We have a subscription service at last. It’s a model I have been considering and writing about for years – since 2004?

You can choose to subscribe at $4 per month or $20 per year:

1. Every month you can download a high quality music file. Something new or something live or something from my 20 year archive. Most of this music will be exclusive, meaning that the music has never been released or is a preview that will be released at a later time. Well, I say one per month, but for March there are already three free downloads: Jon’s Sao Paulo 3.4.1, a special 24 bit/96 kHz audiophile version of This Spring Release 10,000 Butterflies” and a a version of La Luna from a recent rehearsal…

2. In addition to viewing videos you will be able to download most of them.

3. You can view and download any of about 10,000 photos I have on Flickr – in full size. You will have to open a free Flickr account to do that, but that takes only seconds.

4. You can log in and read my private journal and, if you like, you can participate in commentary and discussions with other subscribers. Since only subscribers can read and comment we should be able to enjoy a spamless environment. :-)

5. You can open a free Twitter account and follow my protected (private) Twitter feed.

Oh, and you won’t see any advertising anywhere. I have thought about it a bunch, and decided that I really don’t like seeing ads on every RSS feed and blog out there on the Interwebs. We will make it work without such visual and mental clutter.

I will make some new recordings that will only be released to the subscribers. I see Ottmar-Friends as my overall publisher, a big bowl into which I can place content of any kind.

To sign up, visit http://ottmarliebert.com/backstage. I look forward to sharing my experiences through music, photography and writing with you.