Tom is Not My Friend (oh yes he is!)

"Stay in close touch with hundreds of people. Get used to that concept." —Derek Sivers, CDBaby... Just ask Colbie Caillat!

MySpace.com is one of the most popular sites on the web. It is a social network— and by plugging into this network (it's free!), you can "stay in touch" with not just hundreds of people, but thousands.

Among Tom's millions of "friends," all of whom become part of your "extended network" when you become a "member," Myspace is also home to countless independent musicians (just like you). They post songs directly on their profile (as can you). These songs can also be uploaded onto other profiles. It's viral marketing of music at its best.

Here's what Tom told Buzztone.com about his background and his vision for Myspace:

"I was an English major at Berkeley, a Film grad student at UCLA. I wrote books as a teenager and edited a journal of poetry & fiction in college, I wrote video game reviews. I was a singer in a rock band for about 10 years. I first ran a community website from my home computer when I was 14. All these things led to MySpace— the emphasis on user creativity, the games, film and music sections. I wanted to create a community where artists could show their stuff. We're just developing those areas now, but I think it's what makes the site more interesting than a dating site."

Go to Myspace.com right now and become a member. Then go here and add our music education company, DurangoSong.com, as YOUR friend. This will get you started "networking" with other Independent Artists and songwriters. Through DurangoSong.com's "extended network" you will already be connected to hundreds of like-minded aspiring artists. Work through our friends, then their friends and "add as a friend" from your Myspace home page anyone that looks interesting to you. You'll even find some famous artists among our network. ADD THEM.

Why would they want to be your friend? As the Just Plain Folks legion says, "We're all in this together."

Famous artists want to sell more records too. And they recognize the power of networking to reach their fans (and find new ones).

There are lots of ways to utilize Myspace to reach new fans. One important feature is the "bulletin." As your list of friends grows, POST BULLETINS about your new record, your next gig, your press clippings...anything that will call attention to you and your music. The beauty (and power) of this "bulletin" is that it goes out instantly to ALL of your Myspace friends. Can you see how this easy to use and FREE service can help you find fans who will then buy your music?

Here's what one of our music friends, Chuck Nash has to say:

"The other night my web-developer friend re-worked the layout of my Myspace page to make it look better. She then sent out a bulletin to everyone on her and my Myspace friend list as I was talking to her on the phone. When we first got on the phone, I had 9 profile views for the day. About 3-5 minutes after she sent the bulletin (we were still on the phone), I had 39 profile views. We kept talking and the numbers kept going up. Ended up around 65 views for the day. Usually I get 10-15 max for the day. More often it's around 7. Amazing! I'm gonna work this thing!"

Now YOU WORK IT. Before you go on to the next article in this section, get started building your network on Myspace. We'll see you there!

SIDEBAR: You may already be a Myspace member. After all, there are tens of millions of them! But are you developing your network like you could be...like you should be? If you are a member, add us so we can keep you up-to-date on the "Events-In-Music" that you may want to take advantage of...like showcasing in Nashville!