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If there’s been one consistent complaint over the years I’ve gotten about Sonicbids it’s been the submission fees that accompanied almost all Gig Listings on the site.
Submission fees had been a part of the music world way before I launched Sonicbids exactly 10 years ago on Friday (February 25, 2001) with the simple mission of helping every band get a gig.
My personal philosophy around them has been pretty simple:
1. Small submission fees act as an effective filter (we currently have 300,000 bands using the site);
2. Money generated provides funding that’s recycled back into the music community (i.e. All expenses Tour of Singapore; 10 bands to play Bonnaroo and get $1,000 each; and thousands other examples on the site)
That said, the fees often have had some undesired byproducts: they discouraged bands from taking risks and applying to more gigs on the site (on average, it takes 9-10 submissions to get a gig) – which meant fewer gigs booked; a whole lot of smaller promoters/venues did not even get one submission; and also many bands ended up submitting to just the “big” listings (say, SXSW or CMJ or Bumbershoot), ignored the rest, and inevitably went disappointed.
Starting last September, we beta tested the concept of removing fees for some of the listings on the site and some amazing things happened: band activity on the site tripled, we got many more smaller venues to join the site, and – much more importantly – over 14,000 new gigs got booked by these “no cost” listings. The only complaint we got? Too many submissions from bands that were not appropriate for the gig.
So starting today, with the sponsorship of Musician’s Friend, we are launching a new type of listing on the site that we call Token Listings. Each month, as a member of Sonicbids you’ll get 10 or 25 tokens (for Sonic and Supersonic members respectively), which you’ll be able to use to submit to these listings for no added fee.
As of right now 60% of all open listings on Sonicbids are Token Listings. Within 90 days, our goal is to make up to 90% of the listings on the site Token-based. So, your membership just got a whole lot better. (Check out the video below for my full audiovisual explanation of tokens.)
Your Tokens are on a use-it-or-lose it basis each month so do use them – just make sure that you use them for stuff that’s right/appropriate for your band and type of music.
Submission fees will not go entirely away: Premium listings like music conferences, high profile festivals, song contests etc. will carry a fee. However, all those listings will guarantee a minimum selection of Sonicbids bands and, in almost all cases, they guarantee to review your submission (Submission Tracker).
But, in the coming months you will see many more high profile venues like the Double Door in Chicago, Whisky a Go Go in LA, or The Knitting Factory in NYC who have already joined the site, open listings that you can apply to using your Tokens.
Many, many, many more cool things coming soon. Enjoy.
Panos
p.s. You may notice your Artist Account Homepage got a fancy facelift. You can read more about that here and catch a quick video on our new navigation.
Very cool, great idea.
Cheers!
Flavio (MegaRex)
Love the video.
Thank you very much. What a great idea. Thank you for thinking of us (artist) in your business. Build that “tribe”.
Great stuff!
This eases the financial burden on indie acts that are trying to reach out!
More giglisting and venues in Asia and we would be a bunch of really happy campers!
Greets from KL!
Yay!
I think the “sonicbids token” idea sounds good. It will leave some extra room in musicians pockets, which we all need, and at the same time give them the opportunity to apply for more gigs ie work. Hopefully also not overwhelming the sonicbids system. Thanks for the effort put forth on the musicians behalf, I look forward to putting it to work.
Peace, Curtis
Thats really really awesome! I know money could always be an issue. Even though 20$ is not a lot at the time but when you submit to 10 gigs at that bam thats 200$ you dont have anymore! Great idea guys!
Wow, this has made the whole sonicbids package 60% more appealing than it already is!!! THANK YOU
Karina Es
This is an awesome idea! Kudos to the genius who thought of it he (or she) deserves a raise and promotion!
This is truly a great thing, especially in today’s tanking economy.
Nice! This will let us explore some more gigs we were hesitant to spend money on
-Funkotron
Hi Panos,
I feel like this a great idea! it really promotes more trust between bands and promoters and sonicbids.
I have a request, can we get an option to embed our youtube videos on our EPK? feel kinda silly having to pay an extra 4.50$ to upload 2 videos unnecessarily…
Thanks
Yuval
Thank you Panos, everybody at Sonicbids and of course Musicians’ Friend!
You guys have always been there for the bands and performers; this just proves the point to any naysayers out there.
Rock On!
