MUSIC

Revolutionizing Online Music

Downloading free music has become increasingly more difficult
since the demise of Napster, Ares, Kazaa and other
downloading websites, which are not only illegal but load
your computer with viruses. Apple’s popular program iTunes is
a legal and easy way to download music, but it costs 99 cents
per song. The lack of options leaves many music lovers
searching for something better.

These and other concerns were on the mind of music lover,
engineer and alum of the Forestry School at Syracuse University
Andrew Lombardo (brother of Phil Lombardo ’05), when he began
researching ways to create a downloading website that would
benefit not just downloaders, but musicians and advertisers as
well. After several years of research and hard work, his final
product, Zaziggy.com, is available for public use.

Zaziggy.com is a different kind of music downloading website.
With his self-run company, Rockstar Technologies, and his
partner Shirley Ma (a patent attorney) Lombardo has created a
partnership between advertisers, downloaders and up-and-coming
artists. The artists range in genre from acoustic, acoustic rock,
country, emo, hip hop, metal, piano, piano acoustic, pop, rap,
rock, surf and surf acoustic, to appeal to all sorts of music
interests.

To sign up, you simply have to go to Zaziggy.com and fill out a
brief survey, whose purpose is to pair your interests up with
an advertiser. The survey, which is worlds more fun than the
average demographics survey, allows users to get their music for
free. Here’s how Zaziggy works: while downloading a song a user
is paired up with an advertisement for a product based on his or
her interests, which are determined based on the survey. This
allows companies to target their advertisements to their desired
demographic. Additionally, artists receive a royalty each time
someone downloads one of their songs and they are able to access
the demographics of the people who like their music.

According to the website, “the money made off of the sponsored
download is split 50/50 with the artists,” who maintain artistic
control because Rockstar Technologies does not buy the rights
to the songs. Because they make money off of the downloads,
this website makes it possible for musicians to benefit from
a music downloading website. And the downloads are perfectly
legal. The best part is that each week new artists will be
added to the website, so users can always anticipate something
new. This way, Zaziggy.com provides a way for savvy people to
discover new music without having to listen to the radio.

The website, which features clever graphics and just the right
amount of humor, is easy and fun to use. Zaziggy.com indicates
the top downloads in each genre, and recommends artists that
you may like. Different artists are featured at the top of
the page, along with a short biography.

If you are interested in music in any way, this website is
worth looking into. For more information, check out
rockstartechnologies.com/bands/. You can find out more fun
facts about Zaziggy.com, as well as enjoy some great animation.
Or, if you are an artist or an advertiser who is interested
in becoming a part of Zaziggy.com, this link has all the
information you need to get involved:
rockstartechnologies.com/help. Included on the page are ways
to help spread the word about this innovative new website.
Lombardo is always looking for more artists and advertisers
to become part of the project, as the partnership is
beneficial to everyone involved. Zaziggy.com may just be the
best thing so far to happen to music-lovers!

Article written By Kate Jurras.

About the Author

Point of Grace – I Wish (radio tour)