Do you make music? If so, create a profile as an Artist. Do you have a passion for music but no interest in having a career in music? If so, create a Fan profile. Are you an agent, manager, promoter, publicist, talent buyer, venue owner, or any other music related professional working in the industry? If so, please create an Industry Professional profile.

OurStage recognizes that Artists, Fans, and Industry Professionals all have very different needs and interests. By selecting the profile that describes you best, you help us personalize your OurStage experience. We'll tell you about things that are meaningful to you and we'll spare you the stuff that's not.

When we say somewhat, we mean that we take care of serving up the material in a fair and unbiased fashion. We are watching very carefully to make sure that each item in the channel gets equal exposure--we guarantee that. Whether that happens in a particular judging session, though, is another matter.

Depending on how much our users like something (rank it favorably), and how long they want to keep on ranking, the ranking engine will try to get the user to discriminate how much more an item is liked over other ranked items, and thus, the reason why users may see what appears to them as the same item coming up during several battles.

Our site users who judge cannot request what material they will be served to judge. During judging they have to view or play the material served, and at a minimum, they have to screen an item for 15 seconds each before they can rank one item over another.

Then, all of the rankings from all of the users are taken together and the ranking engine bubbles up the best items to the top!

Check out the top ranked artists in our Channels, meet Fans, Friends, and Artists, and most importantlyJoin Marketplace. When you join Marketplace, you gain access to over 45,000 artists complete with their fan following. Post your gigs and select new acts based on their Mojo rating a numeric indicator of their talent and fan appeal. You can also post your events calendar on Marketplace and promote your shows to the entire OurStage community.

Marketplace is a networking arena that connects artists with talent buyers at all types of venues. In other words, it's an easy way to find and book more gigs for yourself or your band.

Use it to get more gigs, greater exposure, and make your life easier. With Marketplace, you can instantly send your free EPK (showcasing all your best songs, videos, press, photos, and more) to venues looking for talent like you. Flaunt your Mojo (a number you earn by uploading to our Channels and competing in our contest) to show them you can draw a crowd. Marketplace increases your exposure by letting venues search for you. When talent buyers plug in the kind of artist they want, your name and information could pop up. Talk about getting yourself out there!

All you need to use Marketplace is a profile. When you register on OurStage and activate your account (using the link we email you), you automatically get a profile. So if you haven't registered or activated, do that now. Then just click on Marketplace in the menu bar at the top of the screen and get rolling.

First, enter the Marketplace by logging in to your OurStage account and clicking on the Marketplace link in the menu bar at the top of the screen. Now you can search for gigs by name or by adjusting the filters under the gig name search. If you're using the filters, you can specify your preference for genre and location; Press the search button to see all the gigs that are perfect for you.

The best way to sell yourself to a talent buyer is to email them your electronic press kit (EPK). EPKs are free on OurStage-- If you don't already have one, go to How do I create an EPK? and get started. When you've got an EPK, it's really easy to apply to gigs. From the detail page of your chosen gig, just click the Submit My EPK' button in the description header. You can add a personal note along with your EPK submission if you choose. When you're ready to put yourself out there, just click Apply. The talent buyer will receive an email alerting them that you've applied. To help you keep track of your pending submissions, every gig you apply for is saved under My Gigs' in Marketplace.

We like to keep you in the loop as much as possible. As soon as the venue reviews your application, we'll let you know. You can also look under 'My Gigs' in Marketplace (under the 'Applied' tab) at any time to see if the venue has reviewed your application and if so, whether they are 'Interested,' 'Not Interested,' or have already requested to book you. If they do book you for the show, you'll receive a congratulatory email alert. In order to confirm that you accept this booking request, CLICK ON THE LINK PROVIDED in the email.

Every artist gets a Mojo rating based primarily on where the fans rank them in our Channels. Other factors that figure into the Mojo rating are: number of Fans, number of Friends and number of media uploads as well as EPK completeness. On Marketplace, venues can use the Mojo rating to help them identify artists with a proven ability to draw a crowd.

To get a Mojo rating, register on OurStage and activate your account using the link we email you. From there, all you have to do is create a free EPK from your profile page and activate it. To get a positive Mojo rating, just click "View My EPK" from your profile and click the "Activate My EPK" link.

