Musicadium Blog

Musicadium has always been a leader in the Australian market for digital distribution of independent music to the world’s leading digital outlets, but from this week, Musicadium is raising the stakes and providing a range of new services, with more to come in the following months.

As early as tomorrow and throughout the coming week, Musicadium will release updates to the current website and to the album-adding process.

This very exciting development has been the product of a number of months’ work for the Musicadium team - the announcement of which has us all celebrating!

The purpose of this is:

1) To streamline the process to get music to us and straight through to the online outlets by adding an upload step in the album process (files are to be submitted in WAV files - stereo, 16bit, 44.1khZ).  This feature will be made available from Friday 26th September, 9AM EST.  This will aid the album adding process for overseas artists and reduce the postage costs for Australian artists to distribute their music digitally!

2) To add an extra outlet - Nokia Music (which also gets your music into the Nokia Comes with Music subscription service for mobiles).  This feature will be made available from Thursday 17th September, 9AM EST.

3) To add the ability to distribute video to iTunes (this feature will be available from Monday 21 September, 9AM EST and details on the requirements for distribution will be made available then).  Musicadium will be the only Australian-based aggregator to be supplying music video content to iTunes, to distribute globally!

These features will be available and accessible from the members area on the Musicadium website.

If you have any questions regarding these developments, please e-mail info@musicadium.com or call (07) 3252 9962.

This week we are having a look at Rokeby Venus’ film clip to their “Party Song”, which can be found on their Myspace at http://www.myspace.com/therokebyvenus.

From their MySpace:

With his heart on his sleeve and his guitar on his back, two years ago Rokeby Venus front man Michael Danby traded his surfboard for a plane ticket. Having travelled to Europe to grow both as a musician and a worldly human being, he returns with some of the most infectious material heard throughout Australia’scoastal record circuit.

The other 2/3’s of the Brisbane trio Rokeby Venus include Matt Barnes (drums/backing vocals) and David Balfe (bass). Together, the band has invested a monster behind the scenes effort since Danby’s return and are proud to present their debut self-titled EP.

The EP at first listen is undeniably catchy, positive and listenable. Danby’s style of writing is very literal and that speaks volumes about the accessibility of their music. The sonic texture for an acoustic based group is thick without overzealous production. All tracks, produced, engineered and mixed by Aria award nominee Anthony Lycenko maintain the clarity and subtleties often looked over in the process of keeping up with today’s competitive pop/rock dynamics. This, giving a listener something extra to sink their teeth into.

The Rokeby Venus’ music will be available on iTunes very soon!  Leave a comment here on what you think!

Although not everyone in the music industry is a fan of the behemoth machine that is Australian Idol - no one can deny that it has uncovered some incredible talent (and yes, some atrocious attempts at what can only be described as noise pollution) over the past few years. It has provided entertainment for millions, sparked massive social debates and launched the career of international stars Lisa Mitchell, Guy Sebastian and Shannon Noll.

This year we are incredibly proud of Musicadium artist Casey Barnes for making it to the top 12. Apart from being a hard-working, talented musician who has put in the hard yards before having a crack at the show, he’s just a really lovely, down-to-earth Aussie guy who loves his music.

We’ve been getting out our phones to vote, watching his clips at work (it’s work-related!) and at home, and generally allowing ourselves the luxury of watching reality television and bitching about the other contestants.

Show your support for Casey - who has not only proven his musical chops before joining the show, but would undoubtedly put out the best single if chosen as the winner.  You know it’s true.

Check out his music on

Check out his website

Check out his MySpace

Check out his Australian Idol Profile

Musicadium artist Finabah has been announced as a finalist in the New Artists 2 Radio initiative, which offers aspiring and independent artists both support and an opportunity to have their music played on commercial radio.

The boys will be participating in an exclusive workshop with other finalists and industry professionals on September 25th in Sydney, where the winners will also be officially announced.

Earlier this week, the band scored the final spot on the Sounds of Spring lineup, a major festival sporting acts such as The Living End, Josh Pyke and The Butterfly Effect.

Their latest release Sugarcoat is available on  now, with a special all-ages launch of the limited edition physical CD to be held on September 19 at The Hive.

Check them out at their MySpace now!

Recently, brilliant up-and-coming R’n'B star Christian Alexander signed up to Musicadium and we thought we were hearing things when he said the tracks featured American rapper Ja Rule.  But no, it wasn’t the rap fairy whispering in our ear, it’s true!  Christian’s album was produced by Ja Rule and Too Fine is the lead single from it!  Check it all out now.

The single and the album are now available on

Attention all bands and artists who would like to showcase their music and raise their acts profile!