Randi and Jack
Boo Boo’s Bargain Basement Band
im telling u im in ja heard of this by
music x ray im telling ill be working to find
whatever i can
thats just me chappz
I think the Sonic Bids Token idea is fantastic. I personally don’t have enough funding to submit to 30 companies at $10-30 a pop, so the gigs I’ve been really interested in, I have to pass up, now I might be able to shed a little extra for these great opportunities.
Thanks Panos!
~Sean from Repel the Robot
I think thats great news, i will make sure to spread the word, and by the way i hope you guys think about getting some venues in Latin America anytime soon..
Wow, I am impressed! And the with the video too
)))
Tokens are a great idea! We’ll be submitting to more gigs for sure! I’m behind an option for youtube video URL’s and embedding like I believe someone mentioned above too. Dave-lead guitarist-Dosareality
Thank you. This sounds like a great development and I hope it plays out in practice. Your assessment in your text announcement above was right on the mark. My opinion of SonicBids just turned around 180 degrees from “Hate, but necessary evil”, to “Looks like they are on the right track”.
very disappointed! submitted to several free or low cost opportunities but never got a gig. was dissuaded by the fees so i cancelled my subscription this month. too little too late.
bye!
Thanks for the comment Ed. Obviously this is a move to help more people like you apply to more things for no additional fees and help them get more gigs (see my comments in video). We are making a commitment to take up to 90% of the gig listings on SB to token-based.
[...] As of right now 60% of all open listings on Sonicbids are Token Listings. Within 90 days, our goal is to make up to 90% of the listings on the site Token-based. So, your membership just got a whole lot better. Check out the website for a more in depth look…. http://panosbrew.sonicbids.com/tokenlistings/ [...]
Sweet! Thanks a bunch! !
The No Cost Gigs are awesome – have increased my submissions dramatically. Would appreciate the opportunity to apply to more than 10 Token gigs a month so how about this: Have the Token gigs also available with an option of a submission fee. When we have used our monthly allotment of Tokens, we can still submit to the Token gigs using the fee option.
I think this is a good thing. I just read one of the comment below about a band who had applied to the free listings before and got nothing, and with what im going to say they will take it that we are some sort of a con working for Sonicbids no doubt. But we have only been members for about 2 months, Live in Ireland (Keep in mind that most of the gigs are US based) and have booked 14 gigs and been put on file for about 20 others, this includes internet and FM radio play, International and local music festivals etc a lot of which were free submissions. I think this new credit system is going to help members access premium content without having to pay more, and after all the standard fees are high enough. We deserve it!
I think this is brilliant!! Keep up the good work, and I like the way you put your Ethic to work for the Vision. Wonderful, Branding and marketing Tact.
What a relief! I was basing decisions partly based on cost, rather than appropiateness.
YOU GUYS TOTALLY ROCK! I Just Hooked up with you, its been 18 days, I’ve booked 5 gigs and have had some really great feedback from the vendors I am now working with. I love the gig tracker sync…It keeps my fans totally informed and the BUZZ is bulding fast! I’m hot on working fast to get more good quality re-mastered songs for submission….you guys will definately improve the speed of my break-out. Thank you so MUCH. Kisses. Jacqueline Lovely
I’m down to give this idea a try! Seems like a good way to balance out bands getting stepping out of bounds and the amount of “on file’s” I get.
On that note, I would like to see something that encourages promoters to actually look at ALL the submissions, and to discourage all the phony’s (Google all the stuff promoters claim bands!)
Thanks for keeping everything moving forward Sonicbids!
Peace
Thank you so much for who all is involved to make this happen
Very awesome idea! Can’t wait to use this!
Hip Hip Hooray! Sonicbids is great.
Yes, Man
Very nice work. Love the new idea. Just working on getting up and going with all this.
Currently lead singer of one of Honolulu’s best bands, and Hawaii’s best Celtic band, Doolin Rakes but working on doing more gigs on East Coast.
Girlfriend in Boston. Father in Philadelphia (hometown) close by site of Philadelphia Folk Festival (site of musical baptism and education).
So having a way to connect with presenters is AWESOME. Having a way to reach promoters INEXPENSIVELY is an answer to a prayer.
Thank you for running a business that thinks and cares.
As we say here Mahalo (thank you).
James McCarthy
Great idea. We’ve spent a lot of money, some of which has been well worth it and some that has been a waste and very discouraging. Kudos to SonicBids for this change.
Does this mean that someone can only submit to 25 no-cost istings per month? What if new gigs come in? Also, what about already paid for submissions that are now available for free? Will a credit be issued?
