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Emily Burns
We've all used them. We've all tried this one, or that one. We've all paid an expensive membership fee to set up an account (and many other bogus fees). We've all hoped that paying submission fees for opportunities meant we would be actually be considered for that otherwise, seemingly unobtainable opportunity. We've done all of this in the hopes that these "networking" websites will help us in our tireless efforts to move forward with our musical careers in either small, or large ways. And what do most of us have to show for all of this? NOTHING. I have been most certainly guilty of all of the above and have found that it has gotten me absolutely nowhere except a little further in the hole ($$ wise) than I was before trying these sites out. By no means have I tried every website of this sort (just so you are aware, I 'm talking about sites like GarageBand, Sonicbids, Broadjam, etc...) but I have used enough of these sites for long enough periods of time to knowsome of the ups and downs of a few specific sites and under what circumstances signing up and paying for their services is more likely to be worth your time (and money).
So here is my shortlist, of the ups and downs of some popular Music Networking Sites....
1. Sonicbids
Membership fee: Premum level $120.00 / year
Standard level $60.00 / year
Is it worth it? Premium membership level-not really...not unless you have a really great following and buzz going about your band already and the extra access you get to things with the premium level will really help you. Standard level-I'm going to say, yes it is very possible worth it. For one reason only, I believe it is absolutely pertinent these days to have an EPK (Electronic Press Kit). In this day and age of technology always being at our fingertips, a lot of people don't want hard copies of press kits and or will only accept submissions for booking through email. I believe this is a good thing. Creates a lot less waste, and saves you money in the long run by not having to pay for a ton of promotional materials/cd's/dvd's, etc to be printed/made. As far as the submissions go on Sonicbids website, RUN FAR, FAR, AWAY and HIDE YOUR MONEY. Enough said. Submissions to "opportunities" are, most of the time, a heaping pile of BS and can cost anywhere from $5-$50 bucks a piece. BIG waste of money....
2. Broadjam
Membership fee: Primo MoB (top level of membership) $200.00 / year (ouch!)
Pro MoB $100.00 / year
Mini MoB is free but submissions will cost you up the wazoo at this level....
Is it worth it? Once again, a lot of the same applies here. Primo level-Maybe....worth it if you are a songwriting machine that records everything you write professionally (to broadcast level) and are specifically looking to start a career in Music Licensing. Being a Primo member brings down the price of submissions (for licensing opps.) dramatically-which, like I said, if you are going to be hammering the pavement trying to get your music licensed, this level would probably save you a lot of money. You also NEED TO BE A MEMBER OF A PRO (Performance Rights Org.). They don't say on their website that, that is a must but many of the licensing opportunities listed are going to want to pay you (if choosen) through a PRO. Do it before hand or you can bet that will play a factor in the opportunity provider's decision. Pro level-if you're a little less serious about trying to get your music licensed this is probably the level for you. Although it seems as if you weren't that serious about licensing your music, why would you want to pay 100 bones to begin with, right? Mini MoB-Forget it....submissions cost you 25$ a pop....again, TAKE YOUR MONEY AND RUN at this level.
3. OurStage
Membership fee: Standard level-Free!
Premium level: $9.00 a month or $108.00 a year
Is it worth it? Standard level-I'd say if you feel like setting up an account, go for it. You can enter monthly competitions in music channels where you can win prizes like $100 amazon gift cards or up to $5,000 for the best song of the month (across all channels). It's almost like, a set-it-and-forget-it kind of account, ya know? Premium level-NO. Don't waste your money.
I think it's time to wrap it up for this week. That's enough info for a brain to chew on for one week. I think this will be a two part blog.
That being said, to be continued my friends.....Stay tuned!
Till next time-
E
(BTW-by clicking on the titles of each of these websites, you can visit my group's current page on each of these sites......how else do you think I know what to tell you about them? I use them! But my memberships were free to begin with....;-)