Go to your profile page to see your current Mojo rating displayed on your dashboard.

Improve your Mojo rating by competing actively on OurStage. The better your ranking in Channel contests, the greater your Mojo, and the more likely you are to be hired. Fans are also key. Make sure you recruit as many Fans as possible to ensure prospective venues that you can draw a good crowd. One more thing you can do: keep your profile and your EPK packed to the limit with your latest tracks, press clippings, photos, videos, and performance dates. Always look your best, because you never know when you'll be discovered.

Before you do anything remember that fairness, honesty, and trust are key in the venue/artist relationship to OurStage, so please be sure that your cancellation is absolutely necessary. If it is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY, artists canceling a previously accepted offer must provide the venue with a minimum of five weeks notice prior to their scheduled appearance. Venues must be contacted via phone and/ or email. It is understood that artist performances are subject to detention by sickness, accident, riot, strikes, epidemic, acts of God or other legitimate conditions beyond their control. OurStage reserves the right to suspend or delete accounts of any parties found abusing the cancellation feature of Marketplace.

Marketplace is a networking arena that connects venue talent buyers with fresh talent. It's an easy and efficient way to find artists that draw the best crowd for your venue.

Marketplace can simplify and streamline the process of finding rising artists in your area and beyond. Post a gig on Marketplace specifying the kind of artist you're looking for, and sit back and wait for the right artist to come to you.

Better yet, Marketplace helps you choose artists based on their Mojo: a numeric indicator of their talent and fan following, and recommends other artists that may also suit your needs. Everything you need to keep your venue buzzing with rising talent and surging crowds is provided by Marketplace.

All you need to use Marketplace is a venue profile. When you register on OurStage and activate your account (using the link we email you), you automatically get a profile. So if you haven't registered or activated, do that now. Then just click on Marketplace in the menu bar at the top of the screen and start booking some new talent.

Register as a venue on OurStage and we'll contact you right away to validate your registration information. Once that's done, your account will be activated and you can create a venue profile. Make sure you fill in all the information you can, including a description of your venue, press reviews if you have them, and your contact information.

When you log in and click on Marketplace at the top of the screen, you'll be able to see a list of your current gigs. To list a new gig, click the Add a Gig button at right and begin filling in the details. When you've specified the kind of music and performer(s) you're looking for, you can either preview it, save it as a draft, publish it to the site, or cancel the listing altogether. Publishing it to the site will allow all OurStage artists to search for, view, and apply for your gig.

You will receive notice by email when artists apply for your gigs. View all of your new applicants at once by clicking on the name of your gig in Marketplace and selecting the 'New Applicants' folder tab. Click on the artist image to view their EPK or Fan Club, see their Mojo rating, and play their stuff to determine what kind of talent they bring to the table.

Every artist gets a Mojo rating based primarily on where the fans rank them in our Channels. Other factors that figure into the Mojo rating are: number of Fans, number of Friends and number of media uploads as well as EPK completeness. One of the major benefits of Marketplace is the Mojo rating because it allows you to identify artists with the biggest talent, fan following, and the most potential to fill your club.

OurStage artists can easily locate venues like yours by searching on Marketplace. They can search by keyword or by parameters like submission deadline, gig date, capacity, genre, number of band members, location, and venue type. When your venue comes up in their results, they can click on it to see all your open gigs.

Once you have found the best artist for the show, click on the 'Action' menu in the last column next to their name and select 'Book this Artist.' We'll send the artist an email message notifying them that they were chosen. After that, they move up to the 'Booked' section of your Marketplace profile. Their status in your 'Reviewed Applicants' tab is 'Pending' until they confirm acceptance. When you're ready to advance the show with the artist, you can do so by clicking the envelope icon next under their name within the booking block to send a message to the artist to sort out the details.

When your chosen artist clicks on the link to confirm a gig, he/she will be provided with the general terms and conditions of a live performance agreementthe most important one being that they show up to play. If you want a little more insurance, you can also add your own standard contract. If any issues arise, we can help. Just send an email to community@ourstage.com

Before you do anything remember that fairness, honesty, and trust are key in the venue/artist relationship to OurStage, so please be sure that your cancellation is absolutely necessary. If you ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO cancel, you must provide the artists previously booked a minimum of five weeks notice prior to their scheduled appearance. Artists must be contacted via phone and/ or email. OurStage reserves the right to suspend or delete accounts of any parties found abusing the cancellation feature of Marketplace.