That’s correct. For the time being, if you are a Supersonic member you can apply to up to 25 token listings for no added cost. We will be monitoring user behavior over the next few months and we will consider periodically increasing this amount if we find that the majority of users run out too quickly (my hope is that we’ll have so many awesome listings that it will be the case). As far as submissions that used to carry a fee that are no token based, I am actually not aware of any. If that was the case, let me know and we’ll help you out of course (refund always depends on promoter). Lastly, as far as tokens, you can always wait for the next cycle of your tokens to reload if you run out.
yap! very good, thnx
We need more people like you!!!!
AWESOME. Thank you so much for making bookings more accessible. This was my one flaw with Sonicbids- and you’re doing something proactive about it. Here’s to more gigs!
Cheers,
Amanda
Sonicbids just go way better! This is gives bands like us more of an opportunity to put our music in the right hands.
Love it !!
I would not have been able to book my 10 gigs so far without out you!
Thanks !!!
Rich
Most def signing up with u guys after hearing this
I suppose this is good news, but I have never gotten a gig in the 3 or so yearsthat I have been with Sonicbids.
Basically because of what you said and what’s been said.
But mainly because I have a Tribute Show, not alternative, or world music or reggae or any of that. I have never found a tribute offer on your site and I still don’t know, to this day, how other tributes who may be on your site get work. I have never in all these years seen a tribute gig offered.
And I have what most people consider The World’s Best Rod Stewart Rock & Show Band & Solo act
But I would love to know the magic of getting a gig through Sonicbids and where the tribute band offers are. thx
I personally do not feel as if submission fees are a bad thing. $5 or $10 to reach a viable source to get your music heard, and perhaps with an opportunity to perform makes the cost obsolete. Eventually we all want people to pay for our cds, or merchandise and to see us perform.
In my opinion, that makes the playing field, quite even. Happy Submitting.
That is actually a great idea!
I’ve been a member of sonicbids for a couple years, but this last year I’ve seen a number of great changes; I love the direction you guys are headed in!
This is awesome, Panos!
Thanks so much, this is such a great direction and is the right kind of success!
I applaud you Panos and SonicBids Team!
Great idea! This will increase my use of sonicbids tremendously.
Thanks Panos, for all you have done and continue to do for us.
I believe the “Token” Program is really going to help a lot of Venues as well as Musicians discover many new contacts which will in turn lead to a large number of gigs being booked.
Thanks again and keep up the great work.
GOD Bless,
Chaplain Jerry Vance
Awesome!…thanks again for another helping of indie goodness Panos!…keep on keepin’ on & stay well always…yours, TH
I am new to this website and I feel already excited before I get any job from it!
Thank you for the support!
Jampara
Thank you Panos for all that you do for indie artist. I love the new token idea. I just want to share that my manager setup my Sonicbids account and EPK three months ago and in that time frame my song plays and website traffic have double.
Additionally, I have booked five gigs, one of which is an online radio station, whom will be airing my music beginning in April. So, I am extremely pleased with the results from the site. Finally, I want to thank the staff of sonicbids for featuring me on the homepage. Sonicbids rocks!!!
Zulayka
Hi Panos,
I Guess I Am Going To Rock The Boat A Bit!
I Was Happy With The Previous System,
My Only Gripe Was, When Paying A Fee For A Submission,
If It Passed The Due Date, The Band Had The Right To Withdraw, But Really, No One, Would Want To Withdraw,
Especially If The Gig Was An Awesome Opportunity.
Now, I Believe, Due To This New System, Bands, Or Artists,
Will Apply For Gigs, That They Have No Intention, Of Pursuing, Whether Or Not The Obstacle Is A Financial One.
e.g. A UK Band Travelling Abroad, etc
I Feel Bands & Artists Will Now, Gain Access To A Higher Feedback Rating, (Selected Status)Simply By Applying Solely To All The Free Gigs, & Build Up A Credible Standing, & I Will Say Again, Without Actually, Committing To Such A Gig.
Maybe This Is Something, You Might Wish To Consider In The Future. The New System Devalues The Hard Work & Effort, I Have Put In To Secure My Own Bands 94 Selected Gigs.
I Would Appreciate Your Feedback On This Matter, & Yes I Am A Supersonic Member!
(Not A Happy Chappie)
Regards
In Anticipation
Duggie Kyle
The Above System
This was a great idea , because thete’re a lot of bands pretty good ones without all funds requiered to pick the gigs they want o need to apply. Good Panos you are very good in this area.
