Winner of nationwide online music competition will receive record deal with
acclaimed label
NEW YORK, Jan. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Gather.com, the unique, social
networking website, in conjunction with Universal Music Group's Decca Label
Group, have joined forces to create a nationwide music contest, First
Tracks: The Search for America's Best Musical Talent. The winner of this
competition will be awarded a deal for a Decca Label Group-produced record.
Musicians of all genres are invited to upload their single on Gather.com,
which will automatically enter them into the contest for a chance to win.
"With First Tracks, we let music lovers pick America's future music stars.
Using Gather's social platform will enable contest participants and the
eventual winner to build mass audience and awareness. We're really excited
to give the average person an opportunity to fulfill their dream," comments
Tom Gerace, Gather's Founder and CEO.
"Decca is very excited at the prospect of discovering new and untapped
talent through Gather.com," says Decca Label Group president, Paul Foley.
"First Tracks will be a fantastic outlet for audiences to weigh in on
up-and- coming artists, and especially choose one that Decca will have the
opportunity to sign to a future record deal." Beginning March 3, fans will
get a chance to go online to listen and vote for their 25 favorite
contestants. Voting online at http://www.gather.com will be the exclusive format
for fans to vote for contestants. After the 25 semifinalists are selected,
their singles will be judged by a panel of music celebrities and industry
leaders. The finalists will perform a song selected by Decca in front of a
live audience with celebrity judges offering professional expertise and
personal comments on each.
The grand prize winner will be announced on April 30, and will get the
opportunity to have their single released on iTunes and the Decca Label
Group website immediately. The winner will also have a record produced and
distributed by Decca Label Group. The contest officially opened January 23,
and will accept entries through February 27, 2008. Additional details about
the contest, as well as online submissions, can be found on
firsttracks.gather.com.
Decca Label Group
Decca Label Group (DLG) specializes in various areas of the adult music
marketplace. The division is home to such diverse artists as Andrea
Bocelli, Boyz II Men, Marc Cohn, Elvis Costello, Paula Cole, and Meshell
Ndegeocello among others. DLG is also a driving force in Broadway, score
soundtracks, Jazz and world music genres, with recent successes including
cast recordings of Wicked, Mamma Mia!, and Young Frankenstein, as well as
the Golden Globe- winning score for Atonement.
Gather.com
Gather.com is a unique social networking site that targets adult
interests and is the perfect place to find some of the best expert- and
member-created content online from socially and culturally-informed
contributors. Gather.com is a privately held, privately funded company
headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. Investors include Allen & Company,
The American Public Media Group, Hearst, The McGraw-Hill Companies and
Southern California Public Radio. For more information, visit
http://www.gather.com.
SOURCE Gather.com
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Related links:
http://www.gather.com
http://firsttracks.gather.com
CONTACT:
Aliza Rabinoff, or Rachel Carr, or Yaa
Yamoah, all of Dan Klores Communications, +1-212-685-4300, all
for Gather.com
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