A new website which aims
to help musicians learn from
the stars of the music world
has signed a deal with a major
music label.
Brighton-based showmehow
toplay.com (SMHTP) features
software that allows people to
download tutorials of songs
broken down to individual instruments.
At the moment most of the
songs are cover versions recorded
by session musicians but the deal
with Universal Records will give
the site access to some of the
label's major stars.
The site has already done a
deal with Boys II Men and expects
to gain access to acts on Universalowned
Island Records, such as The
Fratellis and Amy Winehouse.
The man behind SMHTP is freelance
engineer and producer Mark
Flannery.
The 43-year-old began his career
as a runner in Dublin's Windmill
Lane studios, where he made the
tea as U2 recorded their album
The Unforgettable Fire.
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He got his big break while working
with Mutt Lange as he produced
Def Leppard's Hysteria
album, which went on to sell
15.5 million copies.
After this success he worked at
London's Battery Studios before
he joined the Brighton Institute
of Modern Music (BIMM) as a songwriting
tutor.
It was there he had the idea to
set up SMHTP.
Mark said: "I thought there was
a real gap in the market for online
distance learning.
"What BIMM does is great but
not everyone can afford it or can
travel down to Brighton. I wanted
to open that experience out to
everyone."
Mark has developed a software
tool called Multiplayer, which lets
users break down a song into its
individual parts and see the various
players playing in isolation.
Mark said: "Herbie Flowers, the
world-famous bassist who played
on Lou Reed's Walk On The Wild
Side, believes that if you want to be
a great musician you have to play
with great musicians. This software
lets you do that. You can
download the software for free and
it shows how it works using Smells
Like Teen spirit by Nirvana.
"After that it's 99p to download
one of our songs but it will be £3.50
to buy one from an established
artist from Universal."
It is this revenue-raising aspect
that has excited record labels as
they struggle to remain profitable
in the world of digital
downloads and file sharing.
Mark said: "The record
companies are always looking
to do new things and
find new revenue streams.
There is nothing like
SMHTP anywhere else in
the world.
"We are already talking
to other interested record
companies, so watch this space."
The next stage is to develop
the site's social networking
features.
Soon the technology
will be in place for
people to upload their
own performances and
share them with others.
Mark added:
"Technology means
most producers work
from home. This will
let people play alongside
their heroes and
learn from them at
the same time."
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