9 members (Fdemetrio, VNORTH2, Perry Neal Crawford, couchgrouch, Sunset Poet, Guy E. Trepanier, bennash, Bill Draper, David Gill),
3,725
guests, and
277
robots. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
Welcome to the Just Plain Folks forums! You are currently viewing our forums as a Guest which gives you limited access to most of our discussions and to other features.
By joining our free community you will have access to post and respond to topics, communicate privately with our users (PM), respond to polls, upload content, and access many other features. Registration is fast, simple, and absolutely free; so please join our community today!
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 70
Serious Contributor
|
Serious Contributor
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 70 |
Always good to hear people's opinions about what we are doing with Blazetrak (both good and bad). Let me address a few things: The link that was posted was in fact just a press release that we put out, no big deal. If you want an unbiased opinion about us here is a link: http://mashable.com/2011/03/28/blazetrak/What is Blazetrak? It’s really quite simple actually. We provide direct access to people that you normally wouldn’t be able to get to or get in front of. We guarantee this is in the form of a video response from that person. There is a fee associated with this guarantee that we share with the Pro for their time, expertise, and the opportunities they can provide for THOSE who exhibit the talent. Maybe you see the value in this, maybe you don’t, but this is the proposition. Is this shady or unethical? We don’t think so one bit. Let’s look at the advice/critique aspect first. You pay people every day for their time and expertise in every other industry imaginable. If you want advice on a legal document, you pay an attorney or expert. Should it be any different if you want advice on a song or production? Most people think Rodney Jerkins and Paul Worley are experts in their craft, so why is it unthinkable to pay them to hear what they think about your work? Let’s examine the opportunity aspect. The pro’s who accept submissions on our site have the ability to open doors for you IF you are talented enough to them. These doors are completely inaccessible to so many people. What if you live in Idaho where there is no music industry or good networking possibilities? What do you do? What choices do you have to get yourself out there to be seen and heard? What if you live in Africa, or Japan or anywhere? What are your options? Our very 1st success story was an 18 year old kid from the UK. He knew no one in music, had zero connects and not a clue what to do or how to get his music to the US. He used Blazetrak, and now is managed by Jeff Haddad and just spent the last 3 weeks in LA working and taking meetings. It cost him $50. You can read about him here: http://www.blazetrak.com/view_success_stories.php?ssid=8Or what about the songwriter from Canada who made a submission to Ruben Studdard, and found himself in the studio with Ruben 3 weeks later? You can read about this here: http://www.blazetrak.com/blog/?p=381How about to girls from Florida whose dream was to work with Rodney Jerkins, and next thing you know, they are in the studio with Rodney Jerkins: http://www.blazetrak.com/view_success_stories.php?ssid=10I can probably post 100 more examples like this. Does this mean they are all gonna be big stars with deals and placements? Of course not. Is this the norm? Of course not and this will not be the result for most, because quite frankly most people are not good enough. Could of all of these things have happened without Blazetrak? Yeah I guess anything is possible, but the fact remains that it did happen because of Blazetrak. In regards to paying for access or to submit music for people to listen, you are already paying indirectly in so many ways and do not even realize it. Here is a great post in another forum by someone completely unrelated to Bt that speaks a little about this: http://www.futureproducers.com/foru...p-r-b/j-troups-opinion-blazetrak-340708/Some people will never see the value in Blazetrak and that is fine with me. We can’t please everyone and we are not trying to. All we are doing is offering an alternative to what you normally do to try to make it out there. Let me pose a question to you. Who is your favorite songwriter/artist/producer etc? Imagine that person reached out to you and said the following: “I want you to fly to anytown USA at the end of the week and you have 5 mins to impress me and MAYBE we can work together. There are no guarantees.” Would you purchase that flight and take the chance? If you answer yes, then you just did exactly what Blazetrak offers and paid 5 times as much. If you answer no, then in my opinion, you probably don’t believe in yourself or your abilities enough anyway, which is a much bigger issue. Ron Harrison Co-Founder Blazetrak
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 7,997
Top 20 Poster
|
Top 20 Poster
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 7,997 |
Great response Ron. Especially the last section. Of course there's no guarantee in this business or any. Even if you think back to when you started and it STILL happens today, somebody said "Hey man that's a great song, you should do something with it, It would be perfect for "Seal". "Why don't you send it in"? LOL Did you write it with him in mind? Oh man I" never thought of that"! lol They WONT listen or TAKE the song. It's like against the law or something lol.
Now you find the guy who produced or wrote for Seal at one time on Blazetrak. Hmmm maybe it's worth a shot, he'll pick up on what I and others have. Or someone similar to the act/person you wanted to submit for... Anyway this just a simple example I'm using, but it's the core of what EVERY song writer who isn't the artist too feels and deals with.... This is a fact not disputable! I GENUINELY care about people especially songwriters, AND I must make money to live.. What does that make me? Maybe you are the same way.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 8,463
Top 20 Poster
|
Top 20 Poster
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 8,463 |
Put like that it almost sounds ethical.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 3,845
Top 100 Poster
|
Top 100 Poster
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 3,845 |
You guys are not for real! If you can't find real publishers out there to pitch your music to for free, you are not doing your research properly. Spend a week looking for publishers online, and you'll find more than you can supply in a year!
How can someone dismiss something like this before we've tried it or bothered to look into it properly, Donna asks? Well, it's because we understand the business principle, and there are not that many of those around I can add. One is that business is non-ethical, though! Music supervisors and a&r get paid to listen to music by their employers, who makes money off of exploiting music.
If somebody don't have an a&r job where someone pays them to listen, they'll charge you if you insist that they should listen, and they'll even promise not to exploit the music (hint hint).. pure non-committed BS!
