Industry guru Dave Taylor offers tech support on technical and business topics, including iPhone, iPod, Microsoft Windows, Sony PSP, cellphones, online advertising, CSS, Web design, business, Unix, Linux, SEO, Mac OS X, and shell script programming.     


How can I keep track of my favorite musicians?

I live for music and have a ton of different musicians and bands that I want to keep track of. I know I can go to somewhere like Google News + Technorati and create dozens of searches, but, man, it's the 21st century, surely there's an easier way?


Dave's Answer:

I too am a musician afficianado, though I don't know that I "live" for music in quite the same way you do! Fortunately, however, I know about Earfeeder.com, a cool [beta] application built by a local chap here in Colorado.

Let me show you how it works and I'll bet you'll go ahead and sign up for the service before you even finish reading this blog entry!

First off, obviously, you need to go to the site, where you'll see this easy button:

Earfeeder: Scan your iTunes tunes

It turns out that Earfeeder will scan all of the music on your computer to find what musicians you like, so the next step is that it wants to download and run a small Java applet. HOpefully, you'll see something like this:

Earfeeder: Is that Java Applet secure?

Click "Trust" or "Okay" or "Accept" or the equivalent and sit back... it'll take a few minutes and scan through your hard drive to find all the music you've got stored:

Earfeeder: Scanning your iTunes tunes

It took just a few minutes for the applet to scan my pretty huge music library (5337 tracks, 28GB of music). Once done, it then presents you with a list of artists -- think "search patterns" -- and you have the ability to uncheck those you don't really want to track or, in my case, those artists that are dead and unlikely to be releasing new albums or on the concert circuit (like ABBA) (I can't believe I'm admitting that I have ABBA in my library! :-)

Earfeeder: Choose your favorite artists

You can also use the shortcuts of having the program only checking those artists for whom you have at least five songs, or at least 10 songs, which is helpful to quickly weed out the one-track wonders you might have downloaded from the iTunes Music Store or equivalent.

When I'm done going through my list and unchecking the hundred or so that I don't want to track, I click on "Submit" and Earfeeder automatically builds a customized RSS feed for me. Trés Cool!

Earfeeder: Built your Custom RSS Feed!

I use NewsGator Online, so just clicked on "+ Newsgator" and am subscribed. In the feed reader, I get a nice introductory message:

Earfeeder: Welcome message in my RSS reader

And I get two different kinds of additional feed entries for matching artists. First, concert information:

Earfeeder: Upcoming concerts for Etta James

Not to sound mean, but I didn't realize that Etta James was still on the concert circuit! Nice to know, actually.

The other type of information are album matches from the iTunes Music Store's "New Releases" feed:

Earfeeder: A New CD From Jimmy Buffet!

I'm still learning the in's and out's of Earfeeder, but so far, it seems very slick, and seems like exactly what you're seeking too. Hope it helps you out!


More Useful Mac OS X Help Articles:
✔   Audacity can't find LAME library, I can't save Mp3?
Hey Dave. I read your article Audacity can't save mp3 audio files and am still puzzled because I downloaded the LAME Mp3 converter...
✔   How to remove Dashboard as a "space" in Mac OS X Spaces?
I'm a big fan of the Spaces utility in Mac OS X that lets me have multiple virtual screens [see Set Up Mac...
✔   Best place to buy a cheap MacBook laptop?
Hi Dave. I am looking for two gently used MacBook laptops for my teen daughters. Personal computers would greatly facilitate their studies as...
✔   File too big error copying to USB flash drive on my Mac?
I'm baffled. I have a 16GB Kingston USB flash drive that I use on my Mac system and I'm trying to copy a...
✔   Stealth image capture photo from webcam on my Mac?
Someone sneaks into my cubicle while I'm at lunch and takes candy out of my desk. Petty, but stupid too. I want to...

Let's stay in touch!
Sign up for my weekly AskDaveTaylor Newsletter and you'll receive even more tech and gadget help right to your inbox, along with exclusive news and industry updates. It's good stuff. I promise!
    Enter your name: and your email addr:  





Categorized: Mac OS X Help   (Article 6933, Written by )
Tagged: cd releases, concerts, itunes, itunes store, music, musicians, rss
Previous: Why would MySpace users subscribe to my blog?
Next: Can my MySpace Standalone Player automatically start playing?




Reader Comments To Date: 3

MMM said, on February 21, 2008 8:47 AM:

You can also use Xerpi to tailor your favorite musicians sites, youtube videos (as imported widgets), pictures, and have access to your friend's favorite musicians and puclic views too. Xerpi can be about more than music- but if it's just the beat you want, then Xerpi rocks steady ;)
Check out www.xerpi.com

amy said, on November 14, 2008 9:00 AM:

earfeeder was bought out by sonicswap and I haven't been able to find anything that offers what earfeeder did. Any recommendations?

huckleberry hound said, on September 3, 2012 2:13 PM:

Hi guys,
I'd like to suggest MusicLookout.com. It's very easy to use. It gives you precise new release and concert data for the bands you want tracked. If you want to load up your account with bands fast you can sync your Facebook bands to MusicLookout.
Thanks,
Huck

Starbucks coffee cup I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you, Dave, for all your helpful information by buying you a cup of coffee!

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!











I will never send you any unsolicited email. Ever.






Check This Out Too...

 
Look for Answers
Need Help? Ask Dave Taylor!


Follow Me on Pinterest

Find Me on Google+
ADT on G+
© 2002 - 2013 by Dave Taylor. All Rights Reserved.

Note: This web site is for the purpose of disseminating information for educational purposes, free of charge, for the benefit of all visitors. We take great care to provide quality information. However, we do not guarantee, and accept no legal liability whatsoever arising from or connected to, the accuracy, reliability, currency or completeness of any material contained on this web site or on any linked site. Further, please note that by submitting a question or comment you're agreeing to my terms of service, which are: you relinquish any subsequent rights of ownership to your material by submitting it on this site. My lawyer says "Thanks".
"Ask Dave Taylor®" is a registered trademark of Intuitive Systems, LLC.