New Christian Artist : FAQS

Why as a music artist should I join everyone at NewChristianArtist.com?

NewChristianArtist.com is your means as a Christian artist to start "getting your stuff out there" whether you're known or unknown, signed or independent. The music industry doesn't really pay attention to an artist until they hit their commercial radar screens and how will that happen without a venue/website for an independent artist to promote and sell their music. Other similar sites have a different business model and charge $19.95 a month but you would have sell at least 20 or 30 songs a month to be make any sort of profit or just not to lose money. And we know that you don't want to take the risk of not selling enough music to cover your costs. That's why we just receive a small portion of your sales. You get .65 of every 1.00 and we get .35 of every dollar. And we let you try it before you buy it! The first 6 months is free then if you want to stay on the site and keep your page, you are charged $24.95 for the remaining year! 25 bucks a year for a high quality website that helps you spread your message, monetize your material, and get more exposure! The idea of NewChristianArtist.com was co-founded by myself, an independent artist who understands what you need and what you want. We want to provide you a place to market and sell your music online where everyone is shopping without you paying "an arm and a leg." In fact, we want you to be really successful and profit from it! You've already spent alot of money getting your music recorded so we want to make it insanely cheap to sell it online. If God has given you these great songs, then they're meant to be heard by people. That's why we provide our Artists with excellent tools like the ability to upload and sell as many Albums and Songs as you like! Having a page with us is like virtually having your own website (NewChristianArtist.com/yourname) where you can give people your biography (who you are), your Available Services (what you do) your Event Calendar (where you'll be playing next) and soon, even your own Mailbox where you can send and receive messages from other NCA Artists and Listeners! Also, unlike other sites such as iTunes, customers can listen to a 90 second sample instead of 30 second - that way they really hear the heart of the song - usually the intro through to the Chorus and 2nd Verse.

What’s the Cost?

THE FIRST 1,000 ARTISTS TO JOIN ARE FREE FOR LIFE!!! We simply want to build some momentum so we're giving a lifetime of free membership to the first 1,000 artists so sign up today!

After we've reached 1,000 artists on our site, the cost will be $24.95 per year after a 6 month FREE TRIAL! Other sites charge $19.95 a month and will even charge extra for every additional album you add to your site. They simply have different business models that work for the established independent artist. But we know that you may not want to take that risk not knowing how much music or material you'll sell. That's why we let you try it before you buy it! The first 6 months is free then if you want to stay on the site and keep your page, you simply are charged $24.95 for the remaining year. (after the first 1,000 artists. They're free for life) 25 bucks for your own website on which to sell and market your music! On each individual download, NCA takes 35% of the sale and you take 65% of it. So when you sell a unit (song, poem or book chapter) for 1.00 (1 Credit), you'll get 65 cents and we'll get 35 cents. This is simply the going rate for mp3s online. With the change of the music industry in the last decade, this can actually be more profitable for you as an independent artist than for you to be "signed" by a label that ends up taking most of the revenue. We're not against labels in any way. Some artists will still want to be signed so they can just get their music in the hands of more people and that's cool. In fact, there are labels searching our sites for the next great Christian Artist and that could be you! But with NewChristianArtist.com, you can now be profitable and have the influence you need without being tied to the strings of a label. So if you're signed, can you stay on the site? YES!

What if I'm not independent?

NCA is still for you! NCA does not own any part of your music once your join us. We're simply the best online store in which you can sell your product. NCA's vision is to "empower every Christian artist" unsigned or signed. So even if you are on a label, you can still create your own page and start selling your music on the fastest-growing Christian music site today! Just look over your contract and talk with your label. Here, you're selling your music that you made in an online store where you don't really need their help. Talk it over with them and get control of YOUR music. The heartbeat of NCA is to help the unsigned indie artist get their music out, but we also don't want to limit any artist. Why should we say "we don't' want you on our site" if you're good enough to be picked up by a label? That'd be crazy! We want today's artist to be heard! We want to create ONE PLACE for Christian Artists to sell their music and ONE PLACE for Listeners to find it!