It's an expensive myth that it's hard to get music into the music business. There are takers if the music is worth a dang. Unfortunately, in most cases, it isn't. THAT's where this type of "business" comes in.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 4,670 Likes: 2
Top 100 Poster
|
Top 100 Poster
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 4,670 Likes: 2 |
Ron, I was hoping you'd chime in here to give the facts from the source, so to speak. Matter of fact, I sent an email off to Guy this morning, the young man from the UK. I'd noted on his Twitter page that something good must have happened for him, because he'd recently returned from LA and had been having Label-related talks there. Donna
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 70
Serious Contributor
|
Serious Contributor
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 70 |
Ron, I was hoping you'd chime in here to give the facts from the source, so to speak. Matter of fact, I sent an email off to Guy this morning, the young man from the UK. I'd noted on his Twitter page that something good must have happened for him, because he'd recently returned from LA and had been having Label-related talks there. Donna Yes Donna, we are very proud of Guy. As I mentioned he was our 1st connection that was made on Blazetrak. We havent spoken to him yet about his first trip io LA (or the USA actually), but we know that he is doing some great things.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 8,463
Top 20 Poster
|
Top 20 Poster
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 8,463 |
Back in the bad old days when musicans, performers and songwriters had to serve an apprenticeship and not just any kid off the strret could make it there were pluggers, talent scouts and agents. These people would look out for up and coming talent then they would contact the correct people on their behalf to arrange auditions etc help them on their way. At no time did they ask the acts for payment.....any payment made was from commision from earnings as a result of the extra work they got from this introduction. Now these talent scouts new their stuff and would never put forward a bad act as this wasted everybody's time.
Whatever happened to the bad old days.....
Now it seems acts have to pay to speak to the big shots.....that IMO is unethical. Fist off it encourages people with no talent and a few hundred bucks to submit rubbish...wasting everyones time and their money. It is also a neat earner for those at the top of the tree who already make a good living and should in theory be giving something back into the industry instead by helping those with great talent without asking for money up front first. I could go on and say more but you get my jist.
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,998
Top 200 Poster
|
OP
Top 200 Poster
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,998 |
It took me over 10 years to barely get where I am now (and believe me, my journey is JUST beginning). In that time, I spent a lot of effort making friends and building relationships. During that time, I walked into a few situations where I got screwed over and I was taken advantage of by people with less than noble intent. Would I pay $50, or $100, to cut to the chase and get to the meat of the situation if it meant I had guaranteed access to people who have the power to make things happen (as long as I had the goods to make it worth everyone's while)? You bet I would.
Being screwed over by people who are willing to take your hard work and profit from it whilst laughing behind your back is no fun. I think Blazetrak is merely providing another avenue for people to bridge the gap and cut out the weeds in the process. Here's another thing. They're not putting a gun to your head and forcing you to buy into it. If you don't want to, DON'T! No one's gonna kick your ass on the way out and if you do choose to try it out in the future, you'll be welcome.
The hard way is HARD. For a lot of people, I would say don't quit your day job, but for those who have it, have it, and should consider something that could be their golden ticket. Willy Wonka put golden tickets in candy bar wrappers. If I remember correctly, Charlie had to go into a store and purchase a candy bar first before he could unwrap the candy.
At the end of the day, there may or may not be a golden ticket in your candy bar, but at least you still get to enjoy the candy.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 7,997
Top 20 Poster
|
Top 20 Poster
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 7,997 |
You guys are not for real! If you can't find real publishers out there to pitch your music to for free, you are not doing your research properly. Spend a week looking for publishers online, and you'll find more than you can supply in a year!
Mags really? All I have EVER seen is publishers who are set up in there basement, those are the ONLY ones who take unsolicited music. Ones with no juice. Has this changed now, please send me links. Maybe times have changed on me. I want publishers who represent signed artists who make money, listening to my songs! Not Joe Smith who decided to start his own publishing company like anybody can do. No diss to Joe Smith The ones who say NO we can't listen are the ones who can help you at the level we are seeking. But finding the angle or the hook to get them and passed them is the life time trick. It usually starts by doing and spending all your time effort and money on your music. Some people refer to it as "Networking" now. I call it "busting your ass" Go buy the songwriters market book like I have years ago and won't ever again probably and read all the NO ACCEPTING ones. Try to find a publisher that will ADVANCE you as well. Man we've been down that road many times before and decades ago. Has it changed? Curious but doubtful
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 691
Top 500 Poster
|
Top 500 Poster
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 691 |
Good Honest Response from Ron @ Blazetrack,who freely admits most submissions are not good enough,and the examples given,young producers who have worked at their craft obviously,and seem to be committed to their craft,but two examples of a couple of r'n'b producers ,current tho' they may be,hardly covers the full Gamut of the music business.Personally i would like to see more examples,covering a full range of genre of music,(perhaps in time who knows)but i would guess,even the examples you have here,tho' no doubt it is a great experience for them,they will struggle to get a placement on a major artistes release,their best shot is probably to find an up and coming artist,and climb alongside them,and make their own identity,and i would imagine talking and working with these guys would only make them more determined,but whether Blazetrack is the route for the normal "married man" songwriter,i would have to say,it has a lot to prove yet,but in saying that,your response to the issues brought up on the board,well that has to be respected,especially your honesty...Cheers.. Terry...
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 70
Serious Contributor
|
Serious Contributor
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 70 |
Back in the bad old days when musicans, performers and songwriters had to serve an apprenticeship and not just any kid off the strret could make it there were pluggers, talent scouts and agents. These people would look out for up and coming talent then they would contact the correct people on their behalf to arrange auditions etc help them on their way. At no time did they ask the acts for payment.....any payment made was from commision from earnings as a result of the extra work they got from this introduction. Now these talent scouts new their stuff and would never put forward a bad act as this wasted everybody's time.
Whatever happened to the bad old days.....
