What is ISC?

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What is ISC?

The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) is an annual song contest whose mission is to provide the opportunity for both aspiring and established songwriters to have their songs heard in a professional, international arena. ISC is designed to nurture the musical talent of songwriters on all levels and promote excellence in the art of songwriting. Amateur and professional songwriters and musicians are invited to participate. ISC has the most prestigious panel of judges of all the songwriting and music contests in the world, offering exposure and the opportunity to have your songs heard by the most influential decision-makers in the music industry.

Over $150,000 in cash & prizes shared by 66 winners!

ISC is a great opportunity for songwriters, musicians, and performers to win cash and prizes, further their music careers, and gain recognition and exposure in the music industry.

PRIZES:

• Overall Grand Prize Winner - $25,000 cash (U.S.) and $20,000 in prizes
• First Place Winners in each category - $3,000 in prizes
• Second Place Winners in each category - $2,000 in prizes
• Third Place winners in each category– $1,000 in prizes
• Peoples' Voice Online Voting (the public will be the judge and cast its vote for its favorite song from all the finalists) – $1,500 in prizes

Categories include: AAA (Adult Album Alternative), Adult Contemporary (AC), Americana, Blues, Children's Music, Comedy/Novelty, Country, Dance/Electronica, Folk/Singer-Songwriter, Gospel/Christian, Instrumental, Jazz, Latin Music, Lyrics Only, Music Video, Performance, Pop/Top 40, R&B/Hip-Hop, Rock, Teen, World Music, and Unsigned Only. Entrants may submit as many songs as they wish - in the same category or in multiple categories.

Depending on the category, submissions are judged on the basis of the following criteria: Creativity, Originality, Lyrics, Melody, and Arrangement

Production/Recording quality and vocal ability are not criteria.

In addition to cash and merchandise prizes, winners benefit from a multilateral promotional campaign designed to give international exposure and attention to their songwriting achievements. The Grand Prize winner and First Place winners (except for Lyrics Only and Music Video) will also be included on the ISC Compilation CD distributed to music industry professionals including publishers, record label executives, film and tv music supervisors, and media.

ISC Winners Get Signed

Do you have a record deal? ISC grand prize winners do
Winning ISC has been a career changer for many entrants...including ISC Grand Prize winners Gin Wigmore (New Zealand), Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall (Australia), and King Charles (UK). Since winning ISC, they have all been signed to major label record deals (Island, Univeral Motown, Epic, and Universal Republic) and have gone on to achieve greater success in every facet of their career. ISC is proud of their accomplishments and gratified to be a catalyst in helping them move their careers forward.
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Gin Wigmore - 2004 Grand Prize Winner Gin Wigmore
2004 Grand Prize Winner Gin Wigmore is the Grand Prize Winner ISC most takes credit for. When Gin entered ISC back in 2004, she was only 16 years old and had only done a handful of open mics in her hometown in New Zealand. Her ISC winning song, "Hallelujah," was written when she was only 15 years old and is a beautiful and poignant song about her father who died of cancer. When the competition results were announced, Gin was the Grand Prize winner, and from then on, her life truly changed. Gin went from a complete unknown to a sought-after artist and songwriter - with the direct help of ISC.

Industry exec Michael Taylor explains, "I first heard of Gin Wigmore from her song "Hallelujah," on the ISC compilation CD of winners. I was A&R Senior Director at Epic Records in New York at the time. She won first place - and was an unsigned artist at the time. When I took the job running Island Records Australia, Gin and I met again, and it was evident she was ready to make an album and be an artist full time. Gin's unique style of songwriting has always been the standout element of her artistry to me. The ISC has shown itself to be a very important badge of honour for winners on a worldwide scale."

Michael signed her to Island Records Australia. Since then, she has toured extensively, recorded a debut album Holy Smoke, (with The Cardinals of Ryan Adams & The Cardinals fame), charted in Australia and the US, and become a critic's darling. Her most recent achievement is scooping the NZ Music Awards, winning four awards (including Album Of The Year), and going 4x platinum in NZ. Holy Smoke has now been released in the US on Universal Motown.

Kate Miller-Heidke - 2008 Grand Prize Winner Kate Miller-Heidke
2008 Grand Prize Winner Classically trained Aussie artist Kate Miller-Heidke has followed a career in alternative pop music. Kate and Keir Nuttall (her guitarist and co-writer) are the ISC 2008 Grand Prize winners.

