Like opinions, almost everyone's got one these days. A website, that is. Bands, solo artists, independent labels, management agencies, DJs, record shops, clubs, and venues all have become aware of the need to have at least some kind of presence on-line. In fact, in some instances it's likely that your web-site or e-mail address is better known and more familiar to your public than your phone number or business address. Cyber-commerce, E-commerce, E -business, E-tailing, whatever you care to call it, dot.com has become the key to visibility and success in the 21st century.
Given its rapidly developing interactive capabilities and instantaneous access, the music and entertainment industry is particularly suited to taking advantages of all that the web has to offer. For small independent labels without the resources and financial might of the majors, the web can offer an effective shop-front as well as a valuable marketing tool which is capable of generating real sales.
Based in Derry, Schism Records is justifiably regarded as one of the best little labels in the country. With highly rated bands such as Asterix, Pulszar, Lima and of course the late, lamented Scheer on its books, the label has firmly established itself as a purveyor of top notch product.
Two years ago Schism set up a website which has grown from attracting 600 hits per month initially to a current level of 33,000 hits per month and rising. "It started out as a basic 2-3 page brochure," explains Schism's Peter Fleming. "We now have info on all the bands, MP3 clips, photos and an e-zine which goes out every week to 1,500 email addresses. Last November I was able to set up a secure part of the site to accept credit cards. I would safely say that it now accounts for 20% of my business turnover."
Schism has also set up non-exclusive deals with various music distribution sites including such high-profile sites as Peoplesound, Vitaminic, Mudhut, and CDuctive.
I believe these sites as well as my own site are an added promotional tool to selling records," Fleming explains. For example, Schism Records is putting a tour together around Ireland, the UK & Scotland in April/May. I have approached the various sites to get involved via sponsorship & website promotion."
However despite the success of the site, Fleming sees the web as an additional tool rather than the main driving force behind Schism Records.
"Overall, the success of the website has been down to having a fanbase to start with," he says. "I don't foresee the day when an unknown band can sell huge amounts of records on the net. Surfers will always go to the big name acts. Just as in the real world, the major labels will always have the upper hand."
When it comes to providing up-to-the-minute information, there is nothing to beat the web. Launched in August 1997, Entertainment Ireland has grown to become Ireland's leading entertainment listings website it is currently considered to be the eighth most popular web site in Ireland.
The website is effectively a nationwide listings guide with listings and reviews on the following categories: Television, Cinema, Gigs, Exhibitions Video releases, Festivals, Comedy, Dance, Horoscopes, Restaurants, Music and Lotto Results.
"We have developed our own unique databases for delivering specific information to our viewers," explains Sarah Glennane, marketing manager of Fusio, the company which designs and runs the site. "Television, cinema and our events sections can be searched under a number of different criteria. Our service is easy to use and fully searchable using just a single word such as, say, 'Savoy' or 'Moby'. Our gig listings, too, are comprehensive we cover everything from events at the Point Theatre to small local pubs and venues."
The key to Entertainment Ireland's success, according to Glennane, is in the continuous updating of the site. "We have three people working on the site constantly updating the information and to ensure accuracy we collect a lot of our data by hand. We would be in contact with venues in Waterford or anywhere in the country to check out the latest events."
The Entertainment Ireland site is continually being developed and there are plans to expand the range of information available to include 7-day TV listings and more sports coverage.
"It's taken us three years to get to where we are today and we're here to stay for the long term," says Glennane. Unlike some sites which seem to open in a flurry of publicity and then disappear altogether, or fail to update."
Entertainment Ireland can be found at http://
www.entertainmentireland.ie

Celtic Works

While some operations go online right from the beginning and depend totally on the Internet for their business operations, others grow to embrace the web in a more organic fashion.
Based in Cork, Celtic Works started out initially operating as a music co-ordination agency linking artists with promoters and event organisers. With a growing database of artists and bands including high-profile names like Donovan, Beginish, Niamh Parsons, Black Velvet Band and Loudest Whisper, as well as a growing list of up-and-coming bands covering the full spectrum from rock, pop to folk and traditional, Celtic Works has built up a solid reputation for itself.
"We would do a lot of one-offs," explains the agency s Davy Arthur. "We do a lot of the paper-work, organising visas for people etc. We ended up becoming buyers ourselves and we now operate as an agency. We would do festivals and fringe events. For example we're co-ordinating all the fringe and main stage acts for the Caherciveen Celtic Festival which takes place this year and includes artists like Paul Brady and The Black Velvet Band in the line-up."
Having become aware of the potential benefits the web might offer it, Celtic Works decided to put their database on-line. "We bid into a UK based company/website called IBL (Irish Bands Live)," explains Arthur. "They drew up web-pages for most of our artists and what has happened in the last few months is we're getting targeted by people who do Celtic Festivals around Europe. We had 1,500 hits in a six-week period and we hope to go on our own Celtic Works server in the near future.
Celtic Works has now expanded its database to include a broader spectrum of Celtic artists including Irish actors, sculptors, poets, writers, fashion designers, architects and stonemasons.
"Celtic Works is still event co-ordination and music agency," Arthur concludes. "We would invite anyone who falls within the wider Celtic domain to contact us."
Information can be sent to Celtic Works at:
[email protected] or to irishbandslive.co.uk

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