The live events at SXSW are amazing. Because of the limited time allotted to most bands (which I think encourages bands to “pull out all the stops“), and the fact that the barrier of entry is pretty high, you’d be hard pressed to find another convention anywhere in the world with as much concentrated talent in one location.

Complementing the live music scene at SXSW are panels held throughout the week at the convention center. From Jim Griffin talking about his Choruss idea, to Ian Rogers moderating a panel on “Making a 360 Deal with Yourself,” the overall theme of the panels I attended this year revolved around the ways that artists and music business companies can identify and optimize alternative revenue models as the music business shifts away from traditional record sales. Music licensing, while nothing new, is a hot topic right now among content owners (songwriters, labels), managers, and artists. Licensing offers the possibility of incredible visibility to artists, and depending on usage, it could also provide a fairly solid revenue stream.

Here is my takeaway from the “Placing Your Music in Film and TV” panel with Jennifer Czeisler (VP Licensing, Sub Pop Records), Marianne Goode (VP Music, Lifetime Networks), Season Kent (Music Supervisor, Relativity Media LLC) Alexandra Patsavas (Owner, Chop Shop Music), Alicen Schneider (VP Music Creative Svcs, NBC Universal TV Music), and Madonna Wade-Reed (Music Supervisor, Whoopsie Daisy): (more…)

Seth Fein answers the tough questions about both of his businesses: Pygmalion Music Festival and The Nicodemus Agency…

Tell us about the Pygmalion Music Festival:

In 2005, after having started to book a few more bands on national tours, I decided to create Pygmalion Music Festival. The idea was simply to have a great boutique indie rock music festival that took the best of the national scene and the best of our local scene, and married them for one long weekend of great shows at a low price. It’s worked very well.

What details make Pygmalion special for you, for the bands and for the fans?

For me, it’s about being an asset to my community. Naturally, it feels good to help contribute to my annual earnings in a small way by presenting music anytime, but there is something a little more dynamic about the festival; it adds to the cultural makeup of the greater Champaign-Urbana community, and that is something that I am really proud of, being born and raised here. I love partnering with Krannert Center at the university here. Their facility is literally one of the finest in the world, and I am blown away by their support each year more and more.

I think the bands appreciate the low-key and relaxed nature about the festival. Everyone shares a green room. Everyone is encouraged to attend the other shows, and do because most every venue is within walking distance. (more…)

In this day and age of digital thumbnails and the incredible shrinking album cover, you may ask, is album artwork still important?

In a word, YES. The vast majority of people will form an opinion about your music long before they hear it. Whether we like it or not, people often make snap judgments about a band from the first time they see their logo, their record or their website. Having a potential fan write off your music solely due to inferior design is something most bands and musicians can’t afford. It’s hard enough to get your music the attention that it rightly deserves, so it’s extremely important that you give people the right first impression and leave them with good feeling about your music. (more…)

Check out the following interview with Leap Music. This will give some insight into how music placement companies function, and how best to approach them.

How Leap Music Works
Leap Music is brought on board by their clients (advertising agencies & brands) to help find music for their TV commercials. Leap Music uses Sonicbids to source the best unsigned music out there, which are then put forward for the client’s consideration. Leap does not make the final decision on what gets placed in the ad, but if the client chooses to go ahead and use your music Leap Music will let you know right away. Also important to note is that Leap Music’s client’s projects often have a short turn-around time. So submissions are open for a short period of time, Leap Music works quickly to review bands’ submissions, and will often notify bands of their status within days, if not hours.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

The best way to distribute your EPK is via the “Email My EPK”
tool in your account. There you can enter the recipients’ email
addresses (up to 25 at once), include an individualized message, and
click “Send” to distribute the EPK. Your recipients will receive a
dynamic HTML-based message with the front page of your EPK embedded on
it. Clicking on any one of the EPK links will open up the full EPK for
your recipients.  Additionally, you can now receive an email when ever your recipient opens the email, so you know when and how to follow up. Try it by sending it to yourself first! (more…)

Here’s another quick video for promoters on how to use our simple “listing wizard” to submit a new gig listing on Sonicbids. If you have a new (or existing) opportunity that you’d like to make a listing for on our site, use this tool to do so. The song in the tour is “Halftime Heirloom” by Chad Lore.

Whether you’re touring the European countries, heading Downunder or make your debut in the US, it is essential to have the correct travel visa organized in advance of your departure date!

What is a Visa and why do I need one?
A Visa is permission for a foreign national to travel and enter another country. There are many types of visas available to non-citizens, each designed to suit a specific purpose – from the length of the proposed stay in the country, to the type of activities people want to do when they get here.

To enter most countries, you need a visa. Without the correct one you may find yourself in trouble. For instance, if you arrive in a foreign country for a gig without your entertainment visa organized, you could quite easily be escorted onto the next plane home. For example, US authorities revoked Lily Allen’s US visa (a P-Visa) and as a result she had to postpone her US tour and appearance at the MTV video music awards!

How do I apply for a visa?
First, you need to determine if you are eligible.  Many countries organize this through a points calculator, points are calculated differently for different countries.  You also must meet health requirements and be of good character. (more…)