1.1 - Proposal
I will set up a website for unsigned bands and musicians in the South West. Artists will be able to upload their demo MP3s and set up a profile page where visitors can download or stream music and view information such as gig dates and biographies. In addition to the band pages the website will host a message board which will act as the hub of a new local band community. The service will be free to the artist.
To add incentive for new artists to join and upload their music I will create a media partnership between UKbands and Phonic FM, a community radio station in Exeter. The most popular songs each month will be given airplay on a monthly radio show, which I will produce. The show will also include interviews and features on some of the artists. As the website will represent the whole of the South West I will search for other radio stations in the area to host the show.
I am aiming for a December alpha launch, a February 2010 beta site launch followed by a marketing campaign on local radio and local press to coincide with the main launch in March 2010.
1.2 - Demographics
The website and radio show will be aimed at people between the ages of 14-30 whom listen to Southwest based bands or are involved or interested in the local music scene. The site will lean towards the alternative and indie music scene but will not discourage bands of other genres to sign up.
1.3 – Competitors
http://www.myspace.com
MySpace is the world’s leading website for unsigned band promotion. Although a useful resource, the simple fact that MySpace is a worldwide site with 100 Million users and 8 Million bands on its books doesn’t give much hope for new artists craving exposure. To offer a much smaller locally based site will allow artists to upload music with some hope of being featured on the front page of the site and of radio airplay.
http://www.southwestunderground.net
Southwest Underground is an established Exeter based electronic music site. It has an active forum and an Internet radio station that features some of the region’s top DJs. However they do not offer MP3 hosting nor do they seem interested in bands, as they prefer to focus on DJs and producers.
http://www.lemonrock.com
Lemonrock boasts a large gig listing that expands the entire country. The bands that have signed up to list their events are mainly covers and tribute acts and are charged an annual fee to list gigs. The site does have an MP3 section but the choice and layout of this page is limited and not easy to navigate. Unlike
http://www.soundcloud.com
Soundcloud is a new site aimed at producers and DJ’s. This site will be similar to mine in that artists are allowed to upload and distribute their work. The website is aesthetically pleasing. A particular feature I like is that the uploaded music is shown on the website as a waveform and users can skip parts of the track by clicking on the image along with leaving comments and notes:
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