Listen (TRT 1:46:29): Lo-Fi mp3 > Higher-Fi mp3

Sonicbids is an online service that offers musicians a way to submit their EPK, or electronic press kit, to a number of outlets for consideration. These including clubs and live venues, compilation CDs, festivals, songwriting contests, film, television, + commercial licensing, magazines, awards, college bookings, podcasts, Internet radio, and plenty of other opportunities, as they call them.

The company was founded in 2001 by Panos Panay and is still run by him today. And as of May 2007, Sonicbids is coming up on 100,000 members and 80,000 promoters from more than 100 countries around the globe.

My path has crossed with Panay’s several times here in Boston in recent years. I wanted to feature him on Well-Rounded Radio as I, too, have started accepting submissions from independent artists via Sonicbids and was surprised and impressed by the quality of the music I was receiving.

Plus, I like to produce the occasional show with a music industry thought leader given how much the relationship is changing between musicians, the music industry, and fans in this Internet era. This show is probably most helpful for musicians and the companies that are looking for music, but I’ve mixed in music from 20 different Sonicbids members, so it’s a fun listen for everyone else, too.

I won’t say more than that because 1) I think Panay and I covered pretty much everything about how Sonicbids came to be and what some of their larger goals are as the proverbial playing field gets flattened and 2) because it’s a pretty long interview and we should get right to it!

And forgive a bit of the echo in the interview. We conducted the interview in Sonicbids’ office and, as part of a big, funky tech-space, it is had that kind of natural ambiance, but…it will help you pretend you were really there.

In early March I met with Panay at Sonicbids’ office in Boston’s South End neighborhood to discuss:

* what was his inspiration for starting Sonicbids…and the series of events that led up to it
* some of the advantages for both musicians and the opportunities for connecting this way online
* some of his personal goals that he is hoping Sonicbids can achieve in the music world

Musicians featured in the interview include:

1) Somebody's There from Alex Giordani
2) California from Jay Wells
3) Giving You Away Andy Scisco
4) Excuse Me (I Think I've Got a Heartache) by Girl Howdy
5) Cat's Crystal by Poppy Nosh
6) Hot Stuff by The Specimen
7) See You by City Fritter
8) Spancil Hill by Murder the Stout
9) Like I'm Crazy by Kwanza Jones
10) Rolling Hills by Adam Zampino
11) Goodbye by Ever-G
12) Temptations by Emer
13) Walking in Circles by The Brothers Lekas
14) Ringing in Your Ears by Chris Peters
15) Die Slow by DP Da Reapa
16) Bashana Haba'a by The Alexandria Kletzet
17) The Tide by DelHill
18) Child Inbetween by The Pucks
19) Un Amor Antigo by Suzana
20) Drink Instead by Shay Dillon
21) Weird World by KS
22) Easy Come, Easy Go by David Spence
23) track #4 by Copus
24) Ibou by Mamadou
25) Smile on Your Face by The Smiling Strangers

Posted by Charlie at 05:08 PM | Permalink