The best way to make this process quicker and easier every time is to classify the artists you review. Click on the arrow next to the artist's image and select 'Favorite' for artists who impress you, 'Standby' for those you are unsure about, and 'Not For Me' for those who don't meet your standards. A corresponding icon will appear beneath their username for only you to see. 'Not For Me' artists will no longer appear as applicants for future gigsthis alone will save you valuable time. The next time you are booking a gig, all you have to do is click a box to see only those artists you have previously favorited or placed on standby.

You can always change your mind about an artist or their application. If you decide that you are in fact 'Interested' in an application you previously classified as 'No thanks,' simply find the artist in your 'Reviewed Applicants' folder and select the new classification from the Action menu at right. If you want to change a 'Standby' artist to a 'Favorite,' just click the arrow next to their profile image and reclassify them.

The percentages you see at the top when judging are a reflection of which track you selected as your favorite, and by how much you favored that item, as compared to other site users.

Sometimes the numbers may appear a little strange if one of the items in that battle was uploaded very recently - So don't worry if you feel like you were in too small a minority in your decision.

The agreement percentage you see after you judge a battle is an estimate that may include data from previous months' contests. This percentage is for entertainment purposes only and should not be used to infer channel ranking.

Here are some basic definitions of what our channels are like. This isn't meant to be comprehensive or too limiting, because it's art after all. It often defies being put into a box and given a name. But here are some guidelines to help you place your work. If the OurStage support team receives too many complaints about your work being in the wrong category, we may re-categorize your work. NOTE: Some songs may fit multiple categories. The OurStage community will flag a song if a better fit channel exists. Your entry may be moved to that channel as a result. If you have questions about where to enter your work, feel free to contact us at bestfit@ourstage.com and an expert at OurStage will tell you where they think it should go.

Blues

Electric Blues The electric blues is a type of blues music distinguished by the amplification of the guitar, bass guitar, drums, and sometimes the harmonica, often in the same vein as blues-rock but with an even greater emphasis on the blues sound. Electric blues is performed in several regional subgenres, such as Chicago blues, Texas blues and Memphis blues.

Country

Alternative Country Alternative country is a term used to describe a number of country music subgenres that tend to differ from mainstream or pop country music. The term is sometimes known as Alt. country and has included country music bands that have incorporated influences ranging from american roots music, bluegrass, rock & roll, rockabilly, acoustic music, americana, honky-tonk and punk rock.

Country Videos Submit a music video presentation that fits with the following genre definition: Country music (or country and western) is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. It has roots in traditional folk music, Celtic music, gospel music, and old-time music and evolved rapidly in the 1920s. Traditional CountryCountry music (or country and western) is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. It has roots in traditional folk music, Celtic music, gospel music, and old-time music and evolved rapidly in the 1920s

Electronic

Ambient / Chill Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality. Ambient evolved from the early 20th century music of the impressionists, composers such as John Cage, Morton Feldman and minimalist composers and early electronic composers of the 1960s and 1970s, to rock musician Brian Eno, who is responsible for coining the phrase ambient music in the manifesto liner notes of his 1979 album Ambient 1: Music for Airports.

Electronica Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing. The term was first used in the United States in the early 1990s with regards to post-rave global-influenced electronic dance music. Genres such as techno, drum and bass, downtempo, and ambient are among those encompassed by the umbrella term, entering the American mainstream from "alternative" or "underground" venues during the late 1990s. Prior to the adoption of electronica for this purpose, terms such as electronic listening music, and intelligent dance music (IDM) were used.

Experimental Experimental music refers, in the English-language literature, to a compositional tradition which arose in the mid-twentieth century, particularly in North America, and whose most famous and influential exponent was John Cage (Grant 2003, 174). More loosely, the term is used to describe music within specific genres that pushes against their boundaries or definitions, or else whose approach is a hybrid of disparate styles, or incorporates unorthodox, new, distinctly unique ingredients.

Folk

Acoustic Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means. The retronym "acoustic music" appeared after the advent of electric instruments, such as the electric guitar, bass guitar, electric organ and synthesizer.

