9.13. GarageBand Online

As with most things Mac, the release of GarageBand triggered the spontaneous formation of a huge, thriving, passionate online community. Web sites and discussion groups appeared almost instantly ”and they'll remain a lot more current than a computer book.

9.13.1. Distribute-Your-Music Sites

As noted in the Introduction to this book, GarageBand can, in the right hands, replace one of the record companies' core functions: producing professional, finished-sounding recordings.

The Internet takes care of the other function: bringing your music to the public.

Web sites like Soundclick.com, GarageBand.com, Ampcast.com, Acidplanet.com, Vitaminic.com , and MP3.com are all dedicated to distributing the music of undiscovered performers (not just GarageBand artists ). On Soundclick, for example, you get your own Web page, you can upload an unlimited number of songs, you get your own message board where your fans can talk about your talent, and so on. (The site makes its money by selling promotional services, like featuring you on the home page.)

Your fans can either download or stream (listen to without downloading) your songs, along with those from both signed and unsigned bands and singers. Most of the songs are free to listen to or download.

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Tip: GarageBand is also a dandy tool for recording podcasts ”homemade audio "shows" that people can download, subscribe to, and listen to on their iPods. For tips, tricks, and mostly helpful step-by-steps, see www.apple.com/support/garageband/podcasts.

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UP TO SPEED
Official Help from Apple

Most people (who weren't enlightened enough to consult this book) get their GarageBand training from the built-in Help screens. Choose Help GarageBand Help, click a topic (or search for one), and off you go.

If your questions are still unanswered, the ultimate source of GarageBand information and troubleshooting is the mother ship ”Apple itself. At www.apple.com/support/garageband, you'll find a special Apple Web site dedicated just to helping you with GarageBand. It contains tutorials, lessons, a list of system requirements, and the latest GarageBand updates.

There's even a Feedback link, so you can send Apple your suggestions for the next version of GarageBand. (No, Apple won't put every feature in. But if enough people seem to be clamoring for the same things, the company may respond.)

You'll also find an enormous treasure trove of questions, answers, gripes, wish lists, and general chat in the official Apple GarageBand discussion forums, which you can also enter from the main GarageBand support page.

If you positively must get help by telephone, you can call Apple at 800-275-2273 (that's 800-APL-CARE). For the first 90 days following your purchase of iLife (which, as far as Apple knows , is the date of your first call), the technicians will answer your questions for free. After that, Apple will charge you on a per-call to answer your questions and at $45 a call, it ain't cheap.

9.13.2. GarageBand Help and Discussion

Web sites like MacJams.com, iCompositions.com , and MacIdol.com have dual functions. First, they're dedicated to helping you share your musical output with other Mac fans ”like the Web sites described above, but exclusively for GarageBand compositions. You can also listen to other people's, either by browsing through the musical genres (like Rap or Folk) or by relying on the daily or weekly "most listened to" charts .

Figure 9-15. At MacJams.com and similar sites, you can search a database of GarageBand compositions by name or category. Once you listen to a song, you can vote or comment on it.
Who knows? GarageBand may yet lead to the next American Idol (European Idol, Asian Idol )

Second, these sites also offer news, reviews of GarageBand- related products, tips and how-to articles, discussion boards , and so on (see Figure 9-15).

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Tip: Other sites, like MacMusic.org and osxaudio.com , are dedicated to the wider world of Macintosh music-making. But you'll find a lot of good GarageBand-relevant information and links here, especially if you decide to delve deeper into Audio Units, plug-ins, and other expansion modules.

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9.13.3. Loops and Sounds Sites

As you've no doubt realized by now, GarageBand accommodates add-on instruments, add-on sounds, and add-on effects.

A quick search at Google for free loops, free audio units , or free sound effects will unearth hundreds of Web sites filled with files that you can drag into GarageBand or install as described on 44. Here are a few to get you started:

9.13.3.1. Free loops

• www.loops.net

• www.proloops.com/freeloops.htm

• freeloops.co.uk

9.13.3.2. Free sound effects

• www.a1freesoundeffects.com

9.13.3.3. Free drum loops

• www.studiopt.com/audio1.html

• www.breakbeatsonly.com

9.13.3.4. Free sampled instrument sounds

• www.mtlc.net/freesamples/freesamples.php (one free sound sample each day)

• www.soundcentral.com

9.13.3.5. Commercial loops

• www.bigfishaudio.com

• www.bitshiftaudio.com

• http://mediasoftware.sonypictures.com/loop_libraries

• www.drumsondemand.com/apple.htm (drum loops)