Why aren’t you free?

Take a good look at our website. This isn't a social networking site where your limited to listing so many songs or have to work with an outside source where you have to place your music in an odd location on your social networking page. Social Networking sites are more like parties where everyone goes to hang out – which is cool. But NewChristianArtist.com is the place where everyone goes to buy the best in new Christian music. We made a top of the line site for you! So we need some little bit of revenue to help pay the bills. Creating your own website that you can continually edit can cost up to $5,000.00! We provide you a great looking site with tools that will help you communicate your message best. Although we'll soon give you the ability to Message other users, this still isn't a site just for "social networking." Because we are not a free social networking site we'll have FEWER artist profiles for Listeners and fans to weed through. That means we won't be cluttered by artists who aren't serious about their music. Our artists see the value of their music and the heart of NCA is to empower them. NCA is a place where you can have your own page free from clutter on which to sell your material be it music, books, or poetry. We want fans, Record Labels and Publishers to be able to easily contact you though so be sure to include your contact info on your page. Many of our Artists are using their NCA page as their main website and redirecting people from their social networking sites to their NCA page. Why? Because we offer the e-commerce that you want! You're selling mp3s that are uploaded! You're not sending out CDs you've paid for and paying for shipping! Plus, unlike social networking sites, NCA is a support system for only CHRISTIAN artists. Be sure to check out other artists on the site and encourage them by sending them an email about what you like about their stuff.

Why as a poet should I join and create my page?

NewChristianArtist.com is your means as a Christian Poet to broaden your influence and reach more people with the message of your poetry. How will readers and publishers find you without you being in a venue or an online store? They probably never will without NewChrstianArtist.com. The idea of NCA was begun and co-founded by an independent music artist who understands what you need as an indepedent author. We want to provide you a place to market and sell your message online where everyone is shopping. In fact, we want you to be very successful using your gift of poetry. If God has given you these great poems, then they're meant to be heard by people. You have a message and we want to help you communicate it to more people! That's why we provide our Artists (Music Artists, Authors, and Poets) with excellent tools like the ability to upload and sell as many Poetry Albums and Poems as you like! Having a page with us is virtually having your own website ( ie NewChristianArtist.com/yourname ) where you can give people your biography (who you are), your Available Services (what you do) your Event Calendar (where you'll be speaking next) and soon, even your own Mailbox where you can send and receive messages from other NCA Artists and Listeners! If you have a Christian message that you want to communicate, but don't know where to do it, NCA is for you! I don't know of any other Christian website for unpublished poets. This is the place for you. We know that you don't want to take the risk of not selling enough material to cover your costs; that's why we let you try it before you buy it! The first 6 months is free then if you want to stay on the site and keep your page, you simply are charged $24.95 for the remaining year! You can join today and start selling Text documents of the Poems themselves and mp3 audio files of your Spoken-Word Poems. Spoken-Word is a really cool new form of art that is simply poetry read aloud and/or over instrumental music. Tip: read the Psalms and see how David poured his heart out to God in poetry. Maybe it's time your poetry can touch the hearts of other people and minister to them in a whole new way!

Why as an author should I join NewChristianArtist.com?