New Folk The term folk music originated in the 19th century as a term for musical folk lore. It has been defined in several ways; as music transmitted by word of mouth, music of the lower classes, music with no known composer. It has been contrasted with commercial and classical styles. Since the middle of the 20th century the term has also been used to describe a kind of popular music that is based on traditional music. Subgenres include folk rock, electric folk and progressive folk music.

Singer-Songwriter (female) Singersongwriter is a term that refers to musicians who write, compose and sing their own material including lyrics and melodies. They often provide the sole accompaniment to an entire composition or song, typically using a guitar or piano. This specific channel allows for entries from female singer-songwriters only.

Singer-Songwriter (male) Singersongwriter is a term that refers to musicians who write, compose and sing their own material including lyrics and melodies. They often provide the sole accompaniment to an entire composition or song, typically using a guitar or piano. This specific channel allows for entries from male singer-songwriters only.

Heavy Rock

Hard Rock Hard rock is a sub-genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage and psychedelic rock and is considerably harder than conventional rock music. It is typified by a heavy use of distorted electric guitars, bass guitar, drums, pianos, and other keyboards

Hard Rock Video Submit a music video presentation that fits with the following genre definition: Hard rock or heavy rock is a sub-genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage and psychedelic rock and is considerably harder than conventional rock music. It is typified by a heavy use of distorted electric guitars, bass guitar, drums, pianos, and other keyboards.

Metal Metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in England and the United States. With roots in blues-rock and psychedelic rock, the bands that created heavy metal developed a thick, massive sound, characterized by highly amplified distortion, extended guitar solos, emphatic beats, and overall loudness. Heavy metal lyrics and performance styles are generally associated with masculinity and machismo.

Punk Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed the perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock. They created fast, hard-edged music, typically with short songs, stripped-down instrumentation, and often political, anti-establishment lyrics. Punk embraces a DIY (do it yourself) ethic, with many bands self-producing their recordings and distributing them through informal channels.

Instrumental

All Instrumental An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or any other sort of vocal music; all of the music is produced by musical instruments. This term is used when referring to popular music rather than to other musical genres such as European classical music. In commercial music, instrumental tracks are sometimes renditions of a corresponding release that features vocals, but may also be compositions originally conceived without vocals. An instrumental version of a song which otherwise features vocals is also known as a -1 (pronounced minus one).

International

Latin Latin American music refers to the music of all countries in Latin America (and the Caribbean) and comes in many varieties. Latin America is home to musical styles such as the simple, rural conjunto music of northern Mexico, the sophisticated habanera of Cuba, the rhythmic sounds of the Puerto Rican plena, the symphonies of Heitor Villa-Lobos, and the simple and moving Andean flute. Music has played an important part recently in Latin America's politics, the nueva cancin movement being a prime example. Latin music is very diverse, with the only truly unifying thread being the use of Latin-derived languages, predominantly the Spanish language, the Portuguese language in Brazil, and to a lesser extent, Latin-derived creole languages such as those found in Haiti.

World The term World Music includes traditional music (sometimes called folk music or roots music) of any culture that are created and played by indigenous musicians or that are "closely informed or guided by indigenous music of the regions of their origin,"[1] including Western music (e. g. Celtic music). Most typically, the term World Music has now replaced folk music as a shorthand description for the very broad range of recordings of traditional indigenous music and song from around the world.

Pop

Indie Pop Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s such as Orange Juice and Josef K and the dominant UK independent band of the mid eighties, The Smiths. While the term 'indie' had been used for some time to describe artists on independent labels (and the labels themselves), the key moment in the naming of the genre was the release of NME's C86 tape in 1986. Although featuring a wide range of bands including Primal Scream, The Pastels, and The Shop Assistants, it over time became shorthand for a genre known by a variety of terms. Initially it was dubbed 'C86' (after the tape itself), the more ambiguous Indiepop, Cutie or a term coined by John Peel: shambling bands. Retrospectively, especially in the United States, the terms Twee or Twee Pop were used, initially ironically, due to what commentators called the "revolt into childhood" of its followers. Musically its key characteristics were jangling guitars, a love of sixties pop and often fey, innocent lyrics. The UK label Sarah Records and its most popular band The Field Mice, although more diverse than the label indicates, were probably its most typical proponents. It was also inspired by the DIY scene of punk and there was a thriving fanzine, label and club and gig circuit. Scenes later developed in the United States particularly around labels such as K Records. Genres such as Riot Grrrl and bands as diverse as Nirvana, Manic Street Preachers, and Belle and Sebastian have all acknowledged its influence.

