MusicRadar
The No.1 website for musicians
Why live music competitions matter in 2011
How to get ahead in the music industry with Live and Unsigned
Live and Unsigned, Fri 7 Jan 2011, 3:28 pm GMT
Live and Unsigned is the UK's biggest unsigned music competition and MusicRadar is onboard for the 2011 event, which promises to be the biggest yet. Here's Live and Unsigned on why any act serious about making it in today's tough music industry should get involved…
Mick Jagger has gone on record saying that the music industry only made real money for the acts and managers involved for a period of twenty years from the 1970s-1990s. And Jagger believes that this golden period was just a fluke. Today more and more acts are having to present not only musical talent, but also the ability to effectively market themselves and run their own fan base.
As difficult as it is to hear for the hardcore romantics, being able to belt out a tune is no longer enough to make it - you only have to look at the latest YouTube success of the likes of Justin Bieber to know that you can't sell your music without creating a brand and an audience to run alongside it.
Nurturing talent
Events Director for Live and Unsigned Chris Grayston has been in the music industry for over 20 years and believes that competitions, such as Live and Unsigned, offer acts the tools with which to get themselves noticed and are more key than ever to nurturing talent.
"Live and Unsigned is firstly and essentially about original music talent- our panel of judges are led purely by the performances of acts," says Chris.
"However it is important for acts to build up a fan base and by providing acts with show tickets, prizes for achieving press coverage and the support of our own press and marketing team, we offer acts the chance to reach out to their fans and increase their following."
Many record labels are erring on the side of caution and offering development deals rather than hallowed contracts, bands now more than ever need to provide a whole package to be attractive to the music industry.
On page two, Live and Unsigned have put together some essential tips for bands looking at furthering their careers, whether through professional competitions or social media.