Their winning song, "Caught In The Crowd," is a pull-at-the-heartstrings pop song that addresses the issue of childhood bullying. With this song, Kate and Keir made history as the first Australians to win the Grand Prize in ISC. Prior to winning ISC, Kate had enjoyed a lot of success in Australia, winning multiple ARIA and APRA awards and charting on the radio with her Sony albums Little Eve and Curiouser.

Since winning ISC, her career has now been launched in the US. Bill Cullin, her manager, explains, "Since winning the grand prize in the ISC, Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall's careers have come a long way internationally. Soon after the win, Ben Folds invited them to open on two tours in the US, they have played five Lilith Fair dates, and performed at Coachella. Epic Records signed Kate in the middle of 2010 and are in the process of relaunching her previously independently released album Curiouser. The ISC win has proved to be the perfect launchpad."
King Charles - 2009 Grand Prize Winner King Charles
2009 Grand Prize Winner ISC's newest Grand Prize winner is King Charles of London, England. Gloriously unique and flamboyantly poetic, King Charles began making music seriously in 2005. Earlier as a boy, he learned the cello, sang in the school choir, and took up guitar, listening to Dylan who he says "made the world bigger for me." After a year at university, he returned to London, without a degree, but with a new moniker, King Charles. He formed a band and soon was on the road touring. The ISC winning song, "Love Lust," demonstrates his keenly original artistry. Since winning ISC in 2009, he has been signed to Universal Republic.

The record deal was done in partnership with King Charles' current label, UK indie Mi7 Records. Managing Director James Barnett stated, "We've been overwhelmed with major label and publishing interest since the win and we're very much looking forward to working with Universal Republic in the US and Island in the UK." Commenting on the deal, Universal Republic CEO (and ISC judge) Monte Lipman said: "With extraordinary acts like Florence And The Machine and Mumford & Sons now breaking in America, there is no doubt that King Charles will only drive the British invasion into pop culture even further." King Charles' debut album is due for release next year, and he is currently supporting Mumford & Sons on their US tour. Onstage at a recent show, King Charles proclaimed that "winning ISC gave my career a major kick-in-the-butt boost."
In addition to these artists, many other Grand Prize winners and category winners have gone on to greater success and many accomplishments.

Catie Curtis, ISC's 2005 Grand Prize winner now signed to Compass, has established herself as one of the very finest singer/songwriters on the scene. She has created a dedicated following that has grown steadily over the course of her 15-year career. She has produced 10 albums, the most recent being Hello Stranger released last year.

Edward Glumov, ISC's 2008 Grand Prize winner, hails from Kazakhstan. The winning song, "I'm Not Your Friend," was co-written with lyricist Z. Mulls. After winning ISC, Edward came to the US for the first time and spent a month in Nashville, making a record. During his stay, he procured a publishing deal with PeerMusic for his winning song. Edward said, "winning the ISC Grand Prize helped me to open the doors."

ISC wishes the Grand Prize winners all the best with their careers and is proud to be a part of their success.
ISC Still Accepting Entries For 2010

The ISC deadline has been extended to December 3, so there is still time to enter. Go to www.songwritingcompetition.com for more info and an entry form. You can enter online, through the mail, or with your songs on MySpace.
Judges

Recording Artists: Peter Gabriel; Rihanna; Kings of Leon; Tom Waits; Ben Harper; Jeff Beck; Kelly Clarkson; Timbaland; Keane; McCoy Tyner; Ben Folds; Train; Robbie Williams; Joe Nichols; Michael W. Smith; John Scofield; Jerry Lee Lewis; Regina Spektor; Alejandro Sanz; Jeremy Camp; Terence Blanchard; Ray Wylie Hubbard; Montel Jordan; John Mayall; Craig Morgan; Jazmine Sullivan; DJ Tiësto; James Cotton; Sandra Bernhard; Robert Earl Keen; Baaba Maal; Wynonna; John Digweed; K'Naan; Adele; Black Francis (The Pixies); Robert Smith (The Cure); Chris Hillman (The Byrds); Darryl McDaniels (Run D.M.C.); Toots Hibbert (Toots & The Maytals); Matt Thiessen (Relient K); Chayanne; and Dan Zanes

