SONG CONTEST BLOG

JamLegend is the web-based answer to Guitar Hero and Rock Band, providing a free and social gaming experience that allows users to ‘play along’ with great tracks using  their computer key board (which doubles as a guitar if you hold it upright and use the ‘Enter’ key as the plectrum).  It’s a fun way to listen to and discover new music, play along with favourite tracks, and compete against like-minded music lovers.  JamLegend relies on user-generated music from independent artists.  Considering the scope and scale of the video gaming industry, it appears that JamLegend has created are very viable and powerful opportunity for artists and music promoters to garner additional exposure.  Here is how to submit your tunes.

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Guitar Hero is one of the most successful video games ever introduced into the market, developed to provide players with a true guitar playing experience via a guitar shaped peripheral modeled on the Gibson SG.  The Guitar Hero series has sold 23 million units to date, earning $1.6 billion at retail.  Ranked sixth by Billboard’s “The 100 Best Ways For Your Music To Get Attention”, the music-focused gaming experience has changed the face of the music industry through lucrative licensing deals, uplifts in game-related downloads, and unprecedented exposure for any artist  appearing in or in some way associated with the game.

Phenomenal success begets phenomenal marketing and advertising budgets.  Guitar Hero is no exception.  Here is a personal favourite (for obvious reasons):

In September 2008, Billboard Magazine published a  list titled, “The 100 Best Ways For Your Music To Get Attention” which caught my attention this month when I received the top 20 from Peter Spellman’s Music Biz Insight newsletter.  Note the volume of high profile opportunities in the licensing branch of the music industry as opposed to the more traditional sales and ticketing divisions which would have dominated this list through the 90’s:

1. Placement in a television ad for Apple

2. Performance on Oprah (6.6 million viewership)

3. Placement in a television commercial that runs during a special event with significant viewership (97.5 million viewers for the 2008 Super Bowl, for instance)

4. Song Featured as iTunes “Free Single of the Week”

5. Song covered on American Idol (approx.  27 million viewers)

6. Placement in Activision’s “Guitar Hero” videogame (approx. 10 million unit sales)

7. Song placed during a hit movie’s opening credits

8. Placement in a heavy-rotation television commercial for Nike

9. Performance on Lollapalooza Main Stage

10. Placement in MTV’s “Rock Band” videogame (US sales total 3.4 million units to date)

11. Video on YouTube’s Most-Viewed Videos page for music (approx. 75 million unique visitors)

12. Cover editorial in Rolling Stone

13. Placement in Rockstar Games’ “Grand Theft Auto” (4.7 million unit sales and growing)

14. Placement on HBO’s “Entourage”

15. Video on the YouTube’s home page

16. Placement in ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy”

17. Any single or video listed in the “Free on iTunes” section

18. Single played on Radio Disney (approx. 36.5 million listeners per week)

19. Performance on Bonnaroo’s What/Main Stage

20. Placement in CW’s “Gossip Girl”