Noisetrade

You know that old adage, that I always rolled my eyes when I was younger and desperately wanted something I was told I couldn't have but was convinced would be the greatest thing since ever - not that money can't buy you happiness, but that the best things in life are free? Well, that's where Noisetrade fits in on my happiness scale. At its heart, Noisetrade is a very clever way for bands to get their music heard and to expand their fanbase beyond the reach of their live shows and word-of-mouth. The deal is, you pick an EP/single/album you like the look of, based on the mini description and 'For Fans Of' list, offer up your email address and postcode, and get that collection of songs for free, with the option of 'tipping' the artist. You end up on the bands' mailing lists*, which means you know the next time they release something or are heading out on tour, every time you 'tip' an artist you feel like an excellent person, and you get music - one of the best things in life - for free.

It's not just about discovering new artists, even though I've found so many brilliant bands via the Noisetrade community; there are special sessions from artists, or recordings of live shows (there's a Radiohead concert from 1995 up there at the moment). Some of my Summer Tracks have been Noisetrade finds, and they made up a decent number of tracks on a recent mixtape I made for my best friend. Personal highlights include Coin, NEEDTOBREATHE, General Ghost, The Gray Havens and We Shot The Moon.

Have a scroll through, you won't regret it!

*as far as I'm aware, nothing happens with the postcode, and I've been using the site for almost a year, I guess it's to do with bands knowing where their fans are