The following is a rundown of what NXNE is and what they are looking for, as well as some great tips that artists should be aware of when submitting to promoters, particularly with the BIO.

Now in its 15th year, The North by Northeast Music & Film Festival and Conference (NXNE) is Canada’s #1 showcase for the best new music and music-related films. For five days and nights every June, NXNE takes over Toronto with the hottest bands, the coolest films, and the freshest music-related ideas.

Check out more here

Tell us about the event you select artists for:
I work as the Music Programming Manager at North By Northeast in Toronto – all aspects from core showcases to special event programming at the fest.

Which genres do the best there?
We’re such an eclectic festival so it’s hard to definitively say one genre over another…
We do Indie rock and shoegaze, lo-fi down tempo rap hip hop folk revisionist mountain music to klezmer metal hard rock emo-jazz. I s%&t you not.

How many submissions do you typically get?

Between 2500 – 3000.

What do you look for when selecting a band? (more…)

Want to know what a promoter is thinking when reviewing EPKs? Interested in industry and submission advice from the horses mouth? Check out our quick chats.

Our very own Heidi recently held a phone interview with Tom Oldham, the booker for Great Escape. The Great Escape is three nights of the best new music from across the globe at high quality venues within a close walk from each other in Brighton, UK’s city center, and three days of entertaining interviews, talks and seminars from the industry’s leading professionals. The festival takes place May 14-16, 2009 and has a total attendance of over 10,000 people.

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Check out all of Bruce Warila’s fantastic advice over at Unsprung Media. He’s been involved in artist management, recording studios, and advising music related start-ups, but he can tell you more here. This is an article he wrote back in May.

Where do managers come from anyways?
Consider the suddenly popular band from any city, featuring four guys banging out original rock songs that appeal to the college crowd.  Who’s the manager?  Where did he or she come from?  The manager is probably the person in the band that knows the most about business, or he’s the mate from school that has some sort of degree in business, or she’s a friend that just knows business.

Chances are, the first manager of every band has been schooled, trained and practiced in the art of competing.  And, depending on his or her personality, he or she may have the innate desire to simply snuff the life out of infringing competitors.  After all, crushing the competition is what capitalist typically do.

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