Tag: independent musicians

 
No beat from  Tampa Bay’s  Pulse Radio

Tampa Bay’s Pulse Radio is sadly in a still-beat [UODATED]

There’s a high likelihood that you’ve never heard of Tampa Bay’s Pulse Radio. This applies to almost the entirety of the Tampa Bay metroplex. While these words introduce you to an audio operation, right now you can’t hear it.

An arm of Pulse Media LLC and based in New Port Richey, Tampa Bay’s Pulse Radio is out to highlight the music of independent artists, but not in the locals-only play form like Music Tampa Bay and Radio St. Pete. Pulse only came to be in the spring of 2021 with the ambition to stream music online and in a terrestrial broadcast. There About Page wukk tell you more.

It’s flatlining though.

I found Tampa Bay’s Pulse Radio by chance last fall while researching college radio stations in Florida that accept music submission, Pulse Rado is not a college-tied property a-la WUTT Spartan Radio (University of Tampa) or SPC Radio, the music submission article just coincidentally came up high with that search.

There’s been no other media coverage for Pulse that I have crossed despite the fact an upstart radio property seeking an FCC license and trying to be big is a feature story.

It’s out there, but it’s not. The station’s online stream doesn’t load as of this writing, nor has it since Christmas week Why not? No explanation from TBPR on the main site, on their weblog (not updated since August) , or via social media…

In fact, they rarely post on Twitter (the more-common social media tool for radio), posting a dead-link the last time they did, while not

responding to questions and comments sent their way. That, and their Twitter account only has 12 followers while following 14 themselves. Not exactly ideal self-promotion there.

They’re on other, media platforms, including Spotify, but the fact is they aren’t going anywhere by way of it. Not when their involvement is nil.

The other killer fault for Pulse is charging musicians to submit music ($10 for up to 3 songs). Stations that accept submissions are bombarded with them, Add operational costs for the stations — many are non-profit voluntary operations – and you can understand stations charging for artists and labels to submit their music…

…which they don’t. I’ve only crossed a handful of ‘Net Radio stations true stations that do as such and one terrestrial, co,,unnity station that being in Los Angeles makes it a necessity.

For an unknown and struggling start-up to charge for submissions stops them except the few who have the cash and have the desperation.

I am not against a submission feen I’m surprised it’s not more common, but that comes later when you prove you have reach and the influence. TBPR lacks both.

Pulse Radio’s web site is well designed and flashes the station’s ambitions for success. Sadly, inconsistency in property management is part of Pulse Media: Pulse Media Magm Pulse, Radio’s sister, hosts its own web*version of TBPR intead of redirecting users to Pulse Radio’s site.

The way to look at Tampa Bay’s Pulse Radio and hold out hope as a listener, indie musician, or a curious and interested local, is to realize the tech fact they are in BETA mode. They’re still at start-up and getting things together while chasing an FCC license. Only time will tell when Tampa Bay’s Pulse Radio’s beat will start in full and how rhythmic it will be.

UPDaTE: I have had email contact with TBPR. Issues had and have come into play that have delayed resumption of airplay. They estimate being back on-air on or around March 1st.

Music’s success goes through the fans

I have this habit of promoting music that I’ve crossed from one indie station or another. “Promoting” means sharing songs on one form of social media or another. Sometimes I post the act here on my blog (Tomas Fornstedt is who I’ll cite) and there are also the write-ups I have done for local indie acts such as the Pretty Voices and Gypsy Star. Someone will see what I’ve posted – those reviews or individual song posts – and take it as simply blog content: I’m a blogger and I content is king. Writing about an act you may or may not have heard of. It’s nothing more than just content for a blog, right?

There’s actually a specific reason I do it, and it’s not just for content: If someone doesn’t do it, if someone doesn’t try sharing a tune they’ve crossed or talk about a band they have interest in, how does that song/act go any further?   Read More

With indie music, what fans say can matter

Are you a fan of an indie band that’s actually got stuff out on the market? I don’t mean tracks-for-purchase on Bandcamp, I mean the major players – iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, CD Baby and the like. Is that small time band you like out there? Have you actually purchased tracks from them?

If your answer is “Yes”, I’ve got a follow up question for you: Have you written a review of the song or the album on those major shopping sites?

It’s something I’ve been noticing all too much with bands that aren’t going to get the hard line, big-time exposure that major record labels bring: They can be appreciated and looked fondly upon, but those same fans aren’t trying to spread the word or share the music to draw others in. A song or album review may just entice someone to at least check out a track that gets a good grade on Amazon. An album review may raise a group by just a notch (well, if the review is positive). And of course, sharing a track posted on YouTube, ReverbNation or Soundcloud on social media is the most direct attempt by a fan to draw in more attention to a group or a specific song.

Some songs need all the help they can get. It’s odd how songs that have been out in public view for several years have only a handful of listens in some cases. Oh, music videos draw people in but bands just getting started aren’t likely to have music videos. They do offer their songs for stream via YouTube, though.

(Side note: It’d help if the artists would properly title their music posts; just going by the song name does not necessarily make the song easily findable in web searches or on YouTube. Titles should be the band name followed by the song title.)

In the end, even if an artist or group have someone promoting their work, the fans and their own involvement at spreading the word to help boost the music. If you’re a fan of music by a certain artist, don’t just sit on that fact. Tell the public why you’re a fan or what you think about the music by a small-time group that you have in your library.