N10AH: your independent music network

Sure, you could go to your local record chain and buy that latest Britney Spears album like everybody else.

Then again, you could step into a store like Hoodlums New & Used Music & DVDs, on the campus of Arizona State University, Kief’s in Lawrence, KS, Park Avenue CD’s, in Orlando FL, or anyone of 70 other independently owned and operated retailers across the country for something a little different.

Just as in other markets, music consumers realize there are other products out there besides the latest commodity being pushed by every major media outlet and members of the Coalition of Independent Music Stores are banded together to help fill that need.

Here’s the organization’s webpage. But be warned, independent artists.

True to the group’s philosophy of providing an alternative to what they call the “color-by-numbers” approach of larger retail chains, the coalition claims it DOES NOT work as a distribution hub for its members and that all purchasing decisions are made locally.

There are individual listings for each of the coalition’s members, some which do represent small but independent groups of stores and the coalition says it is guarded about its membership.

However, even if you don’t live anywhere near one of these stores, many have websites that you can check out for more details.

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As I mentioned earlier today on our MSN and Yahoo! groups, the n10ah Online Music Network now has its own MyBlogLog Community giving participating musicians and fans a whole new way to get involved.

MyBlogLog allows those joining up to create their own profile page and links to websites and blogs you author allowing those who are members of our group to promote their own individual band sites and other musical endeavors in a way that isn’t really feasible on MSN or Yahoo!.

The communities would, of course, be a great place to promote online fan and professional independent music journalism sites as well.

Like most of the features on the new n10ah network, the MyBlogLog Community is pretty bare right now, but my hope is that we will be able to create a network of musicians, fans and related interested members in the near future.

Hello! And welcome to n10ah: The Online Music Network. The network is a worldwide digital conduit seeking to connect creators and fans of music across the planet.

In the next few posts, we’ll be discussing a bit more about how n10ah came to be, what we hope it will become and what see in its distant future.

For now, though, look around and browse our links filled with music blogs, websites and resources, (the heart and soul of n10ah) and visit our groups at Yahoo! and MSN for interaction with fellow users of the network.

Use those sections to discuss a favorite artist; promote an upcoming live event, album release or website or just find likeminded friends, fans or fellow musicians in far-flung locations around the world.

Store and boutique sections with other merchandise will be opening as soon as I can get them up and running.

Please feel free to make any comments below and share suggestions and news pertinent to independent musicians and music fans by e-mail here.

My goal is to make n10ah an indispensable resource for musicians and fans everywhere so let’s all work to make it a success.