Now it seems acts have to pay to speak to the big shots.....that IMO is unethical. Fist off it encourages people with no talent and a few hundred bucks to submit rubbish...wasting everyones time and their money. It is also a neat earner for those at the top of the tree who already make a good living and should in theory be giving something back into the industry instead by helping those with great talent without asking for money up front first. I could go on and say more but you get my jist. Jim, you are entitled to your opinion, and I respect it, but i completely disagree with you. First of all having a fee actually SAVES time and should (in theory) deter people with no talent from submitting. What is more likely, someone with no talent to submit for free or to have to pay? Imagine the alternative. Lets use Paul Worley as example. Paul announces on the radio that he is looking for music, send music to Paul@gmail.com. How many submissions would he get? probably several thousand from every tom, dick and harry on the planet with a keyboard, with most of it being "rubbish" in your words. How long do you think it would take him to go thru all of that? How many many man hours? I am assuming you have a job and you get paid for the work you do. What you get paid can be broken down on a per hour basis correct? SO you think that because Paul has "made it" He should spend countless hours and days going thru those submissions for free and responding to each one because he owes you and should give back. That is what I call rubbish, and quite frankly unrealistic. Fast forward to Blazetrak, charge a fee to cut the fat so to speak, so instead of thousands of submissions, maybe he gets a MANAGEABLE number of 100. Could there still be some bad submissions in that bunch, of course, that is just the game. In this scenario each of the 100 will get a personal video from Paul discussing their specific submission. There is value in that to alot of people. Instead of sitting in the studio with Lady Antebellum making music that he KNOWS will make $$, he listening to you AND responding. Why should he not be compensated?
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 70
Serious Contributor
|
Serious Contributor
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 70 |
Good Honest Response from Ron @ Blazetrack,who freely admits most submissions are not good enough,and the examples given,young producers who have worked at their craft obviously,and seem to be committed to their craft,but two examples of a couple of r'n'b producers ,current tho' they may be,hardly covers the full Gamut of the music business.Personally i would like to see more examples,covering a full range of genre of music,(perhaps in time who knows)but i would guess,even the examples you have here,tho' no doubt it is a great experience for them,they will struggle to get a placement on a major artistes release,their best shot is probably to find an up and coming artist,and climb alongside them,and make their own identity,and i would imagine talking and working with these guys would only make them more determined,but whether Blazetrack is the route for the normal "married man" songwriter,i would have to say,it has a lot to prove yet,but in saying that,your response to the issues brought up on the board,well that has to be respected,especially your honesty...Cheers.. Terry... Terry, we are a new company so we have to start somewhere. No one really knows what will be accomplished with these guys, but thats not really the point. The point is that they are in better position now then they were before Blazetrak. Or motto is "Getting You Closer" not Get you a deal or placement or make you a star. We dont push that message or even hint at it. At the end of the day your talent or lack there of will determine that. All we do is position you with a platform so this fact can be determined by people who have the ability to make something happen for you.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 691
Top 500 Poster
|
Top 500 Poster
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 691 |
It's a funny business this music business,you gotta play it cagey..let me share this story with you when iam here...just before the new year got an e mail from a record company in England(i'm based in Scotland)...Mr Moore,would you be interested in joining us,we are one of the UK's biggest "download" agents,we have access to all the major download sites worldwide,if you could provide the "artwork" we would be delighted to add some of your songs to our portfolio for downloads,in fact we will pay you an advance,we are so confident that in 6 mnths we will re-coup it...big Jim would say "i smell a rat"...gotta say so did i..hmmn,sounds too good to be true,wrote back,and said thanks,but no thanks,sounds too good to be true,whats the catch?...guy wrote back ...no catch..sign up with us,we will give you an advance..nah!..these things don't happen,anyway i sell and offer direct downloads from my own site..but thanks anyway...a couple of days later the guy writes back..Mr Moore,we are actually an agency as well, who trace uncollected royalties worldwide,you have a substantial amount of uncollected royalties from your songs...oh! ..i wrote back ..which songs? he hit me with 5 or 6 titles,so i thought, he must be "kosha"...ah! so that is why you can give me an advance..yes he replied...anyway the story will come to a conclusion in the next week or two,they are paying me these uncollected royalties in April(minus 20%)..but hey it's cash i didn't know i had...i will let you know when the cheque is paid in...then i may do business with this guy..so far so good,he seems straight up....Cheers Terry..
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,998
Top 200 Poster
|
OP
Top 200 Poster
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,998 |
Sounds like a great story Terry. I'd be very interested to hear how your story ends.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 8,463
Top 20 Poster
|
Top 20 Poster
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 8,463 |
Back in the bad old days when musicans, performers and songwriters had to serve an apprenticeship and not just any kid off the strret could make it there were pluggers, talent scouts and agents. These people would look out for up and coming talent then they would contact the correct people on their behalf to arrange auditions etc help them on their way. At no time did they ask the acts for payment.....any payment made was from commision from earnings as a result of the extra work they got from this introduction. Now these talent scouts new their stuff and would never put forward a bad act as this wasted everybody's time.
Whatever happened to the bad old days.....
