ISC Announces The 2012 Finalists
Click here to see the complete list. Winners will be announced in April, 2013.
Congratulations to all finalists! |
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The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) is proud to announce the
2012 finalists. ISC experienced a huge increase in entries in 2012, receiving
over 20,000 entries in 22 categories of contemporary music from 119 countries worldwide.
The entries were narrowed down to 324 finalists who hail from 45 countries throughout the
world, from Pakistan to Latvia, from Ecuador to Tanzania, from Trinidad to Ukraine, and
everywhere in between. These finalists' songs have now been sent to the ISC judges (see
below for complete list) who will select the final winners. Winners will be announced in
April, 2013. |
Do you want a chance to say which finalist's song is your favorite?
The song with the most public votes will be the "Peoples' Voice" winner,
so click below, listen to the finalists' songs, and vote now!
ISC Judges
Recording Artists: Jeff Beck; Nas; Tom Waits; Bernie Taupin; Martina McBride; Duran Duran;
Janelle Monae; Susan Tedeschi & Derek Trucks; Robert Smith (The Cure); Bruce Hornsby;
Suzanne Vega; Michael W. Smith; Darryl McDaniels (Run DMC); Mark Foster (Foster The People);
Alejandro Sanz; Gerald Casale (Devo); Bill Evans; Anthony Hamilton; Brian Setzer; Avicci;
Wynonna; Keane; Jeremy Camp; Tegan & Sara; McCoy Tyner; Ketch Secor (Old Crow Medicine
Show); Francesca Batistelli; Craig Morgan; James Cotton; Robert Earl Keen; Black Francis
(The Pixies); John Mayall; Anoushka Shankar; Chris Hillman (The Byrds, The Flying Burrito
Brothers); Toots Hibbert (Toots & The Maytals); Los Temerarios; Billy Currington; Sandra
Bernhard; Basement Jaxx; and Matt Thiessen (Relient K)
Industry Executives: Dan McCarroll (President, Capitol/Virgin Label Group); Monte Lipman
(President, Universal Republic Records); Ed Vetri (President, Wind-Up Records); Richard Stumpf
(President, Imagem Music US); Bruce Iglauer (Founder/President, Alligator Records); Albert
Schilcher (VP Music & Music Mktg, MTV International); Angel Carrasco (Sr. VP A&R,
Latin America, Sony/BMG); Dan Storper (President, Putamayo World Music Records and Putumayo
Kids); Steve Smith (VP of A&R, Aware Records); Cory Robbins (Founder/President, Robbins
Entertainment); Lori Tieg (VP of Talent, VEVO); Dr. Demento (Radio Host, The Dr. Demento Show);
Steve Lillywhite (Producer); Kim Buie (Head of A&R, Thirty Tigers); Douglas C. Cohn (Sr.
VP, Music Marketing & Talent, Nickelodeon); Allison B. Jones (VP of A&R, Big Machine
Label Group); Jack Vaughn (VP, Comedy Central Records); Leib Ostrow (Founder/CEO, Music For
Little People); and Jamie Masada (Owner, Laugh Factory) |
Sponsors
PreSonus, Lowden, Marshall Amplification, Grooveshark, Solid State Logic, Berklee College Of Music, Mrs. Fields Cookies, Airplay Direct, DiscMakers, Thayers, SongU.com, The Music Business Registry, Independent Mastering, Indie Venue Bible, George Stein Esq., Sonicbids, Songtrust, and Taxi |
Are you a songwriter? If so, ISC wants to hear your songs! Enter your songs now and be eligible
to win cash, prizes, and acknowledgment for your songs. Become part of an elite group of winners
who have included Gotye, Kimbra, Omar Sosa, Kasey Chambers, The Band Perry, Gin Wigmore, Andrew
Bird, Amanda Palmer, and many more.
ISC is open to amateur and professional songwriters from all over the world - including bands and
solo performers. Sixty-eight winners will be selected, including a Grand Prize winner who will be
awarded $25,000 in cash (US) plus a lot of cool prizes.
Now in its 12th year, ISC is known for its great prizes and high-profile judges. Ask any music
industry executive or songwriter which competitions rank as the most influential, and they will
place ISC at the top of the list. ISC is an unique opportunity for songwriters to gain international
recognition and have the opportunity for their music to be heard by the most respected and influential
recording artists and music industry executives in the world.
