SonyBMG drops hard copy band demos

[Howard Jones]

SonyBMG drops hard copy band demos for website blog

April 1, 2007 - 11:35AM
Source: ABC

SonyBMG, the world's second biggest music company, says that from Monday it will no longer accept hard copy formats for band demos.

Instead, budding musicians will be asked to sign up to a record label website to blog their music, photos and videos.

SonyBMG UK and Ireland Music Entertainment chair and chief executive Ged Doherty says the company was moving with the times.

"Blogging is clearly one of the major trends in music, media and entertainment," he said.

"[About] 100,000 new blogs go online each day at the moment and the blogosphere is doubling every 230 days.

"So it makes complete sense for the major labels to use the process in a creative way to encourage, discover and communicate with new artists."

Universal Music, the world's biggest music company, which is owned by French media giant Vivendi, recently launched what it billed as the largest online site for classical and jazz music.

It allows fans to buy direct from its catalogue of more than 100,000 tracks.

The site has an area on the site where unsigned musicians can upload their music and submit information about themselves.

Mr Doherty said SonyBMG's new blog initiative would hopefully help break down the barriers between new artists and music companies.

- Reuters

[Kris]

It would be interesting to read the fine print for those unsigend bands uploading their stuff and who owns what at the end of the day.

[wez]

did anyone else notice that it was dated April 1?

sounds plausible enough though.

[Aearth]

Thank God it was a joke.....or was it?

Nic