Entering your music video into the International Songwriting Competition is easy – it’s just a click away on Sonicbids. If you’re looking for exposure for your music, this is an excellent opportunity to get your video into the hands of the people who make the decisions at MTV, VH1, and record labels. ISC accepts videos of original songs only. Videos can be any style, including live performance. All genres of music are accepted. There are two ways to enter your video on Sonicbids: either upload it to your Sonicbids Supersonic EPK or put on the entry form the URL where it can be viewed (you don’t even need to upload it!).

ISC awards over $150,000 in cash and prizes, including a $25,000 cash prize to the Overall Grand Prize winner – the largest cash Grand Prize in any songwriting competition.

ISC has some of the most prestigious judges of any songwriting contest, so you also have the chance to have your music heard by some of the most high-profile and influential figures in the music industry. Judges for 2009 include: Amy Doyle (Sr. VP of Music and Talent, MTV), Rick Krim (Executive VP Talent and Music Programming, VH1); Monte Lipman (President, Universal Records), Seymour Stein (Chairman/CEO, Sire Records); Amanda Ghost (President, Epic Records); James Diener (President, A&M/Octone Records) and well-known recording artists such as: Tom Waits; Robert Smith (The Cure); Kings of Leon; Steve Winwood; Rob Thomas (Matchbox 20); Journey; McCoy Tyner, Wynonna; Timbaland; Jeff Beck; Adele; and many more.

Last year was ISC’s inaugural year for the Music Video category. Candace Avery, the Founder/Director of ISC, states, “Introducing a Music Video category last year was really exciting for ISC. We received so many great videos ranging from high-quality, professionally produced videos to more organic, indie videos. I was extremely impressed with the creativity, artistry, and originality exhibited in the videos.”

The First Place winner last year was the impressive animated video “Overexposed” from the South African band The Parlotones. Known for their cutting edge and creative videos, The Parlotones are one of South Africa’s best-known rock bands. Kahn Morbee, the lead singer and songwriter of the winning song, talks about the video and winning ISC.  ”Winning a competition is always a great honour no matter the size of the competition. The fact that this is an international contest with entrants from around the world makes it just a little bit sweeter. The music video was pretty easy to make. We took photos of ourselves from back, front, left and right and then each of us was filmed with a static shot performing the song once. These images were then sent to the animators who did the rest of the work….easiest video we’ve ever done.”  Go to www.sonicbids.com/TheParlotones to view “Overexposed.”

To enter ISC, go to www.sonicbids.com/ISC.

Most artists are extremely diligent about keeping their EPK calendars current with the latest updates. Artists with the most verifiable bookings are listed in the Sonicbids charts. But we still consider it underutilized because the importance of adding upcoming performance dates to the EPK is still overlooked by some. In truth, a complete and up-to-date calendar is one of the most useful things in your EPK. Here’s why:

• Listing your upcoming performance dates on your EPK calendar shows promoters, fans, and others viewing your EPK that you are actively performing.

• Promoters, especially those for performance opportunities, will want to know the types of venues you are playing, how often you are performing, and the type of crowd you draw in.

• Without the where’s and when’s, no one will know where to go to see you play

Not a performing artist? You can still use your EPK calendar to your advantage. Record the dates of TV appearances, participation on panel or industry discussions, and upcoming publications that mention you and your music. Promoters of songwriting competitions may be interested in seeing this information to better understand the type of music you write and how actively you promote it.

And don’t forget the Promote My EPK tool, which you can use to customize and embed your EPK calendar on your personal Web site. With this feature, updating your dates has never been easier — you can add upcoming performance dates in your EPK and the changes apply universally.

Here are some tips-

• Portfolio- This is a chance for the photographer to put their best photos forward. Ask to see their portfolio, and make sure their style is a similar to yours. If you don’t like any of the photos they’ve taken, you probably haven’t found the right photographer for you.

• Style- Different photographers specialize in different photos types. These include, but are not limited to, commercial, high fashion, band/musician, live performance, portrait, nature, landscape, concept, glamour, etc. Check to see if they have experience shooting musicians for promotional photos. Keep in mind that just because someone is a photographer doesn’t necessarily mean that they can take a great band photos.

• Price- Many photographers are flexible in their prices and can create affordable packages. Don’t be afraid to ask how much. You should know what your band can and can’t afford. A photo shoot can run from TFP/TFCD to the thousands depending on the photographer and your project. It¹s a good idea to shop around and compare prices.

• TFP/TFCD- TFP/TFCD stand for “trade for print” and “trade for CD”. In short, there are photographers out there who may be willing to shoot you at no cost and provide you with prints or CDs of the images. Typically, this is to build their portfolio, but if you have a dedicated fan who’s a photographer as well, this can be a great source of affordable pictures.

• Photoshoot/Concept- How photo shoots run can be different for each photographer. Don’t hesitate to ask them how they generally run their photo shoots and if they are open to ideas. You want to make sure you and your band are completely comfortable so the shoot can run smoothly. Show the photographer your biography, website, EPK, and recorded music to give them an idea of what your image is and how to properly stage and convey it. The more ideas you have, the more your bands’ personality will show through.

We didn’t create the opinions expressed at Spinner.com, but we think this amusing article makes some points worth viewing.

• Examples- Find examples of band photos that you like. This can range from layout, lighting and settings to colors and emotion. Send these to your photographer before your photoshoot.

• Resources- Wondering where to find photographers? Check out local bands in your area and see who they’ve worked with. Don’t be afraid to ask how their experience was and if they’d recommend them. Other resources:

o Craigslist-If you’re in an area with an active craigslist community, check out the artist section.

o Model Mayhem

o Photographers.com

o Arts and Photography Schools- Students at art and photography schools are always seeking new subjects to photograph and add to their portfolio.