Industry Executives: Monte Lipman (President, Universal Republic Records); Amanda Ghost (President, Epic Records); Rick Krim (Exec. VP, Talent & Music Programming, VH1); Brian Malouf (VP A&R, Walt Disney Records); Bruce Iglauer (Founder/President, Alligator Records); Angel Carrasco (Sr. VP A&R, Latin America, Sony/BMG); Ric Arboit (President, Nettwerk Music Group); Daniel Glass (Founder/CEO, Glassnote Entertainment Group); Cory Robbins (Founder/President, Robbins Entertainment); Dr. Demento (Radio Host, The Dr. Demento Show); Steve Lillywhite (Producer); Dan Storper (President, Putamayo World Music Records and Putumayo Kids); Lisa Ramsey Perkins (Sr. Director, A&R Sony Nashville); Kim Buie (VP A&R, Lost Highway); Leib Ostrow (CEO, Music For Little People); and Tommy Morris (Talent Coordinator, The Comedy Store)
Categories:

Pop/Top 40, AAA (Adult Album Alternative), R&B/Hip-Hop, Adult Contemporary (AC), Rock, Country, Folk/Singer-Songwriter, Americana, Blues, Jazz, Gospel/Christian, Latin Music, Instrumental, Dance/Electronica, Comedy/Novelty, World Music, Children's Music, Lyrics Only, Teen, Performance, Music Video, and Unsigned Only. Entrants may submit as many songs as they wish - in the same category or in multiple categories.
ISC "Crank Your Cred" Contest on Myspace

If you have a MySpace page and want to enter using your MySpace songs, ISC will go to your page and listen to your songs there. It's very easy! Also, as a bonus, every month ISC will pick two winners out of all the entrants who entered through MySpace that month. The winners will be promoted on ISC's website and featured in an ISC e-newsletter that goes out to over 400,000 musicians and industry professionals. Then, at the end of ISC, the monthly winners will go head-to-head in an online public vote, and the winner will win lots of cool prizes and mega promotion. ISC will definitely Crank Your Cred! Winners will of course also be entered into ISC and be eligible to share in $150,000 in cash and prizes as part of ISC.
Sponsor Spotlight
Sonicbids Sonicbids

Get Your Next Gig using Sonicbids. Find gig listings around the world from more than 19,000 promoters and licensors. Last year alone, more than 71,000 gigs were booked on Sonicbids. Whether you're a solo artist, songwriter or band, the Sonicbids Electronic Press Kit (EPKT) allows you to quickly and easily compile all of the info a promoter wants to see, and is the industry standard for finding and applying to gigs, including Musician's Friend No Cost listings, and tracking your band's buzz across the net. Go to www.sonicbids.com.
Disc Makers Disc Makers

Need CD or DVD manufacturing? Disc Makers has set the standard for over 62 years. Their manufacturing services provide the DIY musician retail-ready CDs in a matter of days. And with their Short-run website, you can make the exact number of discs you want, delivered in as few as 72 hours. They also offer custom-printed merchandise; web distribution packages; design, mastering, and authoring services; and a whole line of disc duplicators, blanks, and supplies if you're looking to bring manufacturing capabilities in house. Special Offer: Get their Complete Recording Guide Free! Click here to request yours today.
Industry Partners
Hello Music Hello Music

Hello Music is a digital A&R service dedicated to helping independent artists by pairing them with music industry opportunities ranging from live gigs to paid sync licenses, Internet radio play to free studio time. They are non-exclusive, and it's free to sign up and submit to all their opportunities. Every artist gets a free feedback report from their in-house A&R team who listen to every song they get. Their partners include Yahoo Music!, RootMusic, PlayNetwork, Tunecore, and more. They are currently looking for the next New Music Seminar "Artist on the Verge." Sign up today at www.hellomusic.com.
OnlineRock OnlineRock

OnlineRock provides tools and information to musicians who are looking for new ideas to promote their music. Founded in 1999 as an interactive music community, OnlineRock's visitors and members can learn about gear, products and services through interviews, reviews and downloads as well as giveaways, discussions and other music-related content. For more info, go to http://www.onlinerock.com.
ISC Sponsors: Martin Guitar, Berklee College Of Music, Disc Makers, D'Addario, Shure, Westone, Thayers,
Sonicbids, Taxi, Onlinegigs, ASCAP, SongU.com, Grooveshark, TuneCore, Aspen Brownie Works, The Music Business Registry, Independent Mastering, Indie Venue Bible, George Stein, Esq., music Submit, and Alphabet Arm Design
www.songwritingcompetition.com

www.myspace.com/isc

www.twitter.com/intlsongcomp

www.facebook.com/internationalsongwritingcompetition

Music Xray

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Scroll down to see this week's opportunities.
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Invite other artists and songwriters to try Music Xray and earn some cash!

