Hitting The Back Of The Net

THOSE OF you who are wont to carouse the information superhighway will have noticed that the Hot Press website has undergone a radical transformation of late.

Taken over in April by Dublin 'net specialists Global Music Distribution, the on-line version of Ireland's most fortnightly publication is now averaging 500 hits a day or, multiplied out, 7,000 surfers an issue.

"It's amazing how quickly these things snowball," says Global MD Eamon Donovan. "We livened the graphics up, made sure that the contents are updated the night before the magazine goes on general sale and got as many other sites as possible to put links in for us. And vice versa. The site also contains the listings from the Hot Press Yearbook which means that you can find out pretty much anything you want about the Irish music industry by logging on. I know from the e-mails we've been receiving that a huge number of international agencies, record companies and media concerns are using us a database."

We've heard a lot in recent years about how the World Wide Web is going to "revolutionise" the way music's bought and sold without seeing much in the way of hard evidence. That's changing rapidly, though, with consumers in the UK now able to assemble their own CD compilations from the 'net for around £10 and leading American independent, Twin-Tone, dispensing with traditional formats altogether and offering new albums for download at $7 a pop.

"People have been told about these wonderful advancements but it's only now that they're beginning to experience them," Donovan continues. "I've no doubt that within the next few years you'll be able to tap in a pin code and download not only the new Madonna album but the cover artwork as well. A&R departments in the States are already sourcing new talent from the 'net - it really is a revolution and one that people are going to have join if they don't want to be left behind."

Far from being a loss leader, Donovan reckons that Irish companies are already making money from their sites.

"The likes of Vélo Records and Aran Records, who are both clients of ours, are using the web to get to publishers, licensees and distributors all over the world. Rather than spending a small fortune on 'phone calls and mail-outs, they can zap through details of their new product and back catalogue for a couple of pence and direct them to their website for all the background information like artist biogs."

Donovan brings a fan's enthusiasm to his work.

"I got my marketing degree and then worked for MusicBase and Carlton Communications, so I'm approaching this as a music industry person rather than a computer geek. The 'net is an ideal way for bands - signed and unsigned - to promote their wares and develop a fan base. The response, for instance, to the Little Sister Sage site we've put up has been phenomenal."

With a client-list that also includes Excellent, Sky March, Claire Roche and Owl Records, Donovan is bullish about Global Music Distributions' future.

"We've carved a niche out for ourselves which, as people wise-up to what the Internet can do for them, is going to get bigger and bigger. Everything's up for grabs."

• The Global Music Distribution website resides at http://indigo.ie/~gmd while Hot Press on-line can be found at http://www.hotpress.ie