of a rockstar than having their own customised plectrums – it sounds silly but they’re a great souvenir to give to fans and it’s a special way of being a little bit extra unique.

For those of you who just want to know which drum key to buy, I recommend this one if you just want the cheapest option on the market, this one if you want one you can’t lose, or this one if you want a high quality drum key.

A little bit of background about drum keys

A drum key is a type of wrench used by drummers to screw a drum’s tension rods into the lugs. Doing so tightens the drum head (or skin) to the drum, changing its tension and pitch. Drum keys have been used for over one hundred years, with some of the first drum keys looking more like spanners rather than key wrenches.

Almost every drum, drum hardware and cymbal manufacturer has a drum key. Some of the most popular drum key manufacturers include Ludwig, DW, Tama, Sonor, Gretsch, Camco, Pearl, Premier, and Yamaha.

How to use a drum key

There are a number of uses for drum keys – a lot of modern drum hardware requires a drum key to make adjustments or to setup. However, the original and predominant use for a drum key is to tune your drums and replace drum heads.

If you’re replacing a drum head, the first step is to loosen the current skin by using a drum key to twist all of the tension rods anti-clockwise until the rim of the drum lifts off and the drum head can be removed. Once the old drum head is removed, place the new drum head in its place, put the rim back on with the holes in-line with the tension rod holes, put the tension rods into the lugs and tighten them up by twisting them clockwise with your fingers and a drum key. Do this until the drum head plays a desirable pitch when struck.

The next step is to break the drum head in. Put your fist firmly on the center and push down on the drum head five to six times. This stretches the drum head and prevents the drum from going out of tune as often.

Finally, take a drum stick and tap lightly around the drum an inch away from each tension rod and try to make each tone sound exactly the same to ‘fine tune’ the drum.

Where to buy a drum key

You can buy drum keys pretty cheaply from any music store, but the best variety is on Amazon who have three pages of drum keys. All of the recommendations above are linked to Amazon so you can click on those for your convenience.

Image Credit

As much as I dislike his music, I respect his marketing efforts and find it pretty interesting to observe how he stays in the public eye and constantly trends on Twitter – the answer: he constantly creates word of mouth stories and rumors (or his PR team do…).

Just like the company Apple, his brand is constantly surrounded by rumors (mostly seeded by his PR team).  His fans crave new information about his life and so when a new rumor appears, they share and comment on it, raising awareness of his brand (and thus, his music).  It’s therefore in Justin’s (and his labels) interest to ensure a consistent stream of rumors and stories about his music and personal life. When he’s in the studio and not realeasing music, there needs to be stories to maintain his fan’s advocacy.

Stories fuel the artist’s personal brand, which unmarkets their music.

Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga and many other mainstream artists are marketed not by the quality of their music, but by the brand they’ve developed. That brand is not based on high quality music, nor is it based around relentless touring, it’s based around giving fans insight into the lives of the artist, which indirectly markets the artist’s music, because the music is so heavily associated with the personal brand.

If Justin Bieber stopped inviting fans into his life (stopped creating videos, stopped answering fans on Twitter,  stopped taking photos with fans, stopped appearing in the media) his sales would drop significantly.

What appears to be bad press is great press

What does Justin being accused of getting a girl pregnant do?

• People start spreading the rumor (publicity for JB)
• JB appears in heaps of maintstream news outlets
• Peak in trending for JB on Twitter (publicity)
• Fans complain that the girl is lucky (publicity, brand building for JB)
• Fans support JB and feel sympathy (publicity for JB)
• Awkward phone call from JB family asking if it’s true or not

Very few people will stop listening to Justin Bieber’s music over this publicity stunt, so all in all it just increases the reach of his marketing and keeps him in the spotlight where he needs to be to maintain sales and his fanbase. This is nothing new in the world of PR, in fact it’s exactly what celebrities like Jordan and Kim Kardashian do to maintain their brand.

Justin is now in the process of doing a DNA test, which will inevitably be negative (to limit negative press and maintain hope in his female fans), although I imagine the results will not be published until the hype dies down around the situation to create a new peak of interest around the brand.

Touche Mr Bieber, Touche.

Digital music sales have increased enormously over recent years. In the US, revenue
generated by digital downloads reached $1.9 billion in 2006, rising to $2.8 billion in 2007,
$3.7 billion in 2008, $4.5 billion in 2009, $5.2 billion last year and an estimated $5.7 billion by
the third quarter of 2011. Worldwide sales showed a similar trend, with global revenue rising
steadily from $2.9 billion in 2006 to 14.8 billion in 2011- more than 20 per cent of the total
value of the worldwide music industry (including physical sales, concerts and so on).

In the UK, digital spending has proved every bit as popular. Launched in the UK in 2004,
iTunes is arguably Britain’s most popular digital music provider, enabling consumers to
download digital music tracks onto compatible devices. Since the company’s launch,
consumers in the UK have spent just over £1 billion on digital music. Almost a third of this
figure was generated last year, highlighting the growing acceptance and popularity of digital
tracks, which account for 98.7 per cent of all single sales in the country (17.5 per cent of
albums).

The rise in digital sales has come at a price for the music industry, however. In 2010, CD
sales in the UK fell 58.5 per cent from the previous year. The digital revolution may have
arrived, but the music industry is still trying to hang on to its physical stock. Some industry
experts believe it is only a matter of time before music CDs are superseded completely.

The advantages of digital music are numerous, if not somewhat fettered at the moment. In
theory, downloading a digital music track should provide the consumer with an intangible
product that can be used the same way as a CD. High-quality digital tracks should be
playable on various devices, whilst all the necessary copyright restrictions ought to apply to
digital music files as they do to physical CDs. In reality, legal digital downloads often can be
played only in the devices associated with a particular supplier. A track downloaded on
iTunes might not, for instance, be playable in Windows Media Player. Consumers might also
encounter difficulties transferring digital files onto different hardware due to legal (DRM)
restrictions.

Until these issues are fully addressed by suppliers or until they are fully accepted by
consumers, physical CD sales will cling on to life. The demand for CDs is certainly
diminishing, however many buyers are beginning to form a distinct pattern. Ten or twenty
years ago, younger consumers drove CD sales; nowadays, buyers tend to be slightly older.
Sooner or later, CD sales will be the preserve of the older generations and collectors.

Fortunately,Selling CDs online, enables music lovers
to make a little extra cash whilst recycling products that might soon become as defunct as
vinyl. There is no telling when the CD might roll over and accept its fate, so there is no way
to identify with certainty, the most profitable time to sell CDs. Perhaps in twenty years from
now CDs will be so rare and precious that an old Spice Girls album would sell for millions at
auction. Or, perhaps not! Who knows?

Considering the financial difficulties people are encountering these days, few people are
willing to wait twenty years to see if the CD becomes valuable. Music lovers who have
amassed large collections of single and album CDs can make extra cash whilst embracing
the digital age by selling their old tracks through eBay or on Music Magpie, which buys the
CDs directly from sellers. Although nobody can expect to make vast sums of cash selling old
CDs online, the opportunity to generate a little extra spending money is one that many music
fans cannot afford to ignore in the run-up to Christmas.