A ground-breaking new music site aimed at helping artists thrive financially as well as artistically has announced the launch of its first original Song Contest with cash prizes totalling ﾀ28,000 ($37,250) and a judging panel to be led by the iconic Bob Geldof, legendary music A&R man Nigel Grainge and music mogul Damion ﾓDamizzaﾔ Young.
YouBloom.com will redefine the current file-sharing and free-download culture which makes it almost impossible for unsigned artists to monetize their music.
The site will offer a platform to showcase their music, grow their fan base and capitalize on their talents. YouBloom.com is the brainchild of entrepreneur and musician Phil Harrington. ﾓMy vision and that of everyone involved with YouBloom is to build a new global economy of artists which will change the dynamic of the industry and at last drive the internet to deliver creatively and financially for artists.ﾔ
In its initial stages the YouBloomSong Contest will take place on-line. With a prize pool of ﾀ28,000 ($37,250) the emphasis will be on original songwriting. The contest consists of a series of heats leading to play-off rounds voted on by members and the judging panel, and ultimately selecting a winner in the November Grand Final. There are prizes for fans as well, as encouragement to participate and vote. There are no fees or requirements to enter. Artists simply upload their songs to the site and chart their progress. Voting in Heat 1 began on May 3rd. Heats continue with the first of three judging sessions in July.
In order to provide support for the participating artists, Phil set out to introduce a judging panel of industry experts who would provide constructive critiques during the contest, calling in long-time friends Bob Geldof and A&R genius, Nigel Grainge. “Bob and Nigel work really well together having forged a close relationship after Nigel signed The Boomtown Rats to his Ensign label. Both men are passionate about the need to find and nurture undiscovered musical talent,ﾔ explains Phil Harrington.
With their intention to assemble a cross-genre panel of judges they first enlisted megawatt record producer, Damion ﾓDamizzaﾔ Young. Stay tuned for other guest judges to be announced shortly. YouBloom.com is the place to learn more and to watch videos of the sure-to-be informative and entertaining judging sessions as the contest progresses.