Pop Videos Submit a music video presentation that fits with the following genre definition: Pop music is a music genre that features a noticeable rhythmic element, melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and a conventional structure.

Jazz

Nu Jazz Nu jazz is an umbrella term coined in the late 1990s to refer to music that blends jazz elements with other musical styles, such as funk, soul, electronic dance music, and free improvisation. Also written n-jazz or NuJazz, it is sometimes called electronic jazz, electro-jazz, e-jazz, jazztronica, jazz house, phusion, "neo-jazz" or future jazz.

Rock

Alternative Alternative rock (also called alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative; known primarily in the UK as indie) is a genre of rock music that emerged in the 1980s and became widely popular in the 1990s. Alternative rock consists of various subgenres that have emerged from the independent music scene since the 1980s, such as grunge, Britpop, gothic rock, and indie pop. These genres are unified by their collective debt to the style and/or ethos of punk rock, which laid the groundwork for alternative music in the 1970s. At times alternative rock has been used as a catch-all phrase for rock music from underground artists in the 1980s, and all music descended from punk rock (including punk itself, New Wave, and post-punk).

Classic Rock Classic rock was originally conceived as a radio station programming format which evolved from the album oriented rock (AOR) format in the early-1980s. In the United States, this rock music format now features a large playlist of songs ranging from the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s, with some stations including a limited number of current releases. The classic rock genre allows for music of these time periods or music that attempts to re-create the style of these time periods.

Funk Funk is an American musical style that originated in the mid to late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, soul jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk "de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums" to the foreground. Funk songs are often based on an extended vamp on a single chord, distinguishing it from R&B and Soul songs centered around chord progressions.

Indie Rock Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that primarily exists in the independent underground music scene. Indie rock musicians are typically unsigned, or have signed to independent record labels, rather than major record labels. Genres or subgenres often associated with indie rock include lo-fi, post-rock, sadcore, C86, and math rock, to list but a few; other related (and sometimes overlapping) categories include shoegazing and indie pop. Indie rock artists place a premium on maintaining complete control of their music and careers, releasing albums on independent record labels (sometimes their own) and relying on touring, word-of-mouth, and airplay on independent or college radio stations for promotion. Some end up moving to major labels, often on favorable terms won by their prior independent success.

Indie Rock Video Submit a music video presentation that fits with the following genre definition: Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that primarily exists in the independent underground music scene. Indie rock musicians are typically unsigned, or have signed to independent record labels, rather than major record labels. Genres or subgenres often associated with indie rock include lo-fi, post-rock, sadcore, C86, and math rock, to list but a few; other related (and sometimes overlapping) categories include shoegazing and indie pop. Indie rock artists place a premium on maintaining complete control of their music and careers, releasing albums on independent record labels (sometimes their own) and relying on touring, word-of-mouth, and airplay on independent or college radio stations for promotion. Some end up moving to major labels, often on favorable terms won by their prior independent success.

Modern Rock Modern rock is a term commonly used to describe a rock music format found on American commercial radio. Generally beginning with late 1970s punk but referring especially to rock music since the 1980s, the phrase "modern rock" is used to differentiate the music from "classic rock", which focuses on music recorded in the 1960s through the early 1980s. More specifically, the modern rock format consists of commercial radio stations that primarily play alternative rock. As such, the format is also frequently called alternative radio.

Soft Rock Soft rock (also referred to as mellow rock, light rock, or easy rock) is a style of music which uses the techniques of rock and roll (often combined with elements from folk rock and singer-songwriter pop) to compose a softer, more toned-down sound for listening, often at work or when driving. Soft rock songs generally tend to focus on themes like love, everyday life and relationships. The genre tends to make heavy use of acoustic guitars, pianos, synthesizers and sometimes saxophones. The electric guitars in soft rock are normally faint and high-pitched.