Now it seems acts have to pay to speak to the big shots.....that IMO is unethical. Fist off it encourages people with no talent and a few hundred bucks to submit rubbish...wasting everyones time and their money. It is also a neat earner for those at the top of the tree who already make a good living and should in theory be giving something back into the industry instead by helping those with great talent without asking for money up front first. I could go on and say more but you get my jist. Jim, you are entitled to your opinion, and I respect it, but i completely disagree with you. First of all having a fee actually SAVES time and should (in theory) deter people with no talent from submitting. What is more likely, someone with no talent to submit for free or to have to pay? Imagine the alternative. Lets use Paul Worley as example. Paul announces on the radio that he is looking for music, send music to Paul@gmail.com. How many submissions would he get? probably several thousand from every tom, dick and harry on the planet with a keyboard, with most of it being "rubbish" in your words. How long do you think it would take him to go thru all of that? How many many man hours? I am assuming you have a job and you get paid for the work you do. What you get paid can be broken down on a per hour basis correct? SO you think that because Paul has "made it" He should spend countless hours and days going thru those submissions for free and responding to each one because he owes you and should give back. That is what I call rubbish, and quite frankly unrealistic. Fast forward to Blazetrak, charge a fee to cut the fat so to speak, so instead of thousands of submissions, maybe he gets a MANAGEABLE number of 100. Could there still be some bad submissions in that bunch, of course, that is just the game. In this scenario each of the 100 will get a personal video from Paul discussing their specific submission. There is value in that to alot of people. Instead of sitting in the studio with Lady Antebellum making music that he KNOWS will make $$, he listening to you AND responding. Why should he not be compensated? I have a job...I am a pro singer.....I am in the lucky position of making a decent living solely from music. I live and work in the UK though sometime venture abroad if the pay etc is worth the travelling. Now we do things a bit different here in the UK to the USA so I will make allowances for that. That said I disagree with what you have said.....but respect your opinion. No I do not expect anyone to wade through tons of rubbish to find any potential.....but that will surely happen whether the submisiions are free or submitted to a paid service. A few bucks is not going to deter the serious delusional wannabes whether they have talent or not. Sorry to be blunt but that is a fact of life. It is not rocket science to adopt a system like I explained happened in the bad old days where scouts searched for real talent and weeded out the rubbish before submitting the true talent to the people whos decisions count. Listening to a few sumissions from people who have been vetted by folks whos opinions you respect is far more productive if you want to find real talent than wading through thousands of tracks with a hundred dollar bill attached....soon the hundred dollar bill becomes the attraction rather than the material.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 691
Top 500 Poster
|
Top 500 Poster
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 691 |
Getting you closer...ok Ron if you say so..who came second in the 100metres olympic final?...they were close,how close is close Ron,it is just an experience for these guys,they still have to burn a lot of midnight oil,i still say it,there are no short cuts,it's a long winding road,Blazetrack may be innovative,but don't know?see that young guys video response,hmmn,if i were you i would'nt use that as an example,didn't come across as totally convincing,mybe it's just me,but it didn't sound to me especially by his body language,as if he was totally blown away...Anyway,All the Best...Terry..
Last edited by Terry Moore; 04/11/11 10:11 PM.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 691
Top 500 Poster
|
Top 500 Poster
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 691 |
Gregory,Thanks Bud,yes i will definately let you know how the story ends,and i will be happy to pass on the company's name to any writer who may think they have uncollected royalties outstanding,this mob will trace them for you...Terry..
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 70
Serious Contributor
|
Serious Contributor
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 70 |
Getting you closer...ok Ron if you say so..who came second in the 100metres olympic final?...they were close,how close is close Ron,it is just an experience for these guys,they still have to burn a lot of midnight oil,i still say it,there are no short cuts,it's a long winding road,Blazetrack may be innovative,but don't know?see that young guys video response,hmmn,if i were you i would'nt use that as an example,didn't come across as totally convincing,mybe it's just me,but it didn't sound to me especially by his body language,as if he was totally blown away...Anyway,All the Best...Terry.. he is an 18 year old kid, sorry that he didnt give an oscar winning performance. The fact reamins that he is now represented by a highly respected LA manager, Has already worked and collabed with several KNOWN artists, songwriters and producers, made his first visit to the US, drove around in a Ferrai in LA (he was bragging about that on twitter, lol), and sat courtside at a LAKERS game. All for the bargain price of $50 Is that close enough for you? And what do u mean there are no shortcuts? This business is littered with shortcuts and luck? What hard work did Justin Bieber do? Putting a video on Youtube...Im sure a lot of work went into that.
Last edited by Blazetrak; 04/11/11 10:26 PM.
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,998
Top 200 Poster
|
OP
Top 200 Poster
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,998 |
Actually Terry, I do have uncollected royalties in Europe that I'd like to track down.
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,998
Top 200 Poster
|
OP
Top 200 Poster
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,998 |
Getting you closer...ok Ron if you say so..who came second in the 100metres olympic final?...they were close,how close is close Ron,it is just an experience for these guys,they still have to burn a lot of midnight oil,i still say it,there are no short cuts,it's a long winding road,Blazetrack may be innovative,but don't know?see that young guys video response,hmmn,if i were you i would'nt use that as an example,didn't come across as totally convincing,mybe it's just me,but it didn't sound to me especially by his body language,as if he was totally blown away...Anyway,All the Best...Terry.. he is an 18 year old kid, sorry that he didnt give an oscar winning performance. The fact reamins that he is now represented by a highly respected LA manager, Has already worked and collabed with several KNOWN artists, songwriters and producers, made his first visit to the US, drove around in a Ferrai in LA (he was bragging about that on twitter, lol), and sat courtside at a LAKERS game. All for the bargain price of $50 Is that close enough for you? And nobody knew who this kid was PRIOR to crossing paths with Blazetrak. If you're dope, things might just happen. If you're not dope, then you'll get your reality check and suggestions on what to improve with.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 7,997
Top 20 Poster
|
Top 20 Poster
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 7,997 |
Good Honest Response from Ron @ Blazetrack,who freely admits most submissions are not good enough,and the examples given,young producers who have worked at their craft obviously,and seem to be committed to their craft,but two examples of a couple of r'n'b producers ,current tho' they may be,hardly covers the full Gamut of the music business.Personally i would like to see more examples,covering a full range of genre of music,(perhaps in time who knows)but i would guess,even the examples you have here,tho' no doubt it is a great experience for them,they will struggle to get a placement on a major artistes release,their best shot is probably to find an up and coming artist,and climb alongside them,and make their own identity,and i would imagine talking and working with these guys would only make them more determined,but whether Blazetrack is the route for the normal "married man" songwriter,i would have to say,it has a lot to prove yet,but in saying that,your response to the issues brought up on the board,well that has to be respected,especially your honesty...Cheers.. Terry... Terry, I agree and yes it does not look like anyone's hiding anything or it's something we don't already know about. And Ron made sense, really when someone is not meant to do or be something they may bail out on it. Especially when it costs money! I say with all respect to hopes and dreams "Please do, bail" The biggest problem for the married stay at home song writer guy is he's married and has to stay home LOl. No but that there are specific submissions to cater to, here's what's good about certain ones.. You dont have to be the artist.... especially when they are looking for "Songs" So right there age and looks and sex appeal is out. While I posses the last two things anyway even at this dis-eater stage of what I call a life LOL. I want those things out of the picture. We just can't write or present out material as though we were old married men lol. Some guy I submitted to thought I was 20 and the manager of 4 bands. He wanted there songs... I said sorry no bands no manager all me..... The BIGGESET concern before anything is.... 1- Getting and being good enough and prepared. Work wise and mentally. 2- Realizing where you are at and what your trying to do, matching up with something or somebody else. Song matches artist or request. Most of the submissions are in the world of Hip Hop / Dance. So you have to contend with that in ALL aspects of the Music/Entrainment Biz. If that's not your bag you either search for the other submissions or make alterations or variations of your work. The first ones easier. It's just whats most popular and it seems it's never what your doing at the moment right?
