sog writing contests - Thoughts?

C

CMK

New member
It seems like many of the people that are on this forum are also on other music sites (Soundcloud, ReverbNation, etc.). They all have various promotions and contests, some free, most for a fee.

Do you guys enter any of the contests and what do you think of the various promotions? cmk
 
I'd enter a friendly get together kind of good excuse to get something done to a reasonable deadline sort of banter plus a bit of learning here, but aside from that they don't interest me. My primary use of other platforms is to have tracks that I can access from anyone else's computer or get friends to listen to if interested.
 
I guess the usefullness of a songwriting contest depends on what you as the entrant get out of it vs. what the contest host expects to get and whether you're getting a good deal here.

I figure there are about 3 kinds of contests.
1. Friendly contests - e.g. the kind you would see posted on the HR threads. Nothing is at stake; it's just a project for fun. Sure. Go ahead and enter.
2. The host is fishing for IP - e.g. The terms of service say something about how the people hosting the company get full copyright control over all entered songs. This means that they're trying to resell the songs for a profit, and you as the songwriter will not see a dime of that. Only enter if you're OK with having your song completely leave your control and make someone else money.
3. The host is fishing for page views - e.g. Any contest where fan voting is an important part of the contest. In this case, they want to get as many page views/likes on facebook/whatever for their company. Enter if you're ok with spending some of the goodwill you've built up with your own fanbase to build up some company's online profile.
 
The ultimate absurdity of songwriting contests (and why no one cares about them anymore) was the infamous American Idol song contest of a few years ago. Most of the top 20 finalists previously were involved with work for Fox, Ford, or Clay Akin... Fail. Contests are great... if you know the judges. ;) Btw, thousands sent in $10.00 to enter...

Bill
 
Somebody's going to win but I know it won't be me. I entered once, early in my songwriting career, when I was still a naive dreamer.
 
Check the soundclick.com forums, in the subforum 'Critics Corner' they do a showcase where all the entrants give feedback on the other entries, and then vote for their three favorites. They're a lot of fun, the regulars are all respectful and articulate. There's one open over there right now!
 
If it costs money to enter, then it is a mere profit-making scheme for someone.
If they want you to get people to vote for your song, it's an email-harvesting scheme for someone.
If it's just for fun, it can be a learning experience or a way to get people who might not otherwise hear one of your songs to listen to you.

Reverbnation 'contests'? They're all about getting people to subscribe to their services (the same way you can be "#1" in the genre of your choice). I'm up to #5-7 (it fluctuates) on RN without giving them a penny. :p
 
No. It's composition not competition. Music appreciation does not need a cheerleading section or a blue ribbon (unless maybe it's a Pabst).
 
Idk - I was exiting about one I heard where you have to follow a bunch of weird rules like - 14 lyrics only, and write an album in a month... I thought that sounded like good writing exercise.
 
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