NoiseTrade Exchanges Downloads For Fan Information

NoiseTrade, a free download site started by former Christian artist Derek Webb, David McCollum, Mark Nicholas, Brannon McAllister and Joe Kirk in 2008, offers free downloads to music fans in exchange for an email address and zip code, and lets fans tip via a virtual “tip jar,” taking a 20 percent commission from the artist’s tips.
In turn, artists often use the fan information to book concerts in cities and towns across the country that experience the highest download numbers.
The site moves more than 300,000 downloaded albums per month, mostly for indie artists, according to Readwrite.com.
Indie artists mostly populate the site, but acts like Fun. and the Lumineers have put up bonus material, b-sides, and extras from albums on Noisetrade, as well as artists like the Civil Wars, who gave away an intimate live show from Eddie’s Attic in Ga. to fans.
The site is also planning an expansion into ebooks and audiobooks in the coming weeks as well.
For more information, visit noisetrade.com.

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Lorie Hollabaugh

Hollabaugh, a staff writer at MusicRow magazine, has over 20 years of music business experience and has written for publications including American Profile, CMA Close Up, Nashville Arts And Entertainment, The Boot and Country Weekly. She has a Broadcast Journalism and Speech Communication degree from Texas Christian University, (go Horned Frogs), and welcomes your feedback or story ideas at lhollabaugh@musicrow.com.

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