jamesclark.com

Do you listen to Pandora Radio? They’re a very popular streaming music site, and I would love to have my music included in their library. It would help my exposure tremendously. But alas, it looks like it ain’t gonna happen.

I’ve tried submitting my two albums to them, and they rejected them both times. I am not allowed to resubmit my music for inclusion on their service… apparently they consider stuff one time and then it’s rejected forever.

They gave no explanation why they rejected my music. It’s professionally produced, it spans several genres, there’s comparable music out there, so what’s the problem? Is it just not good enough? I have no idea. I can assume based on what I’m seeing elsewhere online that Pandora simply doesn’t accept independent artist submissions. If you’re indie, if you’re unsigned to a major label, you’re unwelcome.

The only other way (based on what I see in the FAQ) to get my music included in their private club is to have fans write in and request my music :

“How do I suggest music if it’s not already on Pandora?

When you try to add a song or artist to one of your stations, or try to create a station from a song or artist, and Pandora doesn’t recognize it, please let us know!

Send your music suggestions to:
suggest-music@pandora.com”

So then I reached out to my fans for help, asking them to send an email requesting that my music be added to their catalog, just as the FAQ says. But even after several hundred such requests from fans, friends and followers, Pandora came back and said “no” yet again.

They’re response was actually, “We appreciate your fans writing into request your music, but we cannot re-review your music at this time.” Still no answer as to why. In fact, I was told, “As a policy, we choose not to discuss these matters on why we pass on certain albums.”

In other words: we don’t support independent artists, fuck you very much.

I think their policies are exclusive and shady, but that’s their business I guess. At least there are more progressive services out there like Last.fm and others.

If Pandora rejected your music, post a comment and let me know. I’m curious as to how many others have had this happen to them.

Get my album today and YOU NAME THE PRICE!

Did you get your copy of my album yet? NO?? Well, now’s your chance. I’m offering the album for sale at ANY PRICE until the end of the month. That’s right, you decide what you want to pay! Download the album for as little as $3 or $4, or $5 if you feel like being nice to me, or only $1 if you’re cheap, or get it FREE if you’re really broke like me!

Pay whatever you feel it’s worth.

This offer is being extended only to my friends and fans on Facebook, Reverbnation, and readers of my blog — and only until the end of the month!

Head on over to ukulelejim.bandcamp.com to buy the album today and name your own price!

My new album “Ukulele Jim’s Authentic Down Home Marital Aid” just got reviewed in the latest installment of Ukulele Player Magazine, issue 7, page 16. I’m honored to be in this fine publication. Check it out!

http://www.tricornpublications.com/uke_player.htm

The album is available from iTunes, Amazon, eMusic, Napster, and any other online music retailer you can think of. And it’s cheap. So please buy one.

Hey there. As some of you know, I play the ukulele and sing and stuff. And over the last year or so I’ve been writing some songs and putting together an album. I’ve posted many of the demo tracks here on my blog and some of you seemed to like them, so I thought I’d give my blog readers (all 5 of you) an update and a special deal.

The album “Ukulele Jim’s Authentic Down Home Marital Aid” has been submitted to online retailers such as iTunes, Amazon, eMusic, Rhapsody, Napster, etc. It won’t show up in the online stores for at least 4-6 weeks. In the meantime, I want to offer those of you who happen to read this an early jump at the record and a discount.

For the next week or two, I’m making the entire album available for only $5 through the Snocap digital store. That’s half of what it will sell for everywhere else.

I’m not going to tell many people about this special deal, but I definitely want to share it with all of you who are reading this because you rule.

So, if you’re interested, head on over to the Snocap store and check it out. The songs are MP3 format and DRM free. You can preview each track, and if you want you can get them individually for .99 cents or get the whole album for only $5 bucks.

If you do end up buying the album or one of the tracks, please come on back and post a comment here with your opinion. I’d love to know what you think of the music.

And sign up for my mailing list! I’ll occasionally send info about new songs, albums, exclusives, shows and other news. I promise I won’t spam you or sell your information. Honest.

Recently I’ve started work on a children’s album that will be called “Ukulele Jim and His Jumping Flea Circus” with songs mostly written for my 3-year-old twins but also with the idea that other kids might like them, too. This is an early version of the title song.

(And in case you weren’t aware, the Hawaiian word “ukulele” roughly translates as “jumping flea”, due to the action of one’s fingers playing the ukulele resembling a jumping flea.)

Anyway, press the ‘PLAY’ button on the widget below to check it out.

What do you think of it so far?

Rate it!
(6 votes, average: 4.83 out of 5)
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Oh, and if you know of any Flash animators who would like to make a video for this (and are generous and willing to work for super cheap or even free), please let me know!