Now some bands may not get this one, but Skype is a tool that can help both the unsigned local band and the worldwide rockstar. Skype is a VOIP service like Vonage or Oovoo. The difference is the Skype is free. Skype is also well known for it’s high quality. Ask anyone that knows me and they will tell you that I am one very picky customer. I hate all cell phones and media players because I think they all suck. Not one on the market is worth a crap in my opinion. So when I say that Skype has amazing quality and is shockingly dependable, it means something.

Now if you are in a signed band, please do all your interviews over Skype with a good quality headset like the one you probably play World Of Warcraft with. Nothing is more annoying than trying to listen to an interview with a band that has a crappy cell phone connection. There is no way your cell phone, land line, or any other traditional phone type device is going to come anywhere close to the quality of Skype. If the person doing the interview doesn’t have Skype, they can call you on your Skype number. They don’t have to know why you sound so crystal clear. They just need to be shocked at how easy it is to understand you and how clear you sound to their audience. Now to get a Skype number you will have to pay a VERY small amount. You pay $60 for a full year of an online number or $18 for the 3-month online number. Your band will stick out like a sore thumb with all your interviews sounding more clear than any other interview they have done before. This is a good thing.

So what if you are an unsigned band? Ever get a sore ear from holding a phone to your phone all day? Sucks don’t it? What about when your ear gets all itchy from the cell phone headset? What about the phone bill you get when calling around trying to set up that do it yourself mini tour every summer? You can call real phones with Skype while using a soft Plantronics GameCom type headset. Not only will this be way more comfortable, efficient, and cheaper, but it will also be more productive since you will sound more professional with your crystal clear sound quality.

Now of course once bands and labels wake up to the concept of Skype it will be a great method of networking and communication. Skype not only does voice, but it also does text. So one service for sending instant messages to other contacts online as well as making tons of phone calls. Of course you can also try and set up a bunch of press using the voice service. So no matter what level your band is at, Skype can help you save money and help you become a self promotion machine!