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Featured Opportunity - Win a $50,000 Musicati Promotion Package For You & Your Music

Musicati will award a promotion package worth $50,000 across their network of jukeboxes located across the USA.
The promotion package will feature ad slates, video spots, tour dates and featured artist status on 20,000 Jukeboxes.
A&R judging is being conducted by Jim Powers and his team at MintyFresh Records.

Five finalists will be selected and sent to Musicati for final consideration. One Music Xray artist will be selected as the winner.

Runners up will receive alternative prizes and awards.

Click here to learn more about this opportunity.
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A few of the opportunities posted on the site in the past 7 days
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Gary Allan

Seeking songs for Gary Allan

Gary Allan is an American country music artist.

Signed to Decca Records in 1996, Allan made his debut on the United States country music scene with the release of his single "Her Man", the lead-off to his gold-certified debut album Used Heart for Sale, which was released in 1996 on Decca Records. A second album, It Would Be You, followed in 1998 on Decca. Allan's third album, Smoke Rings in the Dark, was his first album for MCA Nashville (to which he has been signed ever since) and the first platinum album of his career. Its successors, Alright Guy (2001) and See If I Care (2003), were all certified platinum as well, while 2005's Tough All Over and 2007's Greatest Hits were both certified gold. A seventh studio album, Living Hard, was released later in 2007.

Overall, Allan's seven studio albums and Greatest Hits package have produced twenty-four singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including three that reached Number One: "Man to Man" and "Tough Little Boys" in 2003, and "Nothing On but the Radio" in 2004. Seven more of his singles have reached the Top Ten on this chart as well: "Her Man", "It Would Be You", "Right Where I Need to Be", "The One", "Best I Ever Had" (a cover of a Vertical Horizon song), "Life Ain't Always Beautiful", and "Watching Airplanes". Allan's latest album, Get Off on the Pain, was released on March 9, 2010.

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Brian Bethke

Magazine/Print Reviews and Possible Label Roster Consideration

Promotion Music Records (PMR) is searching for happening new artists to be featured in our insider magazine.

"Promotion Music Magazine" is an internal music magazine sent to the top industry leaders and PMR's numerous music partners. The next issue will be released January 1st 2011.

For the first time PMR is allowing non-PMR artists and labels to be included. If you would like to be considered include a 100 word or less write-up about your band in the comments section when you submit your song. When you submit is is best to submit an existing music xray that includes a photograph and the more information that is included in the Music Xray song presentation pack the better.

We will not write your review for you so make sure it is no more than 100 words and include your website. If you are chosen to be featured you will be considered as an artist for our label, but there are no guarantees. Regardless -- this is a good opportunity for publicity for you (and your band.)

Deadline to submit is December 1st.

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Mynority

Call from Mynority for Interscope Records (Universal)

Artists & Songwriters (Seeking Material)

Alyssa Bernal
Vocals: Friendly, College/High School Song Topics
Music: Upbeat/Dance/Electronic/POP

Black Eyed Peas
Vocals: Anthems/ Feel Good Music/ Positive Message
Music: 808/ Rock Drums/ Arpeggiated Synths/ PADS

Ester Dean
Vocals: Painful/Emotional/ Very Powerful/Sad
Music: Rock/Piano/Guitars/Acoustic

Diddy - Dirty Money
Vocals: Party/Love/Drugs/Gangster
Music: Dance/Pop/Hip-Hop/808

Keri Hilson
Vocals: Female Driven Records/Love /Breakups
Music: Pop/R&B/Hip-Hop/Complex Melodies

Lady Gaga
Vocals: Dramatic/Theatrical/World
Music: Rock/Piano/Synth/808/Electronic

Pixie Lott
Vocals: Sweet/Sexy/Cute
Music: Acoustic Guitars/Rock Beats/Strings

Keke Palmer
Vocals: Disney/High-School Friendly Lyrics
Music: Pop/Rock/Urban

Nicole Scherzinger
Vocals: Sexy/Hot/Ballads
Music: Pop/Dance/Acoustic Guitar/Piano/808

Wale
Vocals: Feel Good/Knowledge/Male Driven Records
Music: Hip-Hop/GoGo/Rock/Urban

Click the headline of this post for more information....
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Scobie Ryder

Accepting Songs for Possible Publishing or Placement

I am looking for new music for various placement opportunities and for publishing. On my latest project I had a song placed on the Mentalist, a hit TV show on CBS. I am on the lookout to find quality songs and artists to work with on new projects. Send me your best song and if I like what I hear I will contact you for the next steps. Please send complete songs only for consideration and do not contact me directly.