How can you enter? It's very easy to submit your songs. You can enter online with an mp3 through the
ISC platform (soon to come: Sonicbids, ReverbNation, and Broadjam). Also, you can mail your songs;
ISC accepts CDs, tapes, or DVDs (for music video entries).
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, Unsigned Only, and World Music. Entrants may submit as many songs as they wish - in the
same category or in multiple categories. |
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ISC Stocking Stuffer Winners |
Stocking Stuffer Overall Winner
Samir Thapa
"Burning Daylight"
London, England |
In December, 2012, ISC and Sonicbids ran a special five-day
"Stocking Stuffer" promotion for entrants submitting through Sonicbids.
ISC selected one winner from each day, and one overall winner has also been
selected from these daily winners. Congratulations to all the winners!
The Stocking Stuffer daily winners are:
12/17/12: Brady Toops - "Lord Have Mercy" - Nashville, TN, USA
12/18/12: Glenn Richards - "Brother Lock And Sister Key" - Hobart, TAS, Australia
12/19/12: Dean Batstone - "Love Don't Happen Every Time" - Almonte, ON, Canada
12/15/11: Samir Thapa - "Burning Daylight" - London, England
12/16/11: Jason Cullimore - "Old Shanghai" - Regina, SK, Canada
The Overall prize winner receives:
• $1,000 from ISC
• 2-week cover-photo feature on Sonicbids' Facebook page
• Half-day video shoot with StudioNow worth approximately $3,000
Daily prizes include gear from Bohemian Guitars, JanSport, Disc Makers, JamHub, and PreSonus. |
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ISC Sponsor Spotlight |
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Songtrust
Songtrust simplifies the complex process of collecting publishing royalties for
songwriters at any stage of their career. Using Songtrust's industry-leading online
service, you can easily register songs with Performing Rights Organizations and
collection agencies to get paid your fair share of performance, mechanical, and
digital royalties. Learn more about how they can help you: www.songtrust.com. |
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Thayers
Trusted by tenors, teachers, tour guides and other types who trill, talk and testify.
Thayers® Slippery Elm Lozenges and Thayers® Dry Mouth Sprays have been providing
relief for sore throats since 1847. Some of their better known customers are Sting,
Justin Timberlake, Mavis Staples, Ozzy Osbourne, Rob Thomas, India Arie, and Queen Latifah.
As the only natural vocal care product FDA approved as an Over the Counter Drug (OTC) to
heal, soothe and protect the membranes of your throat, you can use Thayers® Slippery
Elm Lozenges with the confidence of proven effectiveness. Helping to prevent vocal strain,
Thayers® Dry Mouth Sprays provide on-demand moisture for the mouth and vocal chords.
Try Thayers® and soon you'll be singing their praises! Go to http://www.thayers.com. |
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Indie Bible
The Indie Bible presents The Ultimate Indie Bundle - an incredible offer that allows artists to gain access
to $340 worth of music directories for only $59.95. The Ultimate Indie Bundle consists of this year's edition of The Indie Bible, Indie
Venue Bible and Indie Bible Online as well as a copy of next year's Indie Bible. 4 directories for only $59.95!
