With more people getting Internet access, visiting music-related Web sites is becoming one of the more popular ways for music junkies to get their daily fix of information. From music industry news to sound files, the amount of information on the web is enough to keep anyone lost in cyberspace for hours.
One plus to music-related Web sites is that they are updated and can be accessed daily at any time. The use of advanced audio-visual software like Real Audio also helps draw people to certain pages.
One site, Addicted to Noise, gives daily news updates on what's going on in the music industry in Real Audio. At the same time, the Sonicnet site uses Real Audio to broadcast concerts on a monthly basis along with music news and reviews.
Unlike sites that take advantage of new technology, pages like the Pollstar tour database and RockOnTv are simply just handy to have when you need to find out about concert dates or television appearances of bands.
While record labels like Elektra and Subpop have web sites, they often lack the thoroughness and personal touch of most sites maintained by fans of a band or even a band itself. These seem less like advertisements and tend to have more items like photos, detailed discographies and any other items that fans of that band would like to see online. For example, fan interaction plays a large role in the web site the band Jawbox maintains. Similarly, the members of Throwing Muses have been known to post comments on the feedback board of their fan-maintained site.
Band Web sites are also a way for people to find out about unsigned bands and lesser known bands out there. Both the Ultimate Band List and the Internet Underground Music Archive contain links to literally hundreds of bands seeking exposure. But the Web - with all its golden nuggets of sonic information - is, essentially, just a form of advertisement for those bands.