For quite some time, I’ve reserved my judgment. But, when a
service is purported by businesspersons as an “industry standard” and
implemented whenever possible, YET that very SAME service has been called out
for its illegitimacy by artists, I couldn’t help but feel compelled to dig a
little deeper.
Let it be known, I have been a user of this yet-to-be-named
corporation for several years – probably since I’d say around 2003 - with
varying results. While it has allowed me the opportunity to achieve performance
slots at industry bigwig opportunities: CMW, NXNE, The Real Radio Show and
MEANYFest NYC, it has likewise landed me in falsely advertised “big break”
situations that were neither worth my time nor the money I had to spend just to
be considered…and trust me, it didn’t come cheap.
It wasn’t until last summer, however, when I applied for a
so-called “New Music Fest” hosted in the Northern Ontario
region that I truly began to get suspicious. After being granted the “amazing”
experience of playing to an empty room, restricted to the front left corner of
the stage, while changeovers took place behind me and the sound tech was more
interested in the bar’s offerings than doing his job, saying I was miffed is a
gratuitous understatement. Don’t be so quick to jump to the conclusion that
this pathetic performance circumstance was accountable to any faults of my own
though; a great number of the other acts (several of whom have prominent indie
followings in the area) echoed similar stories directly to me.
Now it’s not in my nature to be presumptuous, but when a
festival is detailed as an opportunity for “exposure” for “aspiring artists”, I
find it interesting that its promoter would host a concert with major
headliners (which ended up being sold-out, by the way) just down the street, simultaneously.
Equally interesting is the fact that the submission fees for said opportunity were
fairly costly, and undoubtedly the aforementioned established bands had hefty
riders. You put two and two together.
Suffice it to say, after this experience, I started to get a
lot more selective with the opportunities I chose to apply to. Moreover (and more
importantly), I began to pay serious attention to the reviews left by other
artists regarding various gigs.
From learning that festival rosters are frequently completed
PRIOR to submissions being closed, to reading of several cases in which artists’
submission statuses have been changed to “not selected” for given opportunities
despite NO evidence of changes in their views or audio streams, I realized
quickly that I was not the only one taken in and for obvious reasons:
Its easy-to-access platform to which you can direct
interested parties for a one-stop shop regarding information on your act
(including your biographical history, audio/video samples, set list, stage
plot, rider, tour dates, press quotes, promo photos) makes Sonicbids, the
service in question, a simple, professional and well-organized tool for gig
submissions. Additionally, its electronic nature saves bundles in terms of
printing and postal expenses, and can aid in social networking. Finally, with a
claimed “19,000 promoters and 270,000 emerging bands using the service, not to
mention 71,000 gigs successfully booked last year alone,” it’s got a rep and it
sounds impressive. What the above stats do NOT disclose however will equally
warm the cockles of one’s heart…that is, if you’re a businessperson.
In 2009, Sonicbids shared $3 million dollars earned from
submission fees with music promoters. As per Sonicbids’ “Promoter Terms of
Service,” in order to list a gig opportunity, one is required to pay a one time
set-up fee of $50, agree to “accept/review” electronic press kit submissions
(EPKs), “promote” his/her gig listing, and provide Sonicbids with a copy of
their venue contract/licensing agreement to ensure the legitimacy of their
event. Further, promoters who host CD comp opportunities are required to
provide a copy of the comp once it is released, licensors must notify Sonicbids
of songs placements, and those hosting prize pack giveaways are to confirm their
goods were distributed to their winners.
Promoters are able to easily recoup the aforementioned one-time
charge by having NO restrictions placed on them in terms of what they wish to
charge interested artists. While there is an increasing move toward providing
more “Musicians’ Friend No Cost Listings”, in my experience, eligibility for
these free submissions is often restricted to US residents, and the average
going rate for submissions to major events (the ones that artists more than
likely created their accounts in order to have access to) is between $10 and $50.
In terms of payment, Sonicbids processes all submission fees
(and covers additional expenses created by the use of their technology), and
takes a varying percentage of EACH fee, before paying out its promoters. Promoters
can also earn additional funds via “The Sonicbids Affiliate Program” by driving
traffic to the site, thereby potentially increasing artist signups.
Okay, okay, so all of
this sounds well and good, and fairly policed correct? WRONG! Here’s where
all of YOU NEED TO PAY ATTENTION. There is NO requirement on the part of
promoters to provide Sonicbids with proof of a formal business license,
references regarding their business history, or membership in an accredited
business association like the Better
Business Bureau. Moreover, you do NOT even have to have any past experience
successfully working in the music industry – literally ANYONE can sign up. So
long as you pay your fee and “appear” to abide by the terms of service (easily
accomplished if you select a single Sonicbids artist per gig and provide them
with a somewhat decent experience), you’re good to go, as they say.
In contrast, on the artist side of things, it’s first off interesting
to note that I was NOT able to find record of how much money was paid out to
selected artists last year; I have a sneaking suspicion it doesn’t rank in the
millions. Secondly, not only do artists have to pay PER the vast majority of
submission opportunities (which as one may deduce from the above discussion
adds up pretty quickly on your credit card bill), but further have to remit
REPEATED fees between $6-$11 monthly or $50-$100 annually depending upon their
EPK preferences. It’s also worth mentioning that gig submissions are ONLY
eligible for refunds if they go into “overdue” status (ie: the promoter has
failed to review the artists’ EPK before the notification date). I’ve heard
through the grapevine that this is typically a tight window, moreover, that
many promoters will update statuses to “not selected” on non-viewed EPKS simply
to avoid having to pay back the fees.
The biggest issue I have with this entire process/system/site
comes down to the fact that it markets itself and its opportunities as
“reputable”, and is increasingly becoming the exclusive means through which
artists can submit to certain opportunities. Submission payments are justified
as part of a “filtering process” that supposedly determines which artists are
truly serious about their careers. Outside of Sonicbids, another common excuse
is that said fees cover the “administrative” costs associated with handling
each press kit. To these statements I can only inquire, since when did having
money to burn become synonymous with having talent and drive? Further, if one’s
employed as an entertainment director, unless it’s a non-for-profit
opportunity, wouldn’t he/she already be earning a salary to do just that (ie:
direct the entertainment for their events)?
(As a side note, while
I highly recommend reading the reviews posted below ALL gig opportunities
BEFORE submitting to anything, this in itself is NOT a failsafe method.
Existing users of Sonicbids will note that often said reviews are in stark
contrast to each other, which begs the further question as to whether those
espousing positive comments were somehow already affiliated with the promoter
of the event.)
All above quoted statistical and business history data regarding
Sonicbids was derived directly from its official website and/or an interview
conducted by Heather McDonald of About.com with Sonicbids Artist Relations
Manager, Lou Paniccia.