NewChristianArtist.com is your means as a Christian author to broaden your influence and reach more people with your message. NCA is for you whether you're a known or unknown author! If you're independent, how will readers and publishers find you without your material being in a venue or online store? The idea of NCA was begun and co-founded by an independent artist who understands what you need and what you want. We want to provide you a place to market and sell your message online where everyone is shopping without you paying "an arm and a leg." In fact, we want you to be successful and profit from it! If God has given you these great books and sermon series, then they're meant to be heard by people. You have a message and we want to help you communicate it to more people! That's why we provide our Artists (Music Artists, Authors, and Poets) with excellent tools like the ability to upload and sell as many Books and Chapters as you like! Having a page with us is like virtually having your own website ( ie NewChristianArtist.com/yourname ) where you can give people your biography (who you are), your Available Services (what you do) your Event Calendar (where you'll be speaking next) and soon, even your own Mailbox where you can send and receive messages from other NCA Artists and Listeners! If you have a Christian message that you want to communicate, but don't where to do it, NewChristianArtist.com is for you! I don't know of any other Christian book site for unpublished authors. This is the place for you. We know that you don't want to take the risk of not selling enough material to cover your costs of getting your books published. That's why we're providing a secure place online wher you can "try it before you buy it" so to speak. The first 6 months is FREE then if you want to stay on the site and keep your page, you simply are charged $24.95 for the remaining year! $25 a year for your own page complete with all your info and material online where people are shopping! You'd spend that and more going out to eat tonight! And it can cost up to thousands of dollars to create your own website and even when you do, how will people even think to search for your name if they've never heard your name. Here, people can search for the type of books they want then find you!

How do I upload my songs?

After you click "New Artists" you'll create your account login and profile information. You'll then go back to the site and login and begin the rest of the process. You'll know you're logged into to "admin" because you'll see a greenish yellow neon bar at the top. In that bar, you'll click "Manage Profle" Then you'll click "Manage Albums" Then "+Add Album" You'll title the Album, give the release date, etc. Then start uploading your songs following the onscreen instructions. You'll have to "SELECT" the actual mp3 song file from your My Music Folder on your computer. "SELECT" is used to "BROWSE" your computer for your song file you're trying to upload. Double click on the mp3, then click "INSERT" on the left. It may take a second, please be patient. Then you'll be prompted to Add Another Song to that Album. When you're done uploading your songs for that album, just click Manage Profile at the top right. You can add another album, by clicking Manage Albums again or you can edit any other info like your bio, event calendar, etc. When you're done, click on the "Your Profile URL newchristianartist/yourartistname" in the Neon Bar to view your page or just log out then check out your page! Your URL will be /yourname Be sure to send fans and family there to buy your music!

How do I get paid as an Artist?

NCA uses a system of Credits. One Credit equals one dollar. This makes it easier for users to purchase more units (songs, poems, book chapters) being they can save money if they buy a lot of credits and it makes is easier on our Accounting Department =) After you have sold at least 39 units / credits, you can "Request Payment" using your Account Manager. Because you are getting .65 of every 1.00 credit, it takes you selling 39 credits to actually acquire $25. which you can request payment for. When you as the artist sell 39 credits, then you've actually acquired 25 credits in your account. Remember, you are getting .65 of each 1.00 credit sale. (And .35 of each sale goes to us so we can pay bills and keep this great site working for artists like yourself. NCA will then pay you monthly using the information you signed up with if you have reached at least $25. worth in your account (if you have sold at least 39 units that month) So whenever you've sold 39 units/credits we'll send you a check in the mail. (if you sell a bigger # of credits in a month, say 75, we'll then just pay you that larger amount that month. You will be able to see how many credits you've sold, when and how much you were paid using your Account Manager.
I am sure you would like to earn an income from the time, effort and money you've put into your art. We know that for Christians, writing isn't just a hobby. You have a life-changing message that you need to communicate to people. But in reality, developing that great music or message takes time and money. In today's world, you can set up your own Recording Studio in your house for about $3,000. (more or less depending on your needs) We know the expense that's gone into making your music so we want you to recoup that expense and even make money. And who knows, if you make an effort to make your music excellent, do a good job promoting your NewChristianArtist page, and you're getting out there playing your music, you may be able to do this for a living! We want you to do what you love to do – make music that would draw people closer to Jesus Christ.

What if I'm a music artist singing another person's song?