Southern Rock Southern rock is a subgenre of rock music. It developed in the Southern United States from rock and roll, country music, and blues, and is focused generally on electric guitar and vocals.

R & B

Contemporary R & B Contemporary R&B (also known as R&B) is a music genre of western popular music. Although the acronym R&B originates from its association with traditional rhythm and blues music, the term R&B is today most often used to define a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in the 1980s. This newer style combines elements of soul, funk, dance, and, from 1986 on with the advent of New Jack Swing branded R&B, hip hop.

Soul Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of funky, secular testifying." The genre occasionally uses improvisational additions, twirls and auxiliary sounds. Catchy rhythms, stressed by handclaps and extemporaneous body moves, are an important feature. Other characteristics are a call and response between the soloist and the chorus, and an especially tense vocal sound.

Spiritual

Christian

Urban

Alternative Hip-Hop Alternative Hip-Hop refers to Hip-Hop groups that refuse to conform to any of the traditional stereotypes of rap, such as gangsta, bass, hardcore, and party rap. Instead, they blur genres - drawing from funk and pop/rock, as well as jazz, soul and reggae.

Hip-Hop Hip-hop is a cultural movement which developed in New York City in the early 1970s primarily among African Americans and Latin Americans. Hip hop's four main elements are MCing (often called rapping), DJing, graffiti writing, and breakdancing. Other elements include beatboxing, hip hop fashion, and slang. Since first emerging in the Bronx, the lifestyle of hip hop culture has spread around the world.

Hip-Hop Videos Submit a music video presentation that fits with the following genre definition: Hip hop music is a musical genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with backing beats. Hip hop music is part of hip hop culture, which began in the Bronx, in New York City in the 1970s, predominantly among African Americans and Puerto Ricans. The term rap music is often used synonymously with hip hop music.

Rap Rapping (also known as emceeing, MCing, spitting (bars), or just rhyming) is the rhythmic spoken delivery of rhymes, wordplay, and poetry. Rapping is a primary ingredient in hip hop music. Rapping can be delivered over a beat or without accompaniment. Stylistically, rap occupies a gray area among speech, prose, poetry, and song.

Other

Cover Bands A cover band (or covers band) is a band that plays mostly or exclusively cover songs. Other common terms are wedding band, party band and function band.Cover bands play songs written and recorded by other artists, usually well-known songs (as compared to "original" bands which play music they themselves have written). There are a wide variety of cover bands - some cover bands play material from particular decades, for example a 1980s cover band. Others focus exclusively on the music of a particular group, usually iconic groups, and are called tribute bands: it is not uncommon to find Led Zeppelin tribute bands, Pink Floyd tribute bands, Aerosmith tribute bands, or U2 tribute bands. Some cover bands will play a variety of song styles, of widely different artists, genres and decades. Another type of cover band is one that covers songs in a different genre or style than that of the original composition (e.g., jazz versions of what were originally hard rock songs).

Live Performance Videos is for videos of live performances of bands of all genres, from bars, music festivals, shows, or anyplace else!

Hip-Hop Music Videos is for videos made for additional entertainment for a hip-hop song, whether of a band's performance or a narrative to go with the song or whatever the artist's imagination creates.

Pop Music Videos is for music videos from our Pop, R&B, and other related channels as they best fit.

Rock Music Videos is for videos from the Rock, Southern Rock, Indie Rock, Indie Pop, Reggae, and other nearby channels.

Hard Rock Music Videos is for music videos from the Hard Rock, Punk, Hardcore Rock, Alt. Rock, Metal, and Death Metal channels.

Roots Music Videos encompasses any music from the Country/Folk/Americana genres, music with an "old time" feel, or traditional roots music such as bluegrass and blues.

For video:
To avoid having your video file go through a transcoder, the file should be in .flv format (flash video) with a data rate at or below 300 kbits/sec. [Sum total of 428 kbits/sec for both audio and video on the one file.] Preferred size is 480x360 pixels. No need to letterbox since we do this.
Other file formats we support are: wmv, avi, dv, mpg, mpg4, mov, 3gp, 3gp2, m4v, mp4 or asf format, but these need to go thru a transcoder at upload time.
Because of the transcoding, it is critical that you preview/run your file after uploading it, to make sure it still plays as you want it to-- check color/brightness, aspect ratio and audio sync.