By Peter Spellman
Berklee Press
www.berkleepress.com

Writing books about the Internet can be a tricky endeavor. Technology changes so quickly that by the time a book gets printed, much of the information is often outdated. However, that is not the case with The Musician's Internet, a timely and helpful book written by music-business author (and Berklee College of Music professor) Peter Spellman. The book provides an excellent overview of the ways musicians can use the Net to further their careers.

Spellman offers loads of useful tips and advice, starting with some very basic topics, such as how to use Newsgroups and display proper Netiquette. He then moves into more complex areas such as how to build a Web site, obtain search-engine listings, sign online record deals, and do Webcasting.

Considering that his book is relatively short (142 pages) and deals with a wide variety of topics, Spellman does an excellent job of covering the necessary bases. What's more, numerous Web resources listed in the text and additional links on the book's companion Web site, www.musiciansinternet.com, provide readers with places to get more information about the topics covered.

Overall, The Musician's Internet is a solid resource for the modern musician.