I don’t know why I didn’t start doing this from day one, but I’m doin’ it now! If all you’ve heard from my new subscription service at Matthew Ebel dot net is the song Lost on Block Island, you’re in luck.

We’re now posting samples of all the tunes I’ve been releasing to the subscribers.

There’s a sample playlist right on the front page at www.matthewebel.net and a constantly-updated sample list here.

Of course, if you want the full versions of all my new tunes, you’ll need to grab an All-Access or VIP Pass. Check out the subscription options over at www.matthewebel.net/subscribe. In the mean time, here’s a sample you might not have heard yet… It’s from a song called They Got The Money:
Download MP3

If you remember Beer & Coffee’s release, you’re probably as surprised as I am that Goodbye Planet Earth made it to the Music Store in less than a month.

Well, it’s there! And it’s only $9.99 for the whole album. Granted, if you want high-quality DRM-Free tracks, you’ll need to get it from CD Baby or MySpace, and that’s only $12.99. But if you’re dying to get your copy of the new album from iTunes, it’s there!

And please leave a review on iTunes if you’ve already heard the album! Just CLICK HERE to go straight to the iTunes Music Store.

I’m sitting in the Nashville International Airport waiting for a giant metal bird to take me home for Christmas. In the mean time, I caught this gem of a post by my friend Chris Penn. Here’s a clip:

Music industry – the lesson is not that free will always win. EASY will always win. I could rip this track for free by breaking the DRM and converting to an MP3, but that’s 10 minutes of my day I can spend doing something else (like blogging about it). That would be free, but I want easy. I value my time more than my money, because I can always make money, but my lifespan is finite and irreplaceable.
-It’s Not Easy Being Legal

The larger implications of his post are debated on his site (which I recommend you check out, it’s a good read), but that paragraph in particular really resonated. I’m the kind of guy who will look on iTunes for a track, then go steal it if it ain’t there. I don’t buy CD’s unless I’m at a live concert, and if a label is too stupid to get their music on iTunes (especially here in the US), they’ve told me that they don’t want my money.

I also try and live this philosophy- I’ve got all my selling albums on (even though Goodbye Planet Earth isn’t listed yet), on CD Baby as both a disc and MP3 download, and on MySpace. I want to make it as easy as possible for people to buy my music legitimately.

To be honest, I’m kind of glad the major labels aren’t jumping on this with both feet. It puts us independents a step ahead.

A few quick news flashes for you on a Friday…

First of all, Goodbye Planet Earth is now available for direct purchase via CD Baby. You can grab a copy either as a round piece of plastic or save some packaging and get it as an MP3 album for the same price. No DRM, no trash.

If you’re the MySpacing type, you can also grab DRM-free MP3’s from http://myspace.com/matthewebelmusic as well. It’s all the same price, so just pick your favorite store.

Also, I’ll be giving away one free song to anyone who can get a friend to sign up for the email list. If you can convince someone to sign up and list your email as a referral, I’ll send both of you an exclusive track I’ll be recording in January. If you’re not already signed up for the mailing list, just visit http://matthewebel.com/signup or hit the signup forms all over this blog.

In case you hadn’t heard already, I’ve got a brand new song available for [tag]podcasters[/tag]. It’s not available on any album yet, but it’s ready to spin right now from the [tag]Podsafe Music Network[/tag]

Get it for your [tag]podcast[/tag] or just hear it now at:

www.matthewebel.com/pmn

Please give it a listen! If you play you the song on your podcast, please toss a link back to www.matthewebel.com. I really appreciate it!