Anthony D’Onofrio, R.J. Martino and Matt Catt launched the first phase of Muziik Net to promote independent musicians through marketing, Web design and hosting services. D’Onofrio says the Web site provides artists independence from the recording industry through product control.

   “We give people the freedom to put their music out there with independence from the company-driven machine,” he says. “(Muziik Net)’s about them being able to make a living doing what they love.”

   The first phase of the site provides artist Websites, message boards, photo albums, and mp3 hosting and distribution at no charge to the independent artist. For music fans, the site also offers listener message boards, artist contact information and custom interacting pages, including song ratings to help fans choose the best cuts available on the site.

   “It’s completely free,” D’Onofrio says. “What we’re offering for free now will always be free.”

   The trio expects to make money by charging for full-featured design and printing services, including flyers, posters, press kits, stickers and CD covers; i.e. they specialize in providing paraphernalia demanded by fans, promoters and venues.

   “If your band doesn’t look professional, it doesn’t matter how good the music is,” D’Onofrio says. “People won’t take you seriously. You’re not going to find it better or cheaper than we can do it.”

Necessity precedes invention

   The idea for the site sprang from the obstacles that independent artists endure. Unlike artists signed to a label, independent artists are less likely to benefit from Napster, KaZaa, Morpheus or Apple’s iTunes, let alone Wal-Mart’s 88-cent delivery. A recent study by researchers from Harvard Business School and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill indicates illegal file-sharing’s effect on sales depends on the popularity of the release. While the study suggests file-sharing actually increases purchases for the top 25 percent of albums, file-sharing produces a negative effect on albums with sales of less than 36,000 copies, i.e. the public is no longer buying CDs from the one-hit wonder artist. This makes it even harder for an independent musician to break into the market.

   “It’s hard to find an outlet for (independent) music,” D’Onofrio says. “You throw your money on tracks, then throw the demo at the record companies. Even if your demo is great, it’s hard to get signed. Even if you get signed, there’s no guarantee you’ll make it or be successful.”

   Though D’Onofrio originally came up with the idea for the site, he knew he needed help, and he knew exactly who to ask.

   “I couldn’t do everything myself,” D’Onofrio said. “These are the best people I know. They’re good at what they do. We got really lucky that we all came together at this time.”

   D’Onofrio works as an independent musician, producer and professional designer. Martino handles all company communication and public relations. Catt works as a professional designer and developer of artist media and Web sites. Though they have different responsibilities, they possess a common goal.

   “I feel like even though the lines are there, we’re all putting it together as a group,” Martino says. “We have a strong commitment to put this thing together. The vision is shared by everybody.”

   Catt claims this vision will provide the best results for their clients.

   “We work great together,” he says. “We’re all passionate about what we do, and we help each other to become better.”

People-to-people Marketing

   D’Onofrio, Martino and Catt are not waiting on artists to come to them; they seek the artists out wherever the bands play. They have posted flyers with information about Muziik Net in specific areas such as Little Rock, Memphis, Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, Chicago, St. Louis and Minneapolis. Between sets at a gig, they introduce themselves to the bands and discuss the advantages of the site.

   “For a new band, it’s an opportunity to bring their whole site to the Web,” Martino says.

   If the band has a following but little money to invest, the trio intends to help them get started. Having bands on the site will increase the fans who use Muziik Net to read reviews and download music.

   “It’s a viral idea,” D’Onofrio says. “The band puts their music there, which gets people to download the songs. It’s one of those things we’re just betting will grow exponentially. The more people you have, the more you’re going to have.”

   Martino estimates maybe 10 competitors exist in the United States for Muziik Net. While these sites provide exposure for independent artists, the trio contends those sites basically hurt the independent artist as music listeners are overwhelmed by the amount of music to plow through in an effort to find a good band.

   “The competition has put artist sites up, but not a lot of their artists have been signed. For the 80,000 people on their site, one person made it,” D’Onofrio says. “If it’s just mp3 distribution, they’re trying to make the business as large as possible. The larger their business gets, the harder it is for the artist to be seen.”

   Rather than fill up the site with mp3 distribution only, the trio expects success by enabling artists to have a better chance of getting signed.

   “We want it as a resource, not just a place for music,” D’Onofrio says. “We’re giving them a place to build their image. We don’t want to be something they’re relying on, but we’ll help them help themselves. The larger our site gets, we want more resources to help them make it. We’re not concentrating on getting them signed, but giving them the knowledge and pointing them to the resources they need to make it to that point.”

Phase II

   Currently at work on intensive development of phase II of the site, the trio promises to push the boundaries of what the competition offers independent artists. For a small monthly fee, artists will be able to use services including e-mail and different levels of Web site promotion. In addition to offering mp3, CD, and merchandise sales, the site promises to provide additional in-depth articles covering broader areas of the music industry.

   The trio expects phase II to center around services for managers, agents, artists, writers and photographers. They willingly offer free services in exchange for third-person perspectives.

   “We want feedback,” Martino says. “We want anyone willing to contact us to know we’re willing to speak to anybody. We’re trying to build relationships with clients in the area.”

   Their e-mail (contact@muziik.net) is checked on a daily basis, and they are actively looking for partners, independent labels and venues (local and nationwide), artists, writers, photographers, music equipment sales, i.e. anything related to the music industry.

   “Anybody who needs services should contact us,” D’Onofrio says. “We’re working to develop our services around those people.”

   In time, the site will provide advertising for both artists and retailers, as well as radio broadcasts and online reviews. The trio promises all advertising will be targeted specifically to the audience using Muziik Net. In other words, no car ads though car audio equipment would be considered OK. Advertising will proceed on both a national and statewide scale with differences in pricing, e.g. a record shop in Little Rock would place specific advertising in the Arkansas region.

   “If anyone has suggestions, we want to know,” D’Onofrio says. “We don’t want people coming to the site, getting upset and giving up on us.”

   Yet with the work already completed and the plans for future improvements, D’Onofrio, Martino and Catt are banking on Muziik Net making it, as well as serving as a wake-up call to their competition.

   “It’s going to come out and slap our competitors in the face,” D’Onofrio says.

   For more information on the Harvard-UNC study, view the full text at http://www.unc.edu/~cigar/papers/FileSharing_March2004.pdf