An Intro To Fresh On The Net

As well as this blog, I have relatively recently joined the team at Fresh On The Net.

My love for music has been deep rooted in me through the local music scene. I spent many an evening in my mid-late teens in Chinnerys, paying £3 on the door to watch an array of local bands. I would go to see anything from tributes to metal, country to indie. I just loved being involved. As a bass player, I used to frequent local open mic nights with friends, sometimes playing, sometimes spectating: I met one of my oldest friends at an open mic when I was 14 years old.

I believe there is great power in the bond music brings people, but only to keep harnessing that, we must encourage developing talent to blossom. Hence, when I was asked to join the team at Fresh On The Net, it was a no-brainer.

No one explains Fresh On The Net better than our website:

"Fresh On The Net is an independent music blog originally founded by BBC Radio 6 Music presenter Tom Robinson in 2009. Today our team has evolved into an independent community of music enthusiasts with a wide range of tastes and ages, led by blogger, musician and new music advocate Del Osei-Owusu. Our core mission: to help independent musicians find new listeners, and help independent listeners find new music.

Here’s how it works.

Our inbox for music submissions opens on Monday. If you’re an artist you’re welcome to send us a tune, and at least a dozen of us (including Del) will listen to every single track that comes in. We close the inbox when we reach 200 submissions or on Wednesday evening, whichever is sooner. We always post our entire inbox as a Soundcloud playlist – so you can hear your music in context alongside everything else came in that week.

We then publish 25 of our favourite tunes from the inbox on our Listening Post every weekend for readers to enjoy and evaluate. We add up their votes every Sunday night and the tunes our readers like best become our Fresh Faves – and are duly reviewed by one of us the following week.

Fresh On The Net is 100% independent – with no advertising, commercial sponsors, or connections with record industry. We have no connection with BBC radio. Our job isn’t to find the latest Hot New Acts or predict the Stars Of Tomorrow. Our job is to listen to the music you send us – and help the most interesting tunes each week find a wider audience.

We also have an extensive free advice section covering many aspects of making and promoting music, with insider tips as to how the music industry actually works – just click on “Tips” in our main menu. Meanwhile take a look around, meet our team members and listen to some of the music on offer to see what floats your boat…"

To be able to listen to such an array of talent is a true privillage. So Music Bubbler's, if there is anyone out there who creates music and wants to submit it to the team, what are you waiting for? I can't wait to hear it.