Following the lead of one or the other of the EMI labels, I forget which (I'd got into the archives and find out, but hey, it's Friday, life's too short etc etc), SonyBMG have announced two new websites through which unsigned bands can submit demos to and network with their A&R teams. Not only that, but the new blogging platforms will be the only way the major accepts demos from this point onwards (after all, receiving physical demos is much less fun in this CD age - you can't record over a CD).
Both the major's main record label divisions - Columbia and RCA - will have a blogging thingimy - at http://www.columbiademos.co.uk and http://www.rcademos.co.uk. The service is being set up in association with blog outfit Vox.com, and bands who sign up will not only be able to network with and expose their music to Columbia and RCA's A&R teams, but they will also benefit from a range of other facilities to help them promote their music and network with other artists.
Announcing the new service, SonyBMG UK chief Ged Doherty told CMU: "Blogging is clearly one of the major trends in music, media and entertainment. 100,000 new blogs go online each day at the moment and the blogosphere is doubling every 230 days so it makes complete sense for the major labels to use the process in a creative way to encourage, discover and communicate with new artists. Hopefully this will go some way towards breaking down the barriers between new artists and music companies and make for more open, transparent dialogues between the two of us. New talent remains the core commitment for SonyBMG and we want to offer that talent innovative and efficient ways of presenting themselves and their music to us. The A&R Blogs are a great way of doing that. They offer the band a great platform to show themselves off to best advantage to anyone who might be interested in taking them on and furthering their career".