I discovered NoiseTrade a year ago.

If you haven’t heard of it, you’ve been missing a great resource and should sign up immediately.

I’ll tell you why.

Every day, hundreds of musicians, authors and song-writers are trying to get their work out to the masses. They’re trying to get their content and their message into your heart and mind.

However, in our fast-paced, over-crowded media world, how will they ever get noticed?

For me (or you) as a consumer, how will we find new artists and new authors? Sure, we might see something in our Facebook timeline or Twitter feed, where a friend has suggested something or someone. Yet, everyone’s tastes are so different.

You might like your friend, but dislike what they read or listen to.

Where can you discover new content for yourself?

As per NoiseTrade’s site, they state the follow: “NoiseTrade helps artists build their fan email lists by giving away free music in exchange for email addresses and postal codes.“

I know what you’re thinking. “That’s the catch! I give them my email address, then they’ll spam my inbox into oblivion!“

After using NoiseTrade for over a year now, I can say with confidence that this does not happen. Sure, once in a while, an artist may send me something that I’m not interested in. When that happens, I just deleted it or click unsubscribe at the bottom their message.

Here’s how it works.

1. To begin, visit www.NoiseTrade.com. (Go ahead and click it now. It should open up in a new browser window.)
2. At the top left, scroll over music or books. (A drop down menu of genres should appear.)
3. Click on the genre you’re looking for. (FYI, audio books are in music, which I’m not a fan of but it is what it is.)
4. Choose an album or book that interests you. (This should open a page specifically for that item, giving you more details about the product.)
5. If you like what you see, click the Download button. (You should then be prompted to enter your email address, country and postal/zip code.)
6. Click the Email My Download Code bottom. (This will send a download code directly to your inbox.)
7. Open the NoiseTrade email message and click Download Now. (This will open up the final download screen in your web browser.)
8. Click this final Download Now button. (Your album or book will be downloaded into your designated downloads folder.)

Don’t forget to give back to the artist.

Throughout this process, you’ll notice frequent Facebook Share and a Tweet buttons. You’ll also notice a Leave a Tip button frequently appearing. This artist or author has given you their work for free!

How much work does it take to share your recent freebie with a friend? Why not through a shout-out on twitter to thank the artist or let someone else in on the deal?

Why not throw out a tip and buy the artist a coffee?

As a Christian, this has been a great resource.

Though some of my colleagues and friends may disagree, I think Christian music definitely has a place on the Believer’s playlist. Maybe not exclusively, but I believe there’s value in using Christian media.

NoiseTrade’s Christian/Gospel genre has proven to be an excellent source of good quality, high caliber content.

Getting fresh new sounds and thoughts, coming out of the hearts and minds of other Believers has been a huge blessing to my family and I.

Take some time today and check out NoiseTrade for yourself.

Join the Conversation, Leave Your Thoughts

How do you hear about new artists and/or authors? What resources do you use to find new media sources?