The very talented individuals at 106! Media (who have worked with artists such as Wolfmother, Little Birdy, Silverchair and more!) have decided to officially join forces and have emerged as new uber creative force - Distant Lamb Media.

To celebrate, the guys are offering a special opening deal on affordable music videos and live sessions.

They are doing Broadcast Quality and HD web streaming quality film clips for only $1500!  If you would like to take advantage of this deal Contact Niesha on 0415 404 945 or e-mail distantlamb@gmail.com for more information.

Be sure to get in quick as their opening deal will only be available from August 31 - October 31!

Pressplay Media Wants You!

Pressplay Media provide a music licensing service on behalf of our Registered Music Owners for various uses of copyrights, including: a one stop sync and master clearance of music for synchronization into Film, Television, Commercials & Games AND the reproduction of sound recordings by suppliers of music services into hospitality and retail industries.

Press Play’s aim is to break down complex clearance structures by simplifying the process and to support synchronization of independent music.

Breaking News > Pressplay Media is now the Preferred Supplier of Independent Recorded Music for Synchronization to Edge Music, the music arm of Cutting Edge.

Edge Music is run by well known Australian Composer and all-round nice guy, Brian Beamish.

The timing couldn’t be better. The same week Edge Music was set up, Pressplay Media approached Cutting Edge with an offer. After demonstrating to Brian how the business model works…all the effort and enthusiasm behind sourcing licenses for the music, the sheer quality of the music and the development of the user friendly database for searching song information…his comment was “it’s an impressive thing that you’re [Press Play Media] doing”.

Cutting Edge is one of Australia’s largest full service post production companies, with facilities in Brisbane, two facilities in Sydney and another in Darwin. Credits unclude but not limited to:

Peter Pan, Feature film; Produced by Universal, Sony, Revolution

Inspector Gadget II, Feature film; Produced by Disney Features

George of the Jungle 2; Feature Film, Produced by Disney Features

The Great Raid; Feature film, Miramax

Scooby Doo, Feature Film; Produced by Warner Brothers

Blurred, Feature Film; Produced by Pictures in Paradise

Lost World, TV Series, Seasons 1,2 and 3; Produced by Coote/Hayes

Beastmaster, TV Series, Seasons 1,2 and 3; Produced by Coote/Hayes

Big Brother, Reality TV Series, Seasons 1, 2 and 3 for Southern Star Endemol & Network 10

Cutting Edge recently facilitated the post-production of the Baz Luhrmann film AUSTRALIA with a mobile edit suite that toured with the production and completed at Fox Studio facilities.

So now PRESS PLAY needs to fill their database up with GOOD AUSSIE TALENT. If you are keen to jump on board please go to their web site www.pressplay.com.au and Register as a MUSIC OWNER!

Some bands just get it right. Their songs, their look, their online presence, their cover art. One such band is Former Child Stars. Watch them. Learn from them. Check them out on MySpace, twitter and

Here’s the five articles that got us interested this week - what are the issues surrounding the industry this week?  What’s going on? What’s exciting? What enrages us? What do you think??

The 12 Biggest Industry Mistakes of the Digital Age - HYPEBOT

The Musician’s guide for Rocking Twitter - Laura Fitton

Swan Song for the Music Industry? - NY Times

Bobby McFerrin demonstrates (visually) the power of the Pentatonic Scale - World Science Festival

20 Steps to running your own festival - Drowned in Sound

Triple J Unearthed and QMusic have teamed up to provide an opportunity to play at the QMusic Big Sound Conference’s showcases in September!

Big Sound, for those who have not heard of it yet - and if you haven’t, where have you BEEN? - is an annual music industry conference that takes place in the Fortitude Valley in Brisbane, Queensland.  It has been taking place since 2002 and has grown exponentially since.

Instructions on how to be in the running for the opportunity to play at the showcases, from the Triple J Unearthed Website:

Now in it’s eighth year, BIG SOUND has grown to become the biggest annual music gathering of its type in Australia. Run across three days and nights in Brisbane, you can meet, talk and listen to the brightest lights in the international music industry.

Special showcase gigs are be held across no less than six Fortitude Valley venues on September 9 and 10 and Big Sound and triple J Unearthed are offering one lucky band, from ANYWHERE IN AUSTRALIA to play at the showcase in front of international bigwigs.

Big Sound and triple j Unearthed are offering one lucky band, from ANYWHERE IN AUSTRALIA, the chance to play at the showcase in front of international bigwigs that have worked with the likes of Led Zepplin, Nirvana, and MGMT. triple j will throw in flights and accommodation and all you have to do is have your music uploaded by August 16th.

Sounds quite easy!  Sign your music up, get your fans voting and get yourself on the radar!