You are singing someone else's song so YOU MUST GET THEIR WRITTEN PERMISSION and have an agreement with them on how much you'll pay them from your earnings. NCA does not own any part of the songs you upload and once you upload your songs, you agree to our Terms & Conditions in that you own the song or the license to sell the song(s). So if your friend wrote the song, but your band wants to play it, great. You're still the artist so you can sell the song on you page as long as you have worked out an agreement between each other financially. There are many great writers that don't like to actually sing or perform. So keep your "ears" open and don't be afraid to co-write! Tip: Network with other artitsts on NewChristianArtist.com. Take a look at some of the best songs ever written. Many of them were co-written.

How do I change my page?

You can change your page anytime you want by following these steps:
        1.      Login with your artist name and password
          2.      Click "Edit My Profile" on the upper right of your page
          3.      Follow the onscreen instructions for editing your bio,
                   available services, event calendar, Albums, Chapters,
                   Songs (You can sell as many MP3s as you want!) Sheet
                   Music / Chord Charts, etc.

Whats the best feature of NewChristianArtist.com?

It's hard to say, but the best feature may simply be the VALUE because you have the ability to have YOUR OWN PAGE and sell AS MANY ALBUMS AS YOU LIKE! Some companies are great but they charge $35. Per CD listing and $20. a month! We know that you're willing to invest in your music, but we don't want you to "break the bank" either. Our best feature is simply the bargain - the low cost of having a great store for your art where people are shopping.

Is there a long-term or exclusive agreement when I join?

Nope. We are a NON-EXCLUSIVE organization, meaning you can be on as many other sites as you want, but only NCA will give you the best tools you need to have your own personal successful site at the best price. After 6 months of being completely FREE, you will be charged only $24.95 for upcoming year! That year starts that day that you're charged (not including the 6 months you just used it for free – it really is FREE!) If for some crazy insane reason you want to remove your membership, you can at any time. Just use the Contact Us to send us an email requesting to be removed from the site – giving us your username and password. (so we know its you! =)
It's your music, sell it here too!

Do I need a CD to join?

Nope. You don't even need to make a million CDs to start uploading your music! In today's world, you may have your own home studio or buy some studio time, record a few songs and upload them tonight! Our members can upload single songs, music in development, or whatever you want on your Profile. You are in complete control! We do ask though that you "do everything as unto the Lord" with excellence like the Bible says so hone your skills, get some advice, and have people critic your music before uploading it for sale. We do ask that you have mp3s ready to upload before creating your page so as to keep a consistent quality in our site. Thanks.

How do people preview my stuff?

We stream 90 second samples of your MP3 files so users can listen to some of your material before they can buy it. The 90 seconds allows listeners to usually get through the intro, verse, chorus, and even 2nd verse. This is higher than the industry standard right now being companies like iTunes only allows the listener to hear 30 seconds. We don't believe that's long enough for listeners to get the feel of the song. The user just clicks the Listen (>) arrow next to your song, audio-book chapter or spoken-word poem to hear a 90 second sample of it.

Do you stock actual CDs for artists then ship them to customers?

Not at this time; although this is something we've given thought to and we may do in the distant future. We see the music market going completely digital with the rise of MP3 players. People only want to buy the songs they want instead of paying 13 for a whole CD in which they only like 2 songs. So we give them that option in individual download purchasing. If we feel that stocking and sending products will help us do our mission better in the future, we may do it. But for now, we are committed to being the best online store for individual downloads of the latest in Christian music.

Do you stock actual books for authors and poets and ship them to customers?

Not at this time; although this is something we've given thought to we may in the distant future. We see the market going completely digital with the rise of MP3 players and the constant use of the internet. If people want a physical copy of your Book or Poetry Collection to read then they just download/purchase the Book Text and read it on their screen or print and read it later. If they want a physical copy of it, they can contact you or you can send them to an outside link where your book is being distributed from. If we feel that stocking and sending products will help us do our mission better in the future, we may do it. But for now, we are committed to being the best online store for individual downloads of the latest in Christian resources.