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 691
Top 500 Poster
|
Top 500 Poster
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 691 |
Gregory,as soon as these guys hit me with this cheque and i know for certain they are Kosha,i will pm you the you name of the company and their phone number..thats a promise..Terry..
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 7,997
Top 20 Poster
|
Top 20 Poster
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 7,997 |
I just had to pay TAXES for WHAT? I don't know, but I cant put too nickels together over here,to make another submission, it's ridiculous! And these doctor bills... As soon as I can I'll test the Blazetrak system to the max, cause if anyone I submit to there was to ever sits in a musical room with me, I'm getting and keeping there attention. I'd bet ANY money on that. I faced the big wigs and won a few over in my time. There's only one I couldn't persuade to work with me. The biggest one, but i did get his labels approval on a live showcase. That;s neither here or there, it's just a point. Why Because I'm great? Nope not a chance, too bad for me I know what great is. I suck rotten eggs in my book, but I WORKED hard bro, that's why! Screw talent or what the average person thinks real talent is. WORK! I paid dues 100 times over, and I'm getting even more lethal than ever. Especially thanks to an industry that wont let me ever be content, lazy or get fat. Gave me that one hit back in the 80's so I can be content and somewhere selling cars at a dealership perhaps With my one hit wonder from the 80's maybe even a silly one at that. Nope, As I'm reading this thread my left hand is bouncing four stroke rolls with the metronome on the practice pad too my left. The weak side! Just one of the many many steps in constantly improving myself somehow. I'm trying to figure how to raise enough money to get the $250 (starting cost) to how ever many hundreds or thousand to get a horn player from sessionplayers .com on to some of my latest instrumental work. Cant find one around here anymore and can't get into the city... Seven Hundred for a player to lay down a part, $50 to submit the whole song??And for what? who even cares about them or me... We do it because we love it. And we have to. So I'm willing to gamble on any site or place that seems straight or at least has no bad rep. Even out of curiosity I wanna see what excuse someone may give me for saying no. All the best
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 7,997
Top 20 Poster
|
Top 20 Poster
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 7,997 |
Rebecca Black and her Friday Song is a shortcut to 24 thousand a week income as reported by Billboard. When I was a kid I was not fond of the guido's around me. You know the disco boys... Now the same exact type get a Million dollars a piece for there four seasons of "The Jersey Shore" All that tanning, working out and talent development in acting and breasts enlargements, really pays off, no short cut there. Dues man! Chasing girls, getting in fights, acting like A holes, I knew I should of done that instead of practicing six hours a day in my room. What was I thinking" What am I STILL thinking? lol
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 691
Top 500 Poster
|
Top 500 Poster
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 691 |
Ron my friend,good luck with Blazetrack,i respect your honesty,but unfortunately iam over here in Scotland,you are over there in the great ol' U.S. of A,..we share a common language,that is about all,but i would suggest,the way things are shaping up,and by your responses,as far as Blazetrack is concerned,you should add the rider,anyone over 25 yrs of age need not apply,for to be quite honest,i cannot for the life of me,see you add Andrew Lloyd Webber or anyone remotely of that ilk,to your video response team,if you get my gist,my yankee friend,but hey,18yr old driven around in a Ferrari,and would that be a baseball game as well, with a ringside seat?...man it don't get any better...just sign here my son!...all for 50 Greenbacks!...would hardly get you 5 gallon of gas over here in the UK..you may end up the Simon Cowell of the social network world if you don't be careful lol....Terry...
Last edited by Terry Moore; 04/11/11 10:53 PM.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 70
Serious Contributor
|
Serious Contributor
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 70 |
Ron my friend,good luck with Blazetrack,i respect your honesty,but unfortunately iam over here in Scotland,you are over there in the great ol' U.S. of A,..we share a common language,that is about all,but i would suggest,the way things are shaping up,and by your responses,as far as Blazetrack is concerned,you should add the rider,anyone over 25 yrs of age need not apply,for to be quite honest,i cannot for the life of me,see you add Andrew Lloyd Webber or anyone remotely of that ilk,to your video response team,if you get my gist,my yankee friend,but hey,18yr old driven around in a Ferrari,and would that be a baseball game as well, with a ringside seat?...man it don't get any better...just sign here my son!...all for 50 Greenbacks!...would hardly get you 5 gallon of gas over here in the UK..you may end up the Simon Cowell of the social network world if you don't be careful lol....Terry... If we did get Andrew Lloyd Webber on Blazetrak, would you pay to make a submission to him??