Over 50,000 music listings in all including Radio Stations, Music Magazines, Venues, Labels,
Distributors and much more! Visit http://www.indiebible.com/isc for more details! |
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Industry Partners |
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CraveOnline
CraveOnline (www.craveonline.com) is one of the premiere lifestyle destinations for
young men ages 18-34 featuring video, movies, TV, music, sports, games, cars,
humor and more. As one of the fastest growing destinations on the web and the
recipient of four 2011 Digiday Video Awards, CraveOnline attracts 19 million
unique visitors per month. CraveOnline strives to get users the most up-to-date
and coolest content on the web. The company is based in Los Angeles with sales
offices in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Toronto. CraveOnline is part
of AtomicOnline (www.atomiconline.com), the publishing division of Evolve Media Corp. |
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Memphis Flyer
The Memphis Flyer was founded in 1989 and has grown into one of the most influential
news outlets in Memphis - reaching more than 290,000 weekly readers. Winning countless
local, regional, and national awards for its forthright journalism, cutting edge politics
and entertainment coverage, the Flyer has built a stellar reputation for integrity and
"telling it like it is." Simply put: The Memphis Flyer matters to Memphis - to the man on
the street and the city's movers and shakers. Supporting their fearless journalistic style,
the Flyer's heart beats for Memphis in the purest way - they are locally owned and
relentlessly local in their focus. And that's why the Memphis Flyer is an essential
part of the fabric of Memphis - and always will be. Check it out at http://www.memphisflyer.com. |
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Loopmasters
Loopmasters officially launched early in 2003 with the aim of producing flexible
sample libraries for producers and musicians who required top quality playing from
seasoned professionals to integrate into and inspire their music. It is the #1
website dedicated to providing 100% Royalty Free Sample Libraries for Producers
Worldwide from the best Sample Labels on the Planet. Loopmasters sounds consistently
appear in everything from top club hits to major brand advertisements, film scores
and everything in between. The royalty-free nature of Loopmasters sounds means that,
once purchased, a buyer has full rights to do with them as they please. For more
info, please go to http://www.loopmasters.com. |
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Ditto Music
Ditto Music offers the best service, and the best deal in the business. As an artist,
you'll pay a small upfront fee to get your music into hundreds of online stores including
iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and eMusic. You can also set up a record label, become eligible
for charts all over the world, sell your work on pre-release, and take advantage of other
great Ditto features. Most importantly, you'll keep the rights to your music and 100% of
the royalties that your music generates. For more information, go to http://www.dittomusic.com/dittomusic. |
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Record of the Day
Record of the Day is the UK music industry's most complete daily digest, providing
a raft of original and aggregated news from the most important domestic and
international media outlets, encompassing print and online. Each daily mailout,
which reaches more than 5,000 industry professionals a day, also contains an
editorially-chosen track that's heard by all the right people. A subscription
includes a weekly e-magazine containing comment, news, data, listings, interviews
and of course, clips to the best new music out there. Free trial at http://www.recordoftheday.com. |
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Soundrop
Soundrop is the easiest way to enjoy and discover music together with your friends.
Create a social listening room with your favorite songs, or join one of their many
public rooms to experience music with thousands of fans from around the world.
Soundrop allows everyone to partake in the music discovery process, both to raise
their own credibility and help others discover new music. Soundrop is headquartered
in Oslo, and founded by entrepreneurs who believe music sounds better with friends.
Visit them online at http://www.soundrop.com. |
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Broken Pencil
Broken Pencil is the world's only magazine of zine culture and the independent arts.
They challenge conformity and demand attention. Published four times a year, each issue
reviews hundreds of zines, comics, urls, music, underground books and more! This is stuff
you won't find anywhere else! Reprints from the best of the alternative press showcase
independent writing and graphica. Groundbreaking interviews with underground creators
inspire young artists and complement their features on cutting edge trends and phenomena.
Their world renowned section devoted to only the most original fiction rounds out the
magazine. Broken Pencil is your portal to independent creativity - a magazine exclusively
devoted to the most fearless writers, artists, publishers, bands, and more. Check out
their new App - The Nub - limited time Free download - www.brokenpencil.com/thenub. |
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ProductionHUB
ProductionHUB, Inc. (www.prohub.com) is an online marketplace for broadcast TV, motion picture, pro video,
live event, corporate & digital media production. ProHUB connects media & entertainment
professionals with those seeking industry products & services. Since 1998, this vertical
B2B has grown to become the world's largest and most active production community search site,
attracting more than 4 million searches annually. |
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Nashville Music Guide
Nashville Music Guide is an online and print publication based out of Nashville, TN.
Their main focus since 1995 has been to promote the independent, unsigned/undiscovered,
new talent hitting the Nashville music scene. They are constantly expanding their
distribution as well as continuously adding media delivery solutions to better serve
your music marketing needs. Check them out for all the latest news in the music industry
as they continue their efforts in publicizing singers, musicians, and writers to music
row and beyond. For more info, go to http://www.nashvillemusicguide.net. |
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Songwriting Business
Learn how to make money from your music. How many great songwriters don't ever
realize their full potential? Songwriting Business is the world leader in teaching
songwriters how to monetize their craft. Sick of being a struggling artist? Confused
about how to make real money from your songwriting? Songwriting Business offers a whole
community of songwriters, includes help about improving your craft, and even feedback
on your songs from professional songwriters from all around the world. Come over to www.songwritingbusiness.com if you are serious about making your living from your songs. |
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