American Idol, YouTube, and MySpace paved the way, and now the public’s thirst for fresh, handpicked talent reaches its natural conclusion: Music Nation, where up-and-coming bands can submit their videos online to be voted on by viewers for the ultimate prize: a recording contract with world-renowned Epic Records. Bands will get the exposure they desire, while fans will get a significant say in the outcome–the perfect relationship between the artist and the public.
To be entered in the contest, musicians can upload a video to Music Nation and create their own page. Before January 1, there’s no cost to do so; after that, artists must pay a registration fee of $25. January 15 marks the official start of the competition, which will proceed for 15 weeks total. Voting by the public and a group of famous judges will begin on that day, and by the end, three winners will be named, one each for urban, rock, and pop. The chosen talents will go on to sign with Epic Records, and one of them will get a slot of Stripped, the exclusive in-studio performance series from Clear Channel Radio.
Music Nation was founded to locate and nurture new talent, then to bring it to the people. Entrants in the competition will enjoy public exposure and word-of-mouth notoriety, regardless of the outcome. Hundreds of videos have already flooded the site, and 2007 looks to continue that pace. www.musicnation.com.