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 10,941 Likes: 3
Top 10 Poster
|
Top 10 Poster
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 10,941 Likes: 3 |
Still seems like a crap shoot to me.
If you are young, hot and talented you have a shot.
If you are young and talented, you may still have a shot.
If you are talented, well ......
Good luck to all that try -- folks win the lottery every day. But you can't win if you don't play.
Kevin
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 691
Top 500 Poster
|
Top 500 Poster
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 691 |
Golden Rule Ron...The Terry Moore Songwriters Manual.Page 1.. DO NOT PAY ANYONE TO LISTEN TO YOUR MUSIC...the best judge anywhere in the world,is JOE PUBLIC...very seldom wrong... The best compliment any Songwriter can get is for someone to sing your songs,and it don't get any better when you are singing your songs,and your audience is singing along with you,that is what you call a GREAT critique...no doubt Blazetrack will find a niche in the market,but whether it can sustain it,now, that is the $64,000 dollar question my friend..but from this side of the pond,i wish you well..but your forgetting one important fact here Ron...iam SCOTTISH,we are supposed to be very tight with money,as far as the fable goes...anyway would you like a video of Andrew Lloyd Webber,he has a face like a bulldog chewing a wasp.....Terry...
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 7,997
Top 20 Poster
|
Top 20 Poster
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 7,997 |
Last Word!
Registration of a basic claim in an original work of authorship on Forms PA, SR, TX, VA, SE (paper filing) $65.00
Why should anyone ever even bother?
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 10,941 Likes: 3
Top 10 Poster
|
Top 10 Poster
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 10,941 Likes: 3 |
If you are worried about copyrighting, you can do a collection of many tunes on-line for $35.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 3,710
Top 100 Poster
|
Top 100 Poster
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 3,710 |
There's a sideshow tent at the circus with a picture of a giant chicken chasing a small man on a sign that reads "Man eating chicken!"
It costs a dollar to get in. When you step inside there's a man at a table eating from a bucket of fried chicken.
Caveat Emptor.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 883
Serious Contributor
|
Serious Contributor
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 883 |
Invasion of Aliens!!!
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 7,997
Top 20 Poster
|
Top 20 Poster
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 7,997 |
If you are worried about copyrighting, you can do a collection of many tunes on-line for $35. Thanks Kev I knew that and wasn't worried. But even at $35 remember, if you have a new song and a deadline of a submission are you gonna wait to finish 10 other songs to copyright them all together to save money? And lose the submission or do you take care of that one your sending out? That answer is easy... You pay! $35 a song! Somebody/Anybody who never submits there songs would never think of that nor would they even consider Blazetrak or any other place like Taxi or others like them. That's the real conflict of interests in this thread. The money is sometimes an excuse. Now somebody will come along in here crying that I insulted them lol
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,998
Top 200 Poster
|
OP
Top 200 Poster
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,998 |
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 691
Serious Contributor
|
Serious Contributor
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 691 |
Well, I actually went and checked out the site. Went to the songwriter/publisher links, of which there were 66. Scrolled down, and at least 41 were African-Americans. There went my country song hopes. (Anyone here who is politically correct, spare me, those are the numbers) The fact is, I've never heard of 95% of these "professionals". So here are my loaded questions: Where are the bios for these "professionals"? What have they accomplished? Which artists have they worked with? And here's the real killer question: What have they ever worked on that has actually charted, especially on Billboard? And why isn't this stuff posted as a convenient link? Enquiring minds would like to know, not to mention it would add a lot of credibility to Blazetrak's "professionals". Ott
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,998
Top 200 Poster
|
OP
Top 200 Poster
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,998 |
Hey Ott,
You might consider clicking on "View Details" for each professional if you want a biography describing what those professionals have done. Just a hunch, but I think the answer to your questions are just a click away.
Also, when in doubt, there's this little thing called "Google". By any chance, have you heard of it?
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 691
Serious Contributor
|
Serious Contributor
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 691 |
Greg: What is this "Google" you speak of? Ott
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 883
Serious Contributor
|
Serious Contributor
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 883 |
Invasion of Aliens!!!
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 691
Serious Contributor
|
Serious Contributor
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 691 |
Greg: You got me. I missed the "bio and credits" box. Will check them out. Ott
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,998
Top 200 Poster
|
OP
Top 200 Poster
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,998 |
LOL sweet! I was hoping you would take it as the humor I intended! :-)
Google is this sweet invention that's sort of like an engine...although I'm not sure how to turn it on or whether it requires a key, eye scan, or fingerprint option...
Don't get me started on how to drive it because every time I try, I screw it up and I end up crashing it! lol :-)
Apparently it likes hide and seek because there's a lot of searching involved.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 3,845
Top 100 Poster
|
Top 100 Poster
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 3,845 |
You guys are not for real! If you can't find real publishers out there to pitch your music to for free, you are not doing your research properly. Spend a week looking for publishers online, and you'll find more than you can supply in a year!