Include the basics on this list, but also think about what things you could use to really push your live show to the next level. Be sure to list the things you can provide, as well. It’s okay to say you need different types of equipment for different types of shows. And remember — you can always cut items out from a comprehensive list, but it’s difficult and frustrating to add things last-minute if they aren’t on the list.

Check out Fools and Horses for an example of how to list different needs for different situations.

If you’re a band on tour, you may want to include hospitality and/or lodging requirements. Check out Nikkole for a great example of a very in-depth rider and performance requirements list.

And don’t forget: If you have a Supersonic EPK, you can upload a PDF of a stage plot or contract rider directly into the Basic Requirements section, just like The AKAs. If you’re not a Supersonic member, you can upgrade at any time through the Subscription Information section of your account.

Many artists use their video to show a single song or a clip of a song being played live. This is a good indicator of what a promoter can expect to see if they book you for a live show at their venue. Other artists use a montage of video clips from different performances to get across the notion that they have not only talent, but also consistency.

If you decide to upload a live video, make sure it shows you at your best. If you have a video of an off night with a quiet crowd, then you may want to think twice about putting it up, and wait until you get a video worth showing. Remember: It’s better to go without a posted video for a little while than to put up something that doesn’t make you look good. It’s not impressive to see an artist performing his or her heart out on stage while the only person in the audience is the bartender, asleep on a stool.

Another option is to create an actual music video. If you’ve got an idea, a camera, and a budget, why not? But keep this in mind: A video of a live performance will usually do more for your song than a very obviously unprofessional music video. You don’t have to hire Spike Jonze, but if you don’t think you can at least make it look pretty good, think about whether making it is the best use of your resources.

The third option, and perhaps the best, is to create a promotional video that mixes in elements of your live show. Show how you perform in front of a crowd; splice in some quick clips of the band interacting off-stage; get brief appearances and quotes from fans, or from venues that have placed you on bills before. Show what you’ve got that’s unique.

Here’s an example of a great video, featured on the EPK of Darkwater.

Promoters aren’t necessarily looking for star power, but they do want to see that you’re comfortable, confident, and honest with your music. Remember, a million-dollar video won’t make a bad song any better, so if you’ve got quality music, grab them with what you’ve got.

Technical tips: Supersonic artists can upload a video up to 10 minutes in running time and up to 100 MB in file size into their EPK.

You can upload the following types of video:

• Windows Media (WMV)

• QuickTime (MOV, QT, QTF)

• MPEG1 or MPEG2 (MPG, MPEG)

• Audio Video Interleave (AVI)

Digital video camcorders and capture devices vary, so you should consult your product guide. For information on working with video on your computer, go to http://www.videohelp.com

You can also check out Zamzar.com for free online file conversion if you need help converting a video into one of our acceptable upload formats.

Once your video is uploaded, it is placed in a queue for processing. Processing generally takes up to an hour, but could take up to a day depending on the length of your video and the number videos in the queue ahead of you. Once your video is done processing, it will appear in your EPK in Windows Media and QuickTime formats for both high-speed and low-speed internet users.

It’s all about presentation and conveying who you are as an artist. Choosing a good color combination for your EPK is worth spending some time on: After all, you want people to read it, and the wrong combination of colors can make that painful – sometimes physically. We don’t expect you to go to art school just to learn color theory for your EPK, but be sure to find something that’s easy to look at, while also being distinctive.

There two elements to consider here: base color and accent color. Contrasting them is the best bet, because if they’re both bold you risk blinding your audience; if they’re both neutral, on the other hand, you risk putting them to sleep. The best bet is to use a neutral base color and bold accent colors. This allows the rich accent colors to speak loudly, but not too loudly, and the neutral base color to lay low, but not too low.

Of course, you could always take the opposite approach: a bold base color with quieter accents. But remember, rich colors can be overwhelming. Color, in fact, is a lot like flavor. You (probably) wouldn’t eat a tub of cream cheese with a little bit of bagel on the side. As a complement, however, the rich taste of cream cheese is great, and both flavors are used to their fullest. Color is the same way. Use the bold ones as complements.

When choosing a base color, you should also consider the other elements that will be appearing on the page, specifically the Main Photo. Be sure to use a color that will work well with the dominant colors in the photo.

Need some help? We found a cool, free tool that will pick colors for you based on your main photo. Check it out. Click on “create” to upload your own photo.

Not sure where to start? Don’t worry, we have an easy option: Just use one of our pre-designed skins. They’re created by people who actually did learn color theory, so you don’t have to. Or check out other Sonicbids artists who created color schemes for themselves by clicking on their photo:

Original music needs the Set List section just as much covers. Labels, managers, and publishers all see a difference between an artist without original music and an artist with 10 songs, or between an artist with 10 songs and an artist with 77 songs. A promoter likes to know how much potentially great, unheard material you bring to the table. If you’re a songwriter, you can use the Set List section to list every song and style of song you’ve written since you were 5 (remember that ballad you wrote for your stuffed animal?).

But a Set List is about more than just what you play. It’s also about how you play it. You may have a large band with a 6-piece horn section, washtub player, a gong-ringer and four lion tamers (with or without lions), but that doesn’t mean you can’t do a 2-piece or solo acoustic session for your coffeehouse shows and private parties, each with its own set of songs, covers, and price. Show how your act can fit in multiple places. Of course, if you’re trying to cause the next music revolution, then you may not want to change your act for anything — even for “Freebird” guy.