Congratulations
Pablo A. Rojahelis
MASTA
HEY I WENT FROM 48 SONICBID GIGS TO 128 SINCE U STARTED THE FRREE GIGS IN JULY ITS BEEN SO AWESOME! U GUYS ROCK!
Thanks Panos, for all you have done and continue to do for us.
I believe this “Token” Program is really going to help a lot of as Musicians get many new contacts and will also lead to a large number of gigs being booked.Thank you for thinking of uplifting the artist in your business,keep up the great work.
Yours,
Francis
I’m beginning to think that the whole concept of submissions is deeply flawed. In the first place, it’s too damn expensive. Why? Because the submissions are too general. Typically the genres sought are presented as “Acoustic, alternative, world, rock, indie, hip-hop, rap, country, jazz, folk, americana” ….in other words the submitters throw in the whole kitchen sink.
Many of the listings not only give little, if any, information about what kind of music the venue is actually looking for. So, you have to either try to figure out if they actually want your style of music or just use the shotgun approach and make as many submissions as possible: VERY expensive.
Worse, I never get ANY feedback as to why I’m rejected. If it’s because my music sucks, for heaven’s sake just SAY SO. IF it’s because it’s the wrong style, it would be nice to know. It’s almost as if the venues are afraid to get too specific. Or, is this Sonicbids trying to maximize submission revenues? If you’re going to claim that the venues received too many submissions to give individual feedback, SAY SO in the beginning.
Next, you need to publish some statistics as to the probability of being selected, and info on who has been selected in the past. This would give us more information as to whether or not even to submit.
This is a cruel business. The lure of these submission programs depends on the hopes and dreams of all the musicians out there, most of whom will never be picked for any of these offers. Only time will tell whether the
“Token” option makes any difference, but without some basic changes in the ways submissions are solicited, and the paltry amount of information provided, I’m skeptical
richard
[...] and gigging locally. BUT- I plan to stretch out to a wider region for gigging. A statistic that was tossed up by Panos on the site stated that “on average, it takes 9-10 submissions to get a gig“. Yikes! It [...]
Follow up to my last post which was, apparently, not worthy of comment: I’ve made multiple submissions, all of which have been rejected. The rejections are all worded the same, making me think that they are computer-generated. There is never ANY critique offered, or reason for non-selection given. The submissions are still so generic that it is impossible to tell what kinds of acts the promoters are actually looking for; for example, it would be useful if the promoters would tell us if they are looking for bands, not solo acts, electric versus acoustic, and so on. As it stands, the descriptions are pretty much useless for the great majority of the submissions.
Finally, what is this business of not allowing reviews until after the submissions close? Afraid of scaring people away? I would LIKE to know, for example, that no solo acoustic acts are being selected. It would tell me that I can save my money. I suspect that revenue generation is more important to Sonicbids that providing useful info to the artists. How can you possibly justify such a callous approach?
Richard
Yes this is a great Ideal, because I seen gigs that I wanted to try out for, but I did not have enough every time to try out for it.
Thanks
Hi Panos, What a great idea!
The only thing that I can see not working for me is that I manage six bands of different genres. If I have a membership for each band that will be 6 times 25 ringfenced tokens a month to allocate.
For some bands all of the tokens will be used and more needed but for others, in more niche genres, the usage may be lower and so some wasted.
Had you thought of a management membership where, say, a manager with more than one band would register for a block membership of (say) five (managers with more than five, additional blocks of five according to number) thereby allowing for expansion of roster and portability of tokens? This would encourage managers to ensure that they put the right bands into the mix for gigs rather than going for everything that presents. What do you think? Pete, (PMS Music Management)
Hi, I am Yusuf, a Ghanaian percussionist and bandleader living in The Netherlands. With my band Zuluwannsago we play afrobeat, funk and jazz on festivals and in clubs. Here http://www.youtube.com/zuluwannsago you’ll find some videos from a Jazz festival where we performed. And this is my website: http://www.yusufsbeat.nl/. I also have a profile on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/zuluwannsago. I hope you’ll like my music and that you are interested in booking us. Please do let me know what you think about it. Thanks and greetings, Yusuf Nuweku Tel. + 31 684123679
Right on Panos! Very cool.
Outstanding; Looking forward to working with you!!!
This idea is sooo helpful and I am very grateful for the availability. I am able to enter many more comps than I would have. Luv Cill
Its always important to bear in mind the fact that nothing is guaranteed. Many successful artistshave credited chance and luck as minor factors in their success. A solid knowledge of who and what you are as a band or artists goes a long way in helping you choose appropriate opportunities on sonicbids