Mags really? All I have EVER seen is publishers who are set up in there basement, those are the ONLY ones who take unsolicited music. Ones with no juice. Has this changed now, please send me links. Maybe times have changed on me. I want publishers who represent signed artists who make money, listening to my songs! Not Joe Smith who decided to start his own publishing company like anybody can do. No diss to Joe Smith The ones who say NO we can't listen are the ones who can help you at the level we are seeking. But finding the angle or the hook to get them and passed them is the life time trick. It usually starts by doing and spending all your time effort and money on your music. Some people refer to it as "Networking" now. I call it "busting your ass" Go buy the songwriters market book like I have years ago and won't ever again probably and read all the NO ACCEPTING ones. Try to find a publisher that will ADVANCE you as well. Man we've been down that road many times before and decades ago. Has it changed? Curious but doubtful Yes, this is absolutely true. Remember, I have absolutely NOTHING at stake here. I provide my take, take it or leave it, and I'm not trying to ruin anybodys business - ESPECIALLY not fellow songwriters' business! Do I want to provide you with the links to prove my point? No, because 1) they are not that hard to find (do your own research) and 2) they WILL close down their open doors if they get swamped with 50.000 unrealistic submissions. Over here you can even submit music online to a&r with a MAJOR record company (yes, also for free), how's that for open doors? (it would not take you too long to find THAT; think Denmark, think major labels, think websites). I cannot recommend any of the available books on this subject, you have to do your own research. There's just no way around that. I know others that have had success building relationships with cold calling too. Nothing new under the hood really. It's called making business relationships or marketing. Communicating in that genre can be learned from books. It's all about relationships with publishers, producers and artists. Blazetrack got that right, IMO. But if your music is not up to par (sounds on the edge contemporary in broadcast quality), don't bother (of course I know yours ARE, Mike! but this is a public forum). I'm guessing that folks who are buying into deals like Blazetrack are folks who doesn't have that type of music, and think others may want what they have. Unfortunately the market doesn't work that way. You either have it or you don't. They either want it or they won't. Music is subjective, but not THAT subjective! Bottom line for me is: when you pay for having folks to listen with no real opportunity offered, you basically ruin the market mechanism, and you can't trust the feedback on your music anymore. Good feedback is not in what people SAY, it's in what they DO (risk something of their own for yours, like in contracts and stuff :-). So, what's your win?
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 8,463
Top 20 Poster
|
Top 20 Poster
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 8,463 |
Kudos to Ron from Blazetrak to come on here and defend himself from us vultures who traditionally stick up for the poor songwriters and musicians who forever seem to be chased by companies wanting them to part with what little money they have. You have my deepest respect for that. Some people will see the Blazetrak service as a valuable thing with possibly a pot of gold at the end for some artists etc....others see it as cashing in on a wannabes desire for recognition. Either way it is bound to be a success perhaps only just for Ron and his cohorts. Time will tell. OK some guy got spotted and may hit the big time because of Blazetrak.......but I would like to think that these people probably would make it in any case the conventional way. Sadly we are in a situation where the next star could be the talentless girl next door who can barely sing in tune......cause she posted a song on Youtube about the days of the week. Is it any surprsie that the wannabes will try anything to get a sniff at success.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,827
Top 50 Poster
|
Top 50 Poster
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,827 |
Getting you closer...ok Ron if you say so..who came second in the 100metres olympic final?...they were close,how close is close Ron,it is just an experience for these guys,they still have to burn a lot of midnight oil,i still say it,there are no short cuts,it's a long winding road,Blazetrack may be innovative,but don't know?see that young guys video response,hmmn,if i were you i would'nt use that as an example,didn't come across as totally convincing,mybe it's just me,but it didn't sound to me especially by his body language,as if he was totally blown away...Anyway,All the Best...Terry.. he is an 18 year old kid, sorry that he didnt give an oscar winning performance. The fact reamins that he is now represented by a highly respected LA manager, Has already worked and collabed with several KNOWN artists, songwriters and producers, made his first visit to the US, drove around in a Ferrai in LA (he was bragging about that on twitter, lol), and sat courtside at a LAKERS game. All for the bargain price of $50 Is that close enough for you? And what do u mean there are no shortcuts? This business is littered with shortcuts and luck? What hard work did Justin Bieber do? Putting a video on Youtube...Im sure a lot of work went into that. So, his manager is paying for all this ? Just asking..... it would be a little strange for the manager to pay the talent .... oh but wait a minute, .... The Ferrari line really sums it all up for me. LOL It's a great phycological give away of smoke and mirrors. Can Blazetrack please provide the successful referral percentage ? Taxi, for example quotes a 3-5% random chance ratio. As to business models, please compare Blazetrack to industry professional publishers such as www.musicdealers.com which has no sucker,..... er I mean..... entry fee for submissions. Oops, I forgot, it's not about submissions, it's about driving Ferrari's and going to Lakers games. *bangs head on desk* cheers, niteshift
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 8,463
Top 20 Poster
|
Top 20 Poster
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 8,463 |
Nite it is the very expression "business model" that sums up the whole business nowadays.....whatever happend to passionate musical people who were really into putting out great music by truly talented people and could not care less if they made zillions just as long as they could make great records. They have been replaced by people who are not in the slightest interested in music but are interested in having a succesful business model which makes tons of money...making great records is not essential...heck in most cases not even required. Any cute kid will do...."now son stand in front of that camera..... does not make any difference if you cannot sing...our techies will cover it in the studio.....cant write a song?..... does not matter we will cover it with sound effects etc...our techies have that off to a fine art. lets make you a star......you will be forgotton in six weeks but hey we all make tons of money meanwhile" Sadly all the other kids say well I am cute and I can sing just as badly as Justin Bieber so I deserve a shot. That is not a business model it is a scam....I do not want any part of that. I remember the days when record producers agents etc had a reputation for only signing the best and went to great lengths to discover only the best. You had to be top drawer and have served an apprenticeship before being discovered. Sadly that no longer happens. The cute kid next door COULD EASILY be the next star FOR ALL THE TALENT AND EXPERIENCE THAT IS NEEDED NOWADAYS. The bar has been set so low that just about anybody can easily jump over it....with the right help and backing.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 70
