I’m happy to announce that, based off the feedback I’ve been getting from fans like you, there will be some major changes in the way Matthew Ebel dot net works. The following changes won’t be immediate, they’ll be rolled out in the next few weeks…

Introducing a whole new pass… The Entourage

• Membership will be limited to only 5 subscribers per year.
• Entourage membership includes all the benefits of the VIP Pass
• The Entourage will receive The Entire Matthew Ebel Catalog as a download (Except Life’s Been Good, that one’s officially “the lost album”)
• Every Entourage member will get a custom song written by Matthew Ebel The same non-commercial rules apply, of course.
• The Entourage will receive framed, signed copies of new Songs from the Vault albums as they are released.
• An official Matthew Ebel Entourage Collector’s Pass
• Entourage Membership will cost $500 as an annual membership. This item will not auto-renew, but current members will have the option to renew when the time comes. If there is a waiting list, current members will be first in line.

What’s Happening to the Other Passes?

None of the prices for existing subscriptions will change. In fact, the Backstage Pass will stay entirely the same. Based on how things played out last year, though, a few things will change about the remaining passes…

The New All-Access Pass

• 1 Live Recording per month
• 2 Studio Recordings per month
• Remixable tracks for new studio recordings
• An annual All-Access goodie bag including an official All-Access membership card (instead of a members-only store)
• Discounts on non-member album/track downloads like Beer & Coffee or Goodbye Planet Earth (instead of members-only albums)
• Discounts on all concert tickets/cover charges (This may not apply to conventions where attendees are not charged for the show.)
• Members-only parties at most (or all) live concerts

The New VIP Pass

• All the goods from the All-Access Pass
• Access to any deluxe albums when available (box sets, special editions, etc.)
• Invitation to the annual VIP Beer Bash
• An annual VIP goodie bag including an official VIP Pass (and all the items from the All-Access goodie bag)
• Entry into the bi-annual drawing for a Custom Song

Songs and Albums via iTunes, Amazon, etc.

Also, I’ve heard from the overwhelming majority of you that you just don’t care about exclusivity all that much, so long as you get a first crack at all the new music. Quite a few of you have encouraged me to get these songs on iTunes for the rest of the world in less time than a full year.

There have also been people outright looking for torrents and free downloads out there, a sign that if I don’t release these songs to non-members sooner they’ll just go get them anyway. Considering all this, Studio Recordings will now be available to non-members after two months. First they will be individual downloads available through http://matthewebel.com and Matthew Ebel dot net – then they’ll be sent to CD Baby with new Songs from the Vault releases.

We? Who’s We?

In case you didn’t notice, I’m dropping the pretentious third-person voice of this site. Pretty much everyone knows it’s just me here and, until I really do need to hire someone to man this site, I’m going to stick with what I do best… communicating personally.

That’s about it. Again, these changes are the result of a year of thinking, working, talking, and laughing with you. You’re the reason I can still sing, and you’re the reason I’ll be making more music in the coming months. I hope to see you on Tuesday night for another UStream concert, and maybe at some colleges in 2010 as my booking team tries to get me out of the house!