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New Online Music Community Launched in Toronto

Fed up with how difficult it can be to break into the music industry, or even make a dime at it, two Toronto-based musicians have started up a new artists community on the World Wide Web. This website provides independent bands and artists with a place to generate money from downloaded songs and assists them in keeping in touch with their fan base and gaining much-needed exposure.

Although music communities are nothing new to many online listeners, Band Space seems to stand out from the crowd. The service was started June of 2005 by two Toronto based music lovers, Mike Petroianu and Julian Avram, and is aimed at helping independent artists showcase their talent and generate revenue. Within minutes, any band or solo artist can have an online presence complete with tracks, photos, event listings and online store.

The difference between Band Space and other similar services is the potential given to the artist to generate revenue. Should a listener choose to download a song, the artist will make 70 cents. On top of that, members interested in selling merchandise can take advantage of the online store option and keep 100 percent of the profits. The service opened in June and has already seen plenty of success. More than 18,000 artists have uploaded their music and are being exposed to a world-wide audience. With a bit of cash in their pockets and a large online audience, the artists are left with one thing to do: keep chasing their dream.