Serious Contributor
|
Serious Contributor
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 70 |
Getting you closer...ok Ron if you say so..who came second in the 100metres olympic final?...they were close,how close is close Ron,it is just an experience for these guys,they still have to burn a lot of midnight oil,i still say it,there are no short cuts,it's a long winding road,Blazetrack may be innovative,but don't know?see that young guys video response,hmmn,if i were you i would'nt use that as an example,didn't come across as totally convincing,mybe it's just me,but it didn't sound to me especially by his body language,as if he was totally blown away...Anyway,All the Best...Terry.. he is an 18 year old kid, sorry that he didnt give an oscar winning performance. The fact reamins that he is now represented by a highly respected LA manager, Has already worked and collabed with several KNOWN artists, songwriters and producers, made his first visit to the US, drove around in a Ferrai in LA (he was bragging about that on twitter, lol), and sat courtside at a LAKERS game. All for the bargain price of $50 Is that close enough for you? And what do u mean there are no shortcuts? This business is littered with shortcuts and luck? What hard work did Justin Bieber do? Putting a video on Youtube...Im sure a lot of work went into that. So, his manager is paying for all this ? Just asking..... it would be a little strange for the manager to pay the talent .... oh but wait a minute, .... The Ferrari line really sums it all up for me. LOL It's a great phycological give away of smoke and mirrors. Can Blazetrack please provide the successful referral percentage ? Taxi, for example quotes a 3-5% random chance ratio. As to business models, please compare Blazetrack to industry professional publishers such as www.musicdealers.com which has no sucker,..... er I mean..... entry fee for submissions. Oops, I forgot, it's not about submissions, it's about driving Ferrari's and going to Lakers games. *bangs head on desk* cheers, niteshift its pretty funny how you manage to pick and choose what to focus on in my statement. You poke fun at the Ferrai and Lakers comment (which was made in jest on my part anyway), but gloss over and ignore the point that he is actually working with mainstream artists now (actual work), which is what this whole thing is supposed to be about. Who is paying for all of this for him, i dont have the slightest idea, nor do i care or does it matter. What matters is 10 months ago, he was sitting behind a desk in an accounting class at a community college in London with dreams of one day coming to the US to work as a producer. He spent $50, and made a connection the lead to him coming to LA to work in the studio with the likes of Dave Aude and Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls. Maybe you dont think he is in a better position now than he was, maybe you think Nicole and Dave suck as artists and musicians (or dont even know who they are) and none of this will amount to anything for him, maybe you are just bitter because he took a "shortcut" to get to place that people (or yourself) spend their whole lives trying to get to (working with a major artist) and you dont think he deseres it. The truth is it really doesnt matter what you think because you did not use the service, he did, and he is pleased with the result. In regards to a successful referral percentage, i haven't run the numbers but obviously it is very low, most people just are not good enough and those are the facts. Less then 1% of all college athletes go onto to play pro sports, does that mean people should not play college ball if their goal is to play pro?? Of course it doesnt, you put yourself on the line and hope you make it knowing that you probably wont. Here is a percentage i can give you: the percentage of complaints we recieved from people who did NOT make a connection....ZERO! Sure people may not like to hear that their music just isnt that good, no one likes to hear that, but they appreciate the fact that it came from someone they respect or admire, and they appreciate the time and the advice that came along with it to help them potentially improve. We are giving people the chance to get their creations into the hands of people you cant just call up, you cant email, you cant just go knock on a door and have their undivded attention. Actually we guarantee it! There is a fee for this guarantee. You wanna send some music to an a&r in Denmark for free that you found online who may or may not respond?... be my guest, knock yourself out. When is the last time an a&r in Denmark won 3 Grammys, or had a #1 Billboard hit (hot 100), or sold 30 million records worldwide? Blazetrak is not for everyone, and we never intended it to be. If you have the connections, networking ability, know how, and access to people like we have for free, then you are in GREAT shape and congrats to you, u dont need us. If you have $50 in the bank and its either make a submission or eat, please go buy a sandwich. If you live in the middle of nowhere, you dont have any access, you dont know who to talk to or how to get yourself out there, you tried other avenues that dont seem to be working for you, you have a little extra money, a dream and talent, then give us a try. you never know what might happen. Cheers!
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 883
Serious Contributor
|
Serious Contributor
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 883 |
Mike, I remember when it was $30 or 35.00? (US)
I have to check out how much it is here Under Intelligence Property.
Petra
Invasion of Aliens!!!
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 10,941 Likes: 3
Top 10 Poster
|
Top 10 Poster
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 10,941 Likes: 3 |
...Thanks Kev I knew that and wasn't worried. But even at $35 remember, if you have a new song and a deadline of a submission are you gonna wait to finish 10 other songs to copyright them all together to save money? And lose the submission or do you take care of that one your sending out? That answer is easy... You pay! $35 a song! How and why is copyright registration tangled up in all this? I got lost on that one. Kevin
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 883
Serious Contributor
|
Serious Contributor
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 883 |
I don't know Kevin,
Forums take all kinds of twists and turns like a winding road.
Like everyday life, you start out to do something and you get sidetracked.
Peta
Invasion of Aliens!!!
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 883
Serious Contributor
|
Serious Contributor
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 883 |
I don't know Kevin,
Forums take all kinds of twists and turns like a winding road.
Like everyday life, you start out to do something and you get sidetracked.
Peta
Invasion of Aliens!!!
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 883
Serious Contributor
|
Serious Contributor
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 883 |
I don't know Kevin,
Forums take all kinds of twists and turns like a winding road.
Like everyday life, you start out to do something and you get sidetracked.
Peta
Invasion of Aliens!!!
|
|
|
We would like to keep the membership in Just Plain Folks FREE! Your donation helps support the many programs we offer including Road Trips and the Music Awards.
|
|
Forums117
Topics125,717
Posts1,160,950
Members21,470
|
Most Online37,523 Jan 25th, 2020
|
|
"If one man can do it, any man can do it. It is true. But the real question is, if one man did it, are you willing to do what it takes to do it as well?" –Brian Austin Whitney
|
|
|
|