Music Distribution
CDBaby.net A good place sell your independent CD online, for approximately 60 dollars as a one-time fee, you are given a barcode and CD Baby will sell your CD physically and through dozens of digital stores, including iTunes. Has a bar code service to track your CD sales, a credit-card swiper service for live shows.
Tunecore Primarily a distributor of digital MP3s . . . for indies who want to seel through iTunes and Rhapsody, one album costs about $20 per year. You can also sell single MP3s.
Web Hosting
Hostbaby.com A little expensive at 20 dollars a month, but indispensable for musicians who don't know HTML/XML or web programming. Hostbaby is tailored towards the indie musician who knows almost zero about web design. Very supportive staff among whom are many indie musicians themselves, plus customizable templates for people who just need to get a solid webpage up and running with MP3s on it.
Startlogic.com is a very affordable webhost that is especially good for artists who want to try out things like PHPbb, WordPress, and eCommerce solutions. You can have a ton of MySQL databases and get your feet wet with programming, but still have fun in the process.
Recording Tips
Getsigned.com Articles by John Vestman on home recording are some of the best on the web, I learned a lot from them.
Most of the recording advice that I use is directly from YouTube tutorials!!
I use ProTools, but if I had to buy all new recording equipment, I'd go with Apple's Logic.
Make Stuff
CafePress.com Awesome design-your-own t-shirts, mugs, calendars, books, even underwear site
Lulu.com The only free print on demand book publisher, friendly people
Teach yourself Web Design
Web Pages That Suck by Vincent Flanders Accompanies series of books, very funny advice! Learn to avoid MMN (Mystery Meat Navigation)
Lissa Explains It All Layman's explanation of how to build your own website
Webmonkey.com Lots of freebies like traffic counters
CSS Zen Garden The beauty and power of CSS is unleashed! Gorgeous examples of how CSS can massively improve your webpages.
CSS Newbiehas THE BEST tutorials. Don't forget to View > Source in your browser on the example pages they give, it is very enlightening.
Calling WordPress a blog is like calling champagne a soft drink . . . WordPress is so much more than just a blog.
Just For Filmmakers
Media Music Now This UK site features all kinds of royalty free film music for almost any genre you can think of. The descriptions of songs are hilarious, like "Beautiful Android in Meteorite Shower" and the prices are very cheap if you need good music for your film.
Enhance Your Website
MailChimp Send nice picture emails to your fans and manage email lists from anywhere on the planet. HTML email software pay-as-you-go service. Far superior to expensive clunky email marketing competitor, ConstantContact.com. Easy to use for non-geeks. However, non-picture email is just as good. It depends on your personal taste.
JAlbum Free photo album software that truly rocks, very easy to install and use
Feedburner Burn your own podcast and designate a feed today, this is how the Forever Fifteen podcast got started
Fabricio Zuardi XSPF Music Player One of the best free flash music players ever! Make playlists or put up single MP3s.
Image MapperMake image maps with an online generator instead of coding it yourself poorly as I tend to do!! LOL
LiveJournal The best free blogging software & community
PHPbb Free create-your-own-forum software & community
Eco-Friendly Green Artists/Labels
Jack Johnson and Brushfire RecordsAn artist who founded a label that does everything possible to reduce his impact on the Earth, including using bio-diesel in all of his tour vehicles, powering his studio with solar energy, and recycling wherever he plays a show!
Artists With Great Websites
Loreena McKennit's Quinlan Road is beautifully designed. The best intro page (and in my mind the only reason to have an intro splash page) is one that offers your site in different languages.
Priscilla Hernandez has a great website with much to explore. Her photo gallery is very cool.
Jillian Aversa's site provides a wonderful musical showcase in an easy to navigate format.