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Sim Card

Critique Leading to Studio Time in South East Melbourne

Submit a song for me to listen to and I will give you a full critique. If I like what I hear and you are in the area we can setup some studio time together as well. I can also help you to mix your songs in my studio and give you pointers as well.

Sim is the producer and the man behind the scenes at Sim Studio. A creative writing/recording studio/production house located in Melbourne's South East. Sim has been composing and recording for over a decade. His style and approach to music is ever evolving and he draws inspiration from those talented artists around him. Equiped with a home studio and some cool instruments Sim continues to write fresh music constantly. Sim understands how hard it can be as an artist to get known so, Sim Studio is currently collaborating with upcoming artists helping them to achieve their goals in the music industry and get out quality recordings to their fans (Sim Studio is doing this as a free project) so that they can finally break the writing -> studio barrier.

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Catherine Villneuve

Guidance for the Quebec Music Scene - Touring, Press and Advice

If you are looking to find exposure in the Quebec market and need a strong resource submit a song to me for consideration. If I like what I hear and think that I can work with you. And if I do not see that we are a good fit I will still give a bit of friendly advice. Due to my extensive network in the Quebec market I am able to help you as a very strong press agent for bands and artists that are either on tour in the area or are local to the market! I can also help you in choosing the right songs to play to this market. If you are touring in the Quebec province you will get the right advice from me since that is what I have been doing everyday for over the last decade.

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Seeking hit songs for major label projects!! URGENT!!!!

URGENT!!!

Looking for hit POP/RnB songs for my current US projects; Beyonce - JLO - Rihanna - Sean Kingston - Iyaz Needs to be very original, nothing too obvious or cliche I will listen to everything submitted

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Seeking 10 Artists To Sign To Roster in 2011

We are proud to announce after unprecedented growth in 2010 a NEW production partnership between LA based producer/musician Joey Ayoub of, The Sound Salon in Hollywood in the USA and CEO and owner of Sugar Filly Entertainment, Michael A Puskas who as a published writer, composer and international producer is based in Australia and around the world. The partnership will focus on the lucrative tween and teen pop market to launch a production, release, distribution and licensing initiative called, "Sugar Dreams" in 2011. The virtual platform will allow a Trans Atlantic collaboration to take place between artist and producers in real time via new video conferencing technology with real time Audio hookup and this will save massive amounts of money and allow for greater output of the productions undertaken in both our Hollywood and Australian based Studios. Currently we are searching for (10) quality new artists to work closely with the label and it's licensing and touring arm in 2011. Each song submitted will have a chance to get onto the roster that is eagerly followed by executives at Disney, Nickelodeon, White Wolf Records and many others. Each song will receive a professional critique by CEO / Producer Mike Puskas and this will allow for an open dialogue of development between the parties. Accepting submissions today so don't delay!

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Spacecar Management

Seeking new acts to manage

I'm always willing to listen to new music and always looking for my next act. Feel free to send your stuff along!

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Still Seeking Songs & Acts
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Seeking Catchy Song for International Advertising Campaign for a Major Consumer Brand

The agency is seeking an happy/cheerful/celebratory song that will appear as the centerpiece of an international advertising campaign for a major consumer brand. The ads will begin running internationally in the spring of 2011 and continue through the summer.

A catchy, celebratory, cheerful sing-along chorus is a big plus but we're open to other ideas as well. Sometimes we don't recognize it until we hear it.

If you are a band or act that is interested in appearing in some or all of the multiple ads that will be produced with your song as the centerpiece, we are open to discussing that as a possibility.

We look forward to hearing your submissions.

Click the headline of this post for more information.
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Best Christmas Song Contest

Top 10 Contest finalists will receive:

A slot on the Best Christmas Song Compilation CD Vol.1

Sponsored by Torrez Music Group and Music Xray.
CD will be released digitally the first week of December by TMG and IMI Music to over 100 Digital distributors and featured on Airplay Direct.

Click the headline of this post for more information.
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