Not another website to maintain. Do I have time for this?

Merge.fm is a web-app aimed at letting you dominate your unreleased music. Our new versioning technology means you’ll never again have to dig around for that great riff you forgot or email an mp3 to a band member to practice for the next show. Unlike a blog, twitter account, or facebook page which make you do extra work on top of making music, merge.fm improves your songwriting first. Then as a bonus you can engage your fans with almost no extra time commitment. So the kicker is that you can let your fans in on it simply by giving them access as you work on your music!

Who owns the music content?

It’s simple. The ownership of everything uploaded to a merge.fm artist page remains with the musicians in that artist.

What’s the deal with these versions on the side of the song pages?

As you make music, you almost never get a finished song in one shot. Instead, usually you’ll first come up with a riff or vocal or chord progression. Then you’ll work on it, bang your head, work on it some more, and finally something clicks and it starts to come together. On merge.fm, this process is represented as song versions down the left side of the song page. When you edit and save a song, instead of overwriting all of your previous work, it saves a new version on top of the previous ones, creating a timeline. This not only improves collaboration within your band, but more importantly, it gives your fans the ability to experience where your songs came from and let them be there when you write incredible songs.

What’s the point for my fans?

Musicians know that the highs and lows of making great songs are one of the best parts of music. The point of merge.fm for your fans is to let you share this experience with them, and allow them to engage with you and your music in a new way. You know how it feels when you finally come up with that killer vocal or guitar riff…why not let your fans in on the excitement?

Can people just download and steal my tracks?

We do not enable people to download your tracks. People can only stream your tracks in the web browser, similar to many other music sites.

How do I get compensated?

When your fans pay $4.99/month to subscribe to you, we split that with you right down the middle, 50/50. Each month we will send you a check based on the number of fan subscriptions you had that month: $2.50 per subscribed fan. We wanted to keep the pricing split simple and fair to start, but we are certainly open to trying new things, so let us know if you have any suggestions.

Do I have to pay?

No. Merge.fm is completely free for artists. We know that it’s hard enough for musicians and bands to get by as it is.

How often should I upload song versions?

So far, we've found that a minimum of 2 new song versions per week is enough to keep your fans interested. But it is completely up to you how often and how much you would like to post.

Why should I make multi-track song versions?

We recommend uploading multi-track versions to really allow your fans to see and hear the changes you make. The more you let them in on it, the more into your music they will get. Check out the artist tutorial video on the artist information page to see how to make multi-track song versions.

Can I make multiple edits to a song at once?

Yes. As a musician looking at one of your song pages, you should be able to upload multiple tracks at once, remove tracks, and edit the title/lyrics. Keep in mind that the changes you make to a song will not be saved until you press the “Create Version” button at the bottom of the page.

What audio formats can I upload?

For now, we are keeping it simple with mp3s only. Their smaller file size provides a much faster experience for your fans. Also, if you keep the bit rate above about 192 kbps, then almost nobody will hear the difference compared to the original uncompressed file.

How do I sync my tracks for multi-track versions?

The tracks must be synced before you upload them. This means that when you output each individual track from your audio software, let’s say a drum track, guitar track, and vocal track, you must output each one from the beginning of the song until the end of the track, even if the track doesn’t come in until later in the song. So far this hasn’t been a problem for anyone, but if you are having trouble, please let us know. We really want to keep the interface simple and clean whenever possible.

How do I remove songs?

If you move your mouse pointer over the song, you will see a little red button with an “X” on it. This button will remove that song.

How should I market this to my fans?

This concept of letting your fans in on your creative experience can only work if you spread the word to your fans. In our experience, diehard fans are much more likely to be fired up about this than casual music listeners. We’re working on ways to help you market to your diehard fan base, and the first one is a myspace widget that can be found on your account page. We’d also love to hear other things you’ve tried and how they went. We’ll be sure to let you know as we launch more features to help you out.

How do I know how many fans are subscribed?

Sign in and go to your artist page to see how many fans are currently subscribed to you. We are working to expand this information so let us know if you there is something specific you would like to see.

I’m in. How do I get an artist account?

Sign up for a free account. Each person in your band should make an account. Then fill out the new artist form.

I still have questions

Fantastic! We love questions. Send us an email at support@merge.fm

Why would I want this?

Ever wondered what it was like at the moment when the great songs of all time were made? Was it a single moment of inspiration? Was it a painstaking process that took months of writing and tweaking? Did they wake up in the middle of the night and record that killer vocal from a dream? Were they drunk and made it by accident? I bet each one was different and each was just about the most incredible thing ever. But, no one really knows how it happened or what it felt like except the musicians who made it and the few who were lucky enough to be there. I want something like merge.fm because I would get the biggest kick ever to experience where great music came from and hopefully be there in some way when great songs are made.

But my favorite artist isn't on merge.fm

If you suggest an artist we'll let you know when they join us!

Why does it cost money?

It costs $4.99/month to subscribe to an artist because they need to be fairly compensated to keep making the music that you love. A full 50% of that goes straight to the artists. With the music industry struggling from the growth of the internet, the artists are the ones that usually end up getting shafted and we want to change that. Rather than coming up with complicated advertising or royalties, we just make it simple. They make music and you pay to experience the process.

Can I try it for free?

Of course! Each artist has one free preview song that you can check out for free. Just look for the free preview badge on an artist's page.

Why do I have to verify my account?

After you sign up for a free account, we will ask you to verify your account when you try to subscribe to your first artist. This is where you will enter your credit card information and it will be the only time you will need to do so. Your card will not be charged during this process. It will only be charged when you subscribe to an artist afterward. We designed the site this way so that you only have to bother with putting in your credit card information once. Similar to Amazon or iTunes, this makes it much faster, easier, and more secure when you subscribe to artists.

I still have questions

Fantastic! We love questions. Send us an email at support@merge.fm