Who owns and runs NewChristianArtist.com?

NCA is owned and operated by Co-founders Matt Harnett and Jordan Biel. Matt and Jordan have been friends since high school, in fact, as teenagers, Jordan worked for Matt in his landscaping business! Matt is a business entrepreneur and wealth management analyst and Jordan is an independent artist and together, they make a great team, giving you a great site on which to sell your music, books, sermons, and/or poetry! Jordan was frustrated as an artist selling his music only to people in his church or people at a concert or youth camp and needed a place to market it. Matt was working on a website business that would utilize user-generated content. They talked and BAM. God put them together for "such a time as this." We believe God has called us to help you develop and communicate your gifts. Our staff keeps NCA running 24/7. We do our best to remove any Profiles that are inappropriate or in contrast to God's Word but we also need you. We are a Christian COMMUNITY so we you to help us by clicking "Flag For Abuse" if you see something that you feel is immoral, ungodly, or un-Christian in any way or you can simply Contact Us. You can reach us anytime given the information on our Contact Us tab. For general website use questions, please read through the rest of these FAQs before emailing us as many will be answered here.

Is there a file size limit?

Yes, there is a file size limit and it's 10 megabyte per MP3 limit. This insures that huge 50 megabyte .wav files are not uploaded and taking up too much space on our server. MP3s, though smaller in file size, are simply what people are buying and listening to already. Remember, you can upload and sell as many MP3s as you want, yet each one needs to be less than 10 mbs.

As an Author or Poet, do I need a published book or collection to join?

Nope. You don't even need to have a ton of books or poetry collections printed to start selling them here! Why not test the waters and see how people respond to your writtings before investing in putting a ton of them to print? You can just upload the Word document of your book or poetry collection and make the text available.
You can even, and I suggest you do, record a reading of each chapter so people can buy the Book Audio and listen to it on their MP3 player while they're at the gym or in the car! Our members can upload single books with 3 chapters or 5 books with 12 chapters each. You are in complete control! We do ask though that you "do everything as unto the Lord" with excellence like the Bible says so give it your best shot. Spend some time in prayer with God, hone your skills, get some advice, and have people critic your music before uploading it for sale.

I'm a pastor. Can I create a ministry page and sell my sermon series an e-book?

Absolutely! Many of our members are Pastors that will sign-up as an Author and upload a sermon series that seems to "strike home" with a lot of people in their congregation. You are in complete control! You may have a 4 week message series with each week's message being 40 minutes long. Cut the mp3 audio files in ½ to 20 minutes each and upload and sell them as an Audio Book (8 chapters) For example, one artist has a Message series called "The H Factor in Marriage: Five Habits for a Healthy Home" In it, he has 5 weeks of great messages that he had preached as his church and at other marriage conferences. So he had 5 mp3s of those messages. He Created his own page and uploaded each mp3 as a Chapter in his Audio Book, "The H Factor in Marriage." He then uploaded the Word documents of each of those weeks. This helps him out alot! If he does marriage counseling with someone, they can download the material before hand and read through it instead of him having to mail it out all the time. This also really broadened his influence and it's helped many couples strengthen their marriages. We are providing a resource for you! We do ask though that you "do everything as unto the Lord" so only upload your best stuff - material that you've worked hard on and have seen has made a positive impact on people's lives.
(E-Book just means a Book thats available online)

What is the vision and mission statement of NewChristianArtist.com

A vision is what you desire to be accomplished. A mission statement on the other hand is how you're going to do it. Our vision since we started this has been to "empower every Christian artist to spread their message and monetize their art online." Our mission statement is this: "We will give every Christian artist the ability to create their own webpage on which they can communicate with their fans and sell their art, giving them the tools they need to succeed as an artist in today's online community. We're doing our best to give you the resources you need to reach more people with the eternal-life-changing message of Jesus Christ!"
Jordan Biel :: Co-founder and CEO Matt Harnett :: Co-founder and CFO

What are the Core Values of NewChristianArtist.com

Christ-likeness
Integrity
Teamwork
Creativity
Innovation
Relevancy
Generosity

What is your statement of beliefs?

We believe that:
1. There is only one God. He is Jehovah, the creator of the universe   and mankind.
2. Man sinned by disobeying God and needed forgiveness as explained in the Bible especially the book of Romans.
3. God sent His only son, Jesus Christ, to show us how to live as God
    intends and to ultimately die on the cross for our sins - removing the
    penalty of our sins which is death thereby giving us a way to know
    Father God again, be restored into right relationship with Him and and be given eternal life in Heaven when our physical bodies die.
4. Jesus Christ is coming back to take up all those who have accpeted His blood as atonement for their sins and been faithful to live for Him. He will judge mankind as to whether or not He knew them personally and if they obeyed God's Word, the Holy Bible. He is going to create a New Heavens and a New Earth in which we who have accepted His love and grace will one day rule and reign with Him! (any more than this and we'll become a theological website which is not our intention! =) Jesus' prayer to His Father was "Father, make them one as You and I are one." So let's focus on what we are unifed in and that is the saving Name of Jesus Christ, God's Son! Let's not argue about our different opinions on subjects that are of less importance than that of knowing that God is love - seen in the gift of His Son, Jesus!
If you'd like to know more about starting a relationship with Jesus Christ today, give us a call. My personal # is 330-442-1227 or you can email us info@newchristianartist.com

I'm an Author and I already have a Publisher for my book(s). Can I still be on NCA?

YES! NCA is still for you! You own all the rights to your material so speak with your publisher and let them know, but they shouldn't have a problem with it. NCA does not own any part of your material once your join us. We're simply the best online store in which you can sell your material. NCA's vision is to "empower every Christian artist..." unsigned or signed. So even if you have books in every Christian Bookstore in America, you can still create your own page and start selling your books on the fastest-growing Christian Resource site today! The heartbeat of NCA is to help the unknown artist get their art "out there" in the marketplace and in the hands of people but we don't want to limit any artist. Why should we say "no" if your material is good enough to be published? That'd be crazy! We want to create ONE PLACE for Christian Artists to sell their art: books, music and more and ONE PLACE for Listeners to find it!

Our Vision is to "Empower every Christian artist to spread their message and monetize their art online!"

What's my URL? How do I tell people how to get to my page?

Your web address is simply NewChristianArtist.com followed by your artist name. (www. newchristianartist.com/yourname) (Example: www.newchristianartist.com/johnexample) Your artist name should be unique to you yet not hard for fans to remember.

As an Author, how do I upload chapters for my books?

Just login using your email or artist name and password, then you'll see a green bar at the top which tells you that you're in "edit" mode. Click Manage Profile, then select Manage Albums. You can click "Add Album" to add a Book, title it, then upload your first chapter. To add more chapters later, just login follow the steps above, then you'll see your "Albums" or Books listed and you can edit the content/upload more chapters by clicking on the little white icon to the immediate left of the Book Title. Be sure to check the box that says "yes, I want to charge for this file" or it'll be free for users.

When should I create my page?

You should really only create your page when you have quality, original music recorded and ready to upload. If you just started writing and discovering your gifts, please wait until you've got some songs recorded (or some books written) before you create your page. We want our Listeners / users to come across content on every page of NewChristianArtist.com. That keeps them coming back. If a user is searching for new music and comes across 4 or 5 pages without being able to hear or download any music, they'll be frustrated and not come back. So please take our advice, (or implied command =) and wait until you're ready to launch your ministry before creating your page. Thanks! PS The exception to this would be if you only do "cover songs" or lead worship for events and you would need to mention that in your bio of course if that's the case. You may be able to find a studio in your area by going to FindAStudio.net!

FAQS