MUSIC INDUSTRY BLOG

In 2007, Detroit-based rock act, Schaeffer, were selected as the winners of Breaking the Band 1, our international band competition.  As part of their prize package, they embraced the opportunity to work with We Are Listening’s TV and radio guru, Jon Delange.

Jon, who continues to mentor the band to this day, helped them achieve national awareness, first at radio and then with television networks by scoring placements in their original programming.  Annually, they have preformed during Austin’s SXSW event.

Eventually, the group emerged as America’s favorite in the FreeCreditScore.com band search which began with a shortlist of more than 100 hopefuls showcasing nationwide.

Now, The Victorious Secrets, the band’s new alias, are engaged in a $30 million advertising campaign.

As the new face of FreeCreditScore.com, they will be featured in a series of television commercials slated to debut during the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards next month.  They will also receive a $10,000 check, a Gibson Guitar prize package and Pearl drum kits, and a studio session with the music industry’s best of breed.  They will also walk the red carpet at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards and have the opportunity to perform on the 2010 VMA Tour.

Here are The Victorious Secrets, in all their glory:

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Prince, in a world exclusive interview published by British tabloid, Daily Mirror, said:

“The internet’s completely over.  I don’t see why I should give my new music to iTunes or anyone else.  They won’t pay me an advance for it and then they get angry when they can’t get it.”

“The internet’s like MTV.  At one time MTV was hip and suddenly it became outdated.  Anyway, all these computers and digital gadgets are no good… They just fill your head with numbers and that can’t be good for you.”

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After more than 40 years in the business, German rock sensation The Scorpions have announced their retirement.

With timeless classics such as “Wind Of Change” and “Rock You Like A Hurricane”, The Scorpions have been selling out arenas for longer than I’ve been alive.

Tell me this: How did such a shit rock band make it so big and for so long?

With a tenure just shy of The Rolling Stones’ and a decade lead on U2, it’s clearly not a fluke.

What’s their secret sauce and where can I get me some?

Two weeks ago, Panos Panay, Founder and CEO at Sonicbids, announced that 10,000 Sonicbids members will receive their part of $4 million of unclaimed digital performance royalties collected and distributed by SoundExchange, the non-profit organization that collects royalties from satellite and internet radio.

Sonicbids members can check if they are on the ‘list’ and how much is owed to them by logging into their Sonicbids account.  If they are on the list, they must then register with SoundExchange to claim payment.

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Washington DC alt-rock act, Honor By August, were selected as the winners of Breaking the Band 7.

“Now widely considered one of the most promising new talents on the East Coast,” (Washington Post) Honor By August makes music characterized by “distinctive, inviting vocals and anthemic, reverb-drenched guitars” (MetroMusicScene.com) and built on “award-winning songwriting, strong vocals, catchy melodies, and dynamic live performance” (Jenni Chase, Washington’s Z104/OnTap Magazine).

From arena shows at the Verizon Center, McDonough Arena and Innsbrook Pavilion, to headlining multiple shows at the 9:30 Club (DC), Bowery Ballroom (NYC), Blender Theater (NYC), Knitting Factory main stage (NYC), Viper Room (LA), Ram’s Head Live (MD), Toad’s Place (VA), Middle East main stage (MA), Cain’s Ballroom (OK), House of Blues Cleveland (OH) and many others across the country, Honor By August are turning heads, cultivating a loyal following and producing the kind of buzz every independent artist aspires to seed.

We’re looking forward to working with them!

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Tomorrow, MySpace Music will open its gates to TuneCore artists, Wired.com reported.  TuneCore’s artists will be able to distribute their music through MySpace and benefit from streaming royalties, though the company has not commented on how much.  Probably very little.

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25-year old female singer, Hind, completed her fund raising project on SellaBand, the foremost fan-funds-artist platform.  In just 11 days, Hind, a former Pop Idol from the Netherlands, raised €40,000 ($60,000) to record a new studio album.  Almost 1,000 Believers (fans) from over 50 countries invested an average of $5,500 per day, a new artist fund raising record!

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ReverbNation, now home to more than 500,000 artists, labels, managers and venues, has partnered with an expert faculty of music marketing experts to provide its users with a selection of marketing services, such as PR, radio outreach, street team development, and Twitter or Google optimization.

Any ReverbNation member with a free ReverbNation account can automate an enquiry with an ‘expert’ in the Resources section of his or her account in a couple of clicks.  The listed ‘expert’ has committed to respond in a timely manner.

“The goal here is to efficiently match an Artist’s needs with the right service provider for them,” said Jed Carlson, Co-Founder and COO of ReverbNation.com.  “Finding credible help in the music business can be a significant challenge for Artists.  Our goal is to simplify the process greatly.”

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Yesterday, TechCrunch reported that Google is preparing to launch a music service.  The project, in partnership with LaLa and the recently acquired iLike, is expected to surface during a Hollywood event dubbed “Discover Music!” on the 28th October 2009.  More details here.

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Grooveshark, the Florida-based streaming music startup that grappled with EMI earlier in the year, has reportedly inked a deal with the major label.

A Webware 100 Winner, Grooveshark allows its users to stream music for free from an aggregate selection of 15 million tracks.  No download or registration required.  The service is supported by online advertising or through a $3/month premium plan which eliminates the ads.

Developed by a group of music enthusiasts from the University of Florida, Grooveshark boasts